There should be a “specific directions not needed” option you can click for the start, or end, or both, of the route.
Ten years ago? Nope.
When I was at Leaseway Transportation in 1986, they had a program that told truck drivers whch routes to follow from any point A to point B, including the speeds they were to follow and the points at which they would need to replenish fuel (at the best price) and pay tolls. And the program was well under construction when I was there in 1984.
Now, I would agree that the internet has made the software much more widely available, but it was hardly voodoo 19 years ago, much less 10 years ago.
Yeah, I was just wondering if this was around yet. And even if it’s been not particularly new technology, like gotpasswords, it does impress the hell out of me. I think Google has just spoiled me so goddamned much with features I never dreamed of that I use every day, that I figured if I’d already thought of it, they’d have it down aleready. 
When I use my city for a starting point it takes me out of town to the most rural area of the city to start the directions (think people with no teeth, zz top beards and very few different last names in their family tree). It must start at some grid point and the actual town is too small to be on that grid point.
Lately I double check by map very carefully, mapquest is getting senile and frequently mixes up right and left even for directions it used to do correctly.
The OP points out an obvious flaw in most existing map software. It would be an easy fix, too. Just allow users to enter a beginning zip or city and assume a logical starting point: The nearest highway exit. If no highway is nearby than take a major intersection in town. Compared with all of the other features they already have this would be easy one would think.
Also, I have two words for Google maps: Exit numbers. Other than that, I’m liking it.
I used to have a mapping program that would allow you to enter in your personal average speeds on roads. So I could put in 80mph for an interstate, 65 for a large rural road and 35 for a city street and it would give me an accurate estimate of the time for the trip. MapQuest and Yahoo regularly overestimate a trip time by hours because they assume posted speed limits I suppose. Any of the map sites allow you to customize driving speeds?