Navigation systems are useless. GET A MAP!

I am going to speak as a person who has seen navigation systems completely fail and bring people to tears, and one who has been assisted by one. Overall though they make most drivers oblivious to the road and its conditions.

I have only used a portable NAV system once and it worked well, providing there were no traffic issues, or routes being closed. With that being said....

In CT, the Putnam Bridge (Rt. 3) has been shut down in one of two directions during the weekends for the past 2 months or so. The contractors and the CT DOT has posted about one million signs, electronic bilboards, etc... all over the greater Hartford area advising drivers of the closed routes and detouring them to the alternate routes. It also has been advertised in the news and the like. The news doesn't help out of state commuters, but the in-state ones have no excuse.

While at work, I was posted at an off-ramp to assist motorists, who may be lost, with directions. On more than one occaision, I had drivers, who I had seen drive by me about 3 times already, finally stop to talk to me for directions. They were in tears, crying that they couldn't get home over the bridge. I made it a habit to look at the dash or windshield to see if they were placing their "trust in technology." EVERY time they were. The navigation system kept trying to have them go over the bridge THAT WAS CLOSED! This made me chuckle and then I gave them directions to get home. It never ceases to amaze me that people only know one way to get to their destination.....

If you get a navigation system, keep an atlas or some sort of map in your car as a backup if there is traffic or routes are closed. NAV systems, such as the factory Honda one, or one that doesn't update with real time traffic issues, are utterly useless if you don't know your way around the area. Spend the money to get the good models, not the $119.99 specials. You may end up in tears.

Last word to the wise, and it should go without saying. NAV systems are all the rage right now. When you remove it from sight in your windshield, a tell-tale ring is left on the windshield. Keep some ArmorAll glass wipes or the like in your car and clean the ring EVERY TIME. My town is getting hit with NAV system thefts every day becuase people don't take the time to keep themselves from becoming victims. Be well.

Spend the money to get the good models, not the $119.99 specials. You may end up in tears.

Last word to the wise, and it should go without saying. NAV systems are all the rage right now. When you remove it from sight in your windshield, a tell-tale ring is left on the windshield. Keep some ArmorAll glass wipes or the like in your car and clean the ring EVERY TIME. My town is getting hit with NAV system thefts every day becuase people don't take the time to keep themselves from becoming victims. Be well.

Thats why I got a cheap one, good advice to have a paper map in the car but even the crapiest gps will be great when you are going somplace you're unfamiliar with or if your normal route gets screwed by an accident. Frankly, those people sounded stupid, when I've come up to a similar situation I zoomed out, looked at alternate streets and re-routed within 20 seconds. Don't know about where you're talking about but I think common sense and a gps would get most people home. My 2 cents anyway.

Sounds like some stupid people to me who put their faith in technology and didn't even glance over their manual. Hey I don't read the manual on anything that tells me how to put something together.. But if its electronic you can bet I read through it... Its not hard to tell a GPS device to use an alternative route, or avoid a certain section of a route so the people you are seeing are just to stupid to use a simple electronic component. Hell if they can't use the simple interface of a gps device I think its safe to assume that a physical map in hand would have probably done them no good either...


With that said when I was in Hawaii I did have issues with my GPS device trying to point me to non existent gas stations when the car had the gas light on for some time already so that was kind of frustrating.. But in that case a map wouldn't have helped as we ended up just doing it the old fashioned way and asked for directions.

-Josh

GPS maps are static images captured at some period in time. Unless your GPS system is actively linked to a dynamic upload and download scenario (does any really exist outside of traffic tie-ups?), there will be problems. Overall, a GPS will excel in the 'gross' mode by getting you damn close to where you want to be. Whether it gets you to the exact location depends on when the software was updated on your GPS and when the software was updated with the latest road changes nationwide. There will be a gap. Overall, though, I really enjoy having my Garmin with me on any trip I make away from home.

