Hey Dude, Where's My Car?

 

I don't know if this qualifies as a Nuvi travel story...if not please ignore/delete this posting.

I recently bought a Nuvi 680 and am glad of my choice despite the unavailability of some MSN Direct features advertised as available within Canada.

Needless to say, this was an expensive purchase for me even though I researched extensively for the best price in my area. My wife was horrified to learn of my recent CDN$600 binge...(we apparently needed a new fridge much more urgently). Anyways, I wanted to try GeoCaching with my Nuvi. This is like treasure-hunting with internet posted co-ordinates. I understood this was going to be difficult since the Nuvi doesn't employ an electronic compass and both the satelite screen and dimensions of the Nuvi are not condusive to "hunting in the woods".

I tried it anyhow with some success although it would have definitely been easier with a more rugged GPS unit.

About a week later, I saw a used Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx for sale in a local barter-style newspaper. I couldn't resist. $200 later, my wife went through the roof. I could not contain her. She couldn't beleive I would foolishly through away good money after bad even after our first conversation and furthermore, our fridge was still not fixed.

Well, a week later when things settled down and still married, I went out Geo-caching for a 2nd time...this time with the 60CSx. I am a newbie to the sport and found a nice stop along some woods just on the outskirts of town to try this. I parked on a quiet street in front of the entrance to the path leading into a set of woodlot trails and went merrily onward. I crossed a small river (a creek really) three or four times, went through some heavy underbrush, climbed a 50-ft dirt incline, jumped an old wire fence, across a set of traintracks and into another forested area and looked around for 20 minutes. SUCCESS, I found the cache!!! I did my happy-dance, signed the log and started on my way back...except I noticed that I forgot to save the tracks on the GPS. Uh-Oh...no breadcrumbs to lead me back to the car!

I tried to retrace my steps back to the car but without success and darkness was coming in quickly. I found the traintracks and decided to play it safe and followed them to the next cross-street. I did not want to be in the woods when darkness came. I figured I had about an hour of good sunlight left to find the car and get back home before wifey arrived from work to instill into me the importance of well-refridgerated food. Well, a half hour passed and I was still walkin' around in circles..one street to the next...no #@#$$@ truck! I had no concept of which street I had parked and futhermore, the GPS batteries died. I would have called a cab...but I had no idea where my destination would be nor could I afford to spend an additional $20 to look for the truck. Now what?

You guessed it...I went to the next intersection and called wifey on my cell to come rescue me. I told her the truth..."I really think the truck was stolen I said". She asked for the intersection I was at and said she would come as fast as she could.

Well, an hour later, she comes barrelling up the street, and asks the obvious question..."WHAT IN HEAVEN'S SAKE ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!" (I had to edit her real words). I told her to calm down and that I was geo-caching and inadvertedly misplaced the car.

She turned quiet, didn't say a word for about half-minute..I could feel her brain working in overdrive, then she burst out laughing. She was laughing so hard, tears were coming down her face and she had to stop the car and physically get out. Her first words after getting back in were..."Let me get this straight...you spent $800 on two GPS' devices and you end up losing your truck...I married an idiot!" I did not think this was the precise moment to correct her, because I also had purchased the Garmin "POINTS OF INTEREST" CD for an additional $100.

It has been about 3 months later now as I write this, and not a week goes by where she does not needle me one way or another about this unfortunate set of events...she has nicknamed me "Indiana Jones".

We found the pickup truck exactly where I parked it about 15 minutes later, but to add insult to injury, she pulled out the $7.50 "PERLY'S" mapbook (does anyone remember these?) to get acquanted with the vicinity - this was the crushing blow for me...I was defeated and embarrassed. We used the Nuvi to find the closest Home Depot and I bought a new Fridgidaire just before the store closed.

Laughter (and a new fridge) is the best medicine.

Signed...Indiana Jones.

--
Nuvi 680 GPSMap60CSx

Great story!

This was hilarious! Props to your wife for being so patient.

--
~Caroline =D Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities. - Aldous Huxley

Better than most guys..you called your wife.

Thank goodness for cell phones! I give you credit for calling your wife. My husband would have called a friend, or spent the night in the woods alone, cold and hungry before calling me. He knows I don't need a fridge and I'd never let him live it down. LOL

Great story!

--
Originator of Keeping Your Windmill Alive. Live in MA & have a cooking website. 6 yr. member. http://kitchentoysmakecookingfun.blogspot.com/

Too Funny

That is a great story lol. You have a great excuse to upgrade to nuvi 750 b/c it automatically marks the location when you remove it from the mounting cradle not to mention the CND is at 1 to 1 with USD. BTW it's ok to blame it on me when your wife finds out!!!

Great Story

Let us know if your wife warms up to your new toy(s)

--
........Garmin StreetPilot c550 / Nüvi 765...........

This is hysterical, thank

This is hysterical, thank you and good luck with your new adventure.

