GPS directs Australian driver onto tracks
- Thread starter CHamilton
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Ouch.
jis
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Did he check his brain in at the bank for safe keeping before he embarked on this GPS guided misadventure?
fairviewroad
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So apparently you dial "Triple Zero" in Australia instead of 911? I did not know that.
It was on our news last night. I've driven across those tracks several times, my son lives nearby, but I am not usually on GPS at the time. I must admit I can't imagine being so confused by GPS instructions that I would mistake tracks for the road.
I don't know which GPS the bloke was using but it has happened at that rail/road intersection several times. It will be interesting to see if MetroRail or the car driver's insurance decide to sue the GPS map providers.
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Yes, 000 is our emergency number. It confused me when I first travelled overseas and found Americans use 911, the Brits are 999 and mobile phone emergency is 112. Only the USA uses 911 AFAIK.
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Wonder if that bloke had just downed a few pints in the pub before climbing in the car, and trusted a computer to get him to his destination?
Well you see Officer, a paved road and Railroad tracks look so much alike that I didn't realize I was on the tracks!
Where did that train cone from?
Well you see Officer, a paved road and Railroad tracks look so much alike that I didn't realize I was on the tracks!
Where did that train cone from?
Canada also uses 911 as the emergency number.
jis
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I suspect that most of the areas that use the North American Dial Plan use 911 as the emergency number. I used to know this stuff off the top of my head when I worked for Bell Labs, but that was many moons ago, and I have forgotten the details.
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Very likely; maybe the previous occasions were similar and they all drink at the same pub
. But I won't say he was or I may end up in court.
trainman74
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I'm a little surprised to see "GPS" in this story, because I would have guessed Australians would use the term "sat-nav" like their Commonwealth compatriots in the U.K.
No, we use GPS; I've never used sat-nav anywhere but the UK.
fairviewroad
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The (US) State Department has a list of emergency numbers around the world. 911 appears to be widely used in the Western Hemisphere and a few
other random locations (Botswana and Liberia, for instance). OTOH, not every Western Hemisphere country uses it (e.g. Chile, Venezuela, Panama).
Also odd that many countries have a different code for ambulance, fire and police...despite there being many situations that would require all three (or at least
the first two).
http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/students-abroad/pdfs/911_ABROAD.pdf
other random locations (Botswana and Liberia, for instance). OTOH, not every Western Hemisphere country uses it (e.g. Chile, Venezuela, Panama).
Also odd that many countries have a different code for ambulance, fire and police...despite there being many situations that would require all three (or at least
the first two).
http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/students-abroad/pdfs/911_ABROAD.pdf
