this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
1013 points (99.2% liked)
xkcd
8839 readers
22 users here now
A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Without considering this, most people wouldn't be able to drive anywhere they haven't been before anymore.
"Wouldn't be able to" is a bit of a stretch, since Thomas Maps existed long before GPS. But it wouldn't be so easy as it is now.
Most people couldn't use a Thomas guide in the mid 90s either.
I was about when I navigated using an AAA TripTik to get my mom and younger brothers through an 1600 mile road trip. We also had AAA guidebooks for along the path when I had to help pick a motel along the way because a torrential rain slowed us down. It was a fun game of figuring out how far it was, whether it had enough stars (mom said at least 2, but the more the better), and the best price.
It was the late 80s though, and I didn’t have a game boy, so it was kinda the only form of entertainment.