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!!!!

Nearly everyone does this

Not all cars these days have the lighter charger points, but a lot have a charging point instead I thought?

I'd also carry a back up power usb charger unit on a long journey, just in case.

Before my battery died I would have pulled over, written down the roads, junction numbers and got the eldest child to read it out as went along and I would have stopped at major garage Or services looking for a car phone charger.

Have you booked your car in to have the satnav looked at? It might be a simple fix.

What would I have done?

Bought a charger from a shop and charged it in the van.

in car charger for phone as well as a power bank just in case for me

You feel as if you let the kids down?

You all got home safely, no actual mishaps, just a couple of hours late.

What a drama over nothing.

It would be an adventure in our family!

Like the time we had a blow out about 20kms from home.

Had to wait for police to check motorway to see what had caused it.

Spare wheel was a space saver so all in all a 20min journey took about 2hrs!

I think o would have just found some accommodation and waited it out til daylight.

You had a shit day! It happens. I’m a bit at you allowing your children to guilt trip you like this. So they had to spend a few hours in the car it hardly killed them did it? You and your kids need to get some perspective, they also need to get some respect.

I agree. Unfortunately I think all these electronic "crutches" are making us lazy and stupid. We're becoming far too reliant on them.

I am afraid I don't agree at all. I have been driving for almost 40 years so well remember using maps. My sense of direction has always been absolutely apalling and really really struggle to work out what is in which direction even when I have done a journey many many times before. Using maps and paper over a period of 20years (aged 15-35) until sat navs became available did not improve my skills to any usable level

Before sat navs and Google maps, the op's story is one I repeated quite often. I regularly got lost, despite having a map and always planning the route and writing out the directions in a very simple bullet format for myself (Eg 1) head north on A5, 2) take exit 5 to A& on xx roundabout) so that I could imprint them in my mempory . Also I could glance at them on the passenger seat while driving (and yes I did end up doing that sometimes). I also regularly had to stop to check the way and turn around. My ex husband found my lack of direction and ability to get lost when on my own endlessly amusing

Sat navs and Google maps have been a wonderful invention for me and have improved my life immeasurably. I still get lost occasionally but much much less often. I also don't have to spend an hour working out a route and writing down detailed instructions before practically any non-local journey, which I always had to do before.

I never went anywhere without my London A to Z in my pocket/handbag and had to use it regularly. Despite living in my local area all my life until 35 could not direct peoiple to any road more than 1-2 streets away without a map .

So for me sat navs and Google maps are a bit like my glasses, they help me to get to where a lot of other people are normally.

Lots of garages sell phone chargers that plug into the cigarette lighter. I’d have bought one.

Buy one now so if you’re in the car, you can get power.

Also buy a map and leave it in the car.

Get a map, and teach your kids to follow it - spot and count junctions on the motorway , where other roads cross your rout, where to turn left or right, and to count motorways etc. as well as know which is right and left, it'll help.
If you always make a quick note on paper of the route and the main junctions, which way to turn etc you'll always have something to refer to . And when you join the motorway, if you know the junction number and which town to get off, tell your kids so they can help spot it

Why didn't you just buy a phone charge connector from the garage to charge your phone?

I also find it really odd you can't find your way home from the last motorway junction?

Having learned to drive decades before mobiles or satnavs existed, I still drive by maps and road signs. rarely use a sat nav but have it on in case of diversions.

I always write out a route in long hand on paper and leave it on the passenger seat: junctions off the motorway, main A roads, B roads, distances.

I can't understand people who rely solely on technology- you need to keep a sense of location and learn to read maps, signposts and road numbers.

I don't drive anywhere without a cable so I can charge my phone.

Especially as the lone adult in charge of DC and DDog.

I don't have a road atlas in my boot anylonger- I did until about two years ago - just in case. Maybe you should purchase one for future trips - it could be worth it.

@bumblingbovine49 I've been driving for almost 50 years and find using maps and road names is by far the best,

You can also download areas on Google maps so you can use it offline.

We do this when we go on holiday abroad and don't know what internet access will be like.

I’m sorry you had a shit day. We all have them. Don’t let it eat at you.

You need better coping strategies. I have a shit sense of direction so I’ve learnt to accommodate it. You know your sense of direction isn’t good. You will get lost sometimes. Accept it. Instead of beating yourself up, buy a battery pack and a phone charger for your car. Print out the directions you need for the last bit getting home and keep them in your car. Buy a big, cheap road map. Above all, remind yourself to take a deep breath, pull over safely and have a think about the best plan of action when you’re next lost. If you keep driving you’ll get more stressed and likely end up more out of your way.

I have zero visual memory so learn the road names I have to take and the town related to that turn off or junction.

Yes to car charger.

Tell your kids to get a grip - they got a holiday.

I remember the year we were driving through France when my birthed announced he could see the Eiffel Tower.
My dad told him not to be stupid we were nowhere near Paris.

It was the Eiffel Tower and dad had no idea we were in fact lost

OP in the kindest possible way, your post does sound very dramatic for what actually happened.

You got lost driving home....so what? Shit happens and the fact that you are saying you let people down and can't believe you put them at risk is all a bit much really.

I'm not trying to be harsh here I'm really not it's just if you catastrophise about these things what do you do when something actually bad happens?

Remember when AA route finder was a new thing and it made long/new journeys so much better??

Take it as a good prompt to do a check on what emergency and backup things you have in your car.

I have;

UK road map, updated every few years.
Phone charger and cable.
Warning triangle, fire extinguisher, high viz, breakdown policy number and telephone number
Emergency hammers in the pocket by each door (I should secure them, this reminds me!)
Blanket, towels, spare coat and usually a basic change of clothes and footwear
Bottle of drinking water and snacks
First aid kit
Loo roll (you may laugh but the number of times this has been a life saver!)
Pencil or pen (but they tend to die when left in hot glove boxes for years) and paper
Insurance details

I also have;
Plastic reusable cutlery
Wet wipes
An empty tupperware
Travel mug
A few plastic bags
A photocopy of medications that my elderly parents are on (in case we have an accident with them or have to rush to hospital. The amount of times they've asked and I wouldn't have had a clue!)
A sewing kit
And of course hand gel and soapy water and a spare mask now.

It sounds like overkill but when diarrhoea strikes on a busy road with no services anywhere near only a very exposed layby you'll thank me profusely. Ask me how I know

I’d say a UK road map in the car is a must have.

I really sympathise OP.

A few years back I met my friend and her DC at a farm park place that I'd never visited before, so I was reliant on my phone's sat nav (I listen to the directions, so I'm not reading it whilst driving). Got there fine, but as I was leaving the place the phone couldn't pick up the GPS...

I'm notoriously crap at navigating, and took wrong turning after wrong turning. GPS eventually came back, but was miles behind where I actually was at that point, so was no help, and I was completely lost and panicking, on small country roads. Eventually I saw directions I recognised and got myself and DD home 😂

Wow surely this thread must go down as the new "Cancel the cheque" how many more are going to suggest USB charger to OP?

It happens, first time when we drove to France/Spain, we forgot the map and solely relied on the SatNav and came upon lots of road closures, total nightmare and we drove around for hours and hours and didn't have a clue where we were going

I think it’s a bit odd to not
Be able to find your way home to be honest.

YABU to rely on phone or sat nav. We may well have neither after Brexit.