by After TomTom reported a ‘leap year’ bug was affecting some of their consumer GPS systems, users have reported a need to resort to paper-based maps to find the nearest river to drive themselves into.
The system failure has caused outrage amongst drivers who don’t like reading the massive signs they put next to and above most roads these days.
“Putting my car waist deep in a fast moving stream is something I’ve come to rely on from my GPS system, and suddenly it’s not there.” claimed one TomTom user.
“I tried the maps, but I’m not very good at that sort of thing – fortunately there was a ‘youth’ handy who was only to happy to direct me and my vehicle to the nearest lake miles away from my planned destination.”
Another customer told us, “GPS is an integral part of my journey these days – many of my anecdotes start with me driving through the middle of a farmer’s field whilst he’s tending cattle.”
“It’s difficult to do that without modern technology.”
TomTom outage
The GPS provider has moved to address concerns, insisting they are working to bring their systems back online as soon as possible.
A TomTom spokesperson told reporters, “I assure you we are working around the clock to deliver the service you require, but in the meantime please feel free to phone our support line who will be only too happy to offer you vague directions approximately five seconds after you needed them.”
“I assure all customers that they will soon have a fully functional system in which a condescending computer-generated voice tells them to repeatedly do a U turn where possible.”
