Are you GPS dependent?

[In The Ten Ring]

It seems GPS users never know where they are.

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a lady on a drive. She was driving across several states and I needed to find out when I could expect her to arrive.

Me: "Where are you now?"

Her: "I don't know.

Me: "Well what road are you on?"

Her: "I don't know."

Me: "Well what city did you last pass?"

Her: "I don't know."

Me: "Well what state are you in?"

Her: "I don't know."

Me: (shocked) "What? You mean you don't know what state you are in?"

Her: (upset) "No I don't! My GPS is on my phone and I'd have to pull over to use it."

Me: "OK then. Have a safe drive."

I've seen this exact thing two times before. I do not own GPS and I refuse to own GPS. I've been driving since 1990 and I have never been lost. I use a road map, road signs, and if I cannot find something I pull over and ask directions. I also know where I am within a few miles every time I go anywhere.

What about you guys?

[crossfire84]

I love road maps.

[Stocker]

My traveling days are mostly behind me but I still have quite a few maps. I also have an ancient Garmin (don't recall how / why / when I came by it). I have used it once or twice, many years ago.

Frankly, when it comes to electronic gadgets..... I am lost.

[CG]

GPS is a tool. I use it when I need it. Used to use Thomas Guides back in the day, or ordinary road maps when traveling throughout the country. I feel no shame in using it.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by CG

GPS is a tool. I use it when I need it. Used to use Thomas Guides back in the day, or ordinary road maps when traveling throughout the country. I feel no shame in using it.

But, when you do use it, if I called, would you know where you were? At least the state would do!

In the sense of fairness, I often print out or write down Mapquest directions I consult the night before, if I'm going to a location beyond a city or motel.

Now when I lived in Charlotte, here is how I'd get around.

1). Get address.
2). Find location on map index.
3). List all turns and roads needed onto a piece of paper.
4). Follow directions to location.

I went through 4 city maps when I lived in Charlotte. GPS was a thing then too but the map took up a lot less windshield/dashboard space.

[flashed]

I use GPS a lot but I also know what state and county Im in at all times . I travel a lot buying trucks and parts and GPS is just plain easy to use . But I dont trust it if it trys to turn me onto a one lane gravel road .

[Red71gmc]

I use GPS sometimes but I always keep a road atlas and still prefer the map for what you describe.
I have caught myself not knowing where I'm at when using GPS and felt like a fool. One time I couldn't find my atlas and had to stop at several gas stations before I found one. Notice sometime when your in a gas station and see if they carry them. They just aren't in demand anymore.

[1968k20]

When I have to go somewhere that I am not familiar with, I draw my own road map! I was born in the 60's, and played in the woods as a child,horseback riding,hiking,etc. we had to find our own way then! My dad had small airplanes when I was growing up, so he was always saying"south,east,west,north." I have never been lost in the woods or while driving.
No, I a, not gps dependent. I believe people have taken wrong turns in snowstorms, got stuck, and perished as a result.

[truckster]

I teach map reading to my cadets. I can locate any spot on the earth's surface within 10 meters if I have a MGRS map.

I like to run the GPS on my phone when I'm traveling to keep track of my progress, but I would never stake my life on it.

[rusty76]

We use GPS a lot at work. We used to get written directions on a piece of paper or cardboard or something like a 2x10. We’d get lostish or get the wrong house. Something dumb. Now with GPS we get wrong house numbers and streets hat go nowhere. It’s a lot easier with GPS now with us but there are those times.

[kazoocruiser]

I'm not ashamed to admit I use a Garmin Nuvi as my navigator. It has an audio feature that allows me to keep my eyes on the road. Maps have been useful in the past, and so would a CB radio, but I think a GPS fills a navigational need. The fact that it was a gift doesn't hurt, either.

And usually when I am using my Garmin, I'm in my truck, so I know where I am.

[yuccales]

Old school here. Still use Thomas Guide, Compass Maps, and Rand McNally Motor Carriers Atlas. Love my Rand because it's BIG!

