Wednesday 4 June 2008

Taking a trip with SatNav

I was so itching to use my new SatNav (or NatSav as my friend Jane suggested) that I decided to let it take me to the supermarket and back; notwithstanding the fact that I can find my own way to the supermarket and back.

After having managed to fix the cradle to the car and plug the thing in we were ready to go. Well, not quite. First we had to find the supermarket to tell the SatNav that is where we wanted to go. Except that it wasn't listed on the 'grocery places near me'. Fortunately the attached petrol station was listed; so I set my destination and off we went.

I managed to keep the talking back to the machine at a minimum and had a truly delightful experience, apart from the predictable obsession (shared by every on-line route finder I've ever tried) with starting a journey via Charlton Church Lane. The first time that it beeps at you to let you know there are speed cameras are about is a bit alarming; but other than that it was a smooth ride. I was particularly impressed by instructions such as 'keep right and then turn left' and telling me which exit to take from a roundabout.

The real test of course will be when we are going to a destination where I don't already know the way!