Bus driver chooses GPS over gigantic warning sign, plows into overpass

Okay Britons, here's your shot at ripping us Americans who've had quite a few laughs at the expense of your GPS-loving neighbors. Reportedly, the driver of a charter bus carrying a high school girls' softball team decided to casually follow the soothing turn-by-turn directions that were being emitted from the nearby GPS unit rather than actually noticing the enormous clearance sign on the overpass ahead. As you can likely guess, the 11-foot, 8-inch-high vehicle plowed right into the 9-foot bridge -- which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 -- though somehow everyone on board escaped without any major injuries. Oddly enough, the driver apparently isn't alone in chipping away at the landmark, as a local even mentioned that "large trucks hit the bridge every two weeks or so," but couldn't resist noting that "this [instance was] by far the worst."

[Thanks, Raleigh]

[payne @ Apr 17th 2008 11:00PM]

[insert boom headshot comment here]

[Michael LaFramboise @ Apr 17th 2008 11:28PM]

BOOM! HEADSHOT!

[ByronGman @ Apr 18th 2008 12:05AM]

Do you see how you screwed up there Payne?

[Reader @ Apr 18th 2008 2:49AM]

Well now no one can post a boom headshot comment 'their' since you fricking took the spot... Jerk.

[Raheem @ Apr 17th 2008 11:00PM]

I hope he got a ticket for being parked there too long.

[waiownsyou @ Apr 17th 2008 11:02PM]

You seriously need to get Rick Roll'd.

[Seth @ Apr 17th 2008 11:13PM]

"Soothing turn-by-turn directions?" Are you kidding me? Whenever I have my GPS unit out, I eventually throw it in the back seat because I took a shortcut and it flips out telling me that if I don't get back on her route, she'll take a shotgun and shoot me.

It's a tough life, being a GPS person.

[phanbouy @ Apr 17th 2008 11:25PM]

this whole top-posting by replying to the first post thing really should be curtailed, Seth

[ethana2 @ Apr 17th 2008 11:47PM]

Highest ranked comments to the top, perhaps? ..or would that just cause temporal chaos?

[chay @ Apr 18th 2008 7:51AM]

Probably not a good idea "ethana2", I'd just get vertigo from being so high up the page all the time. ;)

[Dr. Evil @ Apr 18th 2008 2:03PM]

... why don't we just smash into that bridge when we come to it.

[Joel @ Apr 19th 2008 3:24PM]

@seth: I use the female British voice because it is much easier to listen to. That and it makes me feel like James Bond when I'm driving.

[Seth @ Apr 21st 2008 9:50PM]

Ha, that just brightened up my day.

[Zach @ Apr 17th 2008 11:02PM]

If he spent that much time glancing at the GPS for directions I'm surprised he made it anywhere at all... Still doesn't beat driving into a river though.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/27/faith-in-gps-sends-mercedes-downstream/

Do they need to outlaw GPS' in vehicles too?

[Michael @ Apr 18th 2008 11:49AM]

How is this any worse or better than driving into a river? I'd say both incidents are equally stupid.

Either way, stupid behavior can't be excused.

Driving is NOT a mindless task; it takes active attention by the driver in order to be done safely, especially with a large vehicle such as a motorcoach.

Just goes to show that some people are brainless: there's scores of people out there that drive while talking on the phone, or doing other things they shouldn't.

[Han @ Apr 18th 2008 4:57PM]

Actually I think this is more stupid than the river. You can see the darn bridge looming ahead, whereas under certain circumstances you might not notice the river until it's too late.

'course, that's what the signs are for.

[alex @ Apr 17th 2008 11:05PM]

Not only did he not notice the signs ( there are several ) but also missed an audible alarm system to warn drivers of larger vehicles. This bridge is quite low and has been hit quite a few times before ....

[Jenny @ Apr 18th 2008 2:44AM]

I know it's a historic bridge, and they can't make it any taller.. but couldn't they dig to sink the road into the ground?

[fraz @ Apr 18th 2008 4:36AM]

it's historic, you can't dig into the ground in case you disrupt it, and there's no reason to do extra work to deal with stupid muppets who can't follow their basic highway code, or indeed those who can't read.

What you need are auto-sensing guns that shoot out the tyres of approaching vehicles that fail to stop, the driver would bloody take notice then. ( I know it's not likely but you know it'd be cool)

[CaptCaveman @ Apr 18th 2008 2:16PM]

Yeah, but this seems to happen on a regular basis. At 2 trucks a week hitting the bridge, there soon won't be much of a bridge left for historic purposes.

