Liz’s rant: May the force be with you

My son has begged me to get a GPS for as long as he’s known what they are. But because of my ultra-keen sense of direction (or perhaps because I’m a cheapskate) I’ve done without.

Oh sure, it’s been tempting to get one – especially after borrowing my dad’s for long trips. But it seems like a GPS is pretty far down on my list of priorities. At least it was pretty far down on the list, until I heard about a new product by TomTom.

I’m sure we’ve all heard that lady who offers directions to the point that I’ve found myself screaming, “Don’t tell me what to do.” (which is usually followed by her squeaky little voice saying, “recalculating, now.”

Maybe I’m the last to know about these things, but did you know you can purchase a different voice for your GPS?And not just any voice – the voice of the dark side. Yep, the voice of Darth Vader, the ultimate baddest of the bad. Heck, he was even bad during the recording for TomTom, as you can see in the video below:

Kinda makes me wonder what ol’ Vader would do if I told him to shut up and chose my own course on the road. Would the sound of a light saber fill the car? Would he ever say, “I am your fahhhhther?”

I realize this is a lot to process on a Monday morning, but think of the possibilities! No more whining from the back seat, no more “how much longer until we get there?” (which typically happens within the first five minutes of the trip). Instead of me issuing idle threats from the driver’s seat, Darth Vader could call the shots and keep the kids in line while I focus on driving. (Okay, maybe I’m dreaming…)

If Darth Vader’s not your thing,  C-3PO, Yoda and Hans Solo will be available for the GPS by this fall. I can just hear Yoda’s voice now:

“Turn right you must.”

“Your destination you have found.”

Just the thought of hearing Yoda lead the way is enough to cause a shift in priorities. Not only do I now want a GPS, it just got bumped to “must have” status. Clearly it’s the best way to assure that the force is with me.

-Liz