GPS

[fraser8]

I agree, I've been led astray by the GPS, I always do a map check so I know the general direction or a preferred route. My GPS loves freeways and will go miles out of the way to satisfy its appetite. I use it mainly for in town addresses and for checking my speed, it also shows the posted speed which is a help.

[white-eagle]

We use sort of a triple threat method to avoid problems.  i've got Delorme and Mappoint on the computer, so i check where i want to go and how to get there.  that gets printed out for the navigator to follow.  since it shows the bigger picture, alternate routing is sometimes easier, or when the gps gets confused.
i use an Asus model gps which has "bus" routing on it.  Most of the time, it works well, hasn't really led me astray, but as Cherie said, no serendipity setting, and as fraser8 said, it loves freeways.
As my triple check, i use my Droidx and google maps to route.
If my droid doesn't agree with the asus, then my wife intercedes, sometimes vehemently, with the "correct" route.

and by the way, she didn't like the female voice from the GPS.  And it messed my story up because i told her i could hear it better, so she wanted to know then why i couldn't hear her when she mentioned something she needed done.

i think the main benefit of my gps or any device, is the warning to get into the correct lane in time to make the next turn, or exit ramp.  Cutting over 3 lanes in a bus with a van is 70 ft of problems.

i like the idea of the trucker model, but i just can't convince myself to spend more money on a new gps when i already have so many options.

[Uglydog56]

My personal poison is an 89 dollar tom-tom wal-mart special my kids got me for christmas 3 years ago.  Now that I speak tom-tom, it's hard to speak garmin.  I don't like having to load routes ahead of time because I get wild hairs occasionally and then you're screwed or buying a map.  I've found that if you just hit the avoid freeway option, my cheap tom tom does a pretty good job of hitting the scenic routes, but I agree with Cherie, there is definite room for improvement.  My current strategy is to wander around until I'm tired of seeing stuff and then use the gps to get me out of there and to the final destination for the day.  I do wish I had a bluetooth gps though, so it would talk to my helmet intercom when I'm on the bike.  Then I wouldn't have to watch it, I could just listen to her haraungue me, pretend to listen, and give nods or noncommittal grunts whenever she demands input.  I mean, yes dear, coming.....

[thejumpsuitman]

We've tried a variety of GPS units - from Street & Trips on a laptop to Garmins, etc.  Maybe using a GPS just isn't our style of travel, as none of them seem to have the 'route by serendipity' programming option.  

We've had more problems with GPS routing us in dangerous ways.

"Route by serendipity"... Love it.

A few years ago we went to Maine with my folks in their RV pulling a trailer.  The plan was to stop outside of Boston and go into town to take my nephew to see a ballgame.  I set up the GPS to route to take us 81 to 84 well around NYC.  

Well unbeknownst to me, while I was taking a nap my nephew took the GPS and entered "Fenway Park, Boston as the destination".  When I woke up the NYC skyline was in view.  The GPS re-routed us to get on I-95 North and put us in the middle of NYC at 5:00 pm on a Friday afternoon. My poor wife had never been to New England before and didn't question what the GPS was saying, so she just drove.  What a nightmare!  We almost decapitated the RV on one of the parkways (which does not allow trucks), slightly jackknifed the trailer when we accidentally turned onto a one-way road and completely missed the game...  by a lot! That was by far the most harrowing driving experience I have ever had.  

So my biggest peeve over any GPS is it's inability to distinguish between distance and actual drive-time and driving difficulty.  In that case our drive time was about 2-3 longer and cost us about $50 more in tolls...  But hey, it was probably about 25 miles or so shorter. 

[luvrbus]

All the GPS use the same satellites you can buy one that uses the other satellites (military) which are accurate but the cost of the service and the GPS wouldn't be practical for a busnut it cost me around 2 grand a year in 2000 probably 5 grand now

[bevans6]

Ever the contrarian...

I had the crap scared out of me driving with someone who had a compulsion to fiddle with his GPS.  I've decided they are as dangerous to use while driving as texting with a phone, and as illegal (I think they qualify as a "mobile device", probably no one else does) and since I'm going to have to pull over to look at one I just pull over and look at a map.  Sometimes I use a list of key points on a clip-board courtesy of Google Maps, I'll go that far.  99% of the time my wife tells me where to go...   

Brian

[thejumpsuitman]

I would agree that they are more dangerous to use while driving... The touch screens are tricky enough when you are sitting still... Especially if your screen is small and your fingers are fat.

[Mex-Busnut]

I saw a brief mention somewhere about traffic updates over FM connected to the GPS. Does anybody know what that is all about?

[buswarrior]

When does a driver learn to use their new GPS... while driving?

Dumb-as-me-arse, we humans are!

Park to program, please?

Dr Steve, there is a North American standard for measuring traffic flow, involving a bunch of sensors embedded in the roadway. You will have seen the extensive grid of diamond and rectangular cut marks across all the lanes on an urban highway.

The conclusions of the interconnected system are transmitted to devices such as these equipped GPS's to estimate the delay due to traffic congestion.

There is usually a "navigate around" type feature, which satisfies the frustrated driver, but in practice, often does not save any time!

Like many of these things, there are times that the info is completely wrong,showing traffic where there is none.

But, when it works, it is another entertainment for us.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[rusty]

My Garnim has traffic alerts on it. I am not very impressed with it. It has only been correct a couple of times. The one time I remember it worked was in Dallas yes the traffic was a mess but she wanted me to go downtown to get around it. I politely declined and stayed on the 635.

Wayne