I was having a discussion with a patient recently who told me about a harrowing experience. This past fall the patient and his wife traveled out west, near the Grand Canyon, and they were using GPS and an app on their cell phone for directions, when all of a sudden they lost their Internet connection. Without a map in the car and with no GPS (internet) they were lost. The couple continued driving and ended up well past the turn they were supposed to take. When they finally realized their mistake, and still with no GPS, they made a U-turn and hoped for the best. They had no idea how far they had traveled past the turnoff, and after a very stressful hour of driving they finally saw the sign they had been looking for but missed. This story ends well as they eventually made it home safe, with the added bonus of an thought-provoking story.
We have all become reliant on our “connected” device but do we do when they can’t connect? What situations can we and should we prepare for in case of such an eventuality?
In South Florida we are lucky to have excellent cell phone coverage and internet connectivity. However, when we travel out of the area the cell coverage may not be as good, Fortunately, traveling without GPS, which at times can be a challenging, has a relatively straight forward solution. I recommend that you use Google Maps and that you use the download feature so that you can use the maps even when there is no internet connection. It is important to be proactive and to download these maps PRIOR to your trip. I use this same feature when I travel and need a map of the area, even if I will not be driving.
To learn how to download maps from Google go the following link:
until next month,
Dr. G
