Hello and welcome to my post for this week’s Friday Fictioneers Challenge. Please visit our host Rochelle Wisoff’s site for all the rules. In brief the challenge is to write a story 100 words or less based on the photo prompt.
This weeks photo is courtesy of Danny Bowman, who retains all rights to his photo.
Without further ado here’s my story A Heavy Weight –
“We’re going to die.” Calvin stared at the aging Jeep’s rising temperature gauge.
“Quit being so dramatic.” Charmaine shook her head. “Have faith! Google says we’re going the right way.”
“In a quarter of a mile turn left,” the tinny voice interrupted.
“Turn left! What left?” Calvin thumped the steering wheel and scowled at his half empty bottle. It contained the last of their water.
“I don’t know!” Charmaine stabbed at her phone.
“You have arrived,” the voice declared in triumph.
Calvin awoke with a jerk, his bed sheets a tangled mess.
“Damn this Google job is stressing me out.”
Word Count – 100
Some background, I have heard some news stories over the pass several years about Google maps leading people off onto back roads, sometimes resulting in death. I’ve often wondered if the product managers at Google feel the weight of these horrible consequences.
Thanks for reading. Please take a few minutes to leave me a comment. Also click HERE to read a vast array of stories based on this week’s photo.
Have a great day.
Cindy
Life Lessons of a Dog Lover 
Oh, this is good. You can tell stress when it spills over into your sleep.
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Thank you. It certainly does.
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Great story , Cindy.
I can feel what it is like for him , to be weighed down with a taxing job like that.
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Thank you Moon, so glad you liked the story.
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I like stories that explore issues we find in the world outside our heads.
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Thanks Neil, I agree.
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Great idea Cindy. I suspect the Google managers don’t lose too much sleep over it, but it would be nice to think they did!
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You may be right, and that could be a good thing for innovation and progress, or not.
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I once was driving along a brand new road in Europe when the Sat Nav advised me to turn left immediately. I was crossing a bridge which was at least thirty foot above the surrounding ground level. Needless to say I ignored the Sat Nav
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Ha, I’m glad you did. I think everyone has run into situations like this. It sure reassure us that we people are still needed.
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Loved the ending. It was such a relief. I thought the two of them were going to die 🙂
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Thanks, I didn’t want to do that.
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This is why I will never work for Google. Well done!
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Thanks Miles, so glad you liked the story. Google and I have an agreement – they don’t want me and I don’t want them.
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Super concept & an excellent story!
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Thank you so much. Glad you dropped by and left a message.
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Oh yes I heard that story too… but I think it was Apple maps and some errors in Australia… don’t think anyone died but I think it was close.
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In March 2011 a couple for British Columbia, Canada got lost in the wilds of northern Nevada when their “GPS” led them astray. The husband died six miles from their vehicle when he tried to find help. His wife survived for 48 days on snow and trail mix. This is the story that inspired my story although I may have been unfair to Google, but it worked for the story.
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This is the story I thought about… https://www.cnet.com/news/australia-police-discourage-use-of-apple-maps-app-after-rescues/
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That is scary, no place to get lost. I’m so glad an of the generation that doesn’t completely trust technology.
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i guess bringing along an old-fashioned map can help in case of emergency. 🙂
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It makes me wonder if kids are still being taught how to read maps and orientation. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
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At least this guy has a conscience.
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Good point. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
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Excellent take.
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Thanks.
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Dear Cindy,
We have one of those funky addresses that Google doesn’t seem to recognize. We’ve received messages from Fed Ex and UPS on more than one occasion saying our address doesn’t exist. And I’ve had GPS lead me to the wrong place. Said all that to say I love your story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rachelle. We have a place in rural Alberta that Google places us about 12 miles away and a place in the city in Arizona, which Google gets but other mapping systems take people to the wrong address several streets away. Got to love technology. All this to say thanks for reading and leaving such a nice comment.
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Great thought-provoking story. I always wonder how people can be so blindly trusting, but seeing as to how many details about themselves, their kids, their most intimate problems they post on the internet… nothing should surprise any more. I never turn the location detection on, ever. I don’t rely on the navigator, use it as a tool at the most. Maps, printed on paper, that’s what I rely on, and common sense. Is that too much to ask?
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Ha, I agree nothing beats good old fashioned common sense. Glad this story was though provoking, that’s a nice compliment.
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Kudos to the guy for having a conscience. And yes, I do think people should be taught to read maps (I seriously doubt anyone is today!)
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That’s a really scary thought. My son is 27 and he reminds me that when he was in grade school cursive writing was no longer taught. I was clueless and had him practicing it. I shudder to think what is not taught now.
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Mine are 19 and 18 next month and did learn cursive in elementary school but neither uses it!
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My husband doesn’t trust Google maps at all. He compares them with paper road maps from the gas station and follows his nose 🙂 Great story.
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Nice insight into the stresses endured by Google Maps and Navigation engineers 🙂
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Thanks. When we think of Silicon Valley, we don’t think of the stress some of these engineers endure.
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