Google Maps prompt to stop getting directions

Some of us are born with an innate sense of direction. Others… not so much. I fall somewhere in the middle. Once I’m familiar with an area I can typically navigate it independently but I’m not proud of how much I rely on Google Maps, even for places I’ve traveled to a thousand times.

Part of this might be a cultural thing for Californians. When I lived in North Dakota and Colorado 1) I didn’t drive as much and 2) trips were measured in miles, not minutes. In Los Angeles, it can take 15 minutes to drive a mile. It’s infuriating.

That said, I punch in directions to get home, even though I usually know how to get home. It’s just a fun game watching the minutes go down.

This got me thinking… what if Google Maps prompted you to figure out a route for yourself once you’ve driven it a certain amount of times? I doubt they’d ever build something like this because it encourages people to stop using the app, but at the same time, this would be a great way to train people to develop a better sense of direction and autonomy while driving. I won’t hold my breath for them to release this though.

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