GPS = Gets People Stranded
Im an advocate of Stay With The Vehicle… especially when the vehicle has 48′ of pallets of junk food to keep you fed. But…this guy marched out on his own, without taking any of the potato chips he was hauling, makes it back to his freaking house, and is sitting on the couch relaxing when his wife comes home from the sheriffs office where theyre coordinating a search-and-rescue.
Glad it worked out for him, but I’ll stay with the vehicle.
This is an odd one. Apparently he put the wrong address in the GPS which is how he ended up off course. But he really should have noticed the route wasn’t normal. And, according to a later story, he walked only 14 miles – but it took him 4 days. That just doesn’t sound right. Even with my physical limitations, I think I could do 14 miles faster than that.
It says 36 miles.
It also says that he flagged down a ride, so how far he traveled and how far he walked may not be the same.
Driver : “No food, no water. I better not eat those salty chips. Too bad there’s no way to turn snow into water. I better start walking.” Not real bright in some way, I suspect. OTOH, he respected his company’s property and he certainly persevered. I wonder if he will get billed for SAR or the late delivery.
I would imagine that after an article like this appears, he is virtually untouchable.
Most or all people get lonely and can’t cope without human interaction or the comforts of their safe places. This phsycosis then causes them to make decisions that are not safe or practical in many scenarios, good times and bad. Readers should practice or condition themselves to go it alone for a good length of time ( days and days on end and not at home environment), be able to be in unfamiliar environments and adapt like it was a pleasant camping trip.
You just described long haul truck driving,some weeks you may only speak to a couple fuel cashiers and dispatch. This is a fine example of why a real map is superior,have seen this too many times(common for drivers to drive into our terminal looking for a close by competitor but the GPS sent them to us,we also have a low bridge that has wrecked Many trucks since GPS,they ignore the signs and drive into it)
Agree with Vegas Randy. I think a lot of younger people especially cannot handle isolation or disconnect from the all omnipresent web/net and social media. I am a bow hunter so spend a lot of time on stand completely away from all the crap of 21st century America. I only look at my phone if another of my hunting buddies sends me a sighting or shooting text. And in my retreat/ hunting trailer area cell service is very problematic.
Also agree with C zero: stay with the vehicle. Spotted more easily from the air and offers shelter. You cannot build a shelter than can offer what steel and watertight Plastics composites offers. Think about it. That is what survival should engender: analytical thought.
He walks 36 miles then got a drive to home 9 miles away. Who gets lost 50 miles from home? A professional driver does. Sheesh.