GPS Tells Man to Drive onto Train Tracks with a Train Coming

[dav3]

BEDFORD HILLS, New York (AP) -- A Global Positioning System can tell a driver a lot of things -- but apparently not when a train is coming.

A computer consultant driving a rental car drove onto train tracks Wednesday using the instructions his GPS unit gave him. A train was barreling toward him, but he escaped in time and no one was injured.

The driver had turned right, as the system advised, and the car somehow got stuck on the tracks at the crossing. He jumped out and tried to warn the engineer by waving. He got out of the way just before the train slammed into the car at 60 mph, Metro-North railroad spokesman Dan Brucker said Thursday.

The car was pushed more than 100 feet during the fiery crash.

Some 500 train passengers were stranded for more than two hours during the Wednesday evening rush hour. The accident also heavily damaged 250 feet of rail, Brucker said.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/03/gps....ap/index.html

Why is it so hard for people to admit that they are stupid, instead of blaming everything on technology devices that their chimp brains can barely comprehend?

[Agent 488]

[L-Pink]

Jeeze, gps doesn't tell you when a dog runs in front of the car, a kid on a bike rides between two cars in front of you, etc, etc. Some people need to stick to folding maps.

[camgirlshide]

let me guess - he is now suing the gps manufacture

[WiredGuy]

This guy is a computer consultant? I think he should be fired after this display of stupidity.
WG

Originally Posted by budsbabes

LOL. Great movie. I remember seeing this in the drive-in.

[Xrated J]

Originally Posted by WiredGuy

This guy is a computer consultant? I think he should be fired after this display of stupidity.
WG

i agree

What I don't understand is how a car gets stuck on train tracks.

[dav3]

Originally Posted by evildick

What I don't understand is how a car gets stuck on train tracks.

The GPS, in all of it's witchery, somehow told car's computer to kill the fuel pump and stop at the exact coordinates where the train tracks were.

Obviously, this whole thing was the fault of the GPS device.

[woj]

what a stupid idiot...

[Jim_Gunn]

Originally Posted by evildick

What I don't understand is how a car gets stuck on train tracks.

Have you ever seen train tracks? They consist of narrow parallel-oriented raised metal rails often resting on a raised up platform of earth (compared to the ground surrounding them) with a large space in between the rails that is usually filled in with some gravel or a some other debris and sometimes cross beans of old broken up wood. The height of the rails, and the platform of earth and the debris in between the rails varies wildly in height and consistency. If you are still having trouble picturing how a car can get stuck on a train track you go drive onto one far enough to pop at least one wheel over the first rail such that the nose of your car is at an odd angle to the ground below and see if your passenger vehicle can easily get un-stuck.

[BV]

This reminds me of the movie where some couple rented a motorhome and put it on cruise control, thinking it was the same as autopilot.

Originally Posted by Jim_Gunn

Have you ever seen train tracks? They consist of narrow parallel-oriented raised metal rails often resting on a raised up platform of earth (compared to the ground surrounding them) with a large space in between the rails that is usually filled in with some gravel or a some other debris and sometimes cross beans of old broken up wood. The height of the rails, and the platform of earth and the debris in between the rails varies wildly in height and consistency. If you are still having trouble picturing how a car can get stuck on a train track you go drive onto one far enough to pop at least one wheel over the first rail such that the nose of your car is at an odd angle to the ground below and see if your passenger vehicle can easily get un-stuck.

Yes, I have seen many train tracks.

I think I would have a hard time getting a car stuck on any train track I have ever seen, unless I purposely tried to do it. Even then it would be difficult. Perhaps the infrastructure is better maintained in my country. The areas in between the tracks are raised in any place that a motor vehicle has to cross them.

They would have to be some very fucked up train tracks for any full size vehicle to get stuck on them, unless you were driving on some weird angle or trying to drive down the tracks the same direction as the train. Perhaps an exotic sports car with very low ground clearance might have trouble if you drove over the tracks at some fucked up angle. (I fail to see how that situation would arise in the course of every day driving) Maybe if you were hammered.

Admittedly, I mostly drive trucks so it would be 100% impossible for me to get stuck on a set of tracks.

[Jim_Gunn]

Originally Posted by evildick

Yes, I have seen many train tracks.


Admittedly, I mostly drive trucks so it would be 100% impossible for me to get stuck on a set of tracks.

I am sure that one could find a way even in a truck. Drunk drivers and dolts especially are always able to find a way to get stuck.

[Scott McD]

So if the GPS told him to drive off the edge of a cliff, he would have done it ?

[abadfish]

This reminds me of the episode of the office where Michael drives his rental into the lake because of the GPS despite Dwight warning him not to.

It was funny on tv but it's not funny when people really are that stupid.

[dav3]

sad sad world

[rowan]

I can't really see WTF the GPS unit has to do with this story, it says he was on a crossing so it wasn't like he drove onto an area where cars were not supposed to go. It's probably just some bored journalist adding filler to make the word quota for his article.

[ShaveBucks]

If Darwin had his way, the guy would have died.

[quantum-x]

I was driving through Belgium last week.
My GPS told me to drive through a park. We exited over a pedestrian bridge over a duck pond.

That was fun :D