The GPS Files: It’s In Your Pocket, Dummy

I would like to introduce you to my nemesis:

The Zumo screwdriver tool

You folks who also have Garmin Zumo GPS’ know exactly what this is. It’s the little screwdriver tool that you use to “unlock” the GPS from its cradle.

It is also one more facet of the GPS experience that drives me bananas. Not because it does or doesn’t do anything on its own. It’s more… because I’m a moron.

I have this annoying little habit of losing things like my glasses and my wallet. This little Zumo tool doesn’t stand a chance against the power of my distracted-ness. I misplace it routinely.

In an effort to not lose things, I often come up with “tricks” and “plans” to remember where they are.  I can probably tell you what town a Muffler Man in Illinois is in off the top of my head, but heaven help me I can’t remember those places I put things so I would remember where I put them.

So, I am typing this right now in hopes that it will help me when I go haywire and tear apart the luggage on my motorcycle looking for it (like I did in California last fall):

“It’s in the inside pocket of your REV’IT jacket, dummy.”

Undoubtedly I will give that pocket a precursory squish, pat or poke and not feel it right away and assume all hope is lost. Again. But, rest assured it IS in there.

If only I could set up a GPS route to my pocket. 😕

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Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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12 Responses

  1. Trobairitz says:

    I understand that they make things little so that they’ll fit into pockets easier and be lighter, but when they are too small they are inconvenient. Because they are so hard to find. Good idea on the paper clip. Hopefully that will make it easier to locate.

    Maybe you need to put it on a clapper keychain so it makes a noise when you clap, lol. Kidding.

  2. RichardM says:

    I tried to resist the impulse to “fix things that don’t need fixin'” but failed.

    How about on the same keyring as your spare keys?

    • Fuzzy says:

      i keep my spare keys around my neck on a lanyard so i don’t lose them 🙂

      I used to keep it with my keys but it tends to unscrew and you lose the cover half :-/

  3. Andrew says:

    I’ve lost 2 of those so far…

    Make my own out of small screw drivers now!

  4. Fuzzygalore says:

    That’s a good idea. Maybe make a screwdriver version to throw in the toolkit ~ And maybe I can tape it to the hair-sized allen wrench that i use to take the battery out of the damned thing when it won’t turn on :-/

    Stupid thing.

    😆
    Gosh, I’m a grouch!

  5. OG says:

    I have a dozen of those damned things and have still had the same concerns. FWIW, the new Zumo doesn’t use one of them. On my new Beener, the factory cradle locks it in place. On my Triumph, I suppose I have to stash it in my pocket every time I stop to pee and buy some peanuts. I am not sure that’s progress….

  6. Ronman says:

    I’ve lost the screw on cover to the damn thing. Another thing. What’s with the tiny hole that isn’t big enough to work on a key ring? It messes up the free movement of my keys. I keep mine on the ring with my bike key.

  7. DUC748 says:

    If I can find mine I’ll see that it gets up to you…that’ll give you two chances to lock/unlock the GPS or two chances to lose the tool. 😉

    The security screw backed out of my cradle long ago on the Ducati…the tool is useless to me now.

  8. OG says:

    or, you could fab up something like this…

    http://garminzumo-660.wikispaces.com/Security+Lever

  9. Ken Haylock says:

    If you ever upgrade to a Garmin 660 you’ll see that Garmin have abandoned this bloody silly “security screw” idea in favour of a quick release system that allows you to pocket your GPS at the push of a button. This is because the only thing that the ‘Security Screw’ stops is you taking your GPS off the bike when you stop for fuel or to have a pee, on account of all the fiddling about with the special tool. A thief, meanwhile, just walks up to the bike, grabs the Zumo 550 unit with both hands and wrenches both it and its cradle off the bike. They can then remove the stupid fiddly security screw themselves at their leisure elsewhere and toss the broken mounting away… (in my case the thief was on a BMX bike and I was 25 yards away from them and watched them do the deed…). I suspect that the ‘good’ option would be to attach the special tool to the Zumo unit via a short length of chain…

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