sat nav

[empip]

 

[gcol]

lol at pip.

Thermo,
If you get a phone call asking you to go round and price a job up. You don't need to ask the customer for directions (especially if it's an area you don't know - you just ask them their house number and postcode. As mentioned, you can also get an accurate travel time so you can arrive on time. Personally I think they're worth their weight in gold.

 

[Thermo]

i just ask them postcode and look it straight up on streetmap. works for me!

 

[tim west]

Definitely not a gimmick, mines been absolutely fantastic and has helped with directions on many occasions in places i've never been to before, just try using a map on a busy junction or motorway you can't pull over for a shuftie then.

 

[tim west]

i just ask them postcode and look it straight up on streetmap. works for me!

But isn't streetmap an electronic form of Map? thought technology wasn't your thing?

 

[Thermo]

fair point, still look in the map book before i go anywhere. i suppose im just like empips piccy!

 

[tim west]

i suppose im just like empips piccy!

do you mean the dinosaur one above or Pip's self portrtait? wouldn't want to wish that on anyone

 

[Stulz]

I think it's horses for courses personally. For professional drivers, such as tradesman, delivery drivers, Ambulance, Doctors, Firecrew and even the Police I think they are a boon and certainly save a lot of time and money.

For the private individual I am with Therno on this, they are a waste of time and money. I have only ever used Sat Nav in Iraq, Afghanistan, The Balkans and other theoatres of operation. In the UK, I look at the map, get to the approximate area I need, and then stop and check a local map, buying one if required..failing that I ask in the local Police Station or Firestation..the chaps and chapesses their are only too pleased to help.

 

[Softus]

I'd have to see some objective measurements before I could come to that conclusion.

Try driving about London and the surrounding areas, you see people trying to play with thier SatNavs all the time, making last minute turns onto or off of slip roads, at traffic lights, roundabouts etc.

I do see how much of a problem that is.

...unfortunately it is these people that campaigners are latching onto in an attempt to get the law changed to ban SatNavs in Cars, although I think an outright ban unlikely.

I agree - unlikely. Moreover, unfeasible and unreasonable. The campaigners are doomed to be labelled as luddites and cranks.

i drove to a place id never been to today, and it was to visit a newly built house. didnt even use my map book just followed the road signs!

I've got an idea for you Thermo - you don't need a satnav device, so don't buy one.

dont like them...

Does not liking them mean that you begrudge other people the right to like them?

...waste of money...

Wrong - mine has earned me money. But you don't have to buy one.

...and technology...

How on earth can you "waste" technology?

...other methods are just as effective

No. Over decades of driving I've tried them all, and they aren't.

its just symptomatic of todays lazy society, where we have to rely on technology to do anything.

OK then - I think this now entitles me to say that your reaction is blinkered and therefore typical of an ex-policeman. Do you also dislike automatic gearboxes, ABS, seatbelts, and self-cancelling indicators? Or do you think they are also a waste of technology?

I also think they are another distraction.

Quite so, but so is navigating without one, so which is the lesser evil?

One last question - have you ever tried using one?

 

[Thermo]

I'd have to see some objective measurements before I could come to that conclusion.

Try driving about London and the surrounding areas, you see people trying to play with thier SatNavs all the time, making last minute turns onto or off of slip roads, at traffic lights, roundabouts etc.

I do see how much of a problem that is.

...unfortunately it is these people that campaigners are latching onto in an attempt to get the law changed to ban SatNavs in Cars, although I think an outright ban unlikely.

I agree - unlikely. Moreover, unfeasible and unreasonable. The campaigners are doomed to be labelled as luddites and cranks.

i drove to a place id never been to today, and it was to visit a newly built house. didnt even use my map book just followed the road signs!

I've got an idea for you Thermo - you don't need a satnav device, so don't buy one. excellent thats why i havent!

dont like them...

Does not liking them mean that you begrudge other people the right to like them? nope never said i have, as i said its my view and im expressing it, but never said i begrudge them

...waste of money...

Wrong - mine has earned me money. But you don't have to buy one. well thats good to know, freedom of choice, hurrah for democarcy and market forces!

