Responding to "wisdom would dictate . . ."
When driving on an Interstate where there is limited points to exit, how in the hell is one to know that somewhere ahead is a crowd of loonies trying to block traffic, and thus avoid "getting close to an area where there is a likelihood of confrontation"?
I use my Google Maps with traffic overlay when I travel home. Gives me a real-time heads up so I can find the quickest route through OKC. Really, it's a super useful tool.