Do not rely solely on GPS for western U.S. travel: experts

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Dark Knight

Dark Knight

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SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – Travelers in the western United States should not rely solely on technology such as GPS for navigation, authorities said, after a Canadian couple got lost in the vast Nevada wilderness recently for 48 days.

"Your machine may tell you the quickest route but it might not take into account there are impassable canyons between you and your destination," said Daryl Crandall, sheriff of Owyhee County in southwest Idaho.


He said recent rescues of travelers stranded in the mountainous region that borders Oregon and Nevada lent credence to a local saying.


"We say if you come unprepared to Owyhee County, it will punish you," said Crandall.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_travel_gps_danger
 
This is so true! We use GIS software with a GPS transponder & while traveling in Northern CA, OR & NV last summer, we were shocked how often the satellites/application was "wrong" . . .
 
Two years ago, I used a Tom Tom to get me from the west coast to east coast. From San Diego to Ok and then on down to New Orleans and then some southern states to NYC and Mass and all the way back! Home safe and sound! Awesome!

There was one time I didn't do what Tommy said (lol). I was in the mountains in Colorado or Utah, it told me to turn Right. Ehhhh..............it was "off a cliff!" :eek: Yeah! Best to have a second look!

Until I hit Chicago where my puter crashed, before we left I'd map it by Mapquest and double check. Worked great for me. Course, I wasn't looking at snow conditions, but scourching desert can be just as scary and deadly if you're lost.

I guess I was lucky.

JMHO
fran
:)
 
You were lucky, Fran! I always have a map with me for purposes of comparison.

A couple of years ago I went with my sister to look at new houses in Indianapolis where she was relocating. The real estate agent had a dozen or more listings and the GPS to find them, but the suburb where my sister was looking had so much construction going on, the GPS kept leading us to dead ends.

Guess who found each house with his map?
 
Nova said:
You were lucky, Fran! I always have a map with me for purposes of comparison.

A couple of years ago I went with my sister to look at new houses in Indianapolis where she was relocating. The real estate agent had a dozen or more listings and the GPS to find them, but the suburb where my sister was looking had so much construction going on, the GPS kept leading us to dead ends.

Guess who found each house with his map?
Click to expand...

I know that mapquest can be the worst, if that's all you use. One time I was to meet a group of professionals at a new location. The supervisor knew who used mapquest and who used other means of locating our destination. Those of us who used mapquest were at least 20 minutes late!

Mapquest is great, until it is wrong! :)

fran
 
Just yesterday I was using the navigation on my Droid X and ended up in the absolute worst part of Nashville! Bars on the windows and people laying out on the streets. It was a bit disconcerting!
 
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