|
Wednesday
November 10, 2010 GPS works, but mysteriously…Filed under: A message from Leslie, ASI Canada Recently I took a trip to visit some friends south of Quebec City, I hadn’t been to the area in years and my flight was arriving late in the day so I knew part of the drive would be in darkness. Tough to drive and read my MapQuest directions at night! So, rather than relying on my tried and true method of getting to wherever I’m going I got a GPS unit in the rental car. Of course I had no idea how to program the thing so the girl at the counter did that for me. I stuck the thing to the windshield and off I went. Following the pink line on the screen I started out on my journey, of course I didn’t turn fast enough have no idea how far 40m is, but it got me back on track after going around some back streets. I’m now out on the highway on my way to St. Georges when the darn thing fell off the windshield onto the passenger side of the car. I panic doing over 100 because I can’t reach it, but common sense takes over and I realize I can pull it to me with the cord. I try to put it back on the windshield but it won’t stay (didn’t find out about the handle to lock it on until the next day). I end up setting the thing on the dash and just holding it in place when starting, stopping and making turns. All is well I get to the hotel after only one more wrong turn, drove right past the hotel starring at the screen and missed an 8 story hotel with a great big sign. The next couple of days go by great as I travel around visiting friends love this thing! During some conversations I’m told that it is hunting season which I’m not thrilled to hear but each to their own and I ignore it. So, on my last day we’re having lunch in a great little town about 30 miles from St. Georges I say my goodbyes and head out on my way to the airport. I’m a little surprised when I programmed the airport address into the GPS that it didn’t take me back the way I came thru St. Georges but oh well having no idea where I actually am (no MapQuest) I follow what it tells me to do. Things are going along nicely then after about half an hour I turn a corner and I’m on a dirt road, I quickly check the GPS and the pink line is there and according to it I’m where I should be. Ok, so it must be paved just around the next bend but no, I keep thinking it must come back to a paved road somewhere. It shows 20 km to the next turn I keep waiting for the paved road but as I’m driving slowly now because the road is mud with giant holes in it I notice a car pulled off the side of the road pointing into a field a short distance later I see a couple of ATV’s and suddenly remember being told about hunting season – oh oh! I also started to think about the stories of people blindly following a GPS into the middle of nowhere being found days later and the woman who drove into a river following hers! What to do, I’ve already driven more than half the way, do I turn around and go back or keep following this stupid thing hoping for the best. If I end up lost in the middle of nowhere (by the way without cell service – thank-you Rogers) my friends and family will give me heck for being such a fool. I check my time and I’m not sure if I go back I’ll get to the airport in time, so I decide to keep going I’m either going to miss my flight or end up lost but I can see farm houses in the distance so it would be out of the question to walk to one of them and get help. After a few more twists and turns another short dirt road the darn thing got me to the highway heading to the airport! Although I still don’t understand why dirt roads would show up on the GPS the darn thing does work! In fact I think I’m going to get myself one of these things, although I will have to eat some crow after telling everyone they are stupid and I always just use MapQuest and print out a map and have only been lost a couple of times! 2 CommentsLeave a Comment |
|
|
I just love that story, now you will remember all your life this nice visit to Quebec!
Happy you got home safe!
I am supposed to come with a class from Lingerfeldt Elementary on the 24th of October I am a votelnuer and chapporone. I will have my Lingerfeldt Volunteer badge on ..Do I have the right farm for the kindergarten classes? Will I have to pay $8.00 to get in .I know there is a teacher and an assistant for the classes .just wanted to know so I could have the money I would also like to purchase a pumpkin .what would be the price of one like the children are going to get? Thank youCathy Carpenter, votelnuer for Lingerfeldt Elementary School in Gastonia.