3LW - problems?

[Bearbonesnorm]

On a slightly related note ... I wonder how much our 'belief' in technology plays a part? With the growing use of satnav in cars, we get an increasing number of people turn up at the Towers believing that the track (at this time of year it's merely a path) into the forest is actually a road. They believe this because their satnav has told them it's a road. Most simply accept that it's (quite obviously) not a road and take up my offer of directions. However, a few remain absolutely adamant that it must be a road because the satnav says it is. Some will even attempt to drive up it even after I've walked them to the gate so they can see for themselves. I'm sure most of us would be able to gauge that a 6' wide car won't fit down a 3' wide track but their belief in technology is such that they can no longer make that call for themselves and have become so reliant as to be helpless.

[whitestone]

Stu, we had that problem with our Lane - the tarmac stops by our house then continues as a green lane, usually it’s mud at a gradient of 20%. We’d get people trying to use it to get to the next village. Even an official council No Through Road sign didn’t deter them

Eventually I went onto Google maps and OSM and changed the access permissions and the surface type. Since the changes propagated through the system and the updates got out to people’s satnavs we’ve had hardly anyone wondering where the road goes.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'll give that a go Bob. As you say signs are little use - they have to go past two dead-end signs and a no through road sign before they reach us

[thenorthwind]

Absolutely. Not limited to those with four wheels though. "But my Garmin says..." are the words I fear most when out riding with other people (who shall not be named ). Never mind that my OS map (on my phone, I'm no technophobe) has the location of the paths, fence or wall lines, trees, streams, the shape of the land... The worst thing is when the Garmin's right because I've misread the map, or more usually, the RoW and path on the ground don't match Just reinforces their belief in its infallibility.

[Bearbonesnorm]

... and as if by magic, I've just found an abandoned / stuck Golf GTI in the forest. Low profile tyres, wide rims and black windows. Weirdly to reach this point they've had to leave tarmac and drive onto a stone road, open 2 gates, drive 2 miles on a worsening stone road before eventually turning onto a heavily eroded and overgrown track for 200 yards before abandoning ship Mind genuinely boggled.

[fatbikephil]

Rescue it and flog the bits on ebay?!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Don't worry Phil. I will be firing up the finders keepers rule if it's still there tomorrow

[RIP]

Utterly bizarre! Still got the plates on?

Black windows. Maybe somebody's actually living in it? Like van life only, er, Golf life.

And "Golf GTi" - yer actual 1980's yuppie classic motor. Have you got any actual 1980's yuppies round there? Would stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the alternative folks surely?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Utterly bizarre! Still got the plates on?

Yes Reg. It's quite new and very tidy.

Utterly bizarre!

You'd think so but for someone with absolute faith in their technology, perhaps less so. However, I do wonder (actually despair) as to why their own judgement didn't kick in a little sooner.

[Dave Barter]

Probably nicked

[Bearbonesnorm]

Probably nicked

That'd be almost almost unheard of here Dave ... but lost

[sean_iow]

Don't worry Phil. I will be firing up the finders keepers rule if it's still there tomorrow

What year is it? I'm after some front caliper mounting brackets to fit bigger discs to my VW Caddy

Back to W3W, the biggest issue is that it's only free AT THE MOMENT. They are a business not a charity. Once everyone has signed up and it's the only resource that the emergency services, couriers etc. use (their long term plan) then suddenly they'll be a subscription to pay

Google maps used to be free for commercial use, our local council website adopted this for all the mapping on their site as it saved having to have a license from the Ordnance Survey. Now Google charge they can't afford it so the maps on the website no longer work

[Dave Barter]

Don't worry Phil. I will be firing up the finders keepers rule if it's still there tomorrow

What year is it? I'm after some front caliper mounting brackets to fit bigger discs to my VW Caddy

Back to W3W, the biggest issue is that it's only free AT THE MOMENT. They are a business not a charity. Once everyone has signed up and it's the only resource that the emergency services, couriers etc. use (their long term plan) then suddenly they'll be a subscription to pay

Google maps used to be free for commercial use, our local council website adopted this for all the mapping on their site as it saved having to have a license from the Ordnance Survey. Now Google charge they can't afford it so the maps on the website no longer work

Not sure why your LA did that as under the PSMA and now the PSGA they have always had OS map data for free.

