Tracking Devices Are Wonderful!
Hi,
It was strange coincidence that these GPS tracking devices were in the news today ..... and that the one I bought for my Dad was able to prove its worth for the first time today as well.
I posted a request some time ago about other people's experiences with these and someone (name escapes me) posted a useful link about a TR101 device. This was the cheapest option I could find for a GPS device (and also the manufacturer's website gave access to documents explaining exactly how it would work and what was required which I liked), although it does require you to have a person at home base to take the latitude and longtitude values that the device sends to you in a text message and input them into Google maps in order to be able to work out where the position of the device actually is.
However ...... back history first! I wasn't sure initially how Dad would take to having this thing on him...... it's not as small as I would have liked..... just slightly bigger than a mobile phone. However, I put it in a little snap-top plastic bag with a message from me to say that Dad was to keep it in his pocket so that I wouldn't worry about him ...... you see, initially he was very indignant about it ..... 'I don't get lost!'
So .... this evening..... Mum phones because Dad has been out a lot longer than she was expecting. They live in Enfield, but from 2 messages we sent to it, we could see that he was in Edmonton and going south...... the opposite direction. So.... left husband at home to do the tracking and I and my son went out in the car. Husband sent some more messages as we got closer to Edmonton...... he seemed to be travelling rather fast..... must be on a bus! Oh Dear..... this could be tricky. I had visions of stalking a bus and hijacking it to find my Dad (I can see the headlines now!). However, as we then got closer, he was moving slower so we guessed he had got off the bus. However, trying to drive slowly and look for someone is not easy, so we parked and walked along based on what my husband was telling me over my son's phone. And..... it worked a treat, found him within about 5 minutes. He was glad to see us; he does realise he's not sure where he is. However, he does like to go out for long walks and, to be honest, my Mum can't keep up with him. Infact ...... I'm not sure I could either! Just before Christmas, we took him over Bluewater and spend all day walking round. The next day, my legs ached terribly ...... but my 76 year old Dad was perfectly fine!
So, is carrying this device an infringement of his liberties? I don't think so. What else would we do? Drug him to stop him going out in the first place? That would be a more worse infringement surely?
Anyhow...... from initial phone call to us in Cheshunt at 6.10pm to finding him, taking him home and coming home ourselves at about 7pm or thereabouts, I think the device is brilliant! Mum doesn't have to worry too much and we can find him easily.
Believe me, the last time Mum thought he was out longer than expected, I started to go out in the car with the intention of looking round the streets closer to his home...... but realistically where would you start? And if he was where he was today, I would never have found him!
So..... the articles in the paper today were trying slightly to be alarmist ..... but I think these devices are great!
Elaine