I've Been Cartographed!
I walked out of my house this morning and observed an unfamiliar vehicle on Newton Court.
I waved. The driver waved back.
It was the vividly decorated Google Street View car!
As he trundled off down the squiggly streets of my suburban neighborhood, I realized, with rising excitement, that there was a chokepoint he must pass in a few minutes, and that I had my camera in my car. When he came to the corner of Wydown and White Barn, I was ready to shoot.
I'm afraid I may have stalked him for a while.
The driver of California 6KKS765 appeared human, and quite lifelike. With Google, this cannot be taken for granted.
In a few months, when White Barn Road is painted into Street View at long last, look for me. I will be in my driveway. I will also be on the corner of Wydown and White Barn. I will be leaning out the window of a red car in a couple of other places, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind your point of view. My neighborhood will be filled with little red cars.
If you knew that Google was just about to come down your street, what would you do? Hide? Dress up? Make a sign?
My excitement at following a gaily-painted vehicle cruising through my neighborhood put me in mind of the ice cream truck.
Around here, the loudspeaker on the ice cream truck plays "Turkey in the Straw" (despite the fact that the Ice Cream Man does not, so far as I know, sell any turkey, not even turkey-flavored popsicles).
Wouldn't the residents like to know that Google's Mapmobile is passing through, inhaling pictures hither and yon? Wouldn't it be nice if the Mapmobile were to announce itself by playing a cheery tune?
And this wasn't even the most exciting thing that happened today.
EDITED TO ADD: Now read the rest of the story. Images of me surfaced on Street View at the end of 2012.
I waved. The driver waved back.
It was the vividly decorated Google Street View car!
As he trundled off down the squiggly streets of my suburban neighborhood, I realized, with rising excitement, that there was a chokepoint he must pass in a few minutes, and that I had my camera in my car. When he came to the corner of Wydown and White Barn, I was ready to shoot.
I'm afraid I may have stalked him for a while.
The driver of California 6KKS765 appeared human, and quite lifelike. With Google, this cannot be taken for granted.
In a few months, when White Barn Road is painted into Street View at long last, look for me. I will be in my driveway. I will also be on the corner of Wydown and White Barn. I will be leaning out the window of a red car in a couple of other places, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind your point of view. My neighborhood will be filled with little red cars.
If you knew that Google was just about to come down your street, what would you do? Hide? Dress up? Make a sign?
My excitement at following a gaily-painted vehicle cruising through my neighborhood put me in mind of the ice cream truck.
Around here, the loudspeaker on the ice cream truck plays "Turkey in the Straw" (despite the fact that the Ice Cream Man does not, so far as I know, sell any turkey, not even turkey-flavored popsicles).
Wouldn't the residents like to know that Google's Mapmobile is passing through, inhaling pictures hither and yon? Wouldn't it be nice if the Mapmobile were to announce itself by playing a cheery tune?
Click to viewAnd this wasn't even the most exciting thing that happened today.
EDITED TO ADD: Now read the rest of the story. Images of me surfaced on Street View at the end of 2012.