Rewards for stupidity (funny)

**Adam43** · 20 Apr 2006, 21:21 (Ref:1590212)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...142179,00.html

The trick is to think for yourself sometimes!

I am extremely impressed by Sat. Nav. (my new car will come with it, although wouldn't if I had the choice). However I don't really need it. Little of my driving requires a map and practically none that can't be done with a simple glance at a map before I set off. However generally it is a impressive technology and I can see great uses (delivery drivers etc...), but why does everyone seem to need one.

Still the main point of the thread was just to link to the amusing story.

Sheila M · 20 Apr 2006, 21:28 (Ref:1590225)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

However generally it is a impressive technology and I can see great uses (delivery drivers etc...), but why does everyone seem to need one.

Still the main point of the thread was just to link to the amusing story.

I too can see great uses for sat nav (particularly if, like me, you have no sense of direction whatsoever!) although 'imself claims not to need one - his nickname where he works (as a delivery driver) is TomTom!

As for the amusing story Adam - I rather like this one http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/4879026.stm

If you search the BBC website for "satnav" there are endless tales of hapless motorists ending up in all sorts of odd places!

**garcon** · 20 Apr 2006, 21:36 (Ref:1590235)

I didn't think I'd use my satnav much when I got the car, but I do. It's brilliant for the last few miles to an office or hotel I haven't been to before, and I constantly find myself setting it to find routes without using the motorway. I was always perfectly able to find my way around using maps and directions beforehand, but satnav does make everything alot easier.

It does have a downside though - all those truly thick people who wouldn't normally find their way to the end of their own street are now venturing out all over the country and getting in my way.

I have no sympathy for those whose satnav "leads" them to the edge of a cliff or into a flooded ford. They're the people who worry me most - the ones who clearly don't look where they're going.

**Craig** · 20 Apr 2006, 21:40 (Ref:1590240)

Absolutely detest it. I hated it when a mate had one of those Carin systems years ago and, for some reason, i managed to convince myself it'd be a good idea to buy one earlier this year. Soon ended up hating it even more than I did before and was glad to see the back of it... which suggests to me that eBay is a FAR more useful invention than satnav.

Sheila M · 20 Apr 2006, 21:53 (Ref:1590259)

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcon

It does have a downside though - all those truly thick people who wouldn't normally find their way to the end of their own street

Hey, you've seen me trying to find my way out of our parking spot then?

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcon

I have no sympathy for those whose satnav "leads" them to the edge of a cliff or into a flooded ford. They're the people who worry me most - the ones who clearly don't look where they're going.

The problem I saw with the link I posted was with the lorry drivers who were getting stuck at the edge of the 100 foot high cliff. Surely as professional drivers they should have more sense?

A mate of mine regularly gives me a lift to a venue out in the back of beyond. There are several ways to get there, none of which are direct routes. One time he set the satnav and the silly female voice kept screeching at us to TURN LEFT/RIGHT NOW. If we had, we'd have ended up going through several garden walls.

More fine tuning is required before it becomes totally "user friendly" I think.

**touringlegend** · 20 Apr 2006, 22:06 (Ref:1590279)

The novelty of Sat Nav appealed to me so I bought one but I sold it again within 2 weeks!

I just found I wasn't using it really. I guess it's great if each day of the week you are driving to completely different places - and how many people do that apart from couriers?

mac · 20 Apr 2006, 22:50 (Ref:1590312)

I was driving a Lexus GS430 a little while ago - and trust me, there will come a time when you will be very grateful you have sat nav.

It won't be everyday, but it will definitely happen.

**silver bullet** · 20 Apr 2006, 23:02 (Ref:1590316)

I got a great laugh the other day, last year on our way home from Lydden Hill we were following a fellow racer who lives not too far away from us. We were driving up the A2 all of a sudden he turned off, we thought, where is he going? Is there a traffic jam ahead we don't know about? Anyway we carried on going and we encountered no problems.
We met up a couple of weeks ago and I mentioned the incident and asked why he'd turned off. It turns out his Tom Tom took him the long way around the M25 and added about a hour and a half onto his journey.
Give me a road atlas any day

**garcon** · 21 Apr 2006, 10:24 (Ref:1590688)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac

I was driving a Lexus GS430 a little while ago - and trust me, there will come a time when you will be very grateful you have sat nav.

It won't be everyday, but it will definitely happen.

Entirely offtopic, but current or previous model? And if current, what did you think of it?

JimW · 21 Apr 2006, 10:31 (Ref:1590696)

Like all sorts of technology, it's not meant to replace your brain but to supplement it.

I think mine is great and has saved me much delay and annoyance. I make the strategic decisions and let it do the detail and diversion recovery.

As for cliffs and fords; think of it as "evolution in action".

Regards

Jim

**Craig** · 21 Apr 2006, 15:34 (Ref:1590958)

Quote:

Originally Posted by touringlegend

I guess it's great if each day of the week you are driving to completely different places - and how many people do that apart from couriers?

I drive in the region of 50k miles a year from (literally) one end of the country to the other to include driving in Central London, lots of motorway miles and all manner of places out in the sticks. So you'd think that I would be the sort of person who would need it... nope. Hate the whole idea of it. It'd be one thing if I was entering my destination in incorrectly but I guarantee you 100% I always checked carefully and I lost count the number of times it took me to a random house on the wrong side of town.

Poxy annoying thing. I used to find I would take the map with me anyway and ignore the directions of the satnav. "Turn left", it'd say, "******** am I turning left", I'd suggest. "When it is safe to do so please turn around", it would counter, followed immediately by, "You have reached your destination" What the ****?!

**garcon** · 21 Apr 2006, 16:50 (Ref:1591012)

You should've bought yourself a decent one Craig...

... so, errrr, do you know the way to Le Mans??

**Craig** · 21 Apr 2006, 16:57 (Ref:1591020)

For Le Mans I have a navigator... let's hope he's up the job, eh?

**garcon** · 21 Apr 2006, 17:03 (Ref:1591024)

uhoh...

rdjones · 23 Apr 2006, 09:14 (Ref:1592566)

I really don't see the point of Sat-Nav, there is nothing wrong with Autoroute and Atlas. I think people just have it for possing value.

**Adam43** · 23 Apr 2006, 09:59 (Ref:1592593)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimW

Like all sorts of technology, it's not meant to replace your brain but to supplement it.

This is how I see it. I get Sat. Nav. on Tuesday and I will give it more of a long term try. If it adds to my current driving I'll continue to use it. If it replaces anything then I will turn it off and just use it to watch DVDs in car parks instead

I think it does replace brain for most people. For many it seems to replace the need to think and for some it replaces the need to watch the road or observe what the road actually does.

beau1 · 23 Apr 2006, 18:37 (Ref:1593027)

Hmm, do u think those people who end up in stupid places with satnav had something to do with the end of thread ad....

mac · 23 Apr 2006, 22:55 (Ref:1593265)

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcon

Entirely offtopic, but current or previous model? And if current, what did you think of it?

Current model - I liked it. I wouldn't say it has the sporting prowess of a 5 series, but it could be argued that it is a more complete, better equipped package (per dollar).

The V8 is silky smooth and it has a real presence on the road - probably moreso than the BMW or the Merc.

**garcon** · 25 Apr 2006, 15:58 (Ref:1594730)

Cheers. Am seriously considering the GS450h next time. Not driven one yet though, and really ought to properly test drive all the alternatives (for once!).

mac · 25 Apr 2006, 22:52 (Ref:1594988)

I may be having a steer of the GS450h in about a month - will let you know if I do.

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