[sean_iow]

Not sure why your LA did that as under the PSMA and now the PSGA they have always had OS map data for free.

This is the Isle of Wight Council so who knows how they operate This is the same Authority that commissioned a new chain ferry in 2016 that's cost £7.7 million (as of 2020) and is so unreliable they've had to install permanent illuminated signs on the roads leading to it to advise if it's running or not It lost £1.1 million in 2 years of operation due to the cost of repairs and providing a launch for pedestrians to get across when it's out of service.

[Bearlegged]

On the upside, they also carry bikes on the ferry replacement launches.

[Owen]

Not sure why your LA did that as under the PSMA and now the PSGA they have always had OS map data for free.

This is the Isle of Wight Council so who knows how they operate This is the same Authority that commissioned a new chain ferry in 2016 that's cost £7.7 million (as of 2020) and is so unreliable they've had to install permanent illuminated signs on the roads leading to it to advise if it's running or not It lost £1.1 million in 2 years of operation due to the cost of repairs and providing a launch for pedestrians to get across when it's out of service.

I was on it last week, I'm quite impressed by the number of cars scraping bodywork as they drive off it onto the ramp, surely they would've checked the angle?

[sean_iow]

The problem with the ramps is if the slipway is shallow enough a slope to accommodate low(ish) cars then the slipways would end up too far out to accommodate the tidal range and the channel in the centre would be too shallow at low tides for vessels to pass.

To keep it vaguely on topic, I looked up the W3W for the centre of the chain ferry* crossing, it's plunge.deflate.astounded how appropriate

* Note how I call is a chain ferry, it's got Floating Bridge 6 written on the side, I asked someone who works at the council why they think it's a floating bridge when clearly it's not, and was that the issue? The response was they commissioned a consultants report to confirm they could call it floating bridge, no doubt at vast cost

[Bearbonesnorm]

What year is it? I'm after some front caliper mounting brackets to fit bigger discs to my VW Caddy

A closer look or at least one where I payed a degree of attention, reveals that it's an 07 Golf GT.

[sean_iow]

A look on the parts diagram shows there's a good chance that's got the right parts, if it's got 312mm dia vented front discs.

But I don't think I want to be condoning the partial dismantling of an abandoned car which would also make it's recovery somewhat trickier once the front wheels are removed.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Sorry Sean, it's now impounded

As it hadn't moved a wheel, I reported it as abandoned late yesterday afternoon. In truth, I thought that'd be it and I'd hear nowt else. An hour later I got a call from the police to say they were on their way over. Turns out the car was involved in a chase on Saturday but the police driver backed off when it started to get silly ... the Golf was clocked at 120 which on the roads here is highly stupid, so I figure he needs doing for the good of everyone*

*I suppose sadly, that he just needs to say that the car was stolen and there's not much anyone can do and he'll walk away whistling.

[Teaman]

Interesting to hear of incorrect locations with this app which I think can be very useful. I haven't used it loads but was made aware of a problem only last week!

I went off for a bivvy and sent my wife a message saying i had found a very nice quiet spot to bed down for the night. Followed it up by sending her my w3w location. The next day she mentioned that she had been somewhat puzzled by my w3w location as it showed my location as being at the side of an A road! I hadn't ever thought of checking the accuracy of the w3w location but clearly something went very wrong here and when looking back, I ruled out human error.

I suppose a key learning point from this is to try and check the w3w location is actually showing you roughly where you think you are located. Could be very annoying if one of your mates set off to meet you only to end up miles away from you and potentially having wasted hours of their time

Having said all this, still live the app

[Cheeky Monkey]

I suppose a key learning point from this is to try and check the w3w location is actually showing you roughly where you think you are located

Kind of defeats the purpose though doesn't it?

I don't use it (not conscientiously, just not much need or use) and have read conflicting stories about it. As others have mentioned, the proprietary and closed-source nature of it are worries and sure as day follows night someone is going to monetise it as soon as they get a chance.