Disagreeing with someone's GPS

[NutellaNut]

I had this situation recently, and though it is over and finished, it's happened a couple of times with this same friend, and I'm wondering if there is a better way to handle it in the future.

A friend and I travel together for a hobby.  We each have GPS systems, but they are different brands.  The systems often tell different ways to get to a place, just as Googlemaps and Mapquest might differ; there is often more than one path you can follow to the same destination.  A lot of times, the GPS (any GPS) or map website doesn't tell the most efficient path to follow, like a local would, but it's OK - give yourselves enough time, relax, and you'll get there eventually, is how I normally feel about that.

Recently, my friend and I were at a location I've been to many times, a few hours from my home.  We had to travel back to my house, and we had time constraints.  We were in her car, using her GPS, and it was telling us to go a different way.  I knew that the way her machine was sending was perhaps technically less distance, but it was winding back roads with stop lights and would take longer than the route that took us a little out of our way, but quickly got to a main highway.  My friend paradoxically wasn't sure about following her own GPS, because she recognized that it was sending us a different route than we had followed in the past, but every time I said something like, "I normally turn right here," or "We can get to the highway quickly if we just hop left here," she would dismiss it.  We ended up taking a very circuitous route and it was a pretty frustrating drive which added an hour to a 2 hour trip.

Is there a polite way for me to disagree with her GPS, and to assert that I do have a good idea of where to go?  Or am I stuck just letting my friend, the driver, follow what I know is incorrect?  This wasn't my own local neighborhood, where I would clearly know all the best routes and shortcuts, but it is somewhere I have visited many times in the last 5 years, and I am quite familiar with the route, particularly compared to my friend. 

And yes, one thing I will try is for us to NOT schedule time constraints into a trip like that again. 

[Judah]

When I'm driving on unfamiliar roads I'd prefer to just follow the GPS, even if it's taking me on a longer, more circuitous route.  It's bad enough not knowing where you are, having a passenger arguing with the map would be too much.  When you are the driver, you can do what you like.

[katycoo]

When you are the passenger, you just have to suck it up.  You offered your suggestions politely but that's all you can do.  if youw ant to control the route, drive yourself.

[GlitterIsMyDrug]

One time my friend and I were headed to a club. I've been there many time, she's never been there. She was driving with her GPS. Until I realized we were hopping onto freeway A, taking exit 1 and driving Road 1 all the way there and it'd take much longer. So I said to her "Oh, it's having you do this? I know a faster way", at which point she turned off the GPS.

I think you can say something like "Oh, what an odd way to take, you know I know much more direct route", but if the driver refuses and prefers to follow GPS, then just enjoy the ride.

[Outdoor Girl]

Nutella, you were fine.  Your friend was a little... strange.  Were you my passenger, I would have done what you suggested, let the GPS do its recalculating and carry on.  That's the beauty of a GPS - if you make a wrong turn, it will show you another route!

But there really was no way for you to insist that she go the way you wanted to go.

[TootsNYC]

I think you should directly say, "Since I know the route really well, and time is tight, please can we follow my directions instead of the GPS?"

I also think you can say, "That's technically shorter, but there are a lot of spotlights, and I never go that way because it takes longer. Let's not use your GPS, and let me navigate. What do you say?"

I don't think you need to hint--just be direct.

[Arila]

I would have followed your directions, and either let the GPS recalculate or turned it off. I only mess around with the stupid thing when no one knows where they are going, and I usually make "macroscopic" decisions on my own (ie: the fastest way for me to get downtown is to take x road to y highway, but once I'm there with all the one way streets, GPS is welcome to tell me what to do).


However, since you weren't driving, you ultimately have to just let the driver do what they are comfortable with and focus on operating the car safely. Arguing with them isn't going to help that, and so you may as well focus on not fuming about it, and enjoying the scenic route.....and next time you drive.

[QueenfaninCA]

When I'm driving on unfamiliar roads I'd prefer to just follow the GPS, even if it's taking me on a longer, more circuitous route.  It's bad enough not knowing where you are, having a passenger arguing with the map would be too much.  When you are the driver, you can do what you like.

