Deputies from Linn and Marion counties helped rescue a couple who spent the night stranded after their GPS unit led them as far as Summit Lake before their 2005 Nissan Xterra became stuck in the snow.

More... (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/%22Nissan+Xterra%22/SIG=11aj63775/*http%3A//www.katu.com/news/86054242.html)

My mom did the same thing in VT and had to be pulled out... I dont understand how this happens. Why do people not understand just because Garmin tells you to do something doesnt mean that you should do it.

Deputies from Linn and Marion counties helped rescue a couple who spent the night stranded after their GPS unit led them as far as Summit Lake before their 2005 Nissan Xterra became stuck in the snow.

More... (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/%22Nissan+Xterra%22/SIG=11aj63775/*http%3A//www.katu.com/news/86054242.html)

I bet I coulda made it! lol

I bet if they had snow chains.. they could have made it.. OR Real tires.

Not sure if it was a 4 x4 model or not?. If I find photo's of it will post.

This January I was in cottage country. We wanted to go into town. The GPS said take this road. So we took this road. It was a lovely scenic drive past cottages. Then the road narrowed and there was a sign that said, "Road not cleared in winter." Just as I was reading the sign three snowmobilers came out and watched as I drove in. I was looking for signs that indicated it was a snowmobile trail. There were none. So I put it in 4x4 and off we went into the snow.

Here is where my story differs from the morons you hear in the news. I got a few hundred meters down the trail when I realized there were no more cottages and the snow was getting deeper. I'm sure my 33" MTs were teh first tires to go down there in a month or so. So I backed down the trail the way I came, and chose another option.

I related the story to a friend later who lives in the area and he revealed that the road is a legit road, but that it is very narrow and come winter they just don't plow it because there are better and safer ways into town.

I just don't understand why people can't use common sense.

PS: If i lived there and had a winch I would want to try it!

god i hate my state. people are so stupid when they drive here. "hey look the ground is getting white" Well hunny the gps says to keep going so it cant be that bad". they all deserve it if they are to stupid to realize the gps cant do weather!

I totally could have made it

"driving the back roads should be about trusting your gut – not her Garmin"

At least they learned something.

I bet if they had snow chains.. they could have made it.. OR Real tires.

Not sure if it was a 4 x4 model or not?. If I find photo's of it will post.

Article says it is also says they got high centered which would mean that snow was pretty deep...

You haven't ever been to Ukraine! These days our politicians issued new law and due to it, using GPS is forbidden because they lead to traffic jams. Lol, isn't it? I wrote an essay about it. You can read it here:

Wow, these spammers are getting better, I removed the link from the quote

We worked an accident about a month ago. The lady told us that here TOM TOM told her to go into the HOV lanes. The lanes were closed and she hit about 3 gates.

Another case of not reading the owner manuel ?

My Garmin (I assume all Garmin have that feature) has a "Avoid Unpaved Roads" option than can be checked...

It's nice to turn it OFF and hit the "Shortest Distance" option. It'll take me straight accross the hills instead of around it. Using gravel roads and paths. Hardly off-roading but still feels like I'm using the 4x4 for a reason...

We worked an accident about a month ago. The lady told us that here TOM TOM told her to go into the HOV lanes. The lanes were closed and she hit about 3 gates.



chuckles.. Someone can write a book on Dumb things people do...

common sense, cost extra.
Little box on dash, must be designed by the darwin institute.

LOL, Trooper, that is an awesome story; you must see a lot of crazy stuff out there! The visual of her crashing through the gates while she checked her lipstick is the best!

god i hate my state. people are so stupid when they drive here. "hey look the ground is getting white" Well hunny the gps says to keep going so it cant be that bad". they all deserve it if they are to stupid to realize the gps cant do weather!

MudKip....phe-nom-a-frick-in-al avatar. :rockin:

Old people+car+GPS= Deadly combination

wow old thread.. :-)
Not anymore... Based on the number of people getting lost And growing up in a city environment. Then buying a SUV & or wanting to travel. Then they add the Dumb box on the dash.
Just with in the last few week's, lady and baby followed the GPS. Take road left.. Well, that road is a desert. Lost, stranded. She lived, baby did not. ( PM if want link, for it. )

This will only get worse, Modern electronics are small and cheap. People are taking greater risks, an fail.

