Embrace the new but don’t forget the old

Posted 15 May, 2024 John Pedler

While we’re probably a few years away from piling the family into a self-driving car, modern technology certainly plays a major role on a road trip.

But sometimes it’s handy to have old tech available as a backup if new tech fails. We take a look at three simple travel items that should still come along for the ride.

1. Are we there yet?

Not too long ago, motorists relied on a paper product with squiggly lines that represented roads and rivers. These were called maps and were once the only navigation tool for motorists wanting to get from point A to B. They showed road surfaces, distances, and other features and attractions.

Sure, some people still use traditional paper maps, but many motorists now rely almost entirely on global positional system technology (GPS).

When satellites started providing live information about our location, while a cheerful narrator directed us to our destination, the need for hardcopy maps diminished.

However, traditional maps can still be useful because:

• They’re great for planning a trip, and isn’t planning half the fun?
• They show features and attractions well away from the main route – surely you don’t want to miss anything.
• Rarely, but sometimes, satellite signals can be disrupted, leaving paper maps as the only option.
• You can scribble notes all over paper maps.

2. Passing the buck

Anyone who travelled extensively before the advent of ATMs and the widespread use of credit and debit cards would be familiar with travellers’ cheques. And it’s unlikely any holidaymakers miss them.

They may have been safer than cash and could be replaced if lost or stolen, but they were clunky and inconvenient to carry.

While modern tech has largely replaced the need for traveller’s cheques – or cash – it’s still worth having a few old-school dollars on board because:

• Sometimes, particularly in remote areas, the internet may be temporarily unavailable, leaving cash as the only option.
• Small vendors at places like farmers’ markets don’t always have electronic payment facilities.
• ATMs have been known to hang onto cards, particularly if you enter your PIN incorrectly a few times.
• The busker who just played your favourite song doesn’t have payWave.

3. It’s just a game

There was a time when we’d go to the cinema to see a movie and turned on the telly to watch a TV show.

Modern cars have become mobile entertainment centres, with every Bluey episode and Netflix series enjoying the road trip aboard phones, tablets and onboard screens.

Though, sometimes it would be nice if the kids looked out the window to justify the expense of taking them on holidays.

Children not caring about scenery is nothing new, but neither is the spirit of competition. Back in the days when cars clogged the air with lead from fuel and a steering wheel was a safety feature, kids competed with each other playing travel games like BP’s spotto.

Competitors collected a picture list of objects from a BP servo, and the first one to spot them all would be rewarded with glory, and more importantly, a sugary treat.

Similar sheets of pictures can now be designed at home and loaded into electronic devices or printed.

There are also plenty of trivia games that could lead to family interaction, and even learning.