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Curious, does anybody navigate without GPS? Why do you do it? I occasionally challenge myself, and I am always surprised how much more active my mind is, compa

Curious, does anybody navigate without GPS? Why do you do it? I occasionally challenge myself, and I am always surprised how much more active my mind is, compared to GPS where my mind is passively glancing at the screen every few seconds to see if I'm on course and next turn.

muti 4y ago
Yes, I find it more fun and engaging whether driving a car or riding a bike. It also helps to build up a mental map of the city I live in, which I find to be one of those skills you can learn which feels like a bit of a superpower. Being able to find and navigate along a route, deal with detours, or navigate yourself around congested areas. Recently I was trying to leave a large complex parking area when we noticed it was gridlocked. We were able to navigate a way out the back that hadn't become congested yet, and save ourselves from 4+ hours of waiting and ending up on the news.
fy20 4y ago
I have a pretty good navigational memory, so if I've driven the journey once I can usually remember the way again. The advantage of apps like Google Maps and Waze is they provide real time traffic data, so can reroute you if there is congestion. It's not perfect, but I use it for driving to and from work now and it has helped me avoid a lot of congestion.
- SoftTalker 4y ago
  I've found that the re-routing is good if you happen to be lucky enough to be one of the first cars to get rerouted. But pretty quickly the alternate route gets congested too because everyone is getting rerouted.
friend_and_foe 4y ago
I do it, because I lived in a time when you had to and I want to keep that part of my mind sharp. I'll use GPS to go somewhere novel, but after once, maybe twice, i make a point to just go there without assistance. If you don't navigate you lose spatial awareness over time, I know some people who can't tell you how to get to their job from their house.
- club_tropical 4y ago
  Amazing. I have noticed the loss in myself and should take steps to improve.

muti 4y ago

Yes, I find it more fun and engaging whether driving a car or riding a bike. It also helps to build up a mental map of the city I live in, which I find to be one of those skills you can learn which feels like a bit of a superpower. Being able to find and navigate along a route, deal with detours, or navigate yourself around congested areas. Recently I was trying to leave a large complex parking area when we noticed it was gridlocked. We were able to navigate a way out the back that hadn't become congested yet, and save ourselves from 4+ hours of waiting and ending up on the news.

fy20 4y ago

I have a pretty good navigational memory, so if I've driven the journey once I can usually remember the way again. The advantage of apps like Google Maps and Waze is they provide real time traffic data, so can reroute you if there is congestion. It's not perfect, but I use it for driving to and from work now and it has helped me avoid a lot of congestion.

SoftTalker 4y ago
I've found that the re-routing is good if you happen to be lucky enough to be one of the first cars to get rerouted. But pretty quickly the alternate route gets congested too because everyone is getting rerouted.

friend_and_foe 4y ago

I do it, because I lived in a time when you had to and I want to keep that part of my mind sharp. I'll use GPS to go somewhere novel, but after once, maybe twice, i make a point to just go there without assistance. If you don't navigate you lose spatial awareness over time, I know some people who can't tell you how to get to their job from their house.

club_tropical 4y ago
Amazing. I have noticed the loss in myself and should take steps to improve.