2010-01-05 - How to get to Logan by car

GPS - duh. I've lived in Boston for four years now and I know my way around really well by just about every means of transportation other than car. It's something that I don't need to know how to do so I never cared to learn it. On the rare occasion that I need to go someplace by car I just use GPS like every other civilized human being. I don't like that. I feel that things like GPS are undeniably useful but at the same time incredibly bad for your brain. You don't need to think anymore and you don't need to remember anything anymore. I've been to Logan a number of times but still use the GPS as a crutch. It's not that hard to remember!

So last night we had to go from my apartment on Mission Hill to Logan. There are a few ways to get there and I've probably taken them all at one point or another. When it came time for directions I immediately went for the GPS and immediately got frustrated with myself. It's not that hard to find your way downtown- then to Storrow drive- and then there are about 100 signs that say 'Airport'. The GPS did more harm than good because I spent more time looking at it for directions than I did looking at signs and using common sense/sense of direction. I knew how to get there but I had more faith in the GPS than I did in my own memory. Another factor is that it's always more difficult to remember a route if you're not the person driving.. When you're using GPS it's basically the same thing; you're not actively looking for sites or signs or mental landmarks to retain for the next time you go there.

We got to the airport just fine and I made it a point to actually remember how I got there and vowed to never use GPS for such a short and simple trip again. GPS is great for uncharted territory or when you're lost- but for the sake of fighting off premature Alzheimer's I'm going to encourage you all to rely on your GPS less often. Back when we were kids people knew how to use maps and their heads and I think there's something to be said for that.