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On more than one occasion while driving through Italy last year, Google Maps attempted to navigate me to the center of cities by driving through ancient, pedest
by bww 6y ago
On more than one occasion while driving through Italy last year, Google Maps attempted to navigate me to the center of cities by driving through ancient, pedestrian-packed streets barely wider than the hatchback I was in—even as (I eventually discovered) most non-emergency vehicles are not permitted to actually drive there.
In one such instance, I didn't realize what was happening until I had spent 45 minutes inching past the chairs of patrons in tiny cafes not a foot from my side-view mirror to eventually emerge from an alley onto the plaza of a cathedral in the city center much to the confused looks of the passers by.
Even in well-populated, first-world cities it seems it's wise to take Google Maps' advice with some healthy skepticism.
- abathur 6y agoJust reading this gave me a hit of anxiety. Despite having never done so, I have recurring dream trope where I've naively driven a car into some place it was easy enough to enter, only to realize it was quite inappropriate. FWIW, a few years ago Google Maps also gave me wildly inappropriate directions on the way to Yosemite (i.e., in Google's ~back-yard). I called it off when it suggested I start off up a dirt road that switchbacked its way up a cliff face in my mother's minivan.
- mordechai9000 6y agoI had the experience you fear in Germany. The gps directed me into a pedestrian area in the old part of the city. I drove quite a ways before the pedestrians suddenly closed around me and I was unable to move. It was technically legal, but pedestrians have the right of way and the speed limit is 5 km/h. It was very stressful at first, but eventually I resigned myself to the situation. I had to slowly execute a 180 degree turn, moving a little bit at a time, waiting for gaps in the foot traffic. It was quite crowded and no one moved out of my way. One guy chuckled and shook his head sympathetically as he walked by.
- abathur 6y agoMortifying. :)
- WWLink 6y agoThat sounds like every other episode of top gear, lol.
- crooked-v 6y agoThe difference, of course, being that the Top Gear guys have a full production crew and a bajillion dollars of insurance to smooth over any resulting problems.
- flukus 6y agoThis is the sort of thing I find OSM much better at, being an actual map and displaying this sort of up to date information, not to mention actually rendering street names and important landmarks instead of random businesses. Of course you have to navigate the old fashioned way. If I want to find the nearest ice cream store open at 9pm use google maps, it's a great location database. If you want a map use OSM.
- switch007 6y agoOh man that bought back memories. I've done the same thing in Italy! I had to do a ~30 point turn. I couldn't believe Google Maps could be so wrong.
- visarga 6y agoI noticed the same thing - taking the narrow roads which are very hard to navigate instead of a slightly longer but much more comfortable main road. Is there a comfort toggle?