This App Was Made For Walking - But Is It Racist?

[mrasaki]

Microsoft is under fire this week over a patent it was granted that's been dubbed the "avoid ghetto" feature for GPS devices. The new feature is meant to help pedestrians avoid unsafe neighborhoods, bad weather and difficult terrain by taking information from maps, weather reports, crime statistics and demographics, and creating directions that,

Comments

[mephisto5]

Not sure how much use this would be for day to day life- I can't really massively alter the route I take to work for instance, because then it'll take longer. But if I was going somewhere new & didn't know the area and this was based purely on crime statistics rather than people rating the area by perceived threat (or demographics- that sounds kind of skeevy) then I'd definitely use this.

[mephisto5]

I don't like the bit about demographics- that does make it seem likely that it's racist, classist and possibly ageist too. But just crime data? I need to know that stuff for my personal safety. If I could filter it to highlight areas where I'm more likely to get gay/trans bashed that'd be even better.

[suedeheadspike]

In truth, that's how I feel about it. The idea of basing it on demographics is appalling to me, but actual crime data... well, I would prefer to avoid walking in areas with high incidences of violent crime if possible.

[bestdaywelived]

If this feature used crime data, I'd be all over it. I would like something like this, because I spend a lot of time in Philadelphia on foot, and have had some bad experiences (though I have never been mugged, just an attempted robbery).

[carmy_w]

THIS!
Back in the early 80s, I lived in NYC for a summer. I would get off the train at Grand Central Station, walk over to 8th Avenue, then up to....well, whatever street the office building was on; think it was 34th, but don't recall.
One day, I decided to do it the opposite way. Walk north from GCS, then across.
After having a guy follow me for darn near three blocks, I made it to work safely. And never went that way again.

[mephisto5]

I guess one criticism of this is that it could exacerbate ghettoisation- i.e. people see that a certain neighbourhood has the highest crime rates, everyone tries to move out, shops don't get passing trade because people don't want to go there any more and close etc.

That said- ensuring this doesn't happen is not the responsibility of potential victims; no one should feel obliged to visit an area in order to keep it going at risk to their person. Preventing degeneration is the job of city planners, representatives and law enforcement.

[hinoema]

Exactly. A misconception can be come fact, then.

[kalliope_us]

I don't think the feature sounds at all racist, but I wouldn't rely on something like that for my safety. I live in a city which can be massively unsafe, and in one neighborhood I lived in the safety went block by block, and shifted frequently, with the drugs. I would never walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

[roseofjuly]

You don't ever visit cities you don't live in?

[kalliope_us]

Well, I do, not often, but if I did I would rely on a friend's advice. San Francisco (where I don't live) is kind of similar in its dynamics to Durham, NC,where I do. And some very walkable cities are safe.

[roseofjuly]

Yeah, I know that, but I often find myself walking around in unfamiliar neighborhoods even just in my own city. It's how I find new places. Sometimes I don't always know someone to guide me. And when I go away for conferences or just for pleasure, I like to walk instead of drive if it's possible.

[redstar826]

No. 1 on his list was Flint, Mich.

I go to school in Flint. I don't live anywhere near there (I commute from about 30 miles away), and I don't really know what all is within walking distance of the campus other than wandering through the small down town area. I wouldn't mind something that told me what is in the surrounding area and what areas are or are not likely to be safe to walk through. The advice we got in orientation made it sound like we were taking our lives into our own hands if we went anywhere off campus. Not terribly helpful. :(

[zaure]

I lived a couple of blocks away from your campus and and honestly, there's not much to walk to anyway.

[redstar826]

good to know, thanks. Since I live so far away, I tend to be there for a while when I am on campus, so when I get restless I like to go walking to take a break from studying. Thankfully, the campus itself is big enough

[zaure]

If you go down Kearsley, the FIA's cafe has neat stuff to look at and good coffee/soda, but other than that...

Nothing.