Street View prowls Outer Hebrides

Those among you who might have wondered just how far you have to travel to escape the attention of Google all-seeing Street View should be advised that the answer is Rockall, or any other place accessible only by sea - at least until the Great Satan of Mountain View bolts a spycam to a submarine snorkel and scours the world's …

[TeeCee]

!Opel.

'Ang on. That hebridean snoopmobile ain't an Opel, so the usual "Orwellian Opel" doesn't apply.

Anyone got any admirably alliterative adjectives beginning with "F" for use with inquisitive Fords......?

[Liam Pennington]

Oh Great

You see, I went camping on Eigg and Canna to escape this sort of thing. What exactly is there on Uist that Google is so desparate to scan?

[Tony Paulazzo]

Actually

My view on street view has changed. I was contacted by a company asserting I'd agreed to place an ad with them. After checking them out I got the impression they were a semi legit scam company. So I checked out their address in Street view to find a building that lets out offices on flexible and temporary arrangements, (sign in the window with a legible phone number). So that, along with advice from consumer direct and various forums, saved me £250.

If you want to opt out of Google:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/google_opt_out_feature_lets_users

[Bilgepipe]

Sure?

I can't see a Google logo on the side of that, and the camera looks different. And don't Google usually use Vauxhalls in the UK? I sense inaccuracy...

Black Helicopter, just in case Google come after me for knowing too much.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bare Faced Cheek

Who the hell do Google think they are? If some random bloke walked up to your house, took a photo of it and then published it on one of the most visited websites in the world all for his own profit, I imagine you would be a little concerned.

When are Google going to start paying royalties to the property owners?

And no, telling me I can opt-out, is not a answer.

[Paul 4]

@Bilgepipe

Your looking at the wrong car. It is the car behind the Ford in the pic

[greenwoodma]

It's the car behind the ford

It doesn't look as if Google has changed to using Ford cars. If you look closely enough at the photo you will see that the camera is actually mounted on a black car behind the ford. Can't see if it is an Opal but I'd guess so.

[Duncan Hothersall]

In case these comments are serious please note

it's the car behind the Ford that has the camera on it.

[Anonymous Coward]

@TeeCee

The G-car is behind the ford!

Goggles Obviously!

[Anonymous Coward]

@Bare faced fuckwit

If some random bloke walked up to your house, took a photo of it and then published it on one of the most visited websites in the world, I imagine you would be a little concerned.

Nope!

PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT A CRIME!

F.o.a.d.

[Campbeltonian]

Safer for the cameras?

At least on North Uist, the camera isn't likely to come a cropper while travelling under a railway bridge.

http://news.cnet.com/google-street-view-camera-low-bridge-uh-oh/

I wonder, what ways could a Street View camera come a cropper on the Western Isles?

[asiaseen]

@Campbeltonian

Attacked by an angry flock of sheep pictured pastorally fornicating?

[Christoph]

What about Venice?

When are Google going to Street Map Venice? And how? Will those cameras fit on a gondola?

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: Bare Faced Cheek

AC wrote: " If some random bloke walked up to your house, took a photo of it and then published it on one of the most visited websites in the world all for his own profit, I imagine you would be a little concerned."

Maybe. If there were MILLIONS of other houses there then yours would have to be pretty special house for anyone to want to look at it - shaped like a giant horse or something. Of course, anyone buying a house that's shaped like a giant horse is only doing that because they want people to look at it.

So your point negates itself really.

[Fred Flintstone]

@ Bare Faced Cheek

To all the idiots who state that photography is not a crime, publishing it worldwide without the subjects permission is illegal in quite a few countries.

And if you'd proceed to zoom in on my windows (like Google allows you to do) the last picture you'll take will be of a heavy object approaching at escape velocity, aimed to disable the camera and probably you as well (can't leave any witnesses, just ask Tony Martin). I know that's illegal too, so the two acts ought to cancel each other out (no, I'm kidding, but the debate isn't as black and white as some people make it out to be).

