Driving Zigzag: The Steve Way

I like to drive in a zigzag, turning down random streets till I get to my destination. My sister calls it “going the Steve Way”. I don’t know when I started the habit, but I’ve been doing it as long as I’ve been driving. Over the years I’ve met a couple of other people who drive zigzag, though people like me are definitely in the minority.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

There are two reasons I like to drive zigzag. First, I like to explore. I get tired of driving the same way to work everyday, so if I’m not running super late, I like to mix things up a bit. I have a very good sense of direction, so I can just get in the car and let my internal compass guide me along the way.

Point A to Point B

My second reason for driving zigzag has to do with the way I navigate in my head. I’m very spatially oriented, so when I think about my destination, I first visualize the route “as the crow flies”. Then I follow that direct line between two points. As I once told me sister, I was following the Pythagorean Theorem, driving on a diagonal through the city streets. My sister, who was still in high school at the time, was quick to point out that the Pythagorean Theorem only applied if there was a direct route from point A to point B. Zigzagging through the grid didn’t help me one iota. In fact, it slowed me down, since I had to decelerate for every turn.

Taking my sister’s words to heart, I stopped telling people that “the Steve Way” was more efficient. But I didn’t stop taking the Steve Way. I like driving zigzag and exploring new streets. Even if I don’t find anything interesting, it’s good to have the adventure.