# Pennsylvania man takes a wrong turn driving to Walmart. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479 "2016-12-23T21:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/1 "2016-12-23T21:17:38Z")
One wrong turn and he ends up 900 miles away in Alabama. šŸ˜ƒ It was and elderly man that got disoriented. Thankfully heā€™s OK. His daughters flew down to get him. Iā€™m puzzled why a family member didnā€™t drive the truck back to Pennsylvania. Itā€™s going to cost a small fortune shipping it. This hits close to home for me. My dad was beginning to get confused. Heā€™d get in the car and have to ask my mom where they were going. Iā€™m pretty sure he got lost (running errands) and never said anything. He died before it progressed to dementia. [https://www.google.com/amp/s/wvtm.relaymedia.com/amp/article/wrong-turn-in-bad-weather-lands-pennsylvania-man-a-long-way-from-home/8521942?client=ms-android-motorola](https://www.google.com/amp/s/wvtm.relaymedia.com/amp/article/wrong-turn-in-bad-weather-lands-pennsylvania-man-a-long-way-from-home/8521942?client=ms-android-motorola) > [@](#): > > Jody Tarbutton was driving his truck to Walmart to pick up electrical supplies Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania. The weather was bad and he got lost ā€“ really lost. > > "Man said I drove 900 miles and I donā€™t remember,ā€ Tarbutton said. > > He kept driving, hoping to find the right turnoff. His daughter eventually checked in on him. > [@](#): > > Tarbutton said when he returns to Boothwyn, Pennsylvania he promises heā€™ll stay close to home. His truck will be towed back with the help of Alabamians. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/2 "2016-12-23T21:33:51Z")
Maybe the daughters donā€™t drive themselves, or didnā€™t know how to drive the truck (stick shift, that kind of thing)? Several times a year in my area (and probably in the areas of everyone whoā€™s reading this), an elderly person will get lost while doing some routine thing, and be found dead some time later. ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/3 "2016-12-23T21:59:05Z")
The distance he drove suggests that he likely must have stopped for gas at least once, apparently without asking questions. Time to take the keys away, Iā€™m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/4 "2016-12-24T00:10:12Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Maybe the daughters donā€™t drive themselves, or didnā€™t know how to drive the truck (stick shift, that kind of thing)? Or, if the weather is bad, they probably donā€™t want to take a chance of driving into a snowstorm, especially with all the holiday traffic. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/5 "2016-12-24T00:13:35Z")
They issue silver alerts here pretty often. I know my dad was perfectly fine 90% of the time. Once in awhile heā€™d get a bit confused. Most people have to eventually give up driving if they live long enough. Making that decision isnā€™t easy. Driving represents independence. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/6 "2016-12-24T13:48:00Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The distance he drove suggests that he likely must have stopped for gas at least once, apparently without asking questions. > > Time to take the keys away, Iā€™m afraid. If I was family, Iā€™d agree.ā˜¹ My mother, at nearly 85, still drives, but Iā€™m thinking of broaching the subject of letting us drive her more. Her eyesight and actual driving skills are okay, but sheā€™s starting to get more worried emotionally, as in ā€œsweating the small stuffā€. At least she wonā€™t drive at night anymore. But she ā€œdoesnā€™t want to imposeā€ and would really not like feeling ā€œtrappedā€ in her house.ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/7 "2016-12-24T17:07:01Z")
Last summer, a friendā€™s father-in-law volunteered to pick up his grandchildren after a school event in downtown Denver. Two days later, after an extensive search, he was found in Omaha with no idea how he had gotten there or why he had gone there. Although he had experienced no previous incidents of this nature, he reluctantly surrendered his car keys. The incident had deeply shaken him. He has asked for his keys back several times since, but his family has held firm. He has had several memory lapses since then but thankfully they have been minor ones. There is every reason to believe they would have been more serious had he still been allowed to drive. It us a tough decision to take independence away from a loved one, and I am sure when my own time comes to lose my independence, I will resent it greatly, but I strongly believe it should be done for the safety of the individual involved. