Date:         Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:26:21 -0400
Reply-To:     Rowan Tipton <uther@DRAGONHOME.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rowan Tipton <uther@DRAGONHOME.ORG>
Subject:      Re: GPS in WESTY and watch out for taking Ferry boats
Comments: To: Charles Nighbor <cnighbor1@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <95F698DD8BEF40C4B582DA56751F184D@gateway2v8e13w>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

On Mar 28, 2010, at 12:52 PM, Charles Nighbor wrote:

> Once while my daughter was in Seattle Area and using freinds car
> with GPS it
> said to go this way while she was trying to go north of Seattle on
> I-5, turn
> here of I-5  take this road nothwest....
> Well it was taking her north stota all right but she would had to
> take to
> Washington State ferries and wait at least 1/2 hour at each to
> board. and
> pay over $15 each time. Lucky she called home and asked is this
> route OK. of
> course we said go back to I-5 and keep going North. were she was on
> I-5 at
> that moment the GPS route was shorter for a brief time so it changed
> directions. Wonderful
> Charles

I'm guessing that the GPS was set to find the "shortest route".  On
many GPS's you have a number of options.  Things like shortest route,
fastest route, avoid Interstates, avoid gravel roads, etc.  I use my
laptop as a GPS and also have a number of maps on it.  I use the maps
a lot but always rely on the GPS for navigation.  It shows the
interchanges with the signs and the lanes, tells me in advance what
lane I need to be in, speaks to me so I don't have to take my eyes off
the road, etc.

I am VERY directionally challenged so I was almost alway lost before I
got a GPS.  I am pretty good with maps (when a group is going
somewhere I'm always the one who is chosen to read the map and give
directions) but not so good at remembering numerous directions.  I got
my first GPS after trying to find my daughters new place in LA and
getting lost over and over.  I would pull over, look at the map
(knowing you are somewhere on some street named "washington" is very
little help with a map of LA) and try to figure out how to get  from
where I was to where she lived... start out, make three or four turns
and be lost again.

Once I found her place we went out and bought a GPS.  Now if i'm lost
I have the GPS map a route from wherever I am (and I don't have to
know where that is) to wherever I'm going and I don't get lost!

I remain, as always
YrLyl&ObdntSrvnt,

r