Posted on 11/25/2008 4:06:39 PM PST by DemonDeac
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Three Norwegian tourists came under fire and one was shot after the satellite navigation system in their car guided them straight into one of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous slums.
"The three men cut short their vacation in Brazil and headed home Monday after Trygve Killingtveit, 24, was shot in the shoulder by suspected drug traffickers from one of the gangs that control hundreds of shantytowns in Rio."
"They reportedly told police their Global Positioning System (GPS) system recommended they turn off a main highway as the quickest route back to the airport to drop off the rental car. But the suggested route took them deep into the Mare slum complex, where their rented car quickly came under fire."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Tom-Tom Tommygun...
Had something similar (without the gunplay) happen on the way to the Amtrak station in Sanford, Florida. Holy crack town, Batman. Never, ever choose shortest route!
It’s like trying to buy beer in Dallas.
“Hey, dude, this place looks familiar.”
“Yeah, I think I saw in on ‘Cops’. It’s where the drug addict shot at the squad cars.”
It's politically incorrect to include the traveler's race or ethnicity in selecting a "safe" route. Too bad. It really reduces the value of the systems to those who aren't savvy about entering "avoids" in the routing.
Just try to imagine the PC outcry in various countries if GPS systems were set to avoid certain neighborhoods..... that would be a new kind of “redlining” — as in “how dare you declare this wonderful neighborhood off-limits?”
It sure is politically incorrect but it’s usually a good idea to avoid King Bl. in any major US city.
If people would not travel in these God forsaken countries anymore they will be much safer traveling here in the USA.
The Favelas of Rio are bad, but so are Detroit and Camden.
Yes, get a shiny new convertible and go cruising on a Saturday night through the east side of Clevland, or the Southeast part of Atlanta, or anywhere in Dee-Troit or East St. Louis. If you live on the west coast, try Oakland or South Central in LA.
Just for fun we put in the shortest route to go from my MIL’s rural home to ours 18 miles away just to see where it would take us. It took us on dirt roads that were barely cattle tracks. If we had really needed to know the way we would have been so lost.
How true! Thought it was just me, but someone said recently “my Garmin is trying to kill me.” I’ve had it send me through some interesting neighborhoods also — MLK Blvd or otherwise!
BTW: Don't you mean cougars? Is there a difference between a cougar and a mountain lion?
We can't close our eyes to the plight of the city! Kids, you noticing all this plight?
*gunshot, followed by screaming*
Roll 'em up!
CATAMOUNT!
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