Has anyone got a Sat Nav...

[cherrybee]

....to give away or I am not taking Beryl out again
Yesterday I took Beryl to Paignton Zoo as a treat for her birthday.We arrived at 11:30 and tramped around the Zoo for hours.We stopped for a lovely packed lunch with all the naughty food like chocolate chip muffins and chocolate mousse,iced buns as well as ham and egg rolls(what pigs )Well it was a treat.After we had seen everything there was to be seen we left at 4:30.Tired and aching but happy we had had a nice day.Headed of towards Exeter and traveling along nicely.Ended up behind 2 large lorries blocking my view of the signs.Now this is where I go wrong.Saw the slip road at last minute or so I thought as it said A30 so off I go.Well after quite a while I had a funny feeling I wasn't where I should have been.We hadnt seen any signposts for quite some time only a lot of lay byes where the were SOS phones.It then dawned on me I had gone the wrong way.Where was I?
Well as it was a dual carriageway I had to keep going.Checked the petrolthe empty light was on.I had put in enough for us to get to the zoo and back with a little over.PANIC.We then saw our first signpost to Tavistock ahhhhhh!Took the turning to see if I could find a garage.Driving along when we then saw the sign saying Welcome to Cornwall.Now I knew where I was.Saw a lay by with a couple putting water in there car and asked if there was a garage nearby and thank goodness there was one less than 5 minutes away.Thank god for that.We were in Launceston and then I had to ask directions to get on the right road for home.Rang the old man and asked him if I stayed on A30 and headed for Okehampton will I be going in the right direction.Had to tell him I was in Cornwall.
My sense of direction has never been my strong point so he wasn't surprised.Just told me yes to go that way and take it easy He knows I panic Well I finally dropped Beryl off at her flat at 7:30 and went straight home to bed.Was I tired
This is not the first time I have got lost going out with Beryl and I dont suppose it will be my last but hey ho we had a good day

[briar rose]

Oh dear, poor you, thank goodness you got home in the end. Getting lost is one of my phobia's and my son bought me a sat nav recently as he needed running about to Agility shows, and I highly recommend you getting one, it takes the stress out of it all.

[kshotton45]

I'd highly recommend a Sat Nav. You don't worry about taking a wrong turn, it'll recalculate the route and get you to your destination. Get an FM tramsmitter to play the instructions through your radio.
I always argue with my Sat Nav as I know better but it always seems to be right. !

Keith.

[cherrybee]

Actually I don't drive very much as I ride my motor scooter more although there are times I could do with one on that.Although it would be nice to have one but finances are not the best for that sort of thing.I would have to sell the cameraSo I will have to put up with getting lost once in a while.I often don't know where I am locally when I take off down lots of country roads on our Commons but I usually find my way home

[Cazzie]

I wouldn't be without mine! I suggest you save up or ask for one for Christmas (did I say Christmas )

Like Keith I always argue with mine and answer it back.... whiney american woman....

[kshotton45]

Ours is a posh gent. We call him the Captain

Keith

[Cazzie]

Originally Posted by kshotton45

Ours is a posh gent. We call him the Captain

Keith

LOL!

I reckon if I named my 'woman' it would have to be..... Britney! .... recalculating...

[solus]

Originally Posted by Cazzie

.... whiney american woman....

Hubby bought one (a Tom-tom) about a year ago after having used them in Company cars and for an extra €10 I think it was, (about £6 or 7) he downloaded John Cleese's voice for it which is great - clear and easy to listen to, but with just one or two amusing comments added now and again - but you always feel that when you ignore him he's going to get cross like Basil Fawlty, but of course he doesn't!

SatNav's are brilliant as long as you use them with a measure of common sense and don't drive into rivers or along railway lines just because it tells you that's the way to go! (Or blithely drive your coach down narrow lanes marked "unsuitable for coaches" or your high vehicle under low bridges, because Satellite Susie or whoever doesn't realise you're not in a car - both of which have actually happened in the UK!)

