John Y.’s Musings from the Middle: U-turns and GPS

U-Turns!

 

Driving in California is like being in the middle of a really bad video game where you never seem to figure out how to beat the system.

 

Fortunately, U-turns are all the rage out here and are great at minimizing time lost by inevitable driving mistakes.

 

And thank goodness for GPS systems. I have been so dependent on mine today that we are actually developing a relationship of sorts.

 

She–t…he monotone, always cool as a cumber, pleasant yet motherly voice from my GPS– has told me today at least a dozen times, “Take the next legal U-Turn.” A few minutes ago she said, “Take a right and then take the next legal U-Turn.”

 

I responded emphatically to her, “Lady, I was born ready to take the next legal U-Turn.” And I think I meant it.

 

And at some level, I think she heard me and smiled in that way that only the GPS voice-overs can smile to themselves.

Oh, and I know she has to always say “the next ‘legal’ U-Turn” but just once I’d like to hear her say, “Take the next U-Turn….Notice I didn’t say ‘legal’ either. I can’t explain it, I just want to be bad today.”

 

That would be cool. And I’d pay an extra dollar a month for the possibility of that happening. And I could say back, “Don’t worry sister, I already did.”