Thursday, July 10, 2008
If a Jeep Falls in the Woods
A man in Spring, Texas was found by firefighters thanks to the built-in GPS in his cell phone. He was driving his jeep through the woods, got stuck and disoriented, and started trying to find his way to civilization on foot. He wandered about 3 miles before he was found. He called his wife, she called the authorities, and after about half an hour he was found.
My reactions:
First, I used to live in Spring, Texas (it's a suburb of Houston). There are a lot of woods. But there's a lot of civilization too. I don't know if he was walking in circles or just managed to the find the most densely wooded area in town, but 3 miles is a pretty good stretch of uninhabited land for a significant suburb of a major city.
Second, why didn't the man call the authorities, himself, rather than call his wife? Is this just an extreme example of the stereotypical male being unwilling to stop and ask for directions? I can hear the conversation now "No, honey, I don't need to call the police, I have an excellent sense of direction. I just might be a little late for dinner, that's all."
Third, what was he doing driving a jeep in the middle of the woods? Is this what happens when you take SUV commercials too seriously?
Okay, joking aside. Many people don't know that nearly every cellphone made in the last couple of years has a GPS chip in it. It's not terribly sophisticated, but it's there expressly so the police/fire can find you. The jeep, it's worth noting, has not yet been recovered.
FoxTrax GPS Fleet Tracking
Clever solutions for vehicle tracking
www.FoxTraxGPS.com
My reactions:
First, I used to live in Spring, Texas (it's a suburb of Houston). There are a lot of woods. But there's a lot of civilization too. I don't know if he was walking in circles or just managed to the find the most densely wooded area in town, but 3 miles is a pretty good stretch of uninhabited land for a significant suburb of a major city.
Second, why didn't the man call the authorities, himself, rather than call his wife? Is this just an extreme example of the stereotypical male being unwilling to stop and ask for directions? I can hear the conversation now "No, honey, I don't need to call the police, I have an excellent sense of direction. I just might be a little late for dinner, that's all."
Third, what was he doing driving a jeep in the middle of the woods? Is this what happens when you take SUV commercials too seriously?
Okay, joking aside. Many people don't know that nearly every cellphone made in the last couple of years has a GPS chip in it. It's not terribly sophisticated, but it's there expressly so the police/fire can find you. The jeep, it's worth noting, has not yet been recovered.
FoxTrax GPS Fleet Tracking
Clever solutions for vehicle tracking
www.FoxTraxGPS.com
Labels: GPS
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]