I wrote a column the other week about AI and how we are reliant on it.
Last weekend, I lived that dream.
I had my Thunder netball hat on and I had to go to Nissan Arena at Mt Gravatt for the state titles.
On the way, I had to make a quick detour to Manly to drop something off to one of Old Mate’s friends.
I have never been to Manly, so GPS was in play.
I must say, Manly is an awesome spot. If I had to live in the big smoke, that would be where I would live.
Anyhow, the GPS worked great. I got to both destinations intact and on time.
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Unfortunately, getting home was different – a great example of my stupidity.
When I left, I decided I didn’t need the GPS as it was memory-based travel from way back when the Broncos used to play at the arena. I knew where I was going.
After a few kilometres and a few sets of lights, though, I started to have doubts.
I pulled up within view of what I thought was the motorway and the road home.
Just to be sure, I whacked in my address, and it told me to do a U-turn.
Thirty minutes later, I found myself on the Pacific Highway heading south. Bizarre.
The first chance I got, I pulled up and checked my destination.
Street name – tick. House number – tick. Suburb – Currumbin.
Massive fail, and another reason I need to keep a set of glasses in the car.
So, I put the right address in, and you guessed it, the GPS took me back past the exact spot I had sat 30 minutes earlier.
This is what I learnt last weekend:
Never eat the karaage chicken at Nissan Arena unless you want indigestion for 24 hours.
When stressed, never pull up at a service station and buy two bags of snakes because it is cheaper than one. You’ll end up eating the whole lot and add a sore jaw to the indigestion.
And thirdly – and most importantly – never let IT override common sense to the point of knowingly being led south when your tiny brain is telling you that something is astray.
I wonder if GPS has a common sense app?
It seems it is certainly not common in my world.
Ashley Robinson is Chairman of Sunshine Coast Falcons and Sunshine Coast Thunder Netball and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.