Editor’s Note: “The Economic Development Side” originally appears in the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce’s weekly member e-newsletter. It is written by Rhonda Dishner, the Economic Development Alliance’s executive assistant.
There’s this newfangled navigation method called the Global Positioning System. It’s more commonly known as GPS. Vehicles equipped with GPS literally tell you where to go.
Drivers can view directions on a dashboard screen or hear turn-by-turn instructions from a pleasant — or irritating — male/female-sounding voice, depending on the selected settings.
This device usually makes traveling to unfamiliar locations much less complicated. That is until the guiding voice misdirects a driver to an agricultural vista when a town was the destination.
It can happen to anyone who depends on the car for directions. It happened to unnamed economic developers from Pine Bluff last week. They were headed out on the highway in a northeasterly direction on an economic development recon mission. (What? You thought only the military did reconnaissance?)
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
As I was saying, they were on the way to an appointment several counties “up and over” to visit with economic development colleagues — and to pick up some new ideas that could work in Jefferson County. They arrived a little later than expected after taking in some scenery that had a definite rural quality.
According to the voice, they were “there” and the intended destination was just ahead. Actually, they were several miles short of “there” and looking at a large field of soybeans. Just like home.
The rest of the visit went smoothly and “intel” gathering was successful. Oh, and the trip back home was much quicker since they already knew the way.
The moral of this now-funny story: Don’t take the car’s word for it. And always keep a state highway map handy as a back-up navigation system. (Yes, ArDOT still issues paper versions.)