Do you use a GPS?

A U.S. couple is blaming their GPS device for sending them off their planned route and down a snow-covered, remote forest road in Oregon, where they were stranded for days before being rescued.

The GPS told the couple to turn on a service road near Silver Lake, Oregon, instead of onto a highway, and they ended up driving nearly 56 kilometres out of the way before getting stuck in almost 50 centimetres of snow on Christmas Day.

"It will be (a Christmas) we remember the rest of our lives," Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, said.

She and her husband John Rhoads, 65, tried to call for help but their cellphone signal stopped working.

They were stuck on the road for three days before the weather warmed up Sunday, and their cellphone got reception again.

John Rhoads finally got through to 911 to say the couple was lost in the fog and snow.

In an ironic twist, a dispatcher was able to get their exact co-ordinates because their cellphone was GPS-enabled.

"GPS almost did 'em in and GPS saved 'em," Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger said.

A deputy sheriff finally found the couple inside the Winema-Fremont National Forest near Silver Lake on Sunday afternoon

He managed to pull their Toyota Sequoia out of the snow with a device used to pull boats out of water.

Luckily, the couple's heater had worked during the whole ordeal and they had extra food, water and warm clothes to help them survive the freezing temperatures.

Experts say that although a GPS is a useful tool, drivers should make sure to have paper maps as a backup, a survival kit, and a cellphone.

Getting stuck in the cold Oregon wilderness proved deadly for the father of one family.

James Kim died of hypothermia in Dec. 2006 after walking in the cold for days as he tried to get help for his family.

They had been lost in the cold for a week after taking a wrong turn.

Source: CTV News | Couple stranded after GPS sends them down backwoods

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I'm not a fan of the GPS - I always prefer maps

I just read about that.. A little common sense goes a long way? In the winter! I bought one for when we go on trips.. Both kids have one and they fallow them to a tee.. When ever we are going to the same place I separate cars.. I always win because the GPS doesn't know the short cuts.. Since we have no real interstate system her and no belt around the city you better know the back roads and short cuts..

not sure why they bring up James Kim, since he did not die because of GPS error. very sad story, nevertheless.

James Kim - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am glad the couple survived.

I love GPS. It literally changed my life. Despite being quite smart i lack the ability of reading the map and I would frequently get completely lost, feeling anxious, panicking... so after a while i just stopped going places, and just used my car for very well known, easy routes.

When I got GPS i felt like huge handicap was taken away from me. all of the sudden i could just go places and use my car the way it was intended!

I do realize I maybe relay on GPS too much, and sometimes I wonder what I would do if it broke when I am in the middle of somewhere.

I try to use common sense. Few times my GPS told me to take a wrong way, or to go against traffic... you just have to know what is going on on the road and don't do anything that doesn't feel right. Even if you take a wrong way, GPS should readjust itself.

my sister uses one all the time since she claims she can't read maps (I would say 'chooses not to/doesn't want to' rather than 'can't') - anyway, it takes her some crazy routes but she gets there in the end!

they are not going to be able to sue. all GPS now have a disclaimer that says to use your own judgment and about how routes may not be acurate.

Not to mention if you are stupid enough to follow the gps into over 20 inches of snow you are pretty stupid and deserve to be stranded there

Originally Posted by pinksugar /img/forum/go_quote.gif my sister uses one all the time since she claims she can't read maps (I would say 'chooses not to/doesn't want to' rather than 'can't') - anyway, it takes her some crazy routes but she gets there in the end! it is hard to imagine for someone that does not have problems with it, but i swear, there are really people who just always fail reading/ following the maps, no matter how hard they try and how intelligent they are! Many people do not believe me too...

