A driver on his way to New Jersey on Wednesday at about 10 a.m. turned West around 88th Street. Unfortunately for him, there is no road there, a fact that neither the GPS nor his own eyes apparently recognized.
The front-wheel drive car got stuck on the stairs, spinning its wheels as the clouds floated by and the geese above cackled heartily to themselves.
From the photo above, it appears that he opened the trunk, perhaps to remove the helicopter blades or floating hovercraft buoys. It is technically true that New Jersey sits West of Manhattan. You just need the right equipment to get there.
Ray Jacobs, who sent us the photo above, talked to the sorry soul:
“The attached photo was taken at 10:00 am on May 1st at the stairs leading down to Riverside Park just south of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 88th St. The driver explained to me that he was trying to get to a hotel in New Jersey and was just following his GPS, The car, with Rhode Island plates, could not back up because it is front wheel drive and the front wheels were in the air.”
Sometimes people ask us why we devote an entire category on West Side Rag to Absurdity. The answer from now on will be “this is why.”
If someone can think of a better headline (we agonized over this for 5 minutes), please let us know in the comments and maybe we’ll change it.
You seem surprised at the brain-fail. The driver was, after all, trying to get *to* New Jersey.
Isn’t that absurd enough in itself??
“Apparently G.P.S. stands for Go Park on Stairs.”
Better Headline: The Road Less Traveled
Which in this case makes sense due to route and destination. :0)
Clearly trying to visit the Soldiers and Sailors monument; Next stop was to be Grant’s Tomb.
Some time ago a GPS directed my daughter who was in CT to the nearest gas station. Unfortunately the Long Island Sound was in the way–but she didn’t drive into it.
Really?
How bout we just call it ‘WRONG TURN”
It’s a real-life Office episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIakZtDmMgo
Words fail me. More proof that New Jersey must give out driver licenses with cereal box tops.
And today’s Darwin Award goes to…
This is about as absurd as it gets but thankfully no one was injured! This will remind people to watch where they’re going, cause s*#t happens, which is also why its important to publish such articles! This is certainly ‘the road less traveled!’
Unfortunately most of the time, people cause accidents due to negligence. I know what your headline meant, but it came off almost too cute.
Luckily no one else was involved.
“Driver Discovers There Are Literally No Good Shortcuts to New Jersey”
At least he didn’t get stuck in traffic.