GPS Dependence !

[mete]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,538323,00.html?test=latestnews
Depending on GPS and cell phone , neither of which worked , lead to death.Of course they picked one of the most dangerous areas to go to !

 

[PrimitiveMan]

You know, for the rescue.

After all, she has to pay for the SAR, right?

 

[Horned Toad]

Sucks for the kid that his mom was stupid, I hope that dog finds a new owner soon. It wont be so lucky next time.

 

[SIXFOOTER]

Yea that does suck. Stupidity is supposed to be painful. Its hard to believe people think that every road, goat trail and rabbit run all over the world is detailed in those dash mount GPS units. The people that market them make it sound so simple and safe. Somewhere in the small print on the back of the box in the trash is no doubt a warning about that.

 

[Samael]

People like that need to stay far, far away from Colorado. Once you get into the mountains, no cell phone service and no GPS service is the rule, not the exception.

We lose a couple dozen idiots like that a year, usually in the winter.

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

WOW, you guys are ruff.
Sounds like that she didnt get lost, she got stranded...which is not hard to do in a motor vehicle. Sure, she made some serious mistakes, but I think the tone that she should have to loose her son because she is SO STUPID is not a very healthy attitude to take...
Sounds a bit callous. I read the story as tragic.

 

[BlackHills]

What a sad story. Most people that buy GPS units seem to think they're infallible. It's a shame she had to find out this way and a bigger shame her son had to pay for it.

Sounds like that she didnt get lost, she got stranded...

Well....yes and no. She did get stranded but only because she was dumb enough to follow the GPS and not consult a map. Here's a similar case (no deaths) from last year where a group of 26 people had to be rescued by the Sheriff's Dept because "A GPS device led a convoy of tourists astray, finally stranding them on the edge of a sheer cliff."

 

[GhostWolf]

WOW, you guys are ruff.
Sounds like that she didnt get lost, she got stranded...which is not hard to do in a motor vehicle. Sure, she made some serious mistakes, but I think the tone that she should have to loose her son because she is SO STUPID is not a very healthy attitude to take...
Sounds a bit callous. I read the story as tragic.

The story is tragic indeed. But going on a camping trip in the desert, in those temps, in an unfamiliar area is not too smart. The whole situation could have been prevented with a little planning on her part. In theory she could be charged with criminally negligent homicide for taking her son into an area known to be hazardous. It's the desert for Christs sake. In the middle of summer no less.
How long before she and her attorney announce their lawsuit against the GPS manufacturer??

 

[SIXFOOTER]

WOW, you guys are ruff.
Sounds like that she didnt get lost, she got stranded...which is not hard to do in a motor vehicle. Sure, she made some serious mistakes, but I think the tone that she should have to loose her son because she is SO STUPID is not a very healthy attitude to take...
Sounds a bit callous. I read the story as tragic.

Maybe a bit rough, but so is killing your kid with your own stupidity. Yes its a tragedy, but it was completely preventable. Some common sence and some planning go a long way.

 

[Bushman5]

we had a few accidents here, where drivers actually followed the turn by turn directions of their vehicle GPS systems......

- one driver turned onto the sidewalk, and drove into the courtyard of a mini mall.

- another turned off the road and into the ditch. No side road visible for almost 500 yards.

cant breed out stupidity it seems.

 

[kr1]

In the middle of summer no less.

Now this is the question I had.

Who goes camping in the desert in the summer, for fun?

I have never camped in the desert so I am wondering is that "prime time" to camp, summertime or was this woman just totally clueless, because one of us must be?

Who chooses to go camping in 113 degree temps with lows of 96? I mean I know its a dry heat but still.

KR

 

[el dub]

Thats why its called, Death Valley.

 

[gaj999]

Natural selection isn't pretty.

 

[untamed]

Never trust your life on electronics and batteries!

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Fly by wire my good man!

 

[DutchV]

I like GPS for congested areas, where you don't have time to pull off and check the map, and the exit ramps come quickly. If you're driving to New Jersey, they help quite a bit.

Never saw the need for a GPS out west, though. The intersections aren't all that close together, and the roads aren't very busy. Simple map and compass skills are enough to keep you out of trouble. And the Park Service does a great job of describing road conditions, providing maps and weather forecasts, etc. There's all sorts of warnings in Death Valley about taking enough water and staying out of the heat.

This was a failure of skills and preparation, not the GPS.