Gps

[elizabethann]

The last time I used a very, very expensive GPS system it was telling me I was several hundred miles out to sea, apparently floating along in my jeep, when I was actually driving along I-5. And several times the very new, supposedly up-to-date system was urging me to do things like merge into concrete dividers, or turn into the side of a huge building.

[AbbyMom]

I have a Garmin I-5.

I got it originally because here in the huge Chicago area, sometimes roads are closed for accidents and the police will force you off into unknown territories. I wouldn't know how to get home and if it was dark, it was a pain.

Now I just select "go home" or "go to work" and it does a pretty good job of figuring it out.

But now that I have it, it's very useful for locating nearby businesses--restaurants or banks, etc. from the preloaded list.

Recently I had jury duty at a courthouse I had never been to. In my driveway at home, I selected from their list of courthouses. The one I wanted was at the top because it was closest. I just clicked select and followed the voice!

Also, we took it on vacation and preloaded it with addresses of places we wanted to go. That was extremely convenient, especially after dark. When we picked up the rental car at the airport, we just selected the next place to go and followed the voice.

Good luck.

[Jessika]

My in-laws have an aviation GPS unit they use in their car. It's portable and super neat. If you pass a street you were supposed to turn on, the directions change and it even tells you how to turn around

[CathyBogart]

I got a Garmin for Christmas, and I don't know how i ever got along with out it. Well, actually, I didn't really...I get lost very very easily even if I write down directions, so I just didn't go a lot of places I wold have liked to because I was afraid of getting lost.

It's only made a mistake once, and that was because the address I was trying to get to was so new it wasn't yet in its database.

I now try to get to new places without it, but if I ever DO get lost, it's great to know I can punch the "GO HOME" button and it will take me home.

[caseysmom]

Cathy, I want GPS mostly for when I visit your lovely but confusing city.

[CathyBogart]

You can borrow mine!

[caseysmom]

I practically cry everytime I need to leave San Francisco I have such a hard time finding my freeway, I love it there and drove there once with a friend who had GPS, it was a totally different experience.