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Is Garmin racist?

JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
Garmin is about to add a feature to their GPS which allows you to bypass high crime areas.

A politician, I didn't get her name or state, said this is racist.

I wonder why she automatically assumes high crime areas are associated with any race. I think there might be a racist in the story, but it ain't necessarily Garmin.
The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.

Comments

  • Marc1301Marc1301 Member Posts: 31,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
    Garmin is about to add a feature to their GPS which allows you to bypass high crime areas.

    A politician, I didn't get her name or state, said this is racist.

    I wonder why she automatically assumes high crime areas are associated with any race. I think there might be a racist in the story, but it ain't necessarily Garmin.

    +1000[;)]
    "Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    [:D][:D][:D]
    What's next?
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    Go behind the counter of a pizza joint that delivers. Posted on the wall will be a map of the area, and part of that map will be shaded, colored in, or outlined. That is a "no delivery" area, and there is a reason for it.
  • NavybatNavybat Member Posts: 6,849 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A true politician, creating an issue when none exists.

    Bad areas are bad areas. Different races can be the cause...or it could be economically based, which is not necessarily race based.
  • savage170savage170 Member Posts: 37,569 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wonder if it will re calculate if you tell it your armed
  • redneckandyredneckandy Member Posts: 9,716 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
    Garmin is about to add a feature to their GPS which allows you to bypass high crime areas.

    A politician, I didn't get her name or state, said this is racist.

    I wonder why she automatically assumes high crime areas are associated with any race. I think there might be a racist in the story, but it ain't necessarily Garmin.


    Was the politician black? The ad says nothing about race, just crime.
  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member Posts: 29,704 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds like something Debbie Wasserman Putz would say.
  • bartman45bartman45 Member Posts: 3,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    "RECALCULATING........CHAMBER ROUND NOW"
  • CSI21CSI21 Member Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Garmin is just smart and looking out for thier customers, stupid politicians are always going to be stupid.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,697 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm still waiting for the Ebonics update for voices; Raheem and Shaqueal!

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • timinpatiminpa Member Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    sounds like job security for the politician, someone is gonna get some extra votes now.
  • jev1969jev1969 Member Posts: 2,691
    edited November -1
    So in this politicians mind ,in the name of political correctness, it is better to have people wander into high crime areas and get killed then to have them avoid the area all together? [xx(]
  • bhale187bhale187 Member Posts: 7,798
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by CSI21
    Garmin is just smart and looking out for thier customers, stupid politicians are always going to be stupid.

    and looking out for themselves along the way, if it has ot already happened surely it will.....'Garmin told me to drive through that area of Detroit where I was raped, robed, and carjacked, I'm suing Garmin'
  • shilowarshilowar Member Posts: 38,811 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Garmin is responsible
  • 9 on the floor9 on the floor Member Posts: 1,606 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shilowar
    Garmin is responsible


    That's right! Garmin and George Bush!
    And probably Haliburton.
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Are you sure it was garmin? It looks like Microsoft just patented that feature......which is already being called the "avoid ghetto app"

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088667/Critics-say-Microsoft-Avoid-Ghetto-app-damage-economies-poor-communities.html
  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,343 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Redlining, it cost the banking business billions once it was proved they excluded areas like this.
  • buckstarbuckstar Member Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I love how in the article, the reasons against the app are based around there being 'other things you can do there'... besides getting mugged.

    If I normally would avoid an area because I thought it was high crime then this app would keep me from being guided through that area against my wishes or forcing me to place manual waypoints around it.

    Since this is supposedly based on 'real' statistics instead of drivers' opinions it would probably not guide people away from low crime slums that were being manually avoided and thus magically improve their economies the same way that it would magically degrade the economies of high crime areas.

    Of course once you start imposing more rules on the device beyond "fastest, shortest, least turns" you open the door for it to be silently manipulated for the gain of people who have a vested interest in changing the routes of potential customers.

    For me though, I'm unaware of any scary places on routes I travel but I go wherever my GPS tells me to go. Once I told it to lead me to the pet store and when it said I was there I found myself at the loading docks behind some other store... I'd like to see errors like that fixed with the same amount of effort as scampering for the next payed upgrade.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,697 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Garmin already offers several Navigation Setting Preferences; Faster Time, Shorter Distance, Off Road, and Less Fuel. Also, they have an Avoidance Setting for Road Types. I don't see any controversy in adding the Navigation Option of "Travel Safely and Arrive Alive" or an Avoidance Option of "Injury, Theft, or Death"; seems reasonable to me!

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member Posts: 29,704 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wish they had a feature that took you past all gun shops! [:D]
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
    Garmin is about to add a feature to their GPS which allows you to bypass high crime areas.

    A politician, I didn't get her name or state, said this is racist.

    I wonder why she automatically assumes high crime areas are associated with any race. I think there might be a racist in the story, but it ain't necessarily Garmin.




    you have a unique way with words, very astute and to the point
  • SturmgewehrSturmgewehr Member Posts: 4,420
    edited November -1
    quote: politician, I didn't get her name or state, said this is racist.
    She's afraid it would hurt business [;)]
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,051 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I can imagine the thing stating "coming to a stop, don't stop, floor it you dumb mother f****er, what you got a death wish?".

    Actually I think it'll be funny how much of cities like NOLA is blacked out or Los Angeles browned out [:D]. Say if you're looking for places to eat does it have icons of tacos or watermelon as markers?

    Hell before GPS most folks knew bad areas by the liquor store window ads of malt liquor brands. If you saw smiling Billy Dee you in the wrong neighborhood, whities [:D]. Ah the '80's and crack.
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