Monday, April 16th 2007

Google Maps Tells its users to 'Swim across the Atlantic Ocean'

Apr 16th, 2007 20:50 Discuss (22 Comments)

It seems as if Google's software, designed to compete with automated map-makers such as MapQuest, still has one or two kinks that need to be worked out. While Google Maps is absolutely wonderful when telling you how to drive in either the USA or Europe, it seems not to be so good at telling you how to drive from the USA to Europe. The screenshot I attached explains the theoretical situation of me driving from (an area very close to) my house to W1zzard's (the man who started techPowerUp!). I'm not sure I can handle the extremely difficult task of swimming 3,462 miles to get into France.

Special thanks to 'Spud107' for bringing this bug to my attention.

Source: Google Maps

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22 Comments on Google Maps Tells its users to 'Swim across the Atlantic Ocean'

anticlutch

I don't think this is really a bug... since no one can drive across the pond with a car, I'm guessing that Google put this in to provide a bit of humor :laugh:

theonetruewill

Pah! 3462 miles? I do it every Friday at the pool......almost.......well sort of..........OK ok I stay at home alone sitting in front of the screen playing BF2142 or pointlessly browsing the internet like I do everday:p

Unregistered

they should say paddle or fly instead of swim

Thermopylae_480

Yeah, I think it was meant to be humorous. Especially since it specifically says "swim."

GLD

Pwned by Google. :laugh:

spud107

found it here at wapsville originally, bigjobswap.com/index.wml#first
jus thought i'd post it in the crazy pic thread cos i found it quite amusing lol.

ex_reven

I bet some twit will try that route with his/her car.
I welcome that prospect in fact.

And shall lol at them when they try :D

anticlutch

ex_revenI bet some twit will try that route with his/her car.
I welcome that prospect in fact.

And shall lol at them when they try :D

Better for the gene pool then... that'll weed out some of the stupider people :)

ex_reven

Regardless of my Catholic background.
I fricking love darwin. He was the pool of sharks with laser beams that we never had...

#10

russianboy

OMGWTFLOLOWNAGEPWNAGEUBERGIGATERAGOOGLEMAPSWTFSAUSE!!!111!11111!!!one111!!!!oneeleven!!!!!!onemilliononehundreadthiugandelevenhundredonehundredeleven!111!!!1!1!!!!!!!!11111

#11

1Strive

My first thought was "That's pretty funny"
Then I thought "No wait, there has to be a logical explanation for them doing this."

So I came up with. "They probably left it in there for people wanting to know about how much distance is between two points."
That doesn't add up because it still gives driving directions on land and only goes "As the crow flies" over the water.

So it doesn't make much logical sense to me, but it is still funny.;)

Later,
1STRIVE

#12

ex_reven

i thought google maps was just a non installing thingymabob version of Google Earth.
Eg a way to look at maps without installing google earth?

The name Google Maps doesnt say anything about driving...

#13

wiak

dont you guys get it, its not a bug, its a future
see how much fun google coders have it :roll:

#14

yogurt_21

what you can't swim 3500 miles? dang I guess its just me and my pet dolphin then.

#15

Zubasa

yogurt_21what you can't swim 3500 miles? dang I guess its just me and my pet dolphin then.

I bet your pet dolphin need some sleep on the way:roll:

#16

Aeon19

russianboyOMGWTFLOLOWNAGEPWNAGEUBERGIGATERAGOOGLEMAPSWTFSAUSE!!!111!11111!!!one111!!!!oneeleven!!!!!!onemilliononehundreadthiugandelevenhundredonehundredeleven!111!!!1!1!!!!!!!!11111

HAHUAHAUHAUHAAH!!!!!!!! u are great!!!!!! HAHAHAH!!!! :respect:

#17

XooM

Guys, it also gives an approximate time: for me it was 29 days and 14 hours. Obviously a joke :p

#18

WarEagleAU

Bird of Prey

You know what would be cool, but odd and hard to pull off. A 3462 Mile highway replete with rest stops, hotels, motels, food places and all that, crossing the atlantic ocean. That would be awesome. Almost impossible to do though.

#19

evil bill

to be fair, whilst its clearly a joke about the swimming, Le Havre to New York is a genuine shipping lane albeit a freight rather than passenger route

www.havre-port.net/pahweb.html - look in Regular Shipping Lines - USE (East Coast)

#20

ex_reven

WarEagleAUYou know what would be cool, but odd and hard to pull off. A 3462 Mile highway replete with rest stops, hotels, motels, food places and all that, crossing the atlantic ocean. That would be awesome. Almost impossible to do though.

Do they run cables on the bottom of the atlantic? Or do they use satellite for interenational phone/internet connections inbetween America and Europe?

#21

evil bill

Im pretty sure the cables used for telecoms before satellites were invented are still there and in use

#22

Casheti

Lol...I think they assumed you have a boat.

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Google Maps Tells its users to 'Swim across the Atlantic Ocean'

22 Comments on Google Maps Tells its users to 'Swim across the Atlantic Ocean'

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