[Screaming Eagle]

The theme song from Gilligan's Island pops into mind: 'a three hour tour'

Lost man drives nine hours to get newspaper

CANBERRA (Reuters) – An elderly man who went out to fetch a morning newspaper ended up driving nearly 400 miles after getting lost and taking a wrong turn onto a major Australian highway, police said on Wednesday. The man, 81-year-old Eric Steward, eventually stopped and asked for directions after driving for nine hours, from the New South Wales country town of Yass to Geelong in the southern Victoria state.

Steward, who did not know where he was, eventually approached a policeman at a petrol station and asked for help late Wednesday.

"This little old man came up to me saying he was lost. He handed me his mobile and asked if I could speak to his wife," said Victorian Police Senior Constable Clayton Smith.

Steward, who was reunited with his family on Wednesday, said he took the wrong turn and just kept on going.

"I just went out on the road to have a drive, a nice peaceful drive," he told reporters, adding he did not need a satellite navigation device as he'd only been lost once.

(Reporting by James Grubel, editing by Miral Fahmy)

[Unswydd]

Oh Dear! Poor baby! LOL

[Baldninja]

Wow, I usually stop and ask for directions no more than 3 hours into a 20 minute trip...lol

[Celticwarrior]

THIS is why our wives and girlfriends yell at us to stop for directions! Guys like this give us ALL a bad rep.

All I gotta ask is where the hell is the news stand? I mean, he goes for a paper, and continues driving for 3 hours? Wasn't there a time when A) he passed a store where they SOLD newspapers, and B) he just thought "Hey, if I turn around and head the way I came, I'll be back home!"???

Alzheimers is a terrible waste of a good mind.

[tjwilhelm]

Sometimes older guys just get a little adventurous...they've lost all their inhibitions by the time they hit 80, I guess.

A few years ago, one of my neighbors (close to 80 years old) was driving down the highway and was suddnely passed on the left by a LEO driving very fast down the road. My neighbor (God only knows why) allowed his gas-pedal foot to be influenced by the cop speeding by.

The cruiser was going about 85 mph, so my neighbor sped up to 85 and kept right on the cop's tail. The cruiser sped up to 95, and my neighbor stayed with him. Then, they ramped up to 105 mhp! At this point, the cop -- in front -- turned on his lights and slowed way down. My neighbor, slowed down, in kind, and stayed right on the cruiser's tail. The cop pulled over, and my neighbor pulled over right behind him...making it look like HE had pulled the cop over for speeding.

The annoyed and angry LEO got out and went back to confront my neighbor..."Sir, why the hell are you drivign so fast?"

"I don't know, officer. It just seemed like the right thing to do."

True story!

[snowshoe67]

Originally Posted by Baldninja

Wow, I usually stop and ask for directions no more than 3 hours into a 20 minute trip...lol

Baldninja So right Crazy LOL

[Screaming Eagle]

Ahh, but gentlemen...life is about the journey as well as the destination. No telling what he found along the way...