Just realized taking the back roads through Durham saved me 12 minutes

I had to choose between the highway and side streets today, and the GPS said highway was faster. But I remembered how the ramp always backs up near the mall, so I went local instead and rolled right through every light. Has anyone else found that the 'shortcut' route actually works better than the algorithm says?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.john1mo ago

That's the funny thing about algorithms. They're programmed to think the highway is always faster because of the higher speed limit, but they don't account for the real world stuff like that one bad traffic light or the way people merge like they're fighting for their lives. This kind of thing happens all the time with other stuff too, not just driving. The "obvious" way to do something based on the numbers never seems to match what actually happens when you're out there doing it. It's like how people think the cheapest price at the store is always the best deal, but they don't factor in how long it takes to find the thing or how much gas you burned getting there.

kevin_west1mo ago

Man tell me about it. I tried following GPS directions to a job site once and it had me cutting through a neighborhood to save 2 minutes, but there was a school zone and a train crossing that ate up 15. Learned my lesson real quick, numbers on paper don't mean squat when you're actually out there dealing with it.