Google, GPS, and the True (Almost) Horror Story
Thursday night. I'm on a long stretch of highway, seeing another vehicle maybe every 15 minutes. It's been dark for a couple hours and this part of the country is unfamiliar to me. I had been driving for 6 hours and topping the gas tank every couple hours as towns were evenly spaced.
My Jeep's GPS is amazing. When my phone has no service due to canyons or mountains, my GPS still works without interruption.
I entered the highway with over three-quarters of a gas tank full, confident that there would be a town or gas station within the hour. I get 36 miles per gallon highway which is pretty good for an SUV.
So I'm driving and driving down this lonely stretch of dark highway. Lost phone service for a while. Mile after mile, meeting a set of headlights every twenty miles on average. Watching the gas gauge go down. Down. No lights on the horizon, no lights on the countryside. Mile after mile, no towns, no rest stops, not even a personal dwelling on the horizon.
After probably an hour and a half, I finally see a few dim lights. Gas! Cafe! The peeling old sign a relief as my panel warns me I'm at less than a quarter tank. I see super dim lights ahead and slow down.
The place had been closed for a while by the looks of the weather warped boards nailed to the door and windows.
A scan of the area shows this is the only building in sight.
We get back on the highway and drive. My son says Maps shows a gas station ahead about half an hour, I just have to exit off the highway. The arrow hits the red and my low gas icon glares at me incredulously.
The needle dives deeper and deeper into the red to match my growing anxiety level. I tried not to picture every horror film beginning- stranded and out of gas on a dark and lonely highway, civilization hundreds of miles away...
Son, "Ok, soon there will be a road, take a right and we will find a gas station."
I see no lights on the flat, black land. "How far is the gas station after I turn right?"
Son, "12 miles."
Me, "Twelve miles?! I can't go 12 miles, I can't even go 2! I say, as the needle falls below the line. It's past the red, even. We will be running on fumes any second.
I scan the one-foot-wide shoulder, planning how to best park.
The road to a gas station is coming up and I see a semi truck pull away, revealing the best sight I have had all day. Lights! I can make out old-fashioned gas pumps! I pray they work and the place is open.
They do, and it is!
It is illegal to pump your own gas in the state of Oregon. The elderly owner-operators take care of me, and I talk with the wife while her husband bundles up to fill my tank. I thank her profusely for being an oasis in the desert!
She tells me that Google sends everyone around their gas station, as well as the larger town 20 miles up the road.
"I don't know who to talk to at Google about this. So many people get in trouble because of the GPS sending everyone away from civilization. They should know that people are getting hurt."
She pulls out a map and shows me the way GPS skirts all the gas stations, and points the way to go toward my destination- that is actually a shorter journey with more amenities.
Embrace your GPS, but also check the route you plan to drive manually so you do not get into a horror story predicament!
Happy Travels Steemitzens! Be safe.
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You should turn this into a horror short story where the lead is being chased and google keeps routing them in idiotic ways. The big reveal is that the killers are google employees.
That is amazing! I love your imagination!
I fear for you with you. My old car used to count down after the gas light came on. I never thought I would miss it so much. This newer model doesn’t come with the count down. All I get is the red light of death flashing as I drive mile after mile.
The red light of death. Yup- that is accurate LOL!
So you are in Oregon? We ought to do a PNW camp trip this summer, we are getting a pretty good Idaho steem group going.
Glad the story ended well, that is messed up.
No, I drove through Oregon. Currently I am in Utah, will be back up Seattle area next week. BUT I will be driving all over back and forth! LOL!
Sweet! We should do a meet up, I am kinda all over the PNW ;)
Yeah, I think we should look into a "central" campground and see how many people would be up for it. I think there is a pretty good crowd from this area, and it would be a blast! If you find yourself going north on 95 out of Ontario, look me up - beers on me!
I was just on 95 last night lol! I will!
I agree, we have to set something up for this summer! It will be awesome! Maybe something with a lake, too, and we can pitch and rent a boat... I will help set it up! We've spoken on Discord, right?
Oooh! Love it! We will bring some boats! At least a canoe, a kayak, and the Jinny-Leigh! (Some women are crazy cat ladies, I am a crazy boat lady. LOL!)
This will be a blast!
I am finally figuring out discord, but no we have not chatted there before.
This will be epic!
Message me in Discord
you are great heart...you post is so informative
Awe! Thanks :)
A horror story I lived in a pure way for a refueling station
Driving at night in ways you have not run through before will be more risky and stressful and take precautions
GPS I think determines driving directions offline, excluding public transport trends,
In driving directions, you will not have information on traffic, alternate routes, or lane guidelines. You can not edit tracks
More risky, exactly.
Do the research before hand with an old fashioned map!
There are no updates
I always work in it, especially in some areas of the cordon or desert, the Internet is non-existent
Right
You've not posted for almost three days now and I was worried. Now, you're back with a fine essay as usual. Truly, GPS should be followed with caution because it is not always accurate. Thanks for this amazing insights, although GPS can't do much in Africa because of the feeble urban planning.
I didn't mean to worry you!
I was getting Steemit withdrawals! Seriously, I never more than a day without writing, and that is when something strange happens or I am too sick to keep my eyes open...
I am so glad you appreciate it :)
What part of Africa do you live?
I personally appreciate your writings a lot and always check you up. And I like your interaction with your followers, too. Keep it up. I live in Nigeria. I see you live in the United States.
Yes, I live on the western part of the US, but originally from Italy
That's good to know. At what point did you attain such a proficiency in the English language. Just wondering.
@arbitrarykitten I can't imagine the fear you felt driving on those lonely roads. I trust my Garmin Nuvi navigator whenever we go out of town it is not the best but so far it had worked fine.
Does it take you away from civilization like my Jeep's did? Or is it more human friendly ;)
It more human friendly for me, you can choose what is the shortest distance,fastest route,low traffic and avoid tolls.
Oh yes, definitely user friendly!
Must've been terrifying!
That's why I always research my route on google maps before going anywhere unfamilar, The route they suggest are not always the best and I can manually find a better route if there are any.
I am still getting to learn my car's GPS, so I am going to play with it against a different GPS to see the differences, and where I need to adjust.
That'll work too!
One eye on the GPS, one eye on the map. Doesn't leave any for driving! GPS nightmares will be a new category all of its own one day soon. Glad those oily rag vapours were strong enough to get you there.
GPS nightmares. Right!
Oily rag vapours- LOL!!!
Pre GPS days, I ran out of petrol(gas) in a deserted welsh countryside, at 2 a.m. in the morning.
While not exactly in the wilds, (as you get in the US), it was in the middle of nowhere. (oh, and I had a plane to catch in 12 hours).
It was a manual shift and I was on the top of a hill, so I put it in neutral, and slowly went down the hill....
For about a mile and half, I would say..
At the bottom of the hill was 24hr gas station, in the middle of nowhere....!
The station attendant had to help me push my car onto the forecourt, as I was freewheeling so slow, that the slight slope up, off the road onto forecourt , stopped me!
Did I ever tell you I was lucky? lol
Wow. That is SO lucky!
to a degree, I suppose.... They didn't have any cold coke in the fridge! lol
The horrors!
This could easily be turned into a horror fiction😂
Has a great beginning already
My mum always says google maps is a sham anyway
You are the second person here that said it should be a short horror... I think I will do it!