disaster journey home w w u have done...

[Sarah510]

So, coming back from campsite yesterday, the battery in my phone was low-ish but I wasn't too worried as I had bought a solar charger, which worked perfectly on the drive down, and I was able to charge my phone as I was driving. 2 kids and a dog in the back (just FYI!)

Couldn't get solar charger to work :( Battery getting lower and lower. I tried to get the directions into my memory, but the last bit of the journey is all motorways and junctions, and always rely on google maps to get me home - only lived in the area a few months. Soooo, phone dies about an hour from home. Tried to find the way on the motorway but came off at wrong exit, ended up so lost, miles away from home. Thougth could I charge my phone in mcdonalds - found one, but they said it wasn't allowed (understandably). Went to a petrol station to buy a map - didn't have any. Asked lots of people, nobody knew. Finally found a sign to a town that I've visited a few times, so went there, Its about 10 miles from home. It was pitch dark by now and we'd been travelling for more than 6 hours, so very fraught in the car. I thought I recognised the 'road home', but went wrong somewhere. Finally stopped at another petrol station, no maps again, but asked the lady, and thank god she knew my town. If it wasn't for her I think I'd still be driving round. I learned my lesson anyway. Never ever go out without a map, or backup written directions. I felt so guilty for my poor kids, I feel like I let them down. (and they think that too, rightly so as it was idiotic). I do have a sat nav in the car but it just stopped working one day, for no reason, so I always just use my phone now. Anyway, I dont' think I'm even going to tell my friends/family as I'm so embarrassed at putting us all at risk like that, and putting us through it. A 3.5 hour journey took more than 7 hours :( Voting: UANBU - ok to rely on technology. UABU - always have a map in the car!!!!

Pre-written directions are of limited help if you get off the route accidentally or because of something like roadworks. You're better off with a backup (e.g. satnav plus phone) and also maps.

Full agree with that. I only do print-outs from google and notes of directions etc for the last few miles of a journey, i.e. from the nearest main town to the address itself.

With roadwork/accident diversions, queues, etc., it's very common to end up on an unexpected road or in an unexpected town and then you're stumped where to go next.

We keep a couple of road atlases in the car and do refer to them occasionally when we find ourselves in congested or slow/non moving traffic to try to find alternative routes. If, say, you come off at a motorway junction to avoid standing traffic, the sat nav will usually just direct you back onto the same motorway again which is useless, whereas with a map, you can pull in, study the map and plan a different route, maybe even re-set the satnav to a different town so that it guides you there first and then re-set it again to your proper destination once the congestion/accident is behind you.

That sounds utterly horrible, and I think you did well to just keep going and keep asking until you found the solution. Kids may well think it was a disaster but there are several lessons to learn here - and I think one day they'll understand, because they'll find themselves in their own version of a driving while lost nightmare. In future, definitely have a paper copy. I was about to fling my local a-z but I'm going to stick it in the car. See this as an opp to fix up a car box with navigational stuff, and stick a compass in there so you know which way you're facing! My pet hate is at the start of a journey when google says 'head North on blah blah' and it doesn't tell me accurately which way my car is facing. Put some other bits in there too that you may need. First aid, etc. Brain is blanking but there will be lists online. And make sure you involve kids in the discussion around learning from mistakes and get them to think about solutions too, not just roll their eyes at you sorting it solo. After the fact is still a great time to do it and teaches them how to learn from their own fuck ups. :D

So you also had a 16 with you who had no smart phone with data? That is incredibly unlucky.

I think you did well to just keep going and keep asking until you found the solution

She didn't really have much choice! The alternative would be to sit and cry and that wouldn't have got her anywhere!