Now You Can Drive In Peace
So it’s midnight, you’re on the road, and you have no idea where you are. You look for a map, but frantic searches in the glove compartment and trunk yield nothing. You ask Scotty from the Starship Enterprise to beam you over some directions, but he’s apparently in sick bay. So what do you do? Pull into the local gas station and print out directions from Google.
Starting next month, gas pumps made by North Carolina-based manufacturer Gilbarco Veeder-Root will have a small computer screen where you can Google your directions via touchscreen, then print them out. Initially, you’ll find 3,500 of these machines across the nation , but expect this idea to expand if you and your fellow drivers like the idea enough. While the maps come ad-free, retailers will offer coupons through the service.
Personally, I like the idea. I’ve taken a number of road trips where I got lost in my destination city and had to ask for directions from gas attendants who didn’t speak English. And when it comes to people more stubborn than me, gas-pump Googling should present a welcome last resort that relieves stress on-demand.
- posted by Taeho Lim