My two cents here - if people took the time to read the manual on the operation of their navi systems, they would learn volumes. For one, the avoid road feature. It was designed for specifically this situation. I'm in an unfamiliar area and driving down "Third Street." Unbeknown to me, the bridge is out up ahead for repair. Ok, so I turn, (if I had half a brain I'd follow the orange signs that say DETOUR). Then you go into the navi screen, click on avoid streets, and click on third... presto. The Navi routes you to your destination without utilizing Third Street.


HT

There are a lot of stupid people out there. Click on this link to see how stupid a bus driver can get using his GPS:

GPS routed bus under bridge, company says (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/359497_bus18.html?source=rss)

Hahaha...nav systems are not useless. They are NO different than a map. In fact they are only better. If it routes you through a closed area, you can tell it to avoid it, or you can LOOK on the map (the nav system has a map, duh...) and route your own way around. A map doesn't know when something's closed any better than a nav unit does.

If you're too much of a moron to route yourself around a closed bridge when you have a digital scrollable map you can zoom in and out of, you won't fare that much better with a paper map.

If someone can't figure out how to print a document on the computer, are you gonna say computers are useless and we should all use typewriters??? :rolleyes:

If someone can't figure out how to print a document on the computer, are you gonna say computers are useless and we should all use typewriters??? :rolleyes:

No, not at all. They should simply be neutered or spayed so they cannot reproduce.

Some of the other responses said you can zoom out a nav screen or avoid a road. Never knew about these features. Very nice, if you use them. And yes, the DETOUR signs pretty much do all the work for you. But this is the State of CT. We coddle our residents... :mad:

Even the cheapest Black Friday special nav units can do avoids and reroutes. It's very simple. It must be a case of "I'm too smart to read the owner's manual but I'm stupid enough to get lost with a nav in my car".

Hey I got a question about GPS

If you are using a GPS unit and driving through New Jersey, and the GP says turn left and being in 'Jersy you can't, what the heck do you do? Do GPS units take into account no left turns in New Jersey, or does the GPS say "take the next jug handle to the right then when you come to the T turn left then turn right at the next jug handle, cross the traffic you just came out of and take the next jug handle, now you are going in the opposite direction you just came from, enjoy New York?

I also wonder how many people have had accidents watching the little road picture scroll by instead of watching the actual road?

On top of that you have the ones with the cell phone blue toothed into the nav system and the iPOD and your blackberry, what happened to driving?

Dump the electronics and use a map!

GPS that does not know a bridge is out - $400
Cell phone that is a music player to listening to all your music and phone calls at 70 Mph - $300
Spending a few bucks with Triple A and get an up to date map 30$

Being able to read - Priceless

If you are using a GPS unit and driving through New Jersey, and the GP says turn left and being in 'Jersy you can't, what the heck do you do?

Great question! I was in NJ and had the issue of no left turns. I had no clue this law existed! I was also starting to pump my own gas one day when the attendant came out and gave all kinds of crap! Who knew that self serve was against the law. This was in the mid 90's is that law still around?

I also wonder how many people have had accidents watching the little road picture scroll by instead of watching the actual road?

How many have accidents trying to read the map?

On top of that you have the ones with the cell phone blue toothed into the nav system and the iPOD and your blackberry, what happened to driving?Yup - cell phones while driving = bad no matter what's on them!

Dump the electronics and use a map!

GPS that does not know a bridge is out - $400
Cell phone that is a music player to listening to all your music and phone calls at 70 Mph - $300
Spending a few bucks with Triple A and get an up to date map 30$

Being able to read - PricelessThe electronics (GPS) is a map...

Map that does not know a bridge is out - $30 (read the signs no matter what's in your car!)
Cell phone that is a music player to listening to all your music and phone calls at 70 Mph - $300 (has noting to do with GPS - but yup.)
Spending a few bucks with Triple A and get an up to date map 30$... trying to refold it to the next area - $2500 repair bill... (just like the GPS).

