Japanese actor and singer Masaki Suda said he struggles to check routes on maps and wishes for a faster way to find directions.
Suda's comments highlight the gap between digital navigation tools and user experience, even for high-profile figures who rely on efficient transport. The discussion occurred during the filming of a new commercial for the taxi-hailing app S.RIDE, which uses the tagline “call a taxi instantly.”
During an interview broadcast on June 18 [1], Suda was asked about a daily problem he would like to solve instantly. He said that he is not good at checking routes, noting that the process of confirming his current location and destination on a map while looking around takes a significant amount of time.
“I am bad at checking routes,” Suda said. “It takes a lot of time to check the place I am at and where I need to go on a map while looking around. I would be happy if it could be solved speedily.”
While filming inside a taxi, Suda also shared details about how he spends his time during transit. He said that recently he has been reading books while listening to music in the back of taxis.
The footage of the interview was later uploaded to YouTube on June 20 [2]. The commercial shoot for S.RIDE aims to emphasize the speed and convenience of the service, mirroring Suda's own desire for more efficient navigation in his daily life.
““I am bad at checking routes,” Suda said.”
Suda's public admission regarding his difficulty with digital maps reflects a common user pain point in the 'last-mile' navigation experience. By aligning a celebrity's personal struggle with the 'instant' branding of the S.RIDE app, the marketing campaign attempts to position the service as a solution for those who find traditional navigation stressful or time-consuming.