Interesting. In that case I actually prefer directions from a human who knows the way. I know that GPS instructions aren't always the best way and sometimes their commands are ambiguous and have me make a wrong turn (compared to what it wants me to do).

[NyaChan]

When I'm driving on unfamiliar roads I'd prefer to just follow the GPS, even if it's taking me on a longer, more circuitous route.  It's bad enough not knowing where you are, having a passenger arguing with the map would be too much.  When you are the driver, you can do what you like.

Interesting. In that case I actually prefer directions from a human who knows the way. I know that GPS instructions aren't always the best way and sometimes their commands are ambiguous and have me make a wrong turn (compared to what it wants me to do).

I too prefer to use the gps if I know it will actually get me where I am heading, even if it does take a bit longer.  There are a couple of reasons for this -

1) Some people are just not good at giving directions and it can actually make the drive longer and make me feel stressed when I'm not sure if they'll give me enough time to change lanes or make turns
2) If the person messes up, I know I'm going to start resenting them (not a lot, just a little) for extending the drive and having to figure out how to get back on track when I would have been fine using the gps to begin with.

[Outdoor Girl]

I've had far too many experiences with GPS sending me down a goat path that if I know the general direction I need to be going, I'll go my way and let the GPS direct me as we get closer to the destination.  Of course, a lot of the places I go don't even come up on the dang GPS.

[Two Ravens]

When I'm driving on unfamiliar roads I'd prefer to just follow the GPS, even if it's taking me on a longer, more circuitous route.  It's bad enough not knowing where you are, having a passenger arguing with the map would be too much.  When you are the driver, you can do what you like.

Interesting. In that case I actually prefer directions from a human who knows the way. I know that GPS instructions aren't always the best way and sometimes their commands are ambiguous and have me make a wrong turn (compared to what it wants me to do).

I too prefer to use the gps if I know it will actually get me where I am heading, even if it does take a bit longer.  There are a couple of reasons for this -

1) Some people are just not good at giving directions and it can actually make the drive longer and make me feel stressed when I'm not sure if they'll give me enough time to change lanes or make turns
2) If the person messes up, I know I'm going to start resenting them (not a lot, just a little) for extending the drive and having to figure out how to get back on track when I would have been fine using the gps to begin with.

Yes, I been in a car with a person who is convinced they know the way or a "faster" way, and we end up driving around forever. Or better, the people that say, "Turn that way" and point with their finger. (I'm not looking at you!) Much better to rely on (or blame) the gps.

[NutellaNut]

OP here!

Just to clarify, I wasn't fuming about the trip taking longer, I'm personally just a *little* annoyed about the afternoon in general.  The time constraints were actually my friend's, and because I was feeling pretty poorly, we had agreed that she would drop me at my house before heading on her way (which had been one of two options we'd planned for).  Because the trip was taking so much longer due to the GPS' route, she was getting more and more stressed about being late.  By that time, we had no way to shorten the trip other than to go directly to her destination, which I offered reluctantly to do.  In retrospect I should not have offered since I really was feeling awful. 

All's well that ends well - my friend is good company, we did get back eventually, I survived hanging out for a couple more hours after that, and hopefully I'll get some ideas on how to handle this better in the future! 

[TootsNYC]

I knew that the way her machine was sending was perhaps technically less distance, but it was winding back roads with stop lights and would take longer than the route that took us a little out of our way, but quickly got to a main highway.

I'm wondering if you realized it in time to have diverted her, and if so, did you give her this info?

[Hmmmmm]

When I'm driving on unfamiliar roads I'd prefer to just follow the GPS, even if it's taking me on a longer, more circuitous route.  It's bad enough not knowing where you are, having a passenger arguing with the map would be too much.  When you are the driver, you can do what you like.

Interesting. In that case I actually prefer directions from a human who knows the way. I know that GPS instructions aren't always the best way and sometimes their commands are ambiguous and have me make a wrong turn (compared to what it wants me to do).

I agree with you. I will always trust human directions from someone who is familiar with the area over a GPS. I've had GPS route me down red light infested roads because it was slightly shorter distance over going via an expressway.

[MrTango]

Whoever owns the car gets to pick the route.  You can politely offer the knowledge that in your experience route X is faster/easier than route Y, but in the end, the owner of the car gets to choose.