It's all relative... Read a paper map or read an electronic map. If your not smart enough to know not to turn left into a brick all, or one way street, even if it tells you to... well, turn off the voices prompts - or maybe sell the vehicle and take the bus! Safer for everyone! :p

Either way, there are so many more distractions these days. :(

Who knew that self serve was against the law. This was in the mid 90's is that law still around?
It is in Oregon and I believe we still share that quirk with New Jersey.

If your not smart enough to know not to turn left into a brick wall, or one way street, even if it tells you to... well, turn off the voices prompts - or maybe sell the vehicle and take the bus! Safer for everyone!(

Well half the people are below average intelligence. Turnning into a brick wall just helps the gene pool.:)

Well half the people are below average intelligence. Turnning into a brick wall just helps the gene pool.

Yeah, but... um... er... ok, true that! :D
Ya ever wonder who it is that holds the actual mean slot? ;)

Utterly useless? I think not. I have used a GPS in my vehicle for several years and I find it to be a very valuable device, especially if I don't know my way around the area. Does it make mistakes? Occasionally, but they are minor and can be overcome easily.
You used one once and now you are an expert on GPS use? You blame the GPS, but explain how it was the people who blindly followed the GPS even though there were signs stating the road was closed. The worthlessness of a GPS may be your opinionm, but it certainly is nowhere near fact.

I didn't get a Navi for my RL, but decided to opt for the Portable GPS navi. I recently bought a Tomtom Go 920, and luv this piece of TEch. There is this option that I also like very much. You can share with anyone in the country or world and update your Tomtom via the internet to which road are close, construction, and being built. Your Tomtom will then get an update to avoid these roads and make an alternate route to bring you to your destination. My Tomtom 920 also has a Traffic transmission option or it can either connect via Mobile Data to get traffic info and re-route me to an alternate road and get me to my destination.

Also, to most Navi/Portable GPS, there is the option to avoid said road with out the Tomtom Feature and select an alternate route, but you will have to input the same direction over and over. TomTom 920 will keep the avoided road or construction road in file till someone clears or you clear the info within your module and connect to the internet and pass the message to everyone with TomTom Go navi modules.

my 2cent.:D

You can share with anyone in the country or world and update your Tomtom via the internet to which road are close, construction, and being built.

Wow! I did not know that! :cool: I may have to look at that - that is a cool feature... as long as some punk doesn't enter bogus street closings on his dad's GPS! :eek:

Wow! I did not know that! :cool: I may have to look at that - that is a cool feature... as long as some punk doesn't enter bogus street closings on his dad's GPS! :eek:

Also, another great feature, if someone reported a street being closed and somehow you find out its not, you can clear the street that is close to open. Then you just put your Tomtom Go 920 back in its cradle and upload the new info to Tomtom Servers and it will then filter out to everyone, the road is now open. Also, the other reason, i decided to get the 920 model, and this has happened to me before, when you go into a long tunner and gps signal gets lost, the 920 will computate the logical position and track your movement inside the tunnel or when it looses GPS signals until it gets a signal back up.

If you need more info, you can go to Tomtom website and check it out. here's the link of my Tomtom Go 920
TomTom, portable GPS car navigation systems - TomTom GO 920 (http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=404&Category=0&Lid=4)

Good technology can only be used by people smart enough to use it, and smart enough to know common sense. Period.

I'm very technically savy, and I've had two GPS (first one was a Garmin StreetPilot 2610, was with me in my Tundra and my Ridgeline) systems and one person I know (My Mom) who knows Tucson quite well. With the old system, it didn't have learning capabilities or a lot of routing capabilities. When traveling with my Mom I called her my EGPS (E for Ellen - first name - Guided Positioning System) as she knew better routes most of the time then the GPS system did. Sometimes it would come out of left field with an unexpected route.

