Satnav error sends coach on 400-mile detour

[Darren]

Coach journeys are rarely pleasant affairs, hour on hour squashed into a tiny seat, holding on for dear life and trying not to breath in the fetid air. But one group of skiers have more reason to detest them than most.

A coach taking 50 people from Belgium to the French ski resort of La Plagne in the French Alps ended up in another La Plagne altogether, the La Plagne located in the Pyrenees, a picturesque village, 400 miles to the west of the one with all the snow.

After 24 hours on the coach I can only imagine the mood of the passengers when they were told what had happened. Still, the Spanish Tapas provided courtesy of a Belgian radio station will have helped soften the blow.

Source:www.rfi.fr

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Darren Griffin

[PeteMelbourne]

This was not a SatNav error, it was a user error.

[Cunninar]

I think a few coach firms and professional drivers may take exception to the generalisations in your first paragraph! A bit strong I think!

[tsans]

Even the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2987768/Belgian-tourists-taken-800-mile-detour-wrong-La-Plagne-France.html) managed to report this more accurately than the rubbish you've come up with.

[pillboxman]

Bit harsh guys.

Whilst I totally agree that this is not the Sat Navs fault coach trips are rarely pleasant for those of us who are, shall I say, of the more generously proportioned build. :-)

I also have some sympathy with the driver (though not very much sympathy!) I had a similar experience back at the very beginning of my GPS usage. My wife thought that the letter o was the same as the number 0.

Luckily the o was the last letter of the postcode so we were only a mile or so out!

John

[mrcoachdriver]

Darren, I wonder when you last travelled on a coach? Modern coaches are climate-controlled, and many have seats that slide sideways to give more shoulder room for the generously proportioned! They are also the most environmentally-friendly mode of passenger transport per passenger kilometre compared with aeroplanes, cars and trains. Additionally, they are statistically the safest mode of surface transport.

A well-trained driver should provide chauffeur style comfort to his/her passengers and will have prepared the routes to be used properly - including programming the satnav, if used, to give the most appropriate route for the journey.

I do not excuse the driver on the occasion which led to this faux pas, but please do not condemn the whole industry for a thankfully isolated incident.

Mike Ruffle, Proprietor, MR 5 Star Coach Travel

[DennisN]

Calm down folks. I guess Darren was making a bid to replace Jeremy Clarkson.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

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