Lower the road, or move the road, or put up a stop sign and another next to it saying "you can't be more then this tall to ride under this bridge...

[conor @ Apr 18th 2008 8:41PM]

run flat tires?

[Imgnryflagdotcom @ Apr 17th 2008 11:10PM]

Hehe... I saw this on the local news. Apparently, this softball team was on their way home from being beaten up 10 - 0 by some of my friends' school.

[rutsy5 @ Apr 17th 2008 11:10PM]

*GPS loving neighbours ?

[Laura @ Apr 18th 2008 7:37AM]

that's exactly what i thought when i read that too lol.

[anonymous @ Apr 17th 2008 11:12PM]

Anyone happen to notice the bus company name? www.journeylinesinc.com -- Me thinks business is suddenly not going to do so well...and I hope I'm partially responsible. *evil grin*

[The Angry Intern @ Apr 18th 2008 11:04AM]

from their website:

"Our drivers can safely wisk you away from the Seattle International Airport and take you to one of the local Seattle area restaurants or hotels"

hehe

[Jimmy @ Apr 17th 2008 11:11PM]

that'll buff right out..


seriously though, how the hell did he get that much of the bus through before deciding to hit the brakes..

[Brent @ Apr 17th 2008 11:14PM]

Once you're in a little ways I think the best you can hope for is to come out on the other side....

[bob @ Apr 17th 2008 11:26PM]

thats what she said!

[Kurian @ Apr 18th 2008 3:55AM]

I was wondering if people were decapitated until the article said that everyone escaped.

[Brent @ Apr 17th 2008 11:13PM]

You can't put an 11'8" square [bus] into a 9' round hole.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 17th 2008 11:22PM]

That's what she told me, too. But I actually did manage it with a running start and pure brute force. Felt pretty good, if you ask me.

[phanbouy @ Apr 17th 2008 11:24PM]

a five ounce bird cannot carry a one pound coconut!

[CraigJ @ Apr 18th 2008 12:52AM]

It could be carried by an African swallow!

[UKNigel @ Apr 18th 2008 1:02AM]

Fail, CraigJ. Fail. The correct reply was "He could grip it by the husk!"

[Freerefill @ Apr 18th 2008 7:40AM]

Fail UKNigel. Fail. The correct reply was: Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here.

[Wayne @ Apr 18th 2008 12:38AM]

gg

[phanbouy @ Apr 17th 2008 11:14PM]

GPS: upping the number of Darwin Awards since...

[Brent @ Apr 17th 2008 11:14PM]

Speed 3: Going Nowhere

[Heineken77 @ Apr 23rd 2008 3:22PM]

lol

[webon @ Apr 17th 2008 11:16PM]

Good God, notice how low that thing hit, I'm glad the girls are Ok,
what if we start doing IQ tests before letting people use GPS..er 's?

[Michael LaFramboise @ Apr 17th 2008 11:32PM]

Oh man, we need tests for alot more then just GPS usage... Just a few examples...

MORE STRICT DRIVING TESTS (srsly, nuf w/ the "you pass if you get 25 outta 50 things right" crap)

IQ tests before letting people on the internets

IQ tests before letting people out in to the world

etcetera...

[uclatommy @ Apr 17th 2008 11:47PM]

IQ test before you are allowed to have kids.

[Ben Grimsbo @ Apr 18th 2008 11:19AM]

You should need some sort of license to be allowed to have kids, which you get after a long string of tests involving aptitude regarding observation and child-rearing.

[nobodyslisteningtous @ Apr 17th 2008 11:18PM]

This happens all the time at a couple of railroad overpasses near my job: http://flickr.com/photos/ourjenna/541910326/

[gabe @ Apr 17th 2008 11:19PM]

The driver apparently was a fan of Convertibles.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 17th 2008 11:20PM]

Typical. Many of you are going to become so addicted to GPS that you won't be paying attention to obvious road hazards.

Like when I check my computer for the weather, when I could just as easily step outside and see for myself.

[phanbouy @ Apr 17th 2008 11:38PM]

damn weather widgets!

[ethana2 @ Apr 17th 2008 11:49PM]

But it's right in the clock applet! A quick glance is a ton quicker than getting up, walking to the door, opening it...

Wait, what OS do you use? Windows is worthless, hey mac guys? Does OSX display the local weather by default in the top toolbar?

[ethana2 @ Apr 17th 2008 11:57PM]

Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think any stable OS does that....

Well, this goes stable in a week, so whatever. Very convenient.