Now, I recently tried a Magellan maestro 4250. For all of 1 day. The Bluetooth integration (one feature I BADLY wanted for a hands free) was very poor with my Samsung SCH-U740 cell phone and the navigation was rather weak. It also had a VERY bright screen that even mounted low was very distracting even at the lowest brightness settings. I exchanged it for a Garmin nuvi 760 for $350 at Circuit City. I mention the price as it is a VERY good price for the system.

Initially (because I wanted a hands free device to begin with) I had a hassle getting it to work with my phone. I persisted and it finally worked flawlessly. After dealing with that, then I got into the typical spot-on Garmin navigation system. I cannot comment on the FM traffic receiver capabilities as I do not have the service in Tucson, but I can comment on how once you've put in a route or trip if you encounter a detour, all you have to do is hit the menu button and hit Detour to get a new recalculated route. Very handy since I have road construction RIGHT outside of my workplace and I don't know if I can go the normal way home or not each night.

The main benefit to me with having a GPS system is I'm directionally dyslexic and I can forget common road names, common routes and even get turned around if I haven't taken the same route at least twice. I also use my cellphone as a communication device and and not for music. I have my iPod for that and I connect that to my aux jack in my CR-V and set it and forget it. I tend to do the same with my GPS systems, too, when I set in a route or trip unless I stop or have someone with me to manage it.

The BEST benefit of having a GPS versus a map - despite the expense - is it lets you know where you are automatically (granted you have a satellite signal). With a map there is the slight game of Where's Waldo if you don't know where you are in an unfamiliar city. At least with a GPS you have some semblance of direction. Unless you're a complete moron and can't even use one.

Again, great technology is best used when in the hands of smart people. Sadly the smart people population has been dying off and being converted to stupid at an alarming rate.

The problem with most people is you have to be smarter than the device, your using. If you buy something like this and blindly follow anything it says, what are you going to do when it tells you "accident ahead?"


If a bridge is out and people are stupid enough not to press the 'detour' button then they deserve to be crying. I would just laugh at these hee haws, or maybe tell them to return the POS Magellan and buy a Garmin.


You can tell me maps are better when they give me gas prices for every gas station in the area with a sorted by price or distance choice...and they can give me accurate traffic, live, in 3 seconds.

The problem with most people is you have to be smarter than the device, your using. If you buy something like this and blindly follow anything it says, what are you going to do when it tells you "accident ahead?"

Cause an accident, of course! Some people...:D

Cause an accident, of course! Some people...:D

Exactly ;)

Ever wonder how or even why some people evolved??? Like my son says, "Time to clean out the gene pool." And I hope it happens soon! To give a perfect example, two weeks I was driving to the Jacksonville, Florida airport. Had to stop for fuel and pulled up beside a young man in a big ole jacked-up 4X4. Across the back of his cab window he had placed a gaint sticker that read, Stupid People Shouldn't Bred And Have Children!" Couldn't resist asking, "Do you have any children?" His reply, "Nope!" Case well taken as that he answered my silent thoughts...LOL:rolleyes:

The problem with stupid people is they don't know they're stupid, so the only way you have to tell is by them trying to convince you that you are. It's easy :)

The problem with stupid people is they don't know they're stupid, so the only way you have to tell is by them trying to convince you that you are. It's easy :)

Stupid people are easiest to identify once they've opened their wallets. You can tell they're stupid when they have more accumulated plastic in their wallets and purses then they do in their cars!

Stupid people are easiest to identify once they've opened their wallets. You can tell they're stupid when they have more accumulated plastic in their wallets and purses then they do in their cars!

Typically I just look for a Mopar or GM emblem :D

If they knew how to work their navigation systems they could easily find an alternate route. Plus the nav systems are built in maps. So unless it breaks all together, you'll always have a map.

If they knew how to work their navigation systems they could easily find an alternate route. Plus the nav systems are built in maps. So unless it breaks all together, you'll always have a map.