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/8 "2016-12-24T17:20:19Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > It us a tough decision to take independence away from a loved one, and I am sure when my own time comes to lose my independence, I will resent it greatly, but I strongly believe it should be done for the safety of the individual involved. Not to mention the safety of, oh, everyone else in their path. [Santa Monica Farmers Market crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Farmers_Market_crash) [Elderly driver crashes into crowd](http://www.kristv.com/story/33011901/elderly-driver-crashes-into-crowd) [Nine elderly people injured - two seriously - after 74-year-old Ohio woman accidentally drives into crowd at outdoor concert](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3752354/74-year-old-Parma-Heights-Ohio-woman-drives-crowd-elderly-people-open-air-concert-seriously-injuring-two-hospitalizing-six.html) [Elderly driver backs over 7, killing 3, after church in Florida](https://usnews.newsvine.com/_news/2014/02/03/22562716-elderly-driver-backs-over-7-killing-3-after-church-in-florida) [Elderly Driver Kills 23 While Parking](http://www.dochopperspeaks.com/2009/03/30/elderly-driver-kills-23-while-parking/) ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/9 "2016-12-24T17:30:00Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Elderly Driver Kills 23 While Parking](http://www.dochopperspeaks.com/2009/03/30/elderly-driver-kills-23-while-parking/) Pretty sure this particular one is fake. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/10 "2016-12-24T17:31:46Z")
You had to sneak that last one in there, eh? ETA:ninjaā€™d! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/11 "2016-12-24T18:03:52Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Pretty sure this particular one is fake. I believe so, too. > **[About Doc Hopper - DocHopperSpeaks.com](https://dochopperspeaks.com/about/)** > > Most folks who drive over my home ( I live under a bridge) Ā donā€™t even know Iā€™m there. They glanceā€¦ > [@](#): > > Most folks who drive over my home (I live under a bridge) donā€™t even know Iā€™m there. They glance out the window of their cars, see my front yard and think nothing more than, ā€œso thatā€™s where all the shopping carts end upā€! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/12 "2016-12-24T19:28:03Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Pretty sure this particular one is fake. > [@pulykamell](#): > > You had to sneak that last one in there, eh? > > ETA:ninjaā€™d! > [@cochrane](#): > > I believe so, too. > > [About Doc Hopper - DocHopperSpeaks.com](http://www.dochopperspeaks.com/about/) šŸ˜› I confess to a fondness for mirth and well-executed practical jokes. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/13 "2016-12-24T19:36:51Z")
This is why Iā€™m grateful my 95-year-old aunt decided that sheā€™d stop driving at 90, just to be safe. She still has all her wits about her, probably because she never had a husband or childrenā€¦ šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/14 "2016-12-24T23:53:45Z")
My grandpa, at 96, is still a better driver than most people (certainly better than me), and praise God still okay in the head and perfectly able to get around town for his standard errands and stuff. But even so, he doesnā€™t drive himself on long trips anymore, instead my uncle or another family member in his area will pick him up and drive him for those. Knowing your limitations is a good thing. My other grandpa, though, he kept driving way longer than he should have. A doctor finally had to tell him in no uncertain terms not to drive anymore when he was in for something else and it came out that he couldnā€™t even feel much if anything in his legs anymore. Fortunately, when he agreed he really agreed and it wasnā€™t very long after when he had my dad sell his car for him. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/15 "2016-12-25T00:33:21Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Pretty sure this particular one is fake. Well the sign did say, ā€œDrive through bank.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/16 "2016-12-25T14:25:54Z")
Iā€™m enjoying the thought of a Pennsylvania man getting lost all the way to Alabama, _just about ready_ to pull over to ask for directions, then seeing signs for [Philadelphia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia,_Mississippi) and thinking, ā€œFinally! Iā€™m heading the right direction!ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/17 "2016-12-25T20:58:38Z")
How could he not have noticed that the distance that heā€™d driven had far exceeded the expected distance to the desired Walmart? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/18 "2016-12-25T21:11:39Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > How could he not have noticed that the distance that heā€™d driven had far exceeded the expected distance to the desired Walmart? How could he have driven all the way to Alabama and not passed a Walmart? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/19 "2016-12-25T23:00:07Z")
Shouldā€™ve taken a left turn at Albuquerque. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479/20 "2016-12-25T23:09:07Z")
This article smells like a fake to me. Really, he drove 900 miles without realizing it? Without passing a Walmart, without thinking itā€™s odd that he had to fill up on gas several times? At the very least, youā€™d think heā€™d go to a restaurant once or twice, or use the restroom, or _go to sleep._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pennsylvania-man-takes-a-wrong-turn-driving-to-walmart/775479.md?page=2)