| Re: Motorists demolishing British history. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Group: uk.transport · Group Profile
Author: Mark GoodgeMark Goodge Date: Aug 29, 2008 06:16
On Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:30:27 +0100, Dr Zoidberg put finger to keyboard
and typed:
>> And that is not all they are demolishing.
>>
>> "Internet mapping is wiping the rich geography and history of Britain
>> off the map, Britain's most senior cartographer warned yesterday.
>>
>> Churches, cathedrals, stately homes, battlefields, ancient woodlands,
>> rivers, eccentric landmarks and many more features which make up the
>> tapestry of the British landscape are not being represented in online
>> maps, which focus on merely providing driving directions, said Mary
>> Spence, President of the British Cartographical Society..."
>>
There is a sensible point to be made here, about how reliance on
sat-nav and online route-finders reduces the incentive to learn more
general navigational skills such as the ability to read a map or
follow road signs. The "driver follows sat-nav gets stuck in
river/narrow lane/railway line/back end of nowhere" story is a staple
of the press on a slow news day, and, while the usual punchline of
such stories is a complaint that the sat-nav isn't accurate, I think
it's more a reflection of a decline in simple skills that were once
considered essential tools for the motorist or professional driver.
Personally, I think that if anyone ends up breaking the law as a
result of sat-nav inaccuracy (such as a truck driver passing a weight
or height restriction, or a car driver using a bus lane or going the
wrong way down a one-way street), then their decision to follow the
instructions of the sat-nav rather than check a map or take notice of
the road signs should be seen as an aggravating factor in any
subsequent court appearance. "It's not my fault, I only did what the
sat-nav told me" is no excuse if the road signs or markings clearly
contradict what the sat-nav is telling you.
Mark
| 