...and technology...

How on earth can you "waste" technology? How many useable pieces of technology are sitting in landfill because we upgraded them?

...other methods are just as effective

No. Over decades of driving I've tried them all, and they aren't. For you maybe, others maybe not

its just symptomatic of todays lazy society, where we have to rely on technology to do anything.

OK then - I think this now entitles me to say that your reaction is blinkered and therefore typical of an ex-policeman. Do you also dislike automatic gearboxes, ABS, seatbelts, and self-cancelling indicators? Or do you think they are also a waste of technology? Why are all ex-policemen blinkered? anymore sweeping statements to make?

automatic gearboxes, personally i dont like them, but they are a boon to others
Abs, saved lifes, no doubt about that
seatbelts, speaking as someone whose seen the effects of not wearing them a wonderful thing, still cant understand why some people dont wear them
self cancelling indicators, again a good thing judging by the amount of people who drive along for miles not noticing that they havnt always cancelled. (probably too busy looking at the satnav!

I also think they are another distraction.

Quite so, but so is navigating without one, so which is the lesser evil? How is it?

One last question - have you ever tried using one?

yep, dont like them. give me a good old fashioned map book any day, sense of direction, local knowledge, common sense and an ability to read road signs.

Now would you like another whole page on which to reply to my replies, to your replies to my replies. i think you may be taking this a bit to personally. then again i may be a bit off colour

 

[Softus]

dont like them...

Does not liking them mean that you begrudge other people the right to like them?

nope never said i have, as i said its my view and im expressing it, but never said i begrudge them

Hmm. You never said that you did, but do you?

...waste of money...

Wrong - mine has earned me money. But you don't have to buy one.

well thats good to know, freedom of choice, hurrah for democarcy and market forces!

That has nothing to do with it. You said that they're a waste of money, but they aren't.

...and technology...

How on earth can you "waste" technology?

How many useable pieces of technology are sitting in landfill because we upgraded them?

Well I agree that lots of equipment gets discarded all too easily, but I thought you were alluding to some misappropriation of the science underlying the devices. If I got that wrong then I apologise.

...other methods are just as effective

No. Over decades of driving I've tried them all, and they aren't.

For you maybe, others maybe not

That's just my point - you've been objecting to other people's use of them, and not showing any recognition of their right to use whatever method suits them best.

its just symptomatic of todays lazy society, where we have to rely on technology to do anything.

OK then - I think this now entitles me to say that your reaction is blinkered and therefore typical of an ex-policeman. Do you also dislike automatic gearboxes, ABS, seatbelts, and self-cancelling indicators? Or do you think they are also a waste of technology?

Why are all ex-policemen blinkered? anymore sweeping statements to make?

My sweeping statement was lampooning your own. If you think mine is invalid then I suggest that yours must be too.

automatic gearboxes, personally i dont like them, but they are a boon to others

Satnavs are also a boon to others.

I also think they are another distraction.

Quite so, but so is navigating without one, so which is the lesser evil?

How is it?

Because you have to find a way of navigating without being distracted from the task of driving. It's all very fine and dandy when there are signs and clear street names, but if you have to go to a strange town, and find a road you've never been to before, and cope with the traffic, then it's inefficient to stop and check a map all the time, and dangerous to attempt to read one while driving.

One last question - have you ever tried using one?

yep, dont like them. give me a good old fashioned map book any day, sense of direction, local knowledge, common sense and an ability to read road signs.

I see. And how about if I also gave you the task of finding an average of one new address every day of the week. If it took you about four minutes to find it on a map and plot a route, then over the course of one month I'd be able to invoice an extra 2.25 paid hours of work. Hence in two months I'd have earned enough to buy a Navman F20, which is what I now have on my dashboard.

Now would you like another whole page on which to reply to my replies, to your replies to my replies. i think you may be taking this a bit to personally.

Ignoring that small piece of silliness, I can't see any reason for you to think that I've taken anything personally, and I can't find anything personal in what you've written. I don't know if you're off colour - I hope not of course - but I still say think that you're not your usual balanced self.