Google maps - tail still wagging?

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twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Just heard someone drove off a bridge as Google hadn't updated the map/satnav thingy. You couldn't make it up........
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Sadly I can well see, given conditions

“Tragically, as he drove cautiously in the darkness and rain…”

That it is more than possible he didn’t spot the gap and the car plunged through it.

Of course they are speculating on how cautiously he was driving. He might not have been driving cautiously at all.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
If you have loch Ness in the middle of your screen, the little yellow streetview man changes to a green image of the monster, with tartan hat. More obvious when you pick him up, but I can't screenshot that.
1695300660570.png
 

Drago

Legendary Member
He clearly wasn't being cautious, else the poor bloke wouldn't have plunged to his death.

Don't drive faster than you are able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear. It's sad that the bloke died, but folk who keep ploughing on regardless - low sun is a favourite - kill people.
 
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Location
España
I follow an 80/20 rule with both Google Maps and Google Translate: 80% of the time it's ok, 20% of the time though, it'll get you in serious trouble.

I recall testing out various apps and one time in NL, a place with no shortage of official bike paths, GM was directing me across a field. Not a field with a path. Just a field.

Another time, it was telling me I was in Belgium when I was definitely in NL. Osmand, on the same phone, had my location accurately, GM for whatever reason didn't.

In more far off places, taking a rest on a long, uphill day, I tried again and the elevation info it gave was something like "mild climb" and the graphic looked very benign. Osmand set me straight! Another time, very tired, hungry, thirsty and trying to be smart with CycleTravel I pulled out GM to save a km. How bad could it be? Bloody dangerous is what it was. Back to CT and the slightly longer way.

It has its uses in touring, especially the ability to "load up" a map with useful services/locations that can be accessed offline, and to track your travels (both Maps and Photos do this) but for navigation on a bike? Just no. It can also be useful for landslide, flooding and wildfire warnings ^_^

I think there's a cohort of people who "switch off" when an app plots a route, follow it slavishly and stop thinking critically. Not a great idea on a bike.
 
OP
OP
albion

albion

Guru
Location
South Tyneside
It was always an accident waiting to happen. Deaths might occur for the unawares on cycling routes too. There the routes can actually go over Helvellyn.
And if you route from Threkeld to Grasmere you will see the west side of Thirmere is shown as open, despite being closed for years.
I find it useful it that it certainly can choose the quietest routes.

Sadly, the likes of Tiktok, Twitter and Google maps do as close to zero maintaining integrity.
 

Jameshow

Veteran
It was always an accident waiting to happen. Deaths might occur for the unawares on cycling routes too. There the routes can actually go over Helvellyn.
And if you route from Threkeld to Grasmere you will see the west side of Thirmere is shown as open, despite being closed for years.
I find it useful it that it certainly can choose the quietest routes.

Sadly, the likes of Tiktok, Twitter and Google maps do as close to zero maintaining integrity.

Are one mountain rescue volunteer says Scarfell Pike looks like a field on Google maps!
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
Another time, it was telling me I was in Belgium when I was definitely in NL. Osmand, on the same phone, had my location accurately, GM for whatever reason didn't.
There are some places where telling whether you are in BE or NL can require border markings on the pavement every hundred metres or so, and where there are bits of NL that are inside bits of BE that are in NL.
 
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