If you want your technology broken, or bustificated, then let either my Dad or my nephew use it or touch it. I don't know how they can do it though, it must be a gift.

I have an aftermarket GPS system. I just took road trip from LI, New York to Hershey, PA and my nav system was on the wrong setting. She was choosing the shortest route instead of ones with major roads/highways. I, of course, didnt realize it wasnt set properly until she told me to exit, and I found myself sitting on 2nd Ave and 125 street in NYC.

Luckily, in the 20 minutes it took me to go 6 blocks, I could reset the settings and get back underway with a better plan.

I found that the system was accurate about 90%. Especially in some of the more "complicated" areas in Jersey, she was telling me to go bear left when I really needed to bear right, etc. Once I had it set right, it was a fairly useful tool but far from something you could rely on without also using your head and having an idea of the direction you need to go in.

I like my oem nav. Never used any other, just maps prior to this gizmo.

The biggest advantage, as far as I'm concerned, over maps, is that it REMINDS you that a turn is imminent, or with a glance, you can see turns/exits approaching.

I never had any problems reading the maps and plotting a route, but remembering the exact route, turn-by-turn, was a problem at times, and I found myself having to pull-off to "check the map". :o

With the nav, driving is a more pleasant experience. And so what if a turn is missed... it suggests another way to get back on track.
Neatest "toy" I've had in years! :D

BTW... I still keep my maps in the pocket behind the seat... just in case. ;)

I don't find them useless at all. A recent trip through Dallas on the interstates using my GPS was the least stressful passing through there that I've ever experienced, because I knew which lanes I needed to be in well in advance. My 80 year old dad was "co-piloting" and was poo-pooing my GPS "toy" while fumbling around with an out of date Texaco road map he's had for 30 years. I was through town before he figured out we were home-free.

One other advantage, to me, is if I miss a turn or exit in the wrong place, it immediately gets me headed back in the right direction. I suspect trying to find myself on a paper map would be difficult enough, but then finding my way back onto the highway is another challenge altogether.

As a CT resident, I have sympathy for the OP and what he is dealing with day in and day out. With regards to the bridge being out, I find the best way to avoid it is to read the HUGE electronic signs telling me the bridge is out! :rolleyes:
This is an amazing tactic I have implemented that works wonders with or without a vehicle equipped with navigation. :)

I also agree with others that it is the vehicle operator's responsibility to pay attention or follow signs for the detour or make a small change to the GPS they are using to rectify the situation. Saying the GPS is worthless is a bit extreme. Worthless for a number of complete idiots? Likely!

As is the case with ALL these types of "gadgets"... these devices are a means to help us make decisions and guide us through life or to make things easier for us to accomplish daily tasks... The should NEVER be used as a replacement to thinking your way through the small hurdles and problems we face on a daily basis! When it comes to GPS navs, my personal preference is; finding my own way is half the fun of going to new places- maybe it is just the adventurer in me... but having a little gadget tell me where to go, just takes the fun out of it...;)

I thought I'd add my rant here as well :-)
I've spent much of my professional career working on the water, first on fishing vessels and now as a deck-hand and AB on commercial charters. In the last decade i've seen the 'weekend boater' morph into something that is utterly useless without their gps plotters.
GPS units fail. Especially on the water where you are mixing electronics, salt-water, batteries and a platform that is constantly vibrating and bouncing up and down. And just as a GPS unit in your car won't always tell you when a bridge has been shut down, NO unit will plot around tidal currents or tell you not to cut off that 200ft barge that's in your track line.
It's gotten so bad that when I sat for my exam to finally get my coast-guard license (one module of which is chart navigation) numerous people complained. My favorite comment was "why do i have to use this map, i just put the cursor where i want to go and press "GoTo"

we have a saying, "a GPS is only as good as the idiot that programed it, and then only so long as its working". In the case of the ocean, where there are no roads, no "turn right, 100 yards", this has become a very big, very stupid problem.

ok, end of my rant.