Driving without Satnav, Interesting.....
Discussion
I lost my iPhone at Slam Dunk music festival in Hatfield (London) last night, unfortunately my iPhone was also my satnav!!
Being 29, I have only ever driven with Satnav!!
I had absolutely no clue how to get from Hatfield to Bristol, other than I need the M4 towards South Wales.....
After trying the M1, and realising going further north cannot be right!
I stopped at a petrol station, and the guy told me I wanted the M25 towards Heathrow, which didn't seem right! however took his direction and eventually found signs for the M4!
Im sure for most London to Bristol would be a snip, but I had absolutely no idea which motorway was which.....
Anyone else utterly useless without satnav?
Being 29, I have only ever driven with Satnav!!
I had absolutely no clue how to get from Hatfield to Bristol, other than I need the M4 towards South Wales.....
After trying the M1, and realising going further north cannot be right!
I stopped at a petrol station, and the guy told me I wanted the M25 towards Heathrow, which didn't seem right! however took his direction and eventually found signs for the M4!
Im sure for most London to Bristol would be a snip, but I had absolutely no idea which motorway was which.....
Anyone else utterly useless without satnav?
i work with a guy who needs sat nav to get to work, every day.
its the same route and he's been here for 4 years.
of my 2 cars, one has sat nav, the other doesnt. I find i only use sat nav for the last couple of miles to a new destination, other than that it doesn get used.
I think I have a pretty good internal compass and don't get lost easily, I'm 37 though, grew up reading maps on car journeys etc.
I wouldnt want to be reliant on technology like that and the concept of such reliance worries me.
its the same route and he's been here for 4 years.
of my 2 cars, one has sat nav, the other doesnt. I find i only use sat nav for the last couple of miles to a new destination, other than that it doesn get used.
I think I have a pretty good internal compass and don't get lost easily, I'm 37 though, grew up reading maps on car journeys etc.
I wouldnt want to be reliant on technology like that and the concept of such reliance worries me.
Is this because the topography of the country isn't taught clearly enough in schools? Most people don't seem to know where anything is and combined with a lack of internal compass they struggle to find anything.
I'm 32 but could navigate most places by the road signs and vague memory of the layout of the country. The Sat nav/ Google maps is only really to get the final bit of the destination and for convenience.
I'm 32 but could navigate most places by the road signs and vague memory of the layout of the country. The Sat nav/ Google maps is only really to get the final bit of the destination and for convenience.
henrycrun said:
The technology you will need is - Road Atlas and Road Signs
Plot a route with the former (write down the road numbers as a list) and look out for the latter as you drive.
A couple of years ago I overheard a young (early 20s) couple talking about sat navs and maps. The chap was explaining about the 'old' A-Z books but his girlfriend wouldn't believe him they existed and accused him of trying to wind her up!Plot a route with the former (write down the road numbers as a list) and look out for the latter as you drive.
I just keep a dogeared road atlas in the car. It's nice to have sat nav, but as the OP has found out to his detriment, dependence on it can be problematic.
I usually look at a map in advance, often using google maps, to get an idea of the route they recommend, which I may adjust depending on my knowledge of the recommended route.
I will then use my sat nav although ignore it if its not taking me my preferred route. Its main use is for the last few miles in an unknown location, or if road conditions mean a diversion is required.
For example on Saturday I went to Stoke on Trent and back to pick up something bought on Ebay and a puppy. Followed the Sat Nav there, except it suggested staying on the M6 I went via M6 toll, reprogramming it at Stafford having received details of the address of the Ebay purchase. Pre sat nav, internet etc finding the address of both would have required buying a local street map.
On the way back again it wanted to do the M6 not the M6 toll, and it wanted me to come down the M1. In view of roadworks etc I decided to use the M40.
I will then use my sat nav although ignore it if its not taking me my preferred route. Its main use is for the last few miles in an unknown location, or if road conditions mean a diversion is required.
For example on Saturday I went to Stoke on Trent and back to pick up something bought on Ebay and a puppy. Followed the Sat Nav there, except it suggested staying on the M6 I went via M6 toll, reprogramming it at Stafford having received details of the address of the Ebay purchase. Pre sat nav, internet etc finding the address of both would have required buying a local street map.
