Magellan And Slumrouting™

[+aka Monkey]

I'm a die-hard Garmin fan, but my SO has a Magellan. After playing with both, we've determined that the Magellan works better for Geocaching (more accurate and better satellite lock), but my Garmin is better for driving directions. One of the reasons for this is because her Magellan seems to constantly want to route us through slums. It doesn't seem to matter where we're going, there's always some detour through the shady areas of town.

 

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

[+Dan_Edwards]

I think just about all GPSr units that can route have some kind of issues. At least your not being routed next to a 100 foot cliff on a 4wd road.

[CenTexDodger]

I have had my 60cs send me through some rough areas.

 

I was in Kansas City once and I was trying to get from the Plaza to the zoo. Guess what. the shortest distance between the two is through the projects. We were a little nervous!

 

That really wasn't as bad as the vacation GUIDEBOOK that sent us into the ghetto in Chicago on the El.

[+Jamie Z]

Maybe you should get the new software for rich people, which only contains approved well-maintained, clean, and high-class roads. Then you don't have to worry about getting your shiny shoes dirty.

 

Jamie

[+GOT GPS?]

I found a link to the news article, about drivers being routed to that cliff:

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2903

 

I just came up with a new Garmin routing Avoids Screen Here:

[kb9nvh]

I think they are more concerned about being robbed or haveing their cars vandalised more than getting dirty. I know when I picked up my sister in law from the greyhouud bus station in st louis at 3am I was surprised to see 20 yr olds rideing their bicycles around the sidewalks in the neighborhood and also having folks begging from me at that hour.

 

Didn't seem to be a very safe area to be in. It would be nice to have those types of areas that are known for crime to be routed around. Nothing to do with poor...everything to do with safety of my family.

 

Maybe you should get the new software for rich people, which only contains approved well-maintained, clean, and high-class roads. Then you don't have to worry about getting your shiny shoes dirty.

 

Jamie

[+Woodbutcher68]

If they could put routes around low-income or high-crimes areas, they would probably get sued for discrimination and lose. They generally show the shortest route between two points. It could also be the fastest route if you drive like crazy and don't stop!

[+Marcie/Eric]

Maybe you should get the new software for rich people, which only contains approved well-maintained, clean, and high-class roads. Then you don't have to worry about getting your shiny shoes dirty.

 

Jamie

 

[+aka Monkey]

Maybe you should get the new software for rich people, which only contains approved well-maintained, clean, and high-class roads. Then you don't have to worry about getting your shiny shoes dirty.

 

I hurt to trod on your world view, but high crime areas are called so because... wait for it... they have HIGH CRIME RATES. This means that there are more crimes committed in those areas. I personally prefer not to travel through those areas. God forbid I should actually use logic to determine the choices I make because it might offend someone. By all means, feel free to go hang out in your neighborhood crackhouse if it makes you feel more at touch with your fellow earthdweller.

 

And I realize of course that it the Magellan really isn't doing any such thing, but it has done it often enough that we joke about it. I just thought it was amusing.

Edited April 13, 2006 by aka Monkey

[CenTexDodger]

Maybe you should get the new software for rich people, which only contains approved well-maintained, clean, and high-class roads. Then you don't have to worry about getting your shiny shoes dirty.

 

Jamie

 

That was a BIT harsh. Every city has areas that should be avoided by middle class, suburban white people (no, I am not being racist), because you are more likely to get mugged or robbed in those areas. When you visit a city you are not familiar with, you don't always know where those areas are. I know that my GPS does not know one area from the other, it just knows streets. I did however expect better from Frommers. (I also expected better from my fellow Geocaching.com forum users, but oh well.)

 

I just came up with a new Garmin routing Avoids Screen Here:

 

Now that was funny.

[+YuccaPatrol]

I have had my Garmin direct me down a road that is now a boat ramp and has been under water for decades since the river was dammed!

