This morning, I was practically tap dancing my way to work when I hit the reality that is Route 22 in New Jersey-bumper-to-bumper traffic stretching for what felt like miles. Like most people living in this age of technocracy, I instinctively pulled out my phone, entered the hospital address into the GPS, and searched for an alternate route to Somerset.
The GPS, however, had other plans.
Instead of taking me directly where I needed to go, it rerouted me to Bedminster, as though I was headed out for a relaxing morning of golf instead of a hospital shift. When I finally arrived at the location, I realized it was not my destination at all, forcing me to reenter the address and start over again. The detour added an extra eighteen minutes to my commute.
It was one of those moments that reminds you that for all our dependence on technology, it is far from perfect. We trust these devices with directions, schedules, communication, and sometimes even our decision-making, yet they can still fail in the most inconvenient ways.
As for the traffic itself, I never got close enough to see exactly what had happened, but judging by the two helicopters hovering over the route, it appeared to be something serious. I can only hope everyone involved was alright.
I called work to explain that I would be late because of the accident. The response I got was almost comforting: “Route 22 is always a mess anyway.” Oddly enough, hearing that made me feel a little better. At least I was not alone in the daily struggle of navigating New Jersey traffic.
Despite the chaotic start, the rest of the day went smoothly. Still, mornings like this leave you wondering: for all our advanced technology, how often does it actually fail us when we need it most?
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