I would say, With folks on this forum.. They are well over Prepared for off road travels. Just read the trail gear we carry... :-)

That is the best part of the X.. get to drive deeper into areas, to enjoy the deep dark woods. I'm not lost, I just not in a hurry to get back home & work.

I bet Garmin is going to get sued now :). As far as people not paying attention and being careless, anybody remembers the guy from CNet.com that got stuck with his family somewhere around Diamond lake in SW Oregon. He died and his wife and a kid/kids survived. Smart guy, but no common sense...
Posted via Mobile Device

After this happened - the classified ads section have these next day?

FS: Used Garmin dock - Must Sell (switched to 4 window mount units)
WTB: handheld gps with lat/long tracking and panic button
:blackeye:


...braaaaiinnnns... Zombie thread

After this happened - the classified ads section have these next day?

FS: Used Garmin dock - Must Sell (switched to 4 window mount units)
WTB: handheld gps with lat/long tracking and panic button
:blackeye:


...braaaaiinnnns... Zombie thread

Sounds like some dumbazzes need one of these: http://www.findmespot.com/en/

Stories like this are nature's way of putting a bit of chlorine in the gene pool.

this story reminds me of this episode on The Office lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIakZtDmMgo

I always "follow" a route on Google Maps and try to get a "lay of the land" and not just rely on a list of Turn Left, Turn Rights. (Especially important when I want to bike somewhere too!)

Interesting how zooming in can reveal so much of what you should expect to see, and if you can't zoom in that much it's a good sign that you're going into the middle of nowhere and should be careful about where you are going.

People need to use common since when driving.

Lol, this reminds me of a tail when I was doing Search and Rescue on the Oregon Coast. Hunger called in asking to get rescued because he was lost.

"Ok, we will get the search teams rolling," replied the operator.
"You don't need that I know where I am," he replied and proceeded to tell the operator his exact Latitude and Longitude.
"How do you know that?" replied the operator.
"Oh, I have my GPS with me," said the allegedly lost person.
"Then why are you lost?"
"I forgot to mark where my car was," replied the embarrassed hunter.

He got charged for the helicopter ride by the Coast Guard.

Lol, this reminds me of a tail when I was doing Search and Rescue on the Oregon Coast. Hunger called in asking to get rescued because he was lost.

"Ok, we will get the search teams rolling," replied the operator.
"You don't need that I know where I am," he replied and proceeded to tell the operator his exact Latitude and Longitude.
"How do you know that?" replied the operator.
"Oh, I have my GPS with me," said the allegedly lost person.
"Then why are you lost?"
"I forgot to mark where my car was," replied the embarrassed hunter.

He got charged for the helicopter ride by the Coast Guard.

I imagine this is where you get to tell someone:

"It's /Global Positioning/, not /Land Navigation/"

We worked an accident about a month ago. The lady told us that here TOM TOM told her to go into the HOV lanes. The lanes were closed and she hit about 3 gates.

I seriously fear for the future of this country. People's apparent increasing lack of ability to THINK FOR THEMSELVES is truly disturbing. :dontknow:

I seriously fear for the future of this country. People's apparent increasing lack of ability to THINK FOR THEMSELVES is truly disturbing. :dontknow:

I feel incredibly stupid and helpless when I use my GPS. I'm a guy that has used maps and trusted my gut, my entire life and knock on wood, everything alwasy works out, jsut fine.

Now I got this GPS thingamajig as a gift and while it has its uses, like finding gas stations in the boonies and maybe other landmarks, I hate the thing. While I'll joke about it the whole time, I do fight an urge to do whatever the damned thing says. Even on routes that I know, but the GPS tells me to deviate from, I feel like I'm cheating or something when I ignore it. I'm of average to above average intelligence and I do have some common sense, so I can see how some people would blindly follow the things... Following it into unplowed roads, mountain trail passes, through highway barriers... those things are pretty inexcusable. But I can totally see how lesser issues can happen.

What makes it worse is NavTeq or Teleatlas cooking these GPS databases haphazardly and making it impossible to keep GPS up to date on receivers by charging 100+ dollars for out of date GPS data and dropping old receivers.