[+geognerd]

Actually, I don't think it would be too difficult to implement anti-slumrouting. All that would need to be done is add an attribute to the road segment identifying it as passing through a high-crime area. Of course, Thales's data provider would have to find out where "high-crime" areas are so they can tag the road. Then the GPSr could be set to ignore roads that are tagged with the high-crime attribute when calculating a route. Just like in Geoff's fake screenshot. This would never fly since it could be perceived as non-PC or racist.

Edited April 13, 2006 by geognerd

[+CiscoHiker]

 

That was a BIT harsh. Every city has areas that should be avoided by middle class, suburban white people (no, I am not being racist), because you are more likely to get mugged or robbed in those areas. When you visit a city you are not familiar with, you don't always know where those areas are. I know that my GPS does not know one area from the other, it just knows streets. I did however expect better from Frommers. (I also expected better from my fellow Geocaching.com forum users, but oh well.)

 

 

And maybe the NON suburban white people don't wan't to be routed through the suburbs either for that matter.

[CenTexDodger]

 

That was a BIT harsh. Every city has areas that should be avoided by middle class, suburban white people (no, I am not being racist), because you are more likely to get mugged or robbed in those areas. When you visit a city you are not familiar with, you don't always know where those areas are. I know that my GPS does not know one area from the other, it just knows streets. I did however expect better from Frommers. (I also expected better from my fellow Geocaching.com forum users, but oh well.)

 

 

And maybe the NON suburban white people don't wan't to be routed through the suburbs either for that matter.

 

Maybe they don't, but they aren't likely to be crime victims there.

[+GOT GPS?]

Very interesting stuff in this thread.

 

I think that Autorouting with VIA points does help things a bit, but you also need to know the areas you are going to drive through, which might involve having a paper map of the city, also a cellphone to call somebody in the area. Another thing, is to be able to route away from the traffic-lights and onto freeways the best you can, because a nice looking car sitting at a light can invite trouble. Another thing to avoid, is having gadgets sitting on your dashboard, that also might invite trouble.

 

I live a few hundred feet from Detroit, and it's a bit run-down at the end of my street, in which there is a run-down abandoned building there for many years.

 

It is a good thing that Geocaching is at a minimum in the City of Detroit, but I do avoid any caches within Detroit.

[+rdb3141]

Very interesting stuff in this thread.

 

I think that Autorouting with VIA points does help things a bit, but you also need to know the areas you are going to drive through, which might involve having a paper map of the city, also a cellphone to call somebody in the area. Another thing, is to be able to route away from the traffic-lights and onto freeways the best you can, because a nice looking car sitting at a light can invite trouble. Another thing to avoid, is having gadgets sitting on your dashboard, that also might invite trouble.

 

I live a few hundred feet from Detroit, and it's a bit run-down at the end of my street, in which there is a run-down abandoned building there for many years.

 

It is a good thing that Geocaching is at a minimum in the City of Detroit, but I do avoid any caches within Detroit.

 

dumbest most paranoid thread ever

[+scottandginny]

 

dumbest most paranoid thread ever

 

Lately, if I need a laugh I come here and read this thread.

 

Then, I laugh at MYSELF, because I am a sheltered suburbanite, who would NOT like to be routed through the slums, and I realize how silly that sounds ;-)

Edited April 13, 2006 by scottandginny

[+Woodbutcher68]

dumbest most paranoid thread ever

 

Call it what you want, but the sad truth is there are areas in the big cities where an out of state plate and a confused look on your face will bring you trouble.

I live between Chicago and Gary, IN. , and have worked in some of the worst areas of both of them.

Gary has regained the crown of "Murder Capital of America". I know what areas to stay out of and what areas to be careful in in both cities.

There is a difference between paranoia and caution.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Woodbutcher68

[CenTexDodger]

dumbest most paranoid thread ever

 

Call it what you want, but the sad truth is there are areas in the big cities where an out of state plate and a confused look on your face will bring you trouble.

I live between Chicago and Gary, IN. , and have worked in some of the worst areas of both of them.

