44 Odd, Yet Amusing Things People Stumbled Across On Google Maps
If you wonder what the strangest place on our planet is, let me tell you, it’s not the Bermuda Triangle, nor even Snake Island in Brazil. It’s not even a place, but rather a virtual space that bends time and place into a somewhat distorted continuum.
That’s, of course, not how you imagine Google Maps, a web mapping platform most of us couldn’t live without. But this corner of Reddit titled “Google Maps Shenanigans” documents the weird and wonderful happenings captured around the world, proving just how full of randomly weird and crazy things this planet Earth really is.
According to the subreddit’s description, this is the community “for all of the interesting, funny, or otherwise unusual things you see on Google Maps,” so get ready for more questions than answers. And a healthy dose of laughter!
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#1 My Dog Died A Few Years Ago But When I Look At Google Maps She’s Still There Chasing The Street Car

© Photo: Briannagarciaa
#2 Say Hi To Guinness

© Photo: DoctorNoname98
#3 Caught My Dog Chilling In The Main Entrance Of My House On Google Maps, It’s Been Over 1 Year Since He Passed Away

© Photo: jessiftp
The world of navigation has never been the same since Google Maps was released in 2005 and became a quintessential tool for anyone who needs to get from one place to another, offering detailed directions, real-time traffic updates, and alternative routes. Ask any traveler and they will tell you that navigating in a different country without the app on their phone would be barely possible (we've surely gotten too lazy to use good old paper maps!).
Meanwhile, on the internet, Google Maps has offered a whole new kind of entertainment. With people browsing deeper into the platform, they soon realized there are interesting things captured there.
#4 Caught The Google Car Driver Breaking The Law

© Photo: iamyounotme444
#5 These Streets In Nova Scotia

© Photo: HAB927
#6 Thank You 360 View

© Photo: The_curious_one_here
But experts warn that Google Maps, just like Google Earth and Google Street View, may cause some privacy concerns most people are completely unaware of. Previously, we spoke with cybersecurity expert Daniel Markuson from NordVPN, who shed a light on these privacy concerns.
“Google Street View cameras are able to capture images and moments that people would like to keep private (such as protesters at an abortion clinic, people in bikinis, or other activities that are wanted to be private, even though they are visible from the public property),” he said.
#7 Chicago P*o Police

© Photo: UsefulMetal
#8 Boy Falling Off A Bench Found In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!

© Photo: streetviewfails
#9 After An Hour Of Looking Along The West Coast, I Found A Whale In The Ocean On The West Coast! (33 Feet Long)

© Photo: zfreakazoidz
Moreover, Google Street cameras take pictures from an elevated position and are able to capture pictures over hedges that are designed to keep territories private.
While faces and car numbers are blurred automatically, and anyone can request to blur parts of the picture, it doesn’t mean people can have full privacy. “There are still many images of potential break-ins, sunbathers, and individuals entering adult bookstores that could be found online as they were republished so many times,” Markuson told us.
#10 This Segway Bus

© Photo: ProfSwagometry
#11 Drug Deal Caught On Google Maps

© Photo: good_loot
#12 This Dog’s Blurred B**t

© Photo: michael_treder
Markuson reminds us that “people photographed by Google Street cameras never give their consent for doing that. And this is a big privacy issue as anybody who wants to remain completely private in the digital world should have the right to do that.”
Another important thing to be aware of, Markuson argues, is that “if you enable location tracking on your Google Maps, Google will collect data about your whereabouts under its Location History section. It is being done across devices where you’re signed in with your Google account. If you’ve been keeping your location tracking on, you can see your own location history map here.”
#13 The Algorithm Used To Blur Faces Blurred The Statue Of Liberty

© Photo: reddit.com
#14 Imagine This Moment Of Your Life Immortalized On Google Maps Forever

© Photo: User
#15 Streetview Censored This Cat For His Privacy

© Photo: eddASU
“Needless to say that by using Google Maps for planning routes and searching for places, you’re feeding Google with valuable information about your whereabouts which can later be used for targeting you with ads,” the cybersecurity expert said.
Moreover, Google Earth privacy issues are mostly connected to its Google Street View feature. “Many people don’t want their homes to be shown there as they see this as a breach of their privacy,” Markuson concluded.
#16 At Least They Had The Decency To Censor The Legs

© Photo: i_am_shattered
#17 Just Another Night In St Petersburg Russia I Guess

© Photo: No-Cold-1679
#18 Nice Cloud In Slovakia

© Photo: TassiloBalbo
#19 Apparently The Fastest Bus In Existence On Google Maps--Seattle To Kyrgyzstan And Back To Seattle In Only 47 Minutes

© Photo: smallteam
#20 It’s Veiny Too!

© Photo: User
#21 Google Maps Approved My Photo For The Vet

© Photo: User
#22 A Old Guy Made This For His Wife On Their Farm Without Her Knowing About It As A Celebration Of Their Life Together

© Photo: mrcooper89
#23 And Stay Out!

© Photo: jordand30
#24 Kidnapping Found In Sweden!

© Photo: streetviewfails
#25 Virgin Atlantic Photo-Bombed The Satellite Image

© Photo: Garr52
#26 Found In Zambia

© Photo: User
#27 ¯_(ツ)_/¯

© Photo: hardstyle
#28 4 People In 4 Coloured Hazmat Suits In Norilsk, Russia. The Further On Street View You Travel The Stranger Their Actions Get, From Staring Into Walls To Checking Random Letterboxes

© Photo: oliver_rocks
#29 Spiderman On A Roof Found In Japan!

© Photo: streetviewfails
#30 Hrm

© Photo: DemoPlayyz
#31 Escaped Prisoner Found Near A Jail!

© Photo: streetviewfails
#32 This Dog-Shaped Mountain In Antarctica

© Photo: taccobelli
#33 16 September 2013 - I Witnessed My Crazy Tin-Foil-Hat Neighbor Scream And Threaten To Sue The Google Street Car Driver If Photos Are Taken Of His House And Demands That Google Blur It Out (They Never Did Blur It)

© Photo: AdamR91
#34 Google Street View Blurred Out My Horses Face

© Photo: Noahser
#35 Google Car Getting Pulled Over In The Florida Keys

© Photo: User
#36 Presented Without Comment

© Photo: EuhedralCrystal
#37 Don't Talk To Me Or My Son Ever Again

© Photo: nonkeltom
#38 A Replica Of The Eiffel Tower In Inner Mongolia China

© Photo: Lufthansa340
#39 This Place In Austin Texas

© Photo: Godzilla_boss_300
#40 The Costa Concordia Cruise Ship

© Photo: l19ar
#41 A Flipped Over Police Van In London

© Photo: Ivandor0
#42 What Happened To Spiderman?

© Photo: streetviewfails
#43 Helpful

© Photo: User
#44 Trying To See A House For Sale In Street View

© Photo: Frigoris13
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