--
nüvi 3590LMT "always backup your files"

If you'd only had one of the new 700 series Garmin's

They have the "Dude, where's my car" feature built in...as it records the location when you remove the unit from the cradle for occasions such as yours... smile

--
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Re: Hey Dude, Where's My Car?

Hi JCMilan,

Now that your food is properly chilled, your next purchase should be an Indiana Jones outfit complete with hat, leather jacket and whip...

I loved your story...

Regards,

Tailspin

--
Sullivan's Law: Murphy was an optimist!

Great story! Thanks for the

Great story! Thanks for the laugh.

--
Garmin C530 Garmin Zumo 550

Reminder...

Save the starting point upon leaving for the woods...right go it...thank you

--
It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

GREAT STORY

Thanks for the story and the laugh. Not that you would tell your wife this, but being smart enough to call her and also pick up the new fridge should give you enough "dog house credits" to pick up a new 700 series model smile

Maybe next time you could invite her on a geo-caching excursion. She might get hooked and you could offer to get her her very own GPS.

--
Jim Garmin nuvi 660

Nice story, I like how you

Nice story, I like how you added the paper map and heading straight to HD for a new fridge.

let me know when the next short story comes out

--
When in doubt Karen will take you there

Good Luck!!!!!

lsmonop wrote:

Let us know if your wife warms up to your new toy(s)

My wife hasn't warmed up to any of my gadgets....EVER!!! She hates them all...lol.

--
Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

"Save Waypoint"

That was TOO good!! I remember my first Garmin - a GPS12XL - about 12 years ago and it had a "save waypoint" feature to save the current lat/lon coords.

I am sure you'll be looking into using THAT feature soon!

That was great, thanks for

That was great, thanks for sharing.

Miss Poi

Good Luck...

Quote:

My wife hasn't warmed up to any of my gadgets....EVER!!! She hates them all...lol.

We're apparently married to the same woman

--
Nuvi 680 GPSMap60CSx

triplets?

or maybe it's just most women in general!

I find that I get really

I find that I get really excited when I get one of those emails from ebay letting me know about the new item that Jon is watching. I love tech stuff and new toys. Tivo was the greatest thing I had ever seen years back when we got ours.

Miss Poi

Love your story. Very

Love your story. Very hilarious. Thank you for sharing.

Love the story, and Miss

Love the story, and Miss POI, TIVO is still one of the best gadgets out there....

Women like tech gadgets too!

I love new tech toys. I've been using web cams, voip phones, blackberries, dvrs and got two HDTV's with HDMI connections, of course my GPS and other cool tech stuff.
In my case, hubby isn't into it. He'd still be getting up to change the channels to the black and white tv and still uses Microsoft's Streets & Trips program.

Don't count us out wink

--
Originator of Keeping Your Windmill Alive. Live in MA & have a cooking website. 6 yr. member. http://kitchentoysmakecookingfun.blogspot.com/

kudos

Kudos for your interest in hi-tech gadgets.

Not sure why most females aren't as interested them. With the exception of wireless phones and ipods.

Regarding losing a car. Did it twice. Both times, thought I remembered where it was parked. But ended up parked somewhere else. Really freaked me out. Thought someone stoled it.

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HarveyS - Nuvi 350

I did something along the same line

My fiance' and I always go hiking in the same state park, so I am comfortable with the lay of the land, and always said that we should carry my handheld Garmin, but I never do.
Needless to say, one time we entered through another gate and could not find our way back to the car. Four and a half hours later, (Our average hike is one hour) my niece picked us up about five miles from the car.

Lesson Learned, but not as serious as yours...

And we DO need a new fridge, so maybe I should get that before something worse happens to me.

Bill

Wife Tales

I purchased a TomTom and then the Garmin c340 went on a trip to PA mounted the TomTom on my side of the windshield and the garmin on her side, stopped at an intersection unfamiliar to us TomTom said turn left, garmin said right a green light you guessed it battle of words and honking horns.

Dude, that was SO funny!

I had a darn good chuckle over your story. Remember the 'home' feature next time...

PS-you have a pretty cool wife, too!

--
"Delete nothing, back up everything"

I loved the story

Thanks for sharing!

I learned early on to mark my starting location as waypoint when geocaching, to avoid the same situation. Now, because of your story - I'm wondering if the person that told me this was doing so because of personal experience. wink

There is a little residual part of the story, that was probably in your wedding vows. It's in almost every man's vows, but you see - we're men - and don't pay attention when it's happening. It goes something like this:

"I (name) take you (name) to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life. (it's all good so far, right? That's just to suck you in farther.) I will eat all my vegetables (something about being a good example for the kids that eventually turn up, wanting to eat a burger) and anything I say and do, will not only be remembered forever, but can and will be used against me, over. and over. and over. until death do us part."

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And now, back to your regularly scheduled forum - already in progress . . .

Mark your truck...............

Basic geocaching.... When leaving your vehicle to enter the woods, desert, grasslands, etc. MARK your truck as a waypoint. With the 60CSx it's extremely easy. If you make this error once it's normal. If you make this error again then your wife may well be correct.

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GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S