With all the technological advancements with in-car navigation systems these days, getting lost is becoming more and more difficult. Not only does a brightly lit map on your console tell you where you are, but a nice voice also tells you what to do.
You’d have to be pretty dumb to screw this up; just follow directions and everything will be okay–unless, of course, you are dumb enough to follow the directions literally.
A driver in Germany who was told “turn right now” did so immediately even though there was no street on which to turn. Instead, he plowed through a construction site and up some stairs before crashing into a bathroom.
He was fined 35 euros for following orders and robotically doing what he was told; had this happened in America, the obedient German would have probably won a fat settlement from the company that manufactures the navigation system. Future drivers would then have to endure 60 seconds of legalese after every direction a navi system offers… “if you choose to turn right here, Acme Navigation Systems and all its subsidiary companies will not be held liable for any damages incurred as a result of your decision to turn right…”