[slomotion]

I much prefer an Atlas or just plain folded road maps. I remember when the maps were free at gas stations and they offered a "free re-folding service". I've used an old Garmin a couple of times, but on several occasions it's tried to send me down one way streets the wrong way, north when I want to go west on major freeways, and I've noticed after about four of the "re-calculating route" speech, the lady in the box begins to develop an attitude and sounds kinda snarky. Paper maps don't do that, they have more class and assume you can find your way out of a wrong turn.

[special-K]

I never have used one.

We were going to an off road race a couple hours into PA for the fifth year straight. I have known how to get there from memory since the first time. I had directions written down from my friend who runs in the race. My friend who usually drives has no more clue than the first time. He lives in the suburbs and I am rural. He brings a nearby friend with him and he is all about using his GPS. Everything is fine till we stop to eat. Then it's me say this way he say that way...GPS says it's the best way. "Well I don't know that way so if we go your way I'll be no help with directions." This is the city guy going to show us the way through the mountains he's never been to. They all agreed to go with the GPS while I sat back and enjoyed the new scenery. We get lost and it's what do we do now Tim? "I don't know. Where are we?" I told them some towns and route #s to punch in and we found a path. Got there about an hour later than normal. We went a wrong way once on the way home, too, because they still wanted to use that thing to go a different route.

[The Rocknrod]

Only if I dont know where the place is, then sure I use one.

[El Dorado Jim]

Originally Posted by yuccales

Old school here. Still use Thomas Guide, Compass Maps, and Rand McNally Motor Carriers Atlas. Love my Rand because it's BIG!

I cant find Thomas Bros maps around where I live anymore, sucks, I like using gps and a map

[Grumpy old man]

We made it to the MOON and back pre GPS in the 60's . Maybe the question should be can you make a long distance trip today with just a map ?


https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/a...uch-precision/


https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19908848


https://www.itstactical.com/skillcom...the-open-road/

[In The Ten Ring]

It's motivating reading on here that I am not alone!

When I worked at a motel, Saturday night check-ins could get very busy. I always rank people in person ahead of anyone on the phone, but this guy kept calling.

Him: "my GPS led me wrong and I don't know where I am. Do you know such and such?"

Me: "no I don't. Look out your window, what do you see?"

Him: "whatever it was he said, I didn't recognize it."

Me: "get back onto the interstate, pick a direction and drive. When you see an exit, pull over and call me back. I have to go. Good luck."

A couple hours later he comes in. We talk a bit. Sure enough, he's a GPS addict. He volunteers "that is all you could have done for me in my case. I didn't used to be this way, I used to always know where I was. Then I got a GPS."

Me: "get rid of the GPS and go back to knowing where you are."

If I was a cop (responding to odd addresses in a hurry) or delivering pizzas, I might get a GPS unit then, but otherwise, nah.

"Map refolding service" whoa! That's pretty neat! I knew a teacher that would teach map reading to his classes and give extra credit to the first person to refold a map correctly.

[TKCR]

Most places, I know where I'm going, so I don't use it. In fact, it's put away in the truck. When I do need it, I got to get it out and mount it. And I use it mainly for traveling places I'm not familiar with. I travel to places for parts and go to new salvage yards, that I haven't been to yet.
In fact, going today!! This is my kind of Black Friday shopping!!!

[The Rocknrod]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

We made it to the MOON and back pre GPS in the 60's . Maybe the question should be can you make a long distance trip today with just a map ?
...

Ya and they did it with slide rulers.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Most places, I know where I'm going, so I don't use it. In fact, it's put away in the truck. When I do need it, I got to get it out and mount it. And I use it mainly for traveling places I'm not familiar with. I travel to places for parts and go to new salvage yards, that I haven't been to yet.
In fact, going today!! This is my kind of Black Friday shopping!!!

Good luck on your junkyarding! I hope you find some good parts.

