Author |
Topic: GPS: Heads up! |
Dayna Wills
From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)
|
Posted 6 Feb 2010 10:02 pm
|
|
Gary and I were following the GPS directions last NIGHT when, at 50 miles an hour, the road crapped out. We went for a bumpy ride across a field. Once I saw that we wouldn't be hurt, and ever mindful of the gig, I was concerned for my van. I need my van to get to my gigs! A new freeway is being built and the GPS didn't know that. Well, that can happen. The bad news is that the road had no warning signs ANYWHERE. No reflectors, no detour sign, no Not a thru street sign, nada.
The lesson here is "Update before going on a trip, and when going to a new place at night, especially someone's home, use your brights and slow down. We were lucky. If Gary had cut the wheel, we would probably have rolled the van. |
|
|
|
Craig Allen
From: BEREA, KENTUCKY, USA
|
Posted 6 Feb 2010 11:04 pm
|
|
THAT'S A GOOD ONE..LOL..
I DRIVE A TRUCK OVER THE ROAD FOR A LIVING.. I HAUL HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND WIND ENERGY.. THIS MEANS THAT I AM OFTEN IN VERY REMOTE AREAS, WITH A VERY LARGE 18 WHEELER..
I HAVE A GARMON, AND I LOVE IT.. IT WAS UPDATED RECENTLY, TOO, BUT...........
SO, A WORD TO THE WIZE.. THESE ARE GREAT LITTLE DEVICES.. TOOLS.. BUT THEY ARE SOMETIMES WRONG.. IF THE AREA THAT YOU ARE TRAVELING THROUGH HASN'T UPDATED ROAD CONSTRUCTION DATA, IT WON'T BE IN THE GPS..
I RUN SOFTWARE MAPPING ON MY LAPTOP, PLUS A $70.00 'PAPER' ATLAS.. I ONLY TRUST THE ATLAS COMPLETELY..
YOUR PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON WITH TRUCKERS.. THEY DON'T USE ALL THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THEM, ALL OF THE TIME..
SORRY THAT YOU GOT LOST.. I CAN MOST CERTAINLY RELATE.. BUT DON'T BE TO QUICK TO BLAME THE GPS, UNLESS IT'S A TOM-TOM.. MAP-QUEST IS ABOUT USELESS, TOO..
WELL, GLAD YOU MADE IT OK.. I FEEL YOUR PAIN.. BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE.. USUALLY IT'S BECAUSE THE LOCALITY HASN'T UPDATED THERE ROAD CONSTRUCTION DATA TO THE POWERS THAT BE.. OHIO CAN BE A REAL CHALLENGE.. SO CAN KANSAS, AND MISSOURI..
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE IT TO BEST BUY AND HAVE IT UPDATED.. |
|
|
|
Jim Cohen
From: Philadelphia, PA
|
|
|
|
Jody Sanders
From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
|
Posted 7 Feb 2010 10:00 am
|
|
I'm with Jim. There has been several mayor accidents lately by trusting GPS. Jody. |
|
|
|
Dayna Wills
From: Sacramento, CA (deceased)
|
Posted 8 Feb 2010 9:07 pm Gps
|
|
Jim,
I would have read the detour sign had there been one.
BTW, I played that song you sent me. Thanks. I am amazed at the people who are STILL Bob Wills fans. I listen to Willie's Place and a day doesn't go by that I don't hear one of his songs or an ah-ha or his name mentioned in a song or a song about him. I just heard a song about him sung by Curtiss Potter. |
|
|
|
Rick Ulrich
From: Gilbert, Arizona
|
Posted 8 Feb 2010 10:36 pm
|
|
Another thing GPS doesn't take into account is an impending storm and the level of maintenance on a particular highway. My granddaughter recently experienced this. She and her college friend were totally relying on a GPS to make a 900 mile trip. The GPS directed them to take the shortest route milewise, but it didn't take into account a heavy snow storm that was blowing in and knowing that the shorter route to their destination was not that well travelled and maintained during a storm. An alternate route with a few more miles was more heavily travelled and was aggressively maintained. GPS just can't know these things. |
|
|
|
Ray Minich
From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
|
Posted 9 Feb 2010 5:11 am
|
|
Somewhere in a city near NY City, they had to put a big barrier & sign at a railroad crossing. Seems that the GPS was telling people to "Turn right now!" and people were turning right down the railroad tracks.
Always keep some maps handy. We took off from Ocean City, MD back to NW Pa. along a route we'd never travelled before. About 30 miles down the road the GPS quit. |
|
|
|
Paul Crawford
From: Orlando, Fl
|
Posted 9 Feb 2010 9:15 am
|
|
Long before GPS got popular in cars, the bass fishermen had them in their boats. First thing we learned was to depend on our eyes, not our electronics.
Computers are great. But after programming them for 40 years, I still never learned to trust them. |
|
|
|
Rose Peters
From: Illinois, USA
|
Posted 10 Feb 2010 5:16 am
|
|
We have a gps
do not take shortest route
We use comon sence and it workes great as long as you check map first.
We had a new brige built accross the Rock River, it is still not on any map 2 years after it opend .so much for updates
Rose _________________ Mullen u-12
Peavy Piggyback amp |
|
|
|