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Crazy things you've found in Google StreetView

Started by rickmastfan67, April 07, 2010, 03:30:00 AM

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ErmineNotyours

Quote from: Mr. Matté on August 28, 2019, 09:40:57 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on August 26, 2019, 03:11:27 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on November 13, 2018, 08:19:58 AM
Not crazy, but one can figure the Google car, including the camera mast, is shorter than 11 ft 8 in because it fits below the Norfolk Southern/Gregson St overpass :sombrero:.

We can further constraint the size of the Google car. In addition to the above, we can figure the Google Car is (barely) narrower than 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) because it managed to squeeze through the "Physically impossible entry" street in Granada, Spain (unless they have done that with the Trike, in which case the previous statement is null and void).

As of this past Saturday, I can confirm the Streetview car, at least the one driving around western Monmouth County, NJ, is just a tealish CR-V. It passed by me whilst I was out on my bike twice (once on Millstone Road south of 33 and again on 527 near Millhurst).

I kept seeing the Apple Maps car driving around the neighborhood for several days in a row a few weeks ago.  Shame I can't see the images.  :confused:


KEVIN_224

I saw this in Havertown, PA. Immediately over the city line from Philadelphia. It looks like somebody's house was fuzzed out for whatever reason:

https://goo.gl/maps/oUhke1SMfkj6Xncx7

MNHighwayMan

#427
If you're one of those crazy privacy types, you can request that Google blur out your house.

Here's one I knew of, although that house has since been torn down.

Mr. Matté

#428
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 11, 2019, 09:27:19 AM
If you're one of those crazy privacy types, you can request that Google blur out your house.

Here's one I knew of, although that house has since been torn down.

Oddly enough, if you go to the far side of US 6 there, it's not blurred. Should the GSV drive by again, do they just blur out the rubble?

(EDIT: Nevermind, they didn't)

ErmineNotyours

Quote from: KEVIN_224 on September 10, 2019, 06:55:04 PM
I saw this in Havertown, PA. Immediately over the city line from Philadelphia. It looks like somebody's house was fuzzed out for whatever reason:

https://goo.gl/maps/oUhke1SMfkj6Xncx7

Happens more often in Europe where images of buildings can be copyrighted.  For some reason, The Berlin Wall Museum by Checkpoint Charlie is fuzzed out in some views, but not others.

CNGL-Leudimin

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 11, 2019, 09:27:19 AM
If you're one of those crazy privacy types, you can request that Google blur out your house.

Here's one I knew of, although that house has since been torn down.

It may have been blurred because it has been demolished. Google also routinely blurs houses of well known people and crime scenes, for example this one.

I actually have one photo of a house that is censored in Google Maps. I won't say which one nor show that pic due to privacy and/or security concerns.
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.

MNHighwayMan

#431
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on September 13, 2019, 08:28:08 AM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 11, 2019, 09:27:19 AM
If you're one of those crazy privacy types, you can request that Google blur out your house.

Here's one I knew of, although that house has since been torn down.
It may have been blurred because it has been demolished. Google also routinely blurs houses of well known people and crime scenes, for example this one.

Unlikely, since the house was removed to turn the lot and adjacent property into a car dealership, and it was blurred before that even happened.

Also, no one of any import is going to live in Waukee, Iowa. :-D

Scott5114

Ironically, since so few houses are blurred like this, doing so draws more attention to them. What do they have to hide? After all, we wouldn't be discussing that house in Iowa if they hadn't blurred it, it'd be just another house in Iowa.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

CNGL-Leudimin

Obviously you haven't seen Belgium. The inaugural stage of this year's Tour de France holds the record of most censored houses I've seen on a single cycling stage: I counted more than 50 in 121 miles. By contrast, I counted a grand total of about 10 blurred houses on the entire Vuelta a España.

Then I know the case of a house somewhere in Catalonia, which is censored in earlier photos, but not in later. Maybe the house changed hands and the new owners asked Mr. Google to stop blurring it.
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.

DAL764

You'll find a sh!tload of blurred houses in Germany as well, because we are so concerned about privacy (unless it's CCTV, selfies from every room in our house, etc), which is also why StreetView is limited to only a few metropolitan areas with imagery that is almost a decade old.

KEVIN_224

Odd! It's just that the one I came across in Havertown, PA (just over the city line from Philadelphia) was the first time I had ever seen the blurring.

CNGL-Leudimin

Quote from: DAL764 on September 15, 2019, 08:35:26 AM
You'll find a sh!tload of blurred houses in Germany as well, because we are so concerned about privacy (unless it's CCTV, selfies from every room in our house, etc), which is also why StreetView is limited to only a few metropolitan areas with imagery that is almost a decade old.

Also the reason Mr. Google decided not to take Street View images in Germany anymore. There's nothing beyond the initial rollout.
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.

empirestate

Serious question: how do all these people prevent their houses from being looked at in real life?

webny99

Quote from: empirestate on September 16, 2019, 08:08:08 AM
Serious question: how do all these people prevent their houses from being looked at in real life?

The internet has an exponentially bigger potential audience, and it's a lot easier to "look at houses", if that interests you, without arousing suspicion. The argument could be made that, if you get your house blurred on Google, then people are curious, and if they live nearby maybe they'll drive by to see what's up. But that might be 5 or 10 people that have now seen your house. Doesn't even touch the billions that could see it online if they wanted to.

