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Travelling from Durango Colorado to Reserve New Mexico, Google Maps routed me to a "road" that was simply a dry stream bed, in the middle of a large Indian rese
by hirundo 7y ago
Travelling from Durango Colorado to Reserve New Mexico, Google Maps routed me to a "road" that was simply a dry stream bed, in the middle of a large Indian reservation, in high desert wilderness, many miles from any human habitation.
It happened gradually. First I was directed to a well maintained gravel road, then to dirt track, which slowly faded away to nothing.
I was driving a 4x4, had an almost full tank, a load of groceries in back and plenty of time, so I went with it for quite a while. There are lots of long dirt tracks in this area and I kept hoping that it was still a short cut. The shortest alternate route was around 90 minutes longer.
I think most travelers would have bailed at the first turn off of the pavement. I waited until the stream bed sand was getting deep before turning around. But for some optimistic, mobility impaired person, it could have been a death trap. I've adjusted my expectations of Google Maps accordingly.
- geggam 7y agoIf you run across an abandoned car in those washes do not investigate yourself. Report to the police. Drug runners will drop cars off to be picked up and have some dude off in the distance watching the car. Getting nosey can get you shot.
- notJim 7y agoYeah, Google Maps does this kind of thing routinely in my experience. I've had it direct me down muddy dirt roads because they were 2 minutes faster than the paved road, or direct me down forest roads that didn't exist anymore or were only for loggers. I've learned to approach the directions it gives me with skepticism.
- derekp7 7y agoHave you noticed in these instances if the web version of maps is better than the Android app version? I've seen that, was trying to use the web page to reproduce the problem so I could report it. But the web app was correct, whereas the mobile version wasn't.
- notJim 7y agoNo, I've never checked that.
- w0utert 7y agoMy experience is it isn't really. I used the web version to plan a trip across Mojave National Preserve once, and it came up with a totally innocent looking route using some unpaved roads, which was supposedly faster than going around using the I40 and route 95. The road was ok for the first few miles but anything over 30MPH would be asking for trouble, and not even nearly halfway in I had to turn around because the road was so bad a 2WD would definitely get stuck eventually. The longer route using freeways would have added 30 minutes to the 2:30 hour trip time according to Google, but in reality continuing on the dirt road would have taken at least 4 hours at the speed I was able to go, if I had even made it.
- BeetleB 7y agoInteresting that Waze has an option to avoid unpaved roads, but Google Maps app doesn't. Last weekend Waze directed me onto a private airport's runway. On the return trip, I switched to the Offline Maps app, and it led me to a dead end. Haven't ever seen 2 screwups by 2 different apps on 2 different routes in one day.
- deergomoo 7y agoWe recently had this issue on holiday in Devon (south-west UK). We’re used to narrow country roads where you need to slow way down when passing someone coming the other way, but Google Maps was constantly trying to direct us down single-track lanes with high hedges and totally blind corners, because they were 5-7 minutes faster. I’m not even convinced they were faster; the speed limit is technically 60mph on those little lanes but you can’t safely get above ~25. Meanwhile there’s a slightly less direct but far less stressful route along A-roads, where you can comfortably do 40-60 and don’t have to reverse 300 yards to a passing point if someone is coming the other way. We found ourselves in desperate need of an “avoid routes via unnamed roads” option.
- verytrivial 7y agoYou reported it to Apple I assume? How did the process go?
- hirundo 7y agoI sent feedback through the Google Maps app. Two years later on the same route it gave me the same suggestion.
- briandear 7y agoExcept that this is Google we are discussing, but your question still stands about reporting to Google; I am very interested in how responsive they are to things like this which can be potentially life threatening. While cars aren’t held to the same certification standards as airplanes, it might seem that auto GPS applications might be held to some heavier scrutiny or at least providing a standardized (and auditable) means for correcting these kinds of issues. Now, it seems that Google just black holes correction requests. I live about .5 miles from Google and my home address is still wrong in Google Maps after a year of me reporting it. Apple Maps on the other hand, had my issue fixed and updated on their Maps within a few days.
- bilbo0s 7y ago>You reported it to Apple I assume?... Why would they report that to Apple? Serious question. Does Google maps use data from Apple now or something?
- nkrisc 7y ago> I think most travelers would have bailed at the first turn off of the pavement. That's the reasonable thing to do if you were on your way to the airport. I've ignored GPS directions that were far less dubious than this simply because it didn't feel right.