[richards72chevy]

I use gps but I know what state I'm in.What shocks me is the truck drivers who are dependent on it.We usually get the call at work about 6:30 in the morning saying I'm in okc with your metal along the way.Get a call rite before lunch uh I'm driving all over and don't see your guys building any where.Spend about ten minutes giving him more directions.15minutes later another call uh what towns are guys in between me we are in between ada and seminole a long pause takes place oh **** I typed in Kiowa instead of konawa on my gps.This usually happens on a weekly basis.

[special-K]

Some people are just terrible with directions, giving or taking. I can find it if you can give directions. At fall Carlisle a guy from the far east side of Baltimore, Sparrows Point, told me about a '69 CST/10 with 4spd he had for sale. I know nothing about over there. He knows everything, born & raised and worked at Bethlehem Steel before the US was sold out and now Amazon stands where we once proudly produced steel. Anyway, he tells me to take first exit over the Key Bridge and gave me the Exit#. I get over the bridge and the exit number is one number high and I know that the numbers run down from there. I go to the next exit and it's two numbers lower, BUT I see a sign saying North Point Blvd which was the road I was looking to be exiting on. I knew I was beyond where I wanted to be, so I went back toward where I came. I figured out this road paralleled the interstate and I'd be looking for the Dunkin Donuts on the right instead of left and the restaurant on the left instead of the right. Ok, there they are and there is the road I want. Next direction was at a stop sign the road curves left but I make a right. Well, I get to a place like that except the only stop sign is being held by a flag man. I'm already aggravated but trying to find humor in it. So I ask myself, "How did he know that flag man was going to be there?" . The road came back out to the one I just came off of so I knew I went too far. I go back to the stop sign guy and take the other road. First right was supposed to be Abraham and I remember him saying, "Like the president", and me thinking he must mean Lincoln. Well, I took the first right even though the name wasn't Abraham. None of the house numbers were even close and getting farther off, so I turned around. Took that all the way to the water, never saw Abraham, doubled back, took that first road again all the way to the water, turned around, and pulled into a store property that was vacant and called. He said come back up the road, pass the pump house and he is next driveway on right. Never saw a pump house but he said I just drove by! I looked when I left and still no pump house! At the end of the road, when leaving, I checked the name and it all made sense. Duh? It says Lincoln!!! Like the president! . I had Abraham written down and that is all I was looking for. All I saw, while driving, was that it didn't say Abraham. Some people don't even know where they live! Then the truck was obviously a 3spd with floor conversion and it went downhill from there. Fun day!

[briank]

I wouldnt say dependent but it can be helpful around busier places like when we travel to the Outer Banks driving down I95. However on a recent trip out west I didnt have cell service for the week and used my trusy old Rand Mcnally.

[richard2717]

I use ADC map books quite a bit. The problem I have is that it seems no one knows how to read them anymore. I have one customer that I take care of promotions at about 275 gas stations in the tristate area. With the map books and an accurate address I can pinpoint it in the books very easy since most streets have the block numbers on the map. Using the books I can plan my routes very easy. Everyone thought I was crazy when we 1st started doing this run. I bought all new map books, went to the copier and printed out the whole books (for the area I needed) taped them together and pinned them to the wall in the conference room. From there I had a very good map to make my route. I have been doing it so long now that I have memorized the entire run in MD & DE but still have to use the book in VA. I had one guy that was supposed to be in Rockville MD and he called (back when I could still hear) he was all in a panic and could not figure out where he was other than in the mountains. When I finally got him to give me enough description I figured out that he was in West VA. I asked him, did you not see the big signs that say welcome to?????? Most of the other guys I had on the run still got lost with the books and I finally broke down & purchased GPS for the trucks.
I have since downsized and now go on all the runs with just one helper (I used to have it split up in 3 crews at the peak) The helper I had with me last time kept wanting to punch in addresses on the GPS. I kept telling him we don't need it. Normally by the time he had the address punched in I was already pulling in to the station