05/04/2012
Satnav malfunction causes frustration
In today's technologically focused world the slightest electronic glitch can have great consequences. This much was made clear by the general hysteria which followed the millennium bug warnings and in the public's reaction to a recent sat nav error.
The so called 'leap year' virus affected TomTom systems in various countries, including the UK, Australia, Denmark and Switzerland. Many drivers were left scratching their heads after seeing the grey screen of doom and a message which told of a GPS signal detection failure.
One motorist said, “I assumed it [the sat nav] had broken but when I went to check TomTom's website I saw there were similar complaints about a range of models on its discussion boards. I feel this should have been made public earlier to alert customers to the problem.”
The general outpouring of customer discontentment reflects the level of impact which the bug had. It is thought that it left many people in limbo, not knowing the way to their chosen destinations.
Perhaps motorists should see such events as a clear signal of their over-reliance on in-car devices. Such problems would certainly have never arisen in the days when people spent time consulting maps and planning their road-trips in advance.
The so called 'leap year' virus affected TomTom systems in various countries, including the UK, Australia, Denmark and Switzerland. Many drivers were left scratching their heads after seeing the grey screen of doom and a message which told of a GPS signal detection failure.
One motorist said, “I assumed it [the sat nav] had broken but when I went to check TomTom's website I saw there were similar complaints about a range of models on its discussion boards. I feel this should have been made public earlier to alert customers to the problem.”
The general outpouring of customer discontentment reflects the level of impact which the bug had. It is thought that it left many people in limbo, not knowing the way to their chosen destinations.
Perhaps motorists should see such events as a clear signal of their over-reliance on in-car devices. Such problems would certainly have never arisen in the days when people spent time consulting maps and planning their road-trips in advance.
Photo © Iain Farrell via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: destination, electronic, error, GPS signal, leap year, maps, millennium bug, motorist, road-trip, sat nav, TomTom
14/10/2011
Does every minute really count that much?
We all like it when journey times are shorter than we expected, unless we happen to be travelling in a limo complete with jacuzzi, massage therapist, with five-star food available on demand, which doesn’t happen every often.
However, if we’re not in that limo and it’s a matter of being one minute earlier than we would have been, we’re not that energised by the amount of time we’ve saved.
Nevertheless, the Department for Transport seems very pleased that by removing the bus lane from the M4 from Heathrow to London, it has cut the journey time between the two destinations by a whole minute.
That’s 20 seconds more than they had thought previously.
Excited?
Well we found it difficult to throw a party in celebration of it too – but as the head of road safety at the AA highlighted, “At least people queuing to get onto the elevated section don’t have to endure the frustration of seeing an empty lane alongside them.”
We suppose that is a plus, it’s annoying seeing an empty lane and knowing that you can’t use it.
But wait! The lane will be reinstated in 2012 so that the ‘Olympic Family’ can use it to get to their events in good time – so other road users will have that achingly long minute put back onto their journey time soon anyway.
However, if we’re not in that limo and it’s a matter of being one minute earlier than we would have been, we’re not that energised by the amount of time we’ve saved. Nevertheless, the Department for Transport seems very pleased that by removing the bus lane from the M4 from Heathrow to London, it has cut the journey time between the two destinations by a whole minute.
That’s 20 seconds more than they had thought previously.
Excited?
Well we found it difficult to throw a party in celebration of it too – but as the head of road safety at the AA highlighted, “At least people queuing to get onto the elevated section don’t have to endure the frustration of seeing an empty lane alongside them.”
We suppose that is a plus, it’s annoying seeing an empty lane and knowing that you can’t use it.
But wait! The lane will be reinstated in 2012 so that the ‘Olympic Family’ can use it to get to their events in good time – so other road users will have that achingly long minute put back onto their journey time soon anyway.
Photo © nikoretro via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: AA, bus lane, Department for Transport, destination, journey time, limo, M4, Olympic Family, travelling
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