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Having been out in the middle of death valley before, I can tell you there are virtually no landmarks to navigate by, and very, very few people. A simple map, with the know-how to find the North Star, would have saved that boy's life. Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth, and you don't just head out in to the middle of it in August unless you have a very good reason. People die out there every year it seems, I just don't understand how you can underestimate 120+ degree heat.
Tragedy, no doubt. In defense of the Mom, (who obviously made more than one horrific decision along the way), she did have a case of water, sandwiches and pop tarts. It's just a shame that she didn't have a map, or any *sense of direction*. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to watch my son die right in front of me and be completely unable to help him.
I've never used GPS navigation, personally I find it somewhat insulting. I'm glad it didn't come in my car. It amazes me how they're allowed yet cell phones are not; both should be prohibited. I'm fine with just the positioning aspect of GPS where you can identify where you are on the map; from there it's a matter of personal responsibility to determine where you need to go.
Anyway, if it's a place where I can't get EVDO signal, then I take a paper map and a compass. If I do get EVDO signal then it's BlackBerry Maps for me. Common sense.
I've never used GPS navigation, personally I find it somewhat insulting. I'm glad it didn't come in my car.
Meh - it has its place. Easier (and safer) to have the nice GPS lady tell you "turn right" or "turn left" than having people try to drive and read maps at the same time, particularly in cities. (On the motorcycle, I can't really have a map out anyway.) Just don't obey the damn thing unconditionally.
You can't blame the GPS unit anymore than you can blame the manufacturer of the vehicle that rode them to their fate. This lady, apparently new to the desert Southwest decides to take her son and go camping....IN DEATH VALLEY...IN AUGUST. Being the well trained medical professional she professed to be (RN), she secures a case of water, pop tarts etc....and off they go. I wonder if anywhere within her training the word "dehydration" was ever mentioned....signs, symptoms, causes, cures...? But wait....it gets better....she has a flat tire....but decides to continue...scary...ya think. She was reportedly off the hard top...no spare tire, limited water...(what if a coolant hose) had blown on her horseless carriage....(24) 12 oz bottles of water don't go far....
I see this more often than not. People far....very far out of their element. The lady simply either ignored, or failed to regard the laws of nature. Somewhere between Las Vegas and Death Valley, CA she had to notice the very, very intense heat, radiating from the exterior of her vehicle.
I guess the thing that really burns my a**, is, this was a person, who professionally was responsible for other people's lives', and apparently displayed NO common sense.
It is idiotic moves like this that has caused our government to dictate common sense. Yep, I can see her finding some starving mouth piece that will attempt to "sue" the world, and then another law will follow...Don't travel in Death Valley when it's hot out.....hello. IMO that lady was lost, long before she left the city limits... a GPS wouldn't have helped !!!!
Ya know, it is common sense not to do what she did.
Maybe she should be charged with manslaughter.
That is an interesting theory...the law does state that "ignorance" is not an excusable defense. I highly doubt criminal charges ever being pursued, however I would fully support the responsible party (Mom) being levied for every dime spent rescuing her and retireving the remains of her son.
As a general rule, I do try to have compassion, however there is a little guy dead tonight because the one person in his life whom he (I'm sure...loved and TRUSTED) drove him to his death...Call it common sense, ignorance....whatever the case.....definitely negligent !
Las Vegas Boy Dies After Getting Stranded in Death Valley - Las Vegas Now |#
nurse and son were going on a camping trip in Death Valley with food, water, and a GPS. GPS got them lost and the son died. Had they had a paper map and compass as a back-up they probably would not have gotten lost. GPS navigation is fine but too many people blindly obey their GPS as if it's always right. With a paper map you have to think for yourself. Paper maps aren't always updated but you can use them as a guide to get to where you're going, take an alternative route to see something, or plan your own way to your destination instead of relying on the GPS Navigator to tell you where to go.
You would have to be really, really stupid to go camping in Death Valley in August. Obviously common sense was not their forte. I don't suppose they had a cell phone either (oh probably they did and it was dead). DOH (for the record, I didn't read the article, so if it covers the cell phone thing, mea culpa.)
20yrsinBranson
Last edited by 20yrsinBranson; 08-09-2009 at 12:11 AM..
Reason: clarification
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