Celebrating 25 Years of Not Getting Lost Thanks to GPS

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
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A lot of the younger generation missed out on the thrill of taking a trip with an old folded up map and getting lost countless times all due to the technology that began 25 years ago. It all started with a launch from Cape Canaveral of the first Global Positioning System. Happy birthday GPS! :cool:

GPS relies on at least 24 satellites flying 20,000 kilometers overhead in one of six different orbital paths, tracing out what looks like a toy model of an atom
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I loved road trips without a GPS.
I'm turning 38 in a few days and when I first started driving, I kept a rubbermaid box full of maps and an atlas in case I ever got lost on a road trip.
First time I went with my dad (he insisted on driving) to Kirkersville near Columbus OH for NHRA Dragracing he got lost because he couldn't tell east from west and I had to navigate with a map and compass off of my watch after working a 16 hour shift the night before.
Good times! Good times!

Now that I have an Android phone with GPS, maps and clock I don't even wear my old compass watch anymore or keep maps "just in case."
 
It wasn't until "Selective Availability" was discontinued in May 2000 that the GPS system was actually useable for civilian navigation.
 
The downside is over-dependence on GPS. I work at a hotel, and people often ask me about nearby places to go. A couple days ago, someone wanted to go to a place that's literally just around the corner. No matter how simply I tried to explain "turn left" to him, he wanted me to look up an address for him to punch into his GPS. Sadly, this is not uncommon.
 
Truly amazing, however I will always carry paper maps in my car.
 
GPS is a good technology, but I guess a downside of being that good is that people expect them to be 100% reliable all the time.
 
I don't like to use GPS, I prefer to memorize my route and alternate ways before I leave and bring a map with written directions. I'll use the phone as a last resort but I very rarely get lost. This means I also know the area that I live in and where to find everything while some of my friends have to put the GPS on to get to the grocery store they go to every week.
 
LigTasm said:
I don't like to use GPS, I prefer to memorize my route and alternate ways before I leave and bring a map with written directions. I'll use the phone as a last resort but I very rarely get lost. This means I also know the area that I live in and where to find everything while some of my friends have to put the GPS on to get to the grocery store they go to every week.
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Agreed -- I don't know how it is with other guys -- but I'm a waypoint and marker type person. I get familiar with an area and in my mind just build a map of where stuff is, based on stuff I see. Many places I "know", I don't know the address but could tell you how to get there based on other stuff in the area.

Never really had to use a (paper) map while driving, but I'm damn good at reading them, after all I used to build maps in the oil and gas industry years ago before the economy crapped out.
 
SGA76 said:
I loved road trips without a GPS.
I'm turning 38 in a few days and when I first started driving, I kept a rubbermaid box full of maps and an atlas in case I ever got lost on a road trip.
First time I went with my dad (he insisted on driving) to Kirkersville near Columbus OH for NHRA Dragracing he got lost because he couldn't tell east from west and I had to navigate with a map and compass off of my watch after working a 16 hour shift the night before.
Good times! Good times!

Now that I have an Android phone with GPS, maps and clock I don't even wear my old compass watch anymore or keep maps "just in case."
Click to expand...

Hey! I grew up in Kirkersville.

My natural ability to get lost makes GPS one of the favorite features on my phone.
 
Let's celebrate 25 years of people driving down mountain fire roads, into lakes and onto the airport tarmac because GPS has made them too stupid to look out the windshield while driving. Huzzah! :D
 
I was one of the first adopters of anyone I knew with in-car GPS, with my gigantic magellan roadmate back in 2001 or 2002 I think. :)
 
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