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How to Ruin Your Summer Vacay: Follow Your GPS Blindly
July 28, 2009 4:02 PM
ABC's Miquel Marquez reports:
I'm sure we all have a GPS horror story to tell. Those nifty devices sometimes takes one on longer routes than necessary, lead one down roads that no longer exist or always seems to find the worst traffic.
A Swedish couple vacationing in Italy may win the GPS booby prize. The BBC reports that the couple wanted to visit Capri, off Italy's west coast near Naples. When they arrived at their destination they asked around for directions to the island's famed Blue Grotto all ready to take in some sun and the stunning sights of rugged cliffs plunging into the sparkling blue Mediterranean.
Instead they were informed that they were 400 miles off course in the industrial town of Carpi in northern Italy. Pilot error... or how two transposed letters can change everything.
An Italian tourism official told the BBC "Capri is an island. They did not even wonder why they didn't cross any bridge or take any boat." The official added that the couple, not to be detoured or be horribly detoured but keep charging ahead anyway, turned around and headed south.
I wonder where they are now? I bet that drive south felt a lot longer than the drive north.
July 28, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (3)
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Just learn to read a map and quit being such blind techno idiots. GPS are good tools but not to be followed blindly at the loss of all common sense.
Posted by: MapReader | Jul 29, 2009 9:32:35 AM
Capri is world-famous; Carpi no one has heard of (except those who live there). But to a Scandinavian or any foreigner, transposed letters may seem the same. You don't have to be dyslexic.
Posted by: Candadai Tirumalai | Jul 29, 2009 9:35:44 AM
I've traveled all over Italy just using some favorite old Touring Club Italiano maps. No GPS for me.
Posted by: Eleonora27 | Jul 29, 2009 6:15:35 PM
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