Drunk Driver Drives on RR Tracks, Blames GPS

[kkt]

In real life, only one person (maybe two, the driver and her attorney) should be blaming the GPS device for driving on the tracks, but to my amazement, about 21 out of 22 posters here missing the real reason.

Dr. Frankenstein so far is the only one correctly placing the blame, on the drunk driver.

Obviously driving while impaired is bad and getting incorrect advice from a GPS does not in any way let a drunk driver off the hook.  Or even a sober driver.

But there seem to be a lot of accidents that would be avoided by truck drivers, especially, getting good advice because they were using appropriate GPSs for their vehicles.

[The Nature Boy]

This is one reason why self-driving cars would potentially be scary. If they are relying on GPSes then we could end up with this happening a lot.

[vdeane]

Perhaps there should be a law requiring GPS data updates to be FREE and for the devices to have some form of automatic check for updates, perhaps with an automatic bricking of the device if the data gets too old.  Also make it a ticketable offense to be operating a truck with a car GPS.

[NE2]

This is one reason why self-driving cars would potentially be scary. If they are relying on GPSes then we could end up with this happening a lot.

Obviously a self-driving car would primarily take its cues from real-world conditions. The problem is when those are confusing (e.g. Roadrunner's example if it didn't have the do not enters).

This has proven to be a popular spot for people ending up on railroad tracks, drunk or not:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.713537,-74.040942&spn=0.000004,0.002626&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.713501,-74.041543&panoid=wbVgn0H7zKI0wGHdphu4hQ&cbp=12,315.01,,0,3.31

[Billy F 1988]

Why someone would blame the computer (or onboard GPS for that matter) is beyond me. It was her fault that she drove the car on to the tracks where it should never have been to begin with and she ought to be thankful the police called BNSF ahead of time because had there been a BNSF train rolling that night and found her car on the tracks, she'd been toast. More importantly, she would have been better off not drinking alcohol to begin with! So, if you think the railroad is to blame or the GPS, or some other piece of junk, chances are, it's perhaps YOU! And for our buzzed out Camry driver, that's what she gets! Snag the license away, and that will take one less stupid drunk off the road.

[ZLoth]

The root cause exists someplace between the car seat and the steering wheel, but I can't figure out where. 

[NE2]

The root cause exists someplace between the car seat and the steering wheel, but I can't figure out where. 

PEBSAW

[roadman65]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

[vdeane]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Coffee is NOT normally nearly as hot as McDonalds serves it.  I'm pretty sure the temperature of their coffee was even deemed unfit for human consumption.

[US81]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Hot beverages are usually about 140F, McDonald's sells their coffee at 190F. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants

[Brian556]

quote from Roadman 65:

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

I actually think that lawsuit was legit and reasonable. It is very easy to spill coffee. Happens all the time. There is no need for them to serve it at such a high temperature.

[6a]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Hot beverages are usually about 140F, McDonald's sells their coffee at 190F. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants

The coffee machines we run are set at 202F.

[slorydn1]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Coffee is NOT normally nearly as hot as McDonalds serves it.  I'm pretty sure the temperature of their coffee was even deemed unfit for human consumption.

Oh I don't know, I consumed plenty of it before and after that lawsuit. I consumed it just fine before she spilled hers and the last time I looked in the mirror I'm human. For years afterwards, thanks to the ridiculous monetary award she got for her own screw up I couldn't get anything but luke warm, barely drinkable coffee from a McD's. It has gotten somewhat better the last few years, maybe they have begun to crank the heat back up again?

[kkt]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Learn something about the case.  The coffee was served at over 200 F., much hotter than coffee should be served or was served at other restaurants.  The woman was not in the driver's seat, she was a passenger and the car was stationary.  She suffered 3rd degree burns over most of her seat.  Does spilled coffee normally do that?  I don't think so.  She asked McDonald's to cover her hospital bills and nothing else.  McDonald's refused, so lawyers were called in.

[roadman65]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Learn something about the case.  The coffee was served at over 200 F., much hotter than coffee should be served or was served at other restaurants.  The woman was not in the driver's seat, she was a passenger and the car was stationary.  She suffered 3rd degree burns over most of her seat.  Does spilled coffee normally do that?  I don't think so.  She asked McDonald's to cover her hospital bills and nothing else.  McDonald's refused, so lawyers were called in.

The point is, whether the coffee was 110 degrees or 200 degrees you still exercise caution!  Even when you make mistakes, you accept them and do not blame other people for them.  Heck I burned myself  a few times with hot cheese dripping off a slice of pizza, you did not see me get a lawyer and sue the pizza place that cooked the pizza.  It was my fault or an act of nature that it happened.

[Pete from Boston]

There's nothing to be gained from brewing coffee that hot except the illusion that your coffee is fresher because it's undrinkably hot.

[ZLoth]

And people wonder why I don't drink coffee. But, then again, I was stuck in the era of badly made coffee that was often compared with motor oil.

[The Nature Boy]

There's nothing to be gained from brewing coffee that hot except the illusion that your coffee is fresher because it's undrinkably hot.

I agree, I like my coffee to be mildly hot. Even when I get my coffee from Dunkin, I give it a few seconds to cool down before I start to drink it.

[kkt]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Learn something about the case.  The coffee was served at over 200 F., much hotter than coffee should be served or was served at other restaurants.  The woman was not in the driver's seat, she was a passenger and the car was stationary.  She suffered 3rd degree burns over most of her seat.  Does spilled coffee normally do that?  I don't think so.  She asked McDonald's to cover her hospital bills and nothing else.  McDonald's refused, so lawyers were called in.

The point is, whether the coffee was 110 degrees or 200 degrees you still exercise caution!  Even when you make mistakes, you accept them and do not blame other people for them.  Heck I burned myself  a few times with hot cheese dripping off a slice of pizza, you did not see me get a lawyer and sue the pizza place that cooked the pizza.  It was my fault or an act of nature that it happened.

Did you have to go to the hospital and need reconstructive surgery?

[NE2]

Whoa, I'm proud of you guys.

Anyway, the point is that had the coffee been normal temperature, her actions might have not been the smartest, but she would merely have some pain, not fused labia. I'm unable to think of a proper analogy to the GPS case; perhaps someone can make something from the GPS telling him they're an abandoned railroad and he should drive on it.

[Pete from Boston]

It reminds me of the old lady who sued McDonalds for getting burned with Hot Coffee.  It was not for the temp of the coffee that caused her burn, but the entity between the seat and the steering wheel did not exercise caution when handling uhhh a beverage that is always hot.

Learn something about the case.  The coffee was served at over 200 F., much hotter than coffee should be served or was served at other restaurants.  The woman was not in the driver's seat, she was a passenger and the car was stationary.  She suffered 3rd degree burns over most of her seat.  Does spilled coffee normally do that?  I don't think so.  She asked McDonald's to cover her hospital bills and nothing else.  McDonald's refused, so lawyers were called in.

The point is, whether the coffee was 110 degrees or 200 degrees you still exercise caution!  Even when you make mistakes, you accept them and do not blame other people for them.  Heck I burned myself  a few times with hot cheese dripping off a slice of pizza, you did not see me get a lawyer and sue the pizza place that cooked the pizza.  It was my fault or an act of nature that it happened.

I'm going to use that "Act of Nature" line next time I spill something on myself.  I'll give Fate the finger for good measure.