- thehappypm 7y agoTo be fair, people with disabilities walk a very different life than able-bodied people do. For the mobility impaired, every trip requires careful forethought and planning. The mobility impaired are far less likely to hop in a car, drive into the high Rockies, without a very, very solid plan.
- PhasmaFelis 7y agoThe sentence holds true even if you remove "mobility-impaired." Healthy, active people have died after breaking down in places they shouldn't have been driving, like the Death Valley Germans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_Germans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_Germans
- geggam 7y agoEvidently the down voters are upset you can die taking a wrong turn in the western states ? In Phoenix area healthy hydrated people die hiking common trails in parks around the city because they arent acclimated. Weather is harsh.
- pasquinelli 7y agoProbably the downvotes are because of this sequence: Statement: Disabled people aren't accustomed to flying by the seat of their pants, because it isn't feasible for them. Response: Able bodied people die too. Well yes, everyone knows that and it isn't relevant to what it's responding to.
- PhasmaFelis 7y agoWe were discussing the dangers of bad GPS. Person A said bad GPS could kill disabled people, person B said a disabled person wouldn't get into that situation, I'm saying that's true, but bad GPS can kill able-bodied people as well. The point for me is that bad GPS is a potential threat to human life; exactly which humans are in most danger is an interesting side discussion.
- reaperducer 7y agoTravelling from Durango Colorado to Reserve New Mexico, Google Maps routed me to a "road" that was simply a dry stream bed, in the middle of a large Indian reservation, in high desert wilderness, many miles from any human habitation. It happened gradually. First I was directed to a well maintained gravel road, then to dirt track, which slowly faded away to nothing. Same thing happened to me near Lancaster, California. You make the turn because it looks like a road, and eventually you're in a place where you can't turn around spinning your wheels on sand with a "Transmission overheat" alert on the dashboard. Thanks, Google!
- nightbrawler 7y agoIt's crazy seeing Reserve, NM mentioned on HN! What you experienced is so common around here, I encounter travelers a few times a year in the Gila NF that need assistance after following their GPS nav on the "scenic route" ...most are calm, some are in panic mode and happy to see someone. Did you happen to follow a road in to the Acoma reservation in the El Malpais?
- hirundo 7y agoYes. I go though there on the 117 every few months. That has some of the most beautiful scenery in New Mexico in my book. At around dawn in particular, with elk herds helping out. We usually take a dog break at Sandstone Bluff, or stretch our legs on the Continental Divide Trail off of the picnic area at The Narrows. It helps me find my calm before dealing with the chaos that is Albuquerque.
- nightbrawler 7y agoI couldn't agree more! We drive 117 frequently and always enjoy seeing elk and pronghorn. Sometimes see deer around La Ventana Arch early in the mornings too. If you don't mind, could you shoot me an email (in my profile)? Interesting to find another HN'er in this area of the world.
- snarf21 7y agoThis is a direct consequence of not paying for good data from a provider where they don't have street view coverage.
- brockwhittaker 7y agoWow this happened to me when I was a teenager. Drove out to a mountain on what was a dirt road turned river bed. I had less luck, got stuck, and had a very panic-inducing experience leading to me hike a mountain to get reception to call 911 (the only # I could dial) for a tow.
- Robin_Message 7y agoA similar thing happened to our support driver in rural Greece when we were walking London-Jerusalem. road gradually gets worse until you realise some AI or human has mistaken a stream bed for a road!
- mc32 7y agoYou would think they'd take cues from traditional (paper) maps where primary, secondary, tertiary and seasonal road categories were labeled (via map key/legend) appropriately and you could make a determination if you wanted to take that kind of road. Another pet peeve is not labeling tollways and toll bridges.
- cmroanirgo 7y agoI miss those. In my area google ignores them, for sure -- I happened to cross check a few months back. For Google its always about 'time' rather than categories.
- planteen 7y agoI just tried to get Google Maps to route me over a difficult and dangerous 4WD road in Colorado and got it on my second try: https://goo.gl/maps/FWU1jANHAPA487D37 https://goo.gl/maps/FWU1jANHAPA487D37 This takes you over Hayden Pass Rd. Here are some 4WD driving tips for the route: https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/3939-hayden-pass.html https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/3939-hayden... "It’s a real challenging road and a true test of your vehicle and your stamina because the road abounds in twists and turns with wheels sometimes hanging above the precipice." "There is a very narrow section of shelf road before you get to the top that is very dangerous if icy. There are no rocks to stop you from sliding off the side. This section should not be attempted if there is any ice at all." I'm a little surprised that Google gave this route to me with no warning. It's also comical to say you can get the drive done in 30 minutes.