On the way back again it wanted to do the M6 not the M6 toll, and it wanted me to come down the M1. In view of roadworks etc I decided to use the M40.
bozzy. said:
I use a sat nav whenever I drive somewhere of reasonable distance, not because I don’t know where I’m going but because the navigation will send me the quickest route.
I have a pretty good working knowledge of the country - I reckon I could find my way to most places without a map/directions. Truer to a more micro extent in Central/South London (where I live and grew up). But I still use Waze for most trips (especially in London), because I know it'll take me the fastest route avoiding traffic. I use it on longer journeys for the speed camera warnings.
ETA: I'm 29. And I could definitely find my way from Hatfield to Bristol without satnav!
g3org3y said:
henrycrun said:
The technology you will need is - Road Atlas and Road Signs
Plot a route with the former (write down the road numbers as a list) and look out for the latter as you drive.
A couple of years ago I overheard a young (early 20s) couple talking about sat navs and maps. The chap was explaining about the 'old' A-Z books but his girlfriend wouldn't believe him they existed and accused him of trying to wind her up!Plot a route with the former (write down the road numbers as a list) and look out for the latter as you drive.
I just keep a dogeared road atlas in the car. It's nice to have sat nav, but as the OP has found out to his detriment, dependence on it can be problematic.
bozzy. said:
I use a sat nav whenever I drive somewhere of reasonable distance, not because I don’t know where I’m going but because the navigation will send me the quickest route.
My Garmin is s
t at this. Tells me I'm on the fastest route (no delays) and I can turn off because I know its a better/quicker way and it'll wipe 5 minutes straight off as soon as it recalculates.Also takes me off the main route down and around a load of back lanes that slow you down only to rejoin the same road about 2 miles on.Still tries to send me down lanes that require a tractor or enduro bike and tries to send me through laybys. Only rely on it if I'm somewhere I dont know.This is not meant to bash millennials but I have noticed quite a few younger adults that can't drive anywhere without one. One lad who worked for me had to drive a couple of miles down a dual carriageway into town where he lived but couldn't do it without nav. At the same place a guy who had lived in the same area his whole life would wait for his brother to get him home, a similar journey to the first guy.
Another guy was driving us to an event when his satnav told him to turn off down some tiny back road with grass growing in the centre. It took us in a big circle back to where we were and made us late. "Oh it does that sometimes" he said.
I've never used one as I find them annoying, I will have a look at a map before I leave and set off.
Another guy was driving us to an event when his satnav told him to turn off down some tiny back road with grass growing in the centre. It took us in a big circle back to where we were and made us late. "Oh it does that sometimes" he said.
I've never used one as I find them annoying, I will have a look at a map before I leave and set off.
Edited by Derek Withers on Monday 27th May 08:45
The OP sounds a bit like me 40 years ago when I first passed my test and in a car on my own for the first time. I decided to visit my Gran who lived about 15 miles away. I'd visited her almost every week for most of my life thus far but couldn't for the life of me work out which roads to take as I'd always simply relied on my parents to take me there.
Modern reliance on sat-nav is similar. If you've never had to think for yourself it's a big step to make the first time.
Modern reliance on sat-nav is similar. If you've never had to think for yourself it's a big step to make the first time.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think it's a sad indictment of the education system in this country when a 29 yr old doesn't know that Bristol is south west of London, not north??
Maybe i was fortunate as a child, my parents had very little money so took my brother and i hiking when we were children, so i learnt to read a map as a child. Maybe that gave me an inate sense of direction but i can think of somewhere and know roughly where it is located in the UK.
Maybe i was fortunate as a child, my parents had very little money so took my brother and i hiking when we were children, so i learnt to read a map as a child. Maybe that gave me an inate sense of direction but i can think of somewhere and know roughly where it is located in the UK.
I have a good sense of general direction but useless at finding specific places so SatNav is great for me. Once I've been somewhere once, I don't need it again though.
I do like to set out aimlessly and deliberately get lost too - just to discover new places. Not only in my car but also bicycle; yesterday I did 94km on my MTB just heading off into the unknown, made lots of new route discoveries.
I do like to set out aimlessly and deliberately get lost too - just to discover new places. Not only in my car but also bicycle; yesterday I did 94km on my MTB just heading off into the unknown, made lots of new route discoveries.
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