There is a bunch of pluses and minuses with regard to GPS (pertaining to GPS for motorists)

+

• The ETA (estimated time of arrival) is kind of useful to get an idea of WHEN (are we there yet???)
• If you are totally lost the GPS should find some route to your destination (assuming you knew where you were going)
• The turn by turn instructions are good if you get easily frazzled
• Great like for when you are driving in an unfamiliar area (or country) The Garmin maps of Canada seem quite good
• If you miss a turn or something corrections are instantaneous (nothing like driving 20 miles down the road to realize you missed your exit!)

-

• Roads change. You need map updates which most people are loathe to do. (why spend $50 for new digital maps when the device was like $100 or so?)
• I hate how you can't always see the big picture of where you are at and where you are going to. You are mostly looking at such a small area like where your next turn is at.
• Sometimes directions seem STUPID
• There is such a tendency in the GPS units to save travel distance that it always not the best way to go. Some of these so called short cuts are not good in bad weather as they might not be as well plowed etc as the main road even if the distance is further.
• It sucks that in order to use the GPS you need a destination address. Sometimes all you have is the city. (hint if this happens to you put in Main St most towns seem to have one)
• I wish the GPS units had a way to do the route planning on the computer and then download the route (with waypoints) into the GPS. That would be cool. To my knowledge no one can do that yet.

People depend too much on technology...it's their own fault. I still take a map when we travel with the gps. I learned as a child bc I was a huge talker and my mom would make me sit upfront with my dad to make sure he didn't fall asleep and help the map lol.

I have my GPS with me at all times, but I rarely need it. It was a lifesaver for me one night... I somehow got lost when I had my daughter in the car with me. There was a bad accident, and I had to go another route... but I had no clue where I was... it helped get me home.

I don't personally use one. I'm ok with maps when I travel further from home.

Nah, I ride the passenger seat when I go on trips. We'll get there when we get there.

We have one, which is useful in the parisian area. But there's always the problem of getting it updated, and the version you possess. Some GPS now are specific for hiking so we had a funny story of a friend trying to reach a wedding and being asked by the GPS to cross a river !

I love my GPS when I travel away from home...it has never gotten my lost & it finds things along the trip (grocery stores, gas, etc...)

I also use one when I hike, its fun for geocaching

I just had my mom get one for my hubby. He sometimes has to work at a plant in Chicago and there has been construction or something. So he'll call me and ask "Are you by the computer?" Then I'm doing Google map trying to figure out where in Chicago he is and which way he needs to go-- not easy since it's not like my map has a little flashing tracking device of his location. LOL

He likes the ETA feature and also that it'll tell him where gas stations and other stuff like that are... handy since he got a new company vehicle and almost ran out of gas because he was unfamiliar with the area and vehicle.

I have one and use it. I am good with maps but I really like the ETA feature. As noted above, it depends on how you program it i.e. if you have it set for shortest distance or best speed changes the route. I call mine Mary Alice and she helps me get to places when I don't know the way and helps me find short cuts. Not perfect, but pretty close. Mary Alice is a Garmin, great unit, wonderful customer service!!

Before I got my wife one.... the son would bring his along and he had downloaded the Australian Male voice and it was like having The Wolverine telling you where to go!! lol

Yes, Love it!!

No hate them I asked a friend for directions on his and it took me to the wrong place. Give me an A to Z any time.

Here in the UK there have been many stories of trucks getting stuck down country lanes following their GPS.

There was one truck driver that set of from Turkey following his GPS and ended up in Gibralta Point in the North East of England when he wanted to go to Gibralta just off Spain.

Give me a map any day.

I don't own one. I rely on maps and I also like MapQuest Maps - Driving Directions - Map .I have found mapquest to be reliable for looking up streets or driving directions. I usually print a few before going on vacation such as driving directions to hotels etc.

I love gps! I just learned how to use mines on my

phone and I tend to read it in "list form" as to not confuse myself. I only use it when I drive to unfamiliar places or to re-route myself.

But prior to that, I was use to traveling far with my friend and her gps spoke and was so useful but of course not 100% reliable because service would be out of reach.