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Post by Patrick on Oct 4, 2010 16:17:01 GMT
It is perhaps the secret fear of all users of GPS systems: what if the device gets it wrong and leads you into danger? The Spanish Red Cross said today this was exactly what happened to a 37-year-old man who died on Saturday night after driving his car into a reservoir near the western town of Capilla. "It seems the GPS system pointed them on to an old road that ends in the reservoir, and that in the dark they were unable to brake in time, with the car taking just a couple of minutes to sink," the Red Cross said in a statement. The victim and a single passenger were driving home towards the southern city of Seville after working at a street fair when the Peugeot 306 ploughed straight into the waters of La Serena reservoir. Although both men managed to get out of the car, only one made it to the shore. Red Cross divers found the body of the unnamed driver at the bottom of the reservoir on Sunday morning. The passenger was treated for bruising and light injuries. Pictures of the scene show the old road running on a slight downhill slope straight into the reservoir, which is the biggest in the country. There was no explanation of why the GPS still showed the road as usable. La Serena reservoir, which stores water from the Zújar river, was built in 1989.
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Post by everso on Oct 9, 2010 22:52:04 GMT
We have a SatNav that we've used not more than half a dozen times.
Bloody useless, frankly. It always tries to take you places that don't exist.
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Post by housesparrow on Oct 10, 2010 7:08:14 GMT
A few years ago someone drove onto the railway line near here. The satnav told her to "turn left now" and she did. Fortunately no-one was hurt.
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Post by Weyland on Oct 10, 2010 9:26:52 GMT
We have a SatNav that we've used not more than half a dozen times. Bloody useless, frankly. It always tries to take you places that don't exist. I couldn't do without the SatNav now. She's taken me all over Europe, and even helped me find an address in the wilds of Shepherd's Bush while walking from the Tube in the dark and pouring rain. She does make the odd minor error, but nothing serious yet, and you get so that you can merge her instructions and physical reality enough to judge most doubtful situations. Get off the ferry at IJmuiden -- she says Amsterdam is 500km. It's about 20. Measuring from North Shields until she sights enough satellites. What fun. Confession: She sounds just like Servalan out of Blake's Seven, and I must obey. Phoarr. Alph will understand. (I'm Vila, of course.)
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Post by riotgrrl on Oct 10, 2010 11:03:58 GMT
As a non-driver, I've never had a use for a Sat Nav.
Sometimes when i've been out on my walks recently, however, my printed maps and directions from the Google maps site haven't been as useful as they might be, so maybe I should get one of those fancy phones with sat-nav on it.
I seem to have made the decision to give up walking for the winter. I don't remember making it, but my brain has as I'm back to the gym/yoga of a weekend rather than setting out to do a walk.
The clocks will go back soon, and it will be a dark world again. And I'll be a bit SAD until March or so.
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Post by Weyland on Oct 10, 2010 11:49:16 GMT
As a non-driver, I've never had a use for a Sat Nav. Sometimes when i've been out on my walks recently, however, my printed maps and directions from the Google maps site haven't been as useful as they might be, so maybe I should get one of those fancy phones with sat-nav on it. The first SatNav I bought, a couple of years ago, was a fancy one designed with walkers in mind as well as drivers. I was in Keswick at the time, and saw it in one of those shops that sell expensive designer stuff to keep you alive when you have heat-stroke in Antarctica. The salesman assured me that it would be absolutely fine for driving as well. Turned out it was just about OK for walking, but it was useless for driving because it would only accept the first part of a postcode, which could apply to umpty several square miles. I think my postcode area is more than twenty miles across. Took it back, salesman rang manufacturer, manufacturer denied it at first, manufacturer was lying, got money back. The term chocolate teapot springs to mind. Can't remember the make now. Went to Halfords and bought one they had on offer, about half the price of the other one, which does more, includes the Continent, and has longer battery life. Result. Garmin Nüvi. Worth every penny.
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Post by aubrey on Oct 10, 2010 12:13:21 GMT
There used to be a radio advert for Garmin 3-4 years ago, sung to the tune of a Xmas carol. Nowhere in the advert did it say what the bloody thing was - you were just supposed to know from the name. I worked it out eventually from elimination, I think.
Not that I wanted one.
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Post by Patrick on Oct 10, 2010 16:52:57 GMT
We don't drive - but picked up a cheap Satnav earlier this year because we don't really have confidence in the Mother in Laws directional capabilities. It was dirt cheap because the company that made it doesn't exist anymore. There are various fixes on the net for updating the software though I haven't bothered - it's only being used twice a year when she visits anyway. It has also got pedestrian mode but really thanks to the 'net and Steet View it's really easy to check places out before you go there. It'll be handy using it on bus journeys to unknown places too - so you know where to get off!
I love good old paper maps anyway. When I was 10 I asked for a Road Atlas for my Birthday. Spent ages just following roads round the map.
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Post by Weyland on Oct 10, 2010 17:30:42 GMT
We don't drive - but picked up a cheap Satnav earlier this year because we don't really have confidence in the Mother in Laws directional capabilities. <ding dong> Don't just stand there in the rain, mother-in-law! Give me the SatNav and go home. [With thanks to the memory of Saint Les Dawson, RIP.]
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Post by housesparrow on Oct 11, 2010 6:16:51 GMT
As a non-driver, I've never had a use for a Sat Nav. Sometimes when i've been out on my walks recently, however, my printed maps and directions from the Google maps site haven't been as useful as they might be, so maybe I should get one of those fancy phones with sat-nav on it. I seem to have made the decision to give up walking for the winter. I don't remember making it, but my brain has as I'm back to the gym/yoga of a weekend rather than setting out to do a walk. The clocks will go back soon, and it will be a dark world again. And I'll be a bit SAD until March or so. An OS Explorer map and a compass is still my first choice for walking. Apart from anything else, you can sit down with your map and plan your walk in advance. A car satnav would give me a lot more confidence about driving to new places on my own, and I sometimes think about getting one. Though I'm told you have to switch the thing off and revert to your road map if you get caught by a road closure, or it may keep directing you back there. I enjoy winter walking best of all, but appreciate that in Scotland it might be a bit tricky with limited daylight hours.
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Post by Weyland on Oct 11, 2010 9:39:56 GMT
A car satnav would give me a lot more confidence about driving to new places on my own, and I sometimes think about getting one. Though I'm told you have to switch the thing off and revert to your road map if you get caught by a road closure, or it may keep directing you back there. You get used to their little ways. Mine soon gets sick of trying to force me down bad routes, and rapidly picks another option -- "Recalculating", she says, wearily. I always carry a map, of course. Get one -- you'd love it. It really does take some of the stress out of driving. (Especially if you're towing a caravan and can't afford to get cul-de-sac'd or something.) Mine is particularly good at getting me in the right lane long before any problem might arise. From what I hear, Garmin is a good choice.
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