Smug driver vindicated as SatNav confirms his usual route

An Isle of Wight resident was reportedly feeling particularly smug this week after the purchase of a SatNav system confirmed to him that all the routes he normally takes are exactly the one his global positioning system would recommend if he didn’t already know exactly where he was going.

Matthew Gratton, became the latest to feel the 21st century emotion of ‘SatNavisfaction’ when his newly acquired Garmin Nuvi 265, with a 3.5″ touch screen and pre-loaded UK and Western Europe maps, not only directed him to his destination, the business park outside Ventnor where he works, but also chose the exact same route that he always uses.

‘I never really thought hard about that route. I just went the way that seemed to make the most sense to me.’ said Mr Gratton. ‘To find out that my Sat Nav wanted me to go exactly the same way – right down to the last turn – well it makes me feel like some kind of traffic savant.’

Soon afterwards Matthew tested out a number of his other preferred journeys to familiar destinations on the island, and experienced a smug private glow that his £149.99 gadget agreed with him 100%. ’The route to the Sainsbury’s Homebase outside Sandown; the choice of the A3005 to reach Shanklin; OK, they are all pretty obvious routes, and there are not that many roads on the Isle of the Wight, but it still gave me a profound sense of self-worth to have my choices externally verified like this.’

The only downside of Mr Gratton’s experiment came during the longest journey since he bought the SatNav, when he wanted to see if it would select exactly the same route to Yarmouth on the far side of the island. The experiment had been going pretty well, until while looking too closely at the SatNav he missed a bend in the road and drove the car right into a brick wall. The car was badly damaged and Mr Gratton required hospital treatment.

‘But I’m feeling pretty chuffed that I personally estimated the costs of repairing the car would be more than the value of the car itself. And all the computer insurance websites came back with exactly the same judgement. So I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself I can tell you…’

Spread the word - share this story: