GPS MAGIC

We are slowly wending and winding our way from Carlsbad, Ca. to Necedah, Wi. to pick up our new 560. I say "slowly" for two reasons, we are visiting family on the way but primarily because our new love won't be ready until the end of August. Because we are not in a hurry (we wish we were of course)we try and take more "scenic" roads where possible. Our GPS is a now ancient Garmin StreetPilot 2620 we call Gypsy Jill because Jill is the audio voice we settled on when we got it. I now fear that Jill is close to coming out of the "closet" and announcing herself as a full fledged member of the family and will demand a voice in all decisions. A self-aware GPS?

We were in Arizona on the I-10 heading towards Flagstaff. Jill wanted us to go to Phoenix and then north to Flagstaff from there. Since that is two sides of a triangle and all Interstate we wanted to take the hypotenuse which of course is shorter and, in this case, much more scenic. After a short time Jill settled down and resigned herself to the new route but about halfway there we reached a fork in the road where another road went up and over a pass to Prescott which is on the way to Flagstaff. A big warning sign stated not for commercial trucks or towed trailers (of course a CI would sneer at that). That was the road for us. Well Jill got very upset. On this steep winding narrow road she kept insisting we turn around. I argued with her and, because she has not yet learned to steer, we kept going. Jill did not give up. "In 200 feet make a U-turn". Now when I say this road was fairly steep, narrow and winding I mean it. But in 200 feet there was a "wide spot" in the road where a vehicle could pull out. Just a "wide spot", nothing more. Passing that place she chimed in again, "In 300 feet make a U-turn". Again nothing but a little extra pavement to the right. She kept this up for another half dozen times and then went silent for a moment. Finally she spoke up for the last time on this stretch of road stating,"When comfortable, make a U-turn".

We kept asking ourselves "how could she know were the wide spots are?" But she did. Then, with a touch of frustration she says, "when comfortable make a U-turn". Now if she would just learn that the world is divided into time zones and adjust "arrival times" to compensate.
Jim

 

Put Jill in the backset, then she can be a true back seat driver.......Why is Jill navigating in the first place?

 

I am a retired Mech. Engineer, I feed on data and get cranky when it is not forthcoming.
Jim

 

My husband is navigationally challenged and since I can't go everywhere with him, and we want him to find his way home, I bought him a GPS for Christmas one year. He uses it all of the time (especially on his business trips). He has his set to 'English Emily' and she can be quite demanding too. You would think they might give up after a shorter distance, but they are quite stubborn, and we have found ourselves (on rare occasion), telling Emily where to stick it! That or we turn her volume off. We tried a few other voices for a bit, but felt like we were cheating on Emily. Strange how a voice can be such a part of your life!

 

Check this out:

http://starwars.tomtom.com/voices/index-starwars.php?Lid=4&voice=darthvader

 

I have seen this! It is hilarious!