GPS navigation systems are undoubtedly one of the wonders of modern life, but every now and then, they can mess things up spectacularly for users, leaving them in situations that they would never find themselves in. Case in point, three young Taiwanese ladies who wound up on a ski slope in the tiny European country of Andorra, after following the instructions of their car’s GPS system.
Photos of a black Mercedes stuck at the bottom of a snow-covered slope, next to a snow cannon, have been doing the rounds on social media, primarily because of the cautionary tale behind them. On January 6, emergency services in Bordes d’Envalira, near the Grau Roig ski area, received several calls about a car in the snow after going off-road. The reports were confirmed, and after ensuring the well-being of the passengers, a rescue operation was set in motion.
Getting the car back on the road was a complex operation that required three metal cranes and over three hours of work. And it was all because of the directions of a GPS navigation system and the inexperience of the three Taiwanese tourists using it to find their way around Bordes d’Envalira. Even though they could clearly tell they had gone off-road, they continued following GPS instructions until the car became stuck in the snow.
Thankfully, no one was injured, and the three female tourists even posed for a picture next to their rented car before being rescued. This will definitely be an experience they’ll never forget, but, to the rest of us, it serves as a reminder that we should rely on common sense more than we do GPS instructions, even when we don’t know the area we’re dring in.