- ineedasername 7y agoThat's... rough driving. It does appear to significantly cut down on the distances involved, but I'd think it takes at least as much time as the less direct route.
- ineedasername 7y agoAlso: what are those circular things that look like giant petri dishes about 14 miles south of the pass? Edit: nevermind, I saw more further south that looked like crop fields, a bit of google-fu revealed them as center-pivot irrigation systems. Interesting trade of resources-- some loss of arable land due to the circular arrangement, presumably in return for lower costs of the irrigation setup. Still looks like some weird biohazard outbreak from the aerial viewpoint of google maps.
- TYPE_FASTER 7y agoI've followed lines on paper maps near Moab that eventually turned into rock crawling (regular road maps, not trail maps). On the road trip when I moved to Colorado, the paper map we had showed Rollins Pass as being drivable over the top...I'm glad we didn't try to go that way. Four or five years ago, Apple Maps routed me to Smugglers' Notch ski area through the notch, which is closed in the winter. This past winter, it routed me through the notch on a dirt road which is not maintained year round, then I followed another road that looked like it went through until I got to a locked gate at a farm. Interesting how maps are just data, and the level of trust we put into them is up to us. I don't trust Apple Maps any more. Waze is usually pretty good, possibly due to the real-time data from other users. Personally I love the adventure of following lines on maps where I haven't been before, as long as there aren't any time/other pressures.
- timmaah 7y ago> Smugglers' Notch They have had a huge problem with tractor trailer drivers following their gps through there and getting stuck. There are now 3-4 electronic signs on each side warning truckers. https://www.google.com/search?q=smugglers+notch+truck+stuck https://www.google.com/search?q=smugglers+notch+truck+stuck
- paultopia 7y agoMy favorite personal Google Maps whoops is when I was looking for a Chipotle in Mountain View around 2009ish, and Google Maps directed me... onto Google's own campus. (Sadly, I didn't try to go to the cafeteria and demand a burrito.)
- aetherspawn 7y agoIf this were me I’d be showing the receptionist and hinting I’d like the burrito free in exchange for the bug report
- dalore 7y agoDid you jump back on Google Streetview and checked to see how the google car managed it?
- cmroanirgo 7y agoIt's even worse for trucks. In my country (Oz) trucks using Google maps are very much gambling. Just near my family business is a back road that google always sends traffic down, even though it's almost only one car wide. Two locals will pass through the narrow hairpins easily, but tourists and uncertain drivers are a problem, often forcing near misses with them or the cliffs. There are signs indicating that trucks should not travel that road... And yet there are no options on any gps product that causes the correct 'take the main road' to occur for them. Ironically, only the Bing truck maps api will route around it if you put in the truck's length (because of the hairpins). I know of many truckers (we call them truckies) who've had tickets issued because of being on the wrong road due to Google.
- flukus 7y agoDoes google maps warn about bridge height? If not that (with a healthy dose of human stupidity) would explain monty: http://howmanydayssincemontaguestreetbridgehasbeenhit.com/ http://howmanydayssincemontaguestreetbridgehasbeenhit.com/
- cmroanirgo 7y agoNot that I'm aware of, but would definitely explain it! The problem with trucks are that they also require: minimum turning circle (eg hairpins), maximum load (old timber bridges and old roads), maximum widths (narrow roads or extra wide loads), residential zone exclusions (eg no trucks via certain suburban streets). In my country there are also statewide maximum truck speeds making Google time estimates inaccurate. There's also no consideration for the slower acceleration time of a truck, meaning that heavy (/city) traffic for a truck can add loads of time to a trip due to the stop/start.
- hug 7y agoHaving seen two bridge strikes at Monty happen live, both of which hit the warning gantry approaching the bridge prior to actually hitting it, I have very little faith that a Google Maps warning about bridge height would achieve anything.
- jshprentz 7y ago
- randyrand 7y agoDid your groceries include a lot of liquids and water? Food is hardly useful when you’re stranded for less than 2 weeks.
- hirundo 7y agoYes, my tap water tastes bad so I buy drinking water with my groceries. I had about 7 gallons, which was definitely part of the decision.
- raxxorrax 7y agoI can imagine an autonomous Google car suffering to drive through a remote dry stream that comes back after half a year full of scratches from believed to be extinct dinosaurs.