[Barbara]

Glad you and Beryl got home eventually cherrybee. We lived in Falmouth for 10 years and my sister still lives there. I've lost count of the number of times we have travelled down there from Manchester yet the last time we went, we ended up on a toll road then on a dual carriageway heading for Bristol Airport the first time we have ever got lost going to Cornwall. Hubby has since bought a sat nav but sometimes he disagrees with it so we still get lost

[cherrybee]

Well to top it all I forgot to add that when we got near Exmouth I took my usual route across the commons.Got to the right turn I normally take and the road was closed.Went straight on and took another route to where I wanted to go and that part of the road was closed too
As I use the commons a lot I knew another route so took that.Forgetting how long bendy and narrow it was.So even the last few miles took twice as longSo in all it took 3 hours instead of an hour and a half to get homeIt was a VERY long day

[kshotton45]

Originally Posted by cherrybee

Well to top it all I forgot to add that when we got near Exmouth I took my usual route across the commons.Got to the right turn I normally take and the road was closed.Went straight on and took another route to where I wanted to go and that part of the road was closed too
As I use the commons a lot I knew another route so took that.Forgetting how long bendy and narrow it was.So even the last few miles took twice as longSo in all it took 3 hours instead of an hour and a half to get homeIt was a VERY long day

Another version of the Sat Nav that could have helped you is called a 'Map'

Keith.

[paulchandler6]

Originally Posted by kshotton45

Another version of the Sat Nav that could have helped you is called a 'Map'

Keith.

Yeah, I'm still using "Map Nav". It seems to work quite well.

[Beryl]

The thing is. We have only been to Paignton Zoo and back about 4 or 5 times.

[Words]

I won't leave home without mine after an horrendous journey where I turned onto the Blackwall tunnel toll road and had to have a police escort to get me back on to the proper road. Utterly humiliating.

To make matters worse, I took a wrong turn on the way home and a 90 minute journey took 4 hours.

Went out and bought a NavMan stanav the next week and it's the best thing I've ever done gadget-wise. Love it.

[Words]

I won't leave home without mine after an horrendous journey where I turned onto the Blackwall tunnel toll road and had to have a police escort to get me back on to the proper road. Utterly humiliating.

To make matters worse, I took a wrong turn on the way home and a 90 minute journey took 4 hours.

Went out and bought a NavMan satnav the next week and it's the best thing I've ever done gadget-wise. Love it.

[nightshade]

I know the sinking feeling when you miss the expected turning and end up miles from anywhere, especially after a local diversion
I have a TomTom-1 (sat-nav), however,I still have a road atlas ably wielded by the lioness
(fat-nav) and there is usually a compass of some sort
The sat-nav has always taken me to my destination BUT I have a list of places and roads
that I expect to see ,just in case I was once given a 20 mile detour to put me on the road
to Plymouth from Kingsbridge

[ron1863]

Got one two years ago and it's brilliant, especially as I travel about Spain a lot. But like Nightshade said, they are not infallible. I've been taken down dirt tracks and on long detours but if you are a total stranger to an area then they are excellent.

[Beryl]

Have no fear. Knowing CB as i do. Next |Time we will end up in Wales

[jdurbo]

I've not got sat nav but boy i do need it, i am really bad at finding places.!!

jen xxx

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by cherrybee

We then saw our first signpost to Tavistock ahhhhhh!Took the turning to see if I could find a garage.Driving along when we then saw the sign saying Welcome to Cornwall.Now I knew where I was.

lol you ended up going through Gunnislake by the sounds of it. Ive seen that sign many a time as my grandad lives about 5mins from it! And in all the years when visiting my Grandad we only went painton zoo once because it was too far away.....

[demicav]

We have a Sat nav, it's a womans voice and my hubby gets very frustrated at her. For some reason he keeps saying "typical woman".

[zharca]

Originally Posted by demicav

We have a Sat nav, it's a womans voice and my hubby gets very frustrated at her. For some reason he keeps saying "typical woman".

Well, the MFD2 in our VW does have a setting for what can unkindly be called "girly mode" - keeps turning the map round to the way you're facing

Seriously, though, the main drawback I find is that if I rely on instructions from the Nav, I don't learn the route and end up having no idea how I actually got there. When I used maps and stuff I would usually remember the way for next time.

[Bug Lady]

Wouldn't be without Mr Tom now, I've made trips on my own that I would never have done before I got my sat nav. I also find it invaluable for letting me know that there are speed cameras, this is especially useful in areas I'm not familiar with, although the beep that it gives makes me jump out of my skin.

On the road to my mother's house there are some 7 cameras in a five mile stretch and the speed limit varies from 30mph to 40 mph to 50 mph to 60 mph and back again, there are some moments when I'm thinking "Heck, what speed should I be doing??" but with Mr Tom around I feel a lot more confident.