taxi !

I took taxi already several times since I came back to Japan. It is like New York. Taxi is everywhere, you can just stop them by raising hand and take it. I was surprised most of the taxi has a car navigation system. Navigation system is getting popular and it is not so rare anymore. It is hard to find an exact place only by address in Japan because most street does not have a name and numbers are not shown in front of a house. It is amazing we can get a mail here. Taxi drivers are used to be specialist of street like a postman. It seems like they had to know these kind of things. However I met so many taxi drivers years ago saying "Do you know how to get there?" or "Where is about?". Well, if I know how to get there I may just go by myself. Taxi is kind of pricy, so I used to take it when I am not sure where is about or I am really in hurry. I was thinking they are providing their good knowledge of streets and driving skill. Maybe not anymore. Two of my friend have a car navigation system, we call it "car navi" for short. They were saying they don't remember how to get there or what are landmarks, shops are on the street. They just follow to whatever Car Navi is saying to you. The direction is very specific and detailed. It keeps saying when you turn, warning it is coming up. It is very convenient and good for people who don't know directions so well. We can use internet to find where is about, can't we? Everything is getting convinient minutes by minutes....but sometimes it makes me think and gives me chill. Am I the only person who is afraid not to learn anything by just following what they say? Car Navi is just one of the things to make people not have to use our brain.