Plan B Forum

A couple days ago, I queried my wife's nav system on how to get home from a relative's house. It is a trip we often make, but I wanted to make sure we were going the shortest route.

It sent us down a dead-end road through the woods, and we had to double back to find civilization again. The following day I checked "Google Maps," and it showed a "phantom" right of way through the woods and on to the connecting road where wanted to go. Not sure how this happens, but the actual road did not extend as hinted on the map.

Several years ago I was using our TomTom to get from Luxembourg to our hotel in Paris, and was directed into a parking garage, where I had to pay 2 Euro to get back out. Then it took me to the same garage from a different direction. The garage was a few miles from the hotel, which the NAv found on the third try.

Navigating to Watkins Glen from up north one time, the Nav literally took me down a two-rut trail through a farmer's field - and I kept the faith and it was apparently the best and shortest route.

Anyone else have unique Nav experiences?

Sorry, I don't have a GPS. I did have one when I was fixing washers and dryers and found it to be just OK. But I did keep a compass on my dashboard so I knew the general direction I was going in as the GPS always kept my truck going "upwards" on the screen. To me "up" meant north so I got confused sometimes. Normally I could tell direction by where the sun was, but cloudy days that marker was not present, thus the compass.

nav systems often have planned roads marked as actual roads. Most Nav systems had a connecing route through my sub marked as open that didn't exist until six mionths ago and still isn't technically open.

It is a common problem as I have heard similar complaints of ending up on steep dirt roads. Certain people have to tell people to ignore the GPS and map programs. I hate that GPS has made some quiet neighborhood streets into commuting routes.

I love Billy our GPS. Aus is a big country, and the UK redesigns its road system every time I go away.

You gave your GPS the name 'Billy' - that's stupid!



We asked ours her name and apparently it's Thomasina TomTom.

First I had Maggie Magellan but she's been recalculating our direction since she spotted me with another GPS Garmin arm.

MajGenl.Meade wrote:You gave your GPS the name 'Billy' - that's stupid!

We have Billy Connolly giving us directions.

Ahh, of course by the time he's added in all the expletives you're already past that left turn that used to be "ahead".

I have the TomTom app on my iPhone. Best app ever.

It updates frequently and over the air so I avoid all the pitfalls of a standalone device.

I have the Google Maps navigation app on my Android phone (which I'm required to use for work; I sometimes refer to it as my "smartass phone") and I'm quite satisfied with that. I've never encountered any of the problems some of you have had with your standalone GPS devices.

My only problem is I can't set "truck" directions. Many default routes are not workable in the Freightliner M2 I drive for work! Offhand...Mondays,. the "default" route to where i need to go is via Storrow Drive in Boston.

This is a typical overpass on Storrow.


My truck is 13'6" high. I suspect you see the problem there...

Daisy wrote:I have the TomTom app on my iPhone. Best app ever.

It updates frequently and over the air so I avoid all the pitfalls of a standalone device.

Dating site, then.