Scale and Maps Foolishness

How do you get the distance scale to stay visible in Apple Maps (either iPhone/iPad to iMac versions).

When you resize the map the scale shows for a fleeting moment, but that does not help in the least.

It’s annoying that I have to keep my fingers on the screen in order to be able to practically use the map scale.

How can Apple, which has figured out AR, not be up with making Maps this level of practical? And why hasn’t this update been added? When I want to use a map, I want a scale permanently affixed to the screen so I can measure distances, especially between two points as the crow flies when a route refuses to populate.

For example, I live in the US and wanted to know distance between two points in the Holy Land, and directions between those two points is beyond Apple’s ability to provide.

What gives