The GPS From Hell
My first GPS system was in the process of dying in October and my daughter, Hannah and her beau, Robert gave me one to replace it. Mom and I were absolutely thrilled with it and it worked great until I drove into Louisiana. Then something happened, it must be voodoo or maybe the GPS has been possessed by river demons – I don’t know. This I do know, it has taken us down every back road, back street and back alley from Many to Duson Louisiana. It doesn’t recognized interstates and only recognizes a few secondary roads. More times that I care to count it has tried to put me on a dirt road. I don’t have a problem with dirt roads as long as I can find a place to turn around if the road turns rough. I will admit that in a blind panic I have turned around in places deemed impossible. If I take the van down a rough road there is a possibility of rupturing my sewer tank and then I am slinging sh*t. I don’t want that. I have gone through every setting and made sure that dirt roads were one of the avoidances. It isn’t in the settings. It just wants to get us lost in the bayous of Louisiana.
I have good common sense, until sheer stubbornness takes over and then it goes out the window. When mom and I left Marksville we programmed Duson Louisiana and off we went. This is what went down.
After directing us 7 miles out of town:
GPS: Turn left on McMillan Road……
Pepper: Okay, there is not a McMillan Road. Heck, there isn’t a road on the left side of the road.
GPS: Recalculating…….. In .5 miles turn left on Smith Levee Road.
Pepper: There is not a Smith Levee Road. Heck, there isn’t a road on the left side of the road.
GPS: Recalculating….. In .5 miles turn left on Johnson Road.
Pepper: Ain’t happening.
GPS: Recalculating….
This went on for 40 miles, until I gave up and drove back to Marksville. Once we reached Marksville the GPS kicked in and directed us to Duson by way of back road, back alley, and back streets. Tomorrow we are heading to New Orleans and we are taking the scenic route. I also have a Louisiana map and we are going to use it. I also wrote down the directions taken from Google. God only knows where we will end up if we turned on the GPS. For chuckle and grins it will be on.
There Are Kind And Decent Folks In The World
When mom and I take off for a little sightseeing I just unhook. I leave my hose and my two chairs behind. The only item I take is my surge protector. I figure it lets people know someone is parked there and if someone wants to steal those things – so be it. Remember I had my sewer hose stolen once. Nothing surprises me.
This morning I unhooked and took off. Next door to the RV Park is a gas station so I stopped to gas up. My wonderful, wonderful neighbor thought we had left for good and forgot those items so he ran over to the gas station. I was totally blown away by his kindness and told him so.
14 hours ago
2 comments:
Ah, GPS. A big thing in 'our' world right now...
Personally, I don't get it. I love maps and I guess I have a great sense of direction. Enter Jay. He's been going to the same accounts for months now and every time he leaves, he prints up directions on the computer.
He had to take his boss to some of his accounts last week. His boss brought along his GPS, which kept telling them to go places that weren't there. Jay said he suddenly realized that two grown men were screaming at a female 'British' voice that you couldn't go that way.
I had my friend John howling with laughter at how they needed it when at one time on the planet, people looked at the sky to get somewhere.
So, knowing he needed GPS I bought him one for Christmas. Thank God, I saved the receipt. Reviews of it say that 'it's fine if you're familiar with the neighborhood, but if you're not it's rather useless'. The user that wrote that said she uses hers only in neighborhoods she knows.
Why would you use a GPS unit in places you know? Wouldn't you just GO there?
I know that they work off of cell towers and that's probably why Louisiana was such a mess. Jay used his Blackberry GPS as we were going to the grocery and it was always 3 blocks off.
Too big brother-ish for me.... but I guess Jay needs an older sibling.
Out I go to return one unit and spend more money on a better one. I'm glad you know how to read a map.
Here via Robin. It appears your GPS is kin to mine.
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