Gary has regained the crown of "Murder Capital of America". I know what areas to stay out of and what areas to be careful in in both cities.

There is a difference between paranoia and caution.

 

Thank you. You mean you are not a rich snob that does not want to get his shoes dirty?

[Suscrofa]

Funny thread and indeed quite valid. I remember years back getting lost on my way from NJ to JFK. Took the wrong exit, brrrr.

 

Note the same problem is happening here in France. Lots of areas you want to avoid now.

Situation has worsened since the eighties, lot of slums the police doesn't even dare to go in.

 

Asian tourists are the prime victim of thugs.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Suscrofa

[+rdb3141]

I understand the nervousness, but two things struck me. First, the image of an overfed suburbanite clutching the wheel of his Lexus if he happens to get directed by a check-cashing business or anything remotely 'urban'. Second was the people who actually thought this could be a feature! Set the routing preference to "Whitey"!

 

As a confession, I got lost in Southeast DC, and was torn between stopping and looking at a map or just driving until I found a clear way out. I chose the latter, as I felt very conspicuous.

[+aka Monkey]

I got lost one time in East St. Louis. At one point I was driving down a street and there was a throng of maybe 50 people hanging out in the street. They all stopped what they were doing, parted like the red sea, and watched as I very slowly and nervously drove by. I felt like an antelope being watched by a pride of lions. On that same trip I ended up having to drive on a sidewalk when the guy behind me threatened me because I stopped for two other cars in the road that were engaged in what appeared to be a drug deal.

 

I don't care what color your skin is—being in a tense situation where you're the odd man out is no fun.

[+Team Cotati]

When all else fails, try common sense.

[patester24]

Does the Megellan software have road or area avoidance in your routing preferences like Garmin's? On my Mapsource software for my Garmin Etrex Legend C and most others, you click on Edit > Preferences. Then on the Preferences window, click on 'Routing' tab. Then click on 'use auto-routing' button and click on 'advanced' button on the route avoidances side. Then you can choose roads and/or areas to avoid and it should avoid those areas marked.

Edited April 14, 2006 by patester24

[jamieb520]

if you have to go through a town to get where you want to go, I would think that the fastest way to go would be thought a bad part of town, or Slum, cause ur going to go fast, without stopping.

[+budd-rdc]

Off Topic:

 

I found a cache in San Francisco's Tenderloin, and drove around West Oakland to look for an approach to a puzzle cache. People who know of those areas will know what I mean. They can be intimidating areas to visit, but the least you can do is camouflage yourself and dress accordingly (simple, no bright colors, and cheap shoes). Also, avoid unnecessary eye contacts and group of loiters (drug deal). Use your stealth...

 

As for "Asian tourists who get targeted," they forget that tough neighborhoods are NOT places for social occasions.

Edited April 21, 2006 by budd-rdc

[+Vanillahip]

When I leave my gated community to interact with the people in the slums, I always wear pre-dirtied shoes and borrow my brothers crappy car. Then I can walk up to anyone with my $400 Garmin and ask them if they have found the elusive Crackhouse-Micro everyone has been talking about and I fit right in!

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

Actually, I don't think it would be too difficult to implement anti-slumrouting. All that would need to be done is add an attribute to the road segment identifying it as passing through a high-crime area. Of course, Thales's data provider would have to find out where "high-crime" areas are so they can tag the road. Then the GPSr could be set to ignore roads that are tagged with the high-crime attribute when calculating a route. Just like in Geoff's fake screenshot. This would never fly since it could be perceived as non-PC or racist.

 

Also, in recent years it could be inaccurate or become so quickly in this nutty real estate market! I know just here in the NY City area lots of places that would once be "high crime and low income" have "gentrified" and crime rates in general have gone down across the board so neighborhoods one would avoid as recently as 1990 now (in this case sadly) are so different that many of the people who could barely afford to live there then can't now.

Edited April 21, 2006 by hairymon