AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: TR69 on November 05, 2017, 08:43:39 PM

Title: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: TR69 on November 05, 2017, 08:43:39 PM
After the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas earlier today, I went to Google Maps to look at the town. I noticed that the area around the church was not available in Street View. I'm guessing that this is not a coincidence. Has this been a Google policy for a while now? Interesting.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/gallery/13639_05_11_17_8_41_30.png)

Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: roadman65 on November 05, 2017, 09:00:19 PM
The Verazano Bridge in NYC has always had it not shown, and that is not ever been a shooting site, although Al Sharpton did stop traffic on it once for protesting with a bridge march either the Cops in Baltimore or Tulsa, but that is as controversial as that crossing has gotten.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: sbeaver44 on November 05, 2017, 09:18:19 PM
I imagine that was related to the (former?) MTA policy about no photo/no video which was signposted on every MTA bridge

Nexus 6P

Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: jeffandnicole on November 05, 2017, 09:56:51 PM
Quote from: sbeaver44 on November 05, 2017, 09:18:19 PM
I imagine that was related to the (former?) MTA policy about no photo/no video which was signposted on every MTA bridge

Nexus 6P



Companies like Google can easily put in a request to take pics of video.  It may be denied, of course.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: bzakharin on November 06, 2017, 12:21:31 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on November 05, 2017, 09:56:51 PM
Quote from: sbeaver44 on November 05, 2017, 09:18:19 PM
I imagine that was related to the (former?) MTA policy about no photo/no video which was signposted on every MTA bridge

Nexus 6P



Companies like Google can easily put in a request to take pics of video.  It may be denied, of course.
Is it just MTA or all NYC bridges? There's no GSV for the GWB, Outerbridge, or Goethals either. The tunnels have it, though.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: 1995hoo on November 06, 2017, 12:31:10 PM
Quote from: bzakharin on November 06, 2017, 12:21:31 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on November 05, 2017, 09:56:51 PM
Quote from: sbeaver44 on November 05, 2017, 09:18:19 PM
I imagine that was related to the (former?) MTA policy about no photo/no video which was signposted on every MTA bridge

Nexus 6P



Companies like Google can easily put in a request to take pics of video.  It may be denied, of course.
Is it just MTA or all NYC bridges? There's no GSV for the GWB, Outerbridge, or Goethals either. The tunnels have it, though.

When I looked earlier today, the Verrazano and GW Bridges didn't have it. Neither did the Battery Tunnel. But the other bridges, and the Midtown Tunnel, did.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: roadman65 on November 06, 2017, 05:35:55 PM
Tunnels are a better target for terrorism I would think.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: ibagli on November 07, 2017, 04:53:02 AM
Maybe someone to do with the church submitted a request to be removed from Street View, and due to the circumstances Google just pulled the affected images until the blur could be added.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: pumpkineater2 on November 07, 2017, 12:54:23 PM
The side yard of the house in Watertown, MA where one of the Boston bombing suspects was captured, is blurred out:https://goo.gl/maps/vFfun6Bc3Yy (https://goo.gl/maps/vFfun6Bc3Yy)
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: kalvado on November 07, 2017, 01:14:04 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 06, 2017, 05:35:55 PM
Tunnels are a better target for terrorism I would think.
I am not sure what was the original reason for "no photo". I can imagine suicide prevention coming into play for bridges - but not tunnels.
But overall looks like a lot of pulling images is a patchwork of some random ideas by random people, and pretty meaningless given all dashcams and cell phones out there.

At some point, Empire State Plaza in Albany was blurred on Google satellite view (no street view back then). Probably 9/11 fears.. Unblocked by now...
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: kkt on November 07, 2017, 03:40:10 PM
If a suicide bomber blew up a truck full of explosives, in a tunnel would probably kill more people.  On a bridge, the heat and force of the explosion would travel mostly upward.  In a tunnel, it travels along the tunnel where it can engulf more other vehicles.  See the Caldecott Tunnel gasoline truck explosion.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: NE2 on November 07, 2017, 03:48:33 PM
If you can't see street view photos of the tunnel you can't blow it up.
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: kalvado on November 07, 2017, 04:30:32 PM
Quote from: NE2 on November 07, 2017, 03:48:33 PM
If you can't see street view photos of the tunnel you can't blow it up.
So all those having eyes are potential terrorists!
Title: Re: Removal of GSV functionality near sites of terror activity?
Post by: kphoger on November 07, 2017, 04:41:22 PM
Quote from: kalvado on November 07, 2017, 04:30:32 PM
Quote from: NE2 on November 07, 2017, 03:48:33 PM
If you can't see street view photos of the tunnel you can't blow it up.
So all those having eyes are potential terrorists!

Well, yes!  And also those not having eyes.   :D