[gps-talkusers] Re: Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a road closure

  • From: "Jeffrey Bohrman" <jbohrman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 07:28:46 -0500

Mike:

Your story is quite helpful!  I know driving with our wives can be
challenging at times especially in unfamiliar areas.

Although I've not quite started to use my GPS - I am getting there - your
story is one good suggestion if I can't simply find an alternative route
from where one is standing to the destination.  Actually, I've navigated my
wife to a certain point that I'd be familiar with and then go from there.

Jeff
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael May" <MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 1:14 AM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a road closure


> Situation 8
> We are driving to a Society for the Blind Christmas function at the
> Sacramento Yacht Club. It is very foggy and there is lots of traffic. I am
> in charge of directions with my BrailleNote GPS route guiding us along.
>
> The tension in the car is palpable as we creep across a bridge over the
> Sacramento River. The BN reports 2.1 miles to our destination. I can't
wait
> for a warm fire and glass of wine.
>
> We arrive at an intersection where the BN instructs us to continue
straight
> but flashing lights and police cars across the road force us to turn
right.
> It turns out that a gas main ruptured and the route we needed was
> completely blocked.
>
> Question 8
> What now? We are in a completely unfamiliar area, it is residential and
> there is nobody to ask directions of. We are already very late. How do I
> get us to the event  and keep my hide intact at the same time?
>
> Answer8
> My wife wanted me to call the Yacht Club, which I of course did. I told
the
> bar tender where we were and she gave me very complicated directions for
> two possible alternate routes and at the same time, my wife is talking to
> me. I hang up, more confused than ever.
>
> I told her to pull over and take a deep breath while I find us a route. I
> went into Explore mode and reversed the route so I can understand the
route
> coming from the destination toward me. This gave me a chance to see each
of
> the cross streets that might provide an alternate access and which might
> clarify what the bar tender told me.
>
> I found another road that intersected Highway 80 and set it as my
> destination. I then calculated a route from where we were to this interim
> destination. While we were driving there, I then calculated a second route
> from the freeway intersection to the Yacht Club. In other words, I picked
> an interim point that created a triangle around the road closure. This
> means of using two routes to complete an entire trip is a good strategy
for
> forcing the BN to route you the way you want to go rather than the way it
> tells you to go.
>
> My wife was about ready to tell me where to go as well.  It turns out that
> everyone was delayed by the road closure so relatively speaking, we
weren't
> late. It was wonderful to step out of the car and fog into the embrace of
> the holiday cheer, great folks and good food. Thank goodness the return
> trip home was uneventful. I am also grateful for the fact that I could be
> the navigator. I don't know quite what we would have done if I didn't have
> my GPS and ingenuity.
>
>
>
>
>

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