Driver blasts Google Maps for desert road detour from Vegas to LA

[desertrunner]

Druff and I enjoy any driving to/from Vegas in the desert story. Had to share this.

https://ktla.com/news/california/dri...e=facebook.com

Google Maps is being blamed for leading a number of drivers on their way back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas down a dirt road to nowhere during a dust storm in the Mojave Desert earlier this month.

The unsettling detour happened on Nov. 19 as Shelby Easler, her brother and their significant others were returning to L.A. after enjoying the Formula 1 race in Sin City, SFGATE reported.

In order to avoid a dust storm causing major traffic delays that day, Google Maps suggested an alternate route to I-15, the primary highway connecting Las Vegas to Southern California.

According to the Bay Area outlet, it was the couple’s first time driving back and forth between the two cities and they were unaware that they should just stick to Interstate 15.

“We ironically thought it would be a safer option, and it did say it would be 50 minutes faster,” she told SFGate.

A short time later, Easler and company, along with what appears to be at least a dozen other cars, found themselves on a dirt road in a harsh Nevada desert.

[NickyPipes]

I rented a farm in the middle of nowhere for thanksgiving and had all sorts of problems with the gps apps

Had a 6’5’’ 400 lb friend come meet me there and gps took him to wrong house and some country farmer followed him and told him he called the state police lol

[simpdog]

Do you dream of Druff as you drive? Or just at night?

[desertrunner]

Do you dream of Druff as you drive? Or just at night?

Only at night, all snug as a bug.

[Dan Druff]

I actually meant to post this subject as a thread and forgot, so I'm glad desertrunner brought it up here.

It amazes me in this day and age that people aren't sanity checking their directions given by an app or GPS device.

In fact, earlier today I had to bring Benjamin to a doctor's appointment in the next city over, and two different devices gave incorrect directions. One sent me completely the wrong way, and the other said I was there when I had a mile left on the drive.

I caught the first one because it was obviously wrong, but the second one fooled me for a bit because it seemed correct from glancing at the map.

How people get on a dirt road from I-15 and don't suspect a problem is beyond me. I realize that their excuse was that "a lot of cars were there", but that doesn't mean it's right. It just means other fools made the same mistake. In general, you don't want to ever drive dirt roads in the desert unless you know the road's quality and have some familiarity with it (either from experience or guidance from reliable sites describing it).

I'm also surprised that people still attempt to drive back to southern California from Vegas on Sunday afternoon, especially after a holiday like Thanksgiving. That's a guaranteed massive delay. You should never drive back from Vegas on Sunday unless you leave before 9:30am or after 8pm.

In the early GPS navigation days, circa 2003, thyprez got himself into similar hot water when driving from Vegas. Except his was worse. He was directed onto a remote road up a mountain, and then it dead ended and he didn't feel comfortable turning around in the dark, fearing the car would fall off a cliff. He ended up calling 911 and they sent someone out to get him out of the whole mess. When I asked him how he possibly thought a remote mountain road was a correct alternative to I-15 when driving from Vegas to LA, he replied, "I thought these things are computerized and never make mistakes."

[Texter]

I was in Arkansas on vacation and got steered onto a dirt road then up that dirt road up a mountain with sharp ass rocks and no way to turn around. Eventually made it to the place, a mine where you dig for gems and junk…place was right next to a paved highway….thanks for nothing google.

Kids had fun and I didn’t puncture a tire so no harm done.

[lol wow]

ive taken that road during some kind of traffic thing driving from vegas to la it was at night i remember the gps sent us there it was pretty fucking fun but also it was a rental car