So if your objective is maintaining your privacy and reducing the overall number of people viewing your home and property, it's a guaranteed win. I don't think anybody with that attitude cares that much about their own neighbors seeing them - more just random people snooping from thousands of miles away - but I could be wrong.

vdeane

I suppose the other question would be: who cares if some random person online can see what the road-facing side of your house looks like?  Especially if they have no idea of who you are and/or that you live in that house?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

empirestate

Quote from: webny99 on September 16, 2019, 12:25:29 PM
Quote from: empirestate on September 16, 2019, 08:08:08 AM
Serious question: how do all these people prevent their houses from being looked at in real life?

The internet has an exponentially bigger potential audience, and it's a lot easier to "look at houses", if that interests you, without arousing suspicion. The argument could be made that, if you get your house blurred on Google, then people are curious, and if they live nearby maybe they'll drive by to see what's up. But that might be 5 or 10 people that have now seen your house. Doesn't even touch the billions that could see it online if they wanted to.

But those billions don't want to–only a very view persons will be interested, if any (assuming they even realize what there is to be interested in). On the other hand, the many fewer people who can see the house in person, for the most part, can see it any time the want–once, or even several times, per day.

webny99

Quote from: vdeane on September 16, 2019, 01:34:20 PM
I suppose the other question would be: who cares if some random person online can see what the road-facing side of your house looks like?  Especially if they have no idea of who you are and/or that you live in that house?

I suspect in many cases it's the other way around.
That is, they're not worried about you happening to see their house, being curious with what you see, and trying to find out who they are. They're worried about you already knowing information about them (and/or their home/property), possibly from an online presence, from run-ins with the law, from their license plate, etc, and using that to try to track down where they live.


Quote from: empirestate on September 16, 2019, 07:52:20 PM
But those billions don't want to–only a very view persons will be interested, if any (assuming they even realize what there is to be interested in). On the other hand, the many fewer people who can see the house in person, for the most part, can see it any time the want–once, or even several times, per day.

Adding to the above point: you're likely to feel safe in your own neighborhood, having shared knowledge about the people who live there and being fairly aware of what is and isn't suspicious relative to normal. Online, though, there's a lot more unknowns. You don't know who's looking at what, when they're doing it, and with what motive. Sure, it's usually benign, but you have no way of knowing, tracking, or controlling it if it isn't.

empirestate

#442
Quote from: webny99 on September 18, 2019, 12:15:57 PM
Quote from: empirestate on September 16, 2019, 07:52:20 PM
But those billions don't want to–only a very view persons will be interested, if any (assuming they even realize what there is to be interested in). On the other hand, the many fewer people who can see the house in person, for the most part, can see it any time the want–once, or even several times, per day.

Adding to the above point: you're likely to feel safe in your own neighborhood, having shared knowledge about the people who live there and being fairly aware of what is and isn't suspicious relative to normal. Online, though, there's a lot more unknowns. You don't know who's looking at what, when they're doing it, and with what motive. Sure, it's usually benign, but you have no way of knowing, tracking, or controlling it if it isn't.

So those two points don't go together well. But regardless, the question is just what do these people do to prevent their house from being looked at in real life? I'm not really looking at how safe people feel, because that's something that's probably statistically measurable, independent of feelings.

webny99

Quote from: empirestate on September 19, 2019, 09:55:22 PM
Quote
Quote from: empirestate on September 16, 2019, 07:52:20 PM
But those billions don't want to–only a very view persons will be interested, if any (assuming they even realize what there is to be interested in). On the other hand, the many fewer people who can see the house in person, for the most part, can see it any time the want–once, or even several times, per day.
Adding to the above point: you're likely to feel safe in your own neighborhood, having shared knowledge about the people who live there and being fairly aware of what is and isn't suspicious relative to normal. Online, though, there's a lot more unknowns. You don't know who's looking at what, when they're doing it, and with what motive. Sure, it's usually benign, but you have no way of knowing, tracking, or controlling it if it isn't.
So those two points don't go together well. But regardless, the question is just what do these people do to prevent their house from being looked at in real life? I'm not really looking at how safe people feel, because that's something that's probably statistically measurable, independent of feelings.

Fixed quote for you.
I think the answer is, they don't try to stop people from looking at it in real life, because they're probably an internet rando that doesn't care about real life as much as whatever's going on in the far and/or extreme corners of the internet. I could be wrong, though.

empirestate

Quote from: webny99 on September 20, 2019, 12:33:05 PM
I think the answer is, they don't try to stop people from looking at it in real life, because they're probably an internet rando that doesn't care about real life as much as whatever's going on in the far and/or extreme corners of the internet. I could be wrong, though.

Well, that can't be*. There's no way somebody would go to such lengths to prevent their house being seen by evildoers who are a great physical distance removed, but not by evildoers who are literally standing right next to it.

*(It might be, but it can't be.)

planxtymcgillicuddy

It's easy to be easy when you're easy...

Quote from: on_wisconsin on November 27, 2021, 02:39:12 PM
Whats a Limon, and does it go well with gin?

DAL764



LM117

At the Stagecoach Road/North Parker Street intersection in Elm City, NC.

WTF?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tajUewYUHgqiHYp38
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

MNHighwayMan




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