Trusting the Algorithm

25 Jan 2019 at 22:36 // under Personal

When driving to somewhere I don't know particularly well, I have a personal algorithm that helps me get to where I want to go, usually picking the best route. I usually try to know the route in general and when driving I have the car's built in satnav set up (with the audio turned off). I also have my wife use Google navigate.

Whenever anything differs, I ALWAYS pick the route that the two agree with. So if Google says go left and the car says go right, I pick from what I know.

Tonight we were driving to a hotel I hadn't been to in a few years and I wanted to stay on the main road but both Google and the car said to come off at a particular junction. I was sure there was a better route just a bit further up the main road, but both satnavs disagreed with me. My algorithm is quite clear that if I am the odd one out, I should follow the devices.

I followed my algorithm but was not happy about it. I was angry at myself for not following my own sense of direction. The anger vanished quickly a little later when I realised that I was thinking of the wrong road. The bit that had the better route was on this road, not the one I was on previously. The car told me to take the next exit while Google said to continue on. I casted the deciding vote and we did go the best route there.

The algorithm worked exactly as it was supposed to.

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