Incidentally, yesterday Google has been told by the Swiss Data Protection guys that they are sharpening the axe (cue metal grinding sounds of a halibert). First off, they are to retake all the pictures they have taken at eye height, because there's a reason why people build fences (hello, remember Japan?), they are to remove small private streets from the database and they are supposed to fix all those unmasked faces and license plates. Oh, and all of that in 30 days or they'll be talking to the court.

The Google response was underwhelming: "lots of people enjoy our services". Well, yes, but that doesn't paper over the fact that they were told what to do and didn't. Simple IMHO. I'm a top floor dweller so it's not my problem, but I did some checking in London and Switzerland and the detail in the windows you can zoom into is really going beyond "Street" view, it's more "Living room" view..

[Jamie Kitson]

Another Spot

My sister was followed all the way from Partridge Green to Steyning (West Sussex). No picture though I'm afraid.

[Jason 71]

Hmm....

That pic has to be fake

I spent 18 months based on the Outer Hebrides while in the RAF and there was NEVER 3 cars in the same place at the same time.

You would be lucky to see any cars if you were out driving

[Peter Hewitt]

Recovering its tracks

I was also excited to see the google car going through Dundee, filling in the gaps from its last trip.

Naturally having spied it coming down my street I instantly slammed myself against my window to try and get my mug on the site :)

Paris, because everyone has seen her Outer Hebredies... Maybe coat then...

[RW]

I like Streetview

But, alas, when Streetview visited my city, it probably missed the narrow lane leading to my house, sob, sob.

I've used Streetview to look at old stomping grounds in various American cities: Pasadena, Rochester, Washington DC. I don't expect to ever again visit these places in person, so it's pleasant to be able see what they look like now. (In general, they've all gone to the dogs and the downtowns are largely devoid of the retail businesses they once had.)

Cripey, they've even covered Beach, North Dakota, about as isolated a place as one can imagine!

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=46.913689,-104.005165&spn=0,359.944897&z=14&layer=c&cbll=46.919128,-104.007759&panoid=rYsT0P09O5CJ5l4a_8X7ZA&cbp=12,0,,0,5

My beef with Streetview is that it's filled with small gaps like this one

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.215666,-122.133808&spn=0.012868,0.027552&z=15

Plus random omissions, a block here, a block there. Yes, if a street is blocked off for repaving

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.953335,-76.945163&spn=0,359.993112&z=17&layer=c&cbll=38.953421,-76.945174&panoid=18LseaYfAZf7gtVbb7wNFA&cbp=12,257.12,,0,0.37

they can't Streetview it at the time, but one can't help but hope Google will work to fill in the infinity of small, annoying omissions. Getting all those gaps filled in is the difference between interesting but annoying and genuinely useful.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Anonymous Coward Tuesday 15th September 2009 14:35 GMT

No, photography isn't a crime, but, y'know, as a photographer myself, I think its polite to ask permission first. If I don't ask, then its very likely sooner or later I'm going to find my camera shoved where the sun don't shine and a black eye for good measure.

[makingprogress]

@TeeCee

Hello, looks like I sent a confusing photo in: no need for conspiracy theories, here's a shot of the Opel: http://yfrog.com/29scotland09124j

About the only other car on the island of a few hundred people, a few thousand and one single-track road. This was one of the few passing places, hence that massive spot of congestion.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ilicit relations?

That googlemobile seems to be showing an unhealthy interest in the Ford in front. I think it probably had sex with it in the next lay-by, and that a bumper crop of bananas will result.

[Anonymous Coward]

Seen in Stornoway

Seen in Stornoway (Isle of Lewis) around 6am on 3rd August, travelling Northwards on (surprisingly enough) North St. at 58º12'21.6"N, 6º21'18.79".

[A nony mouse cow herd]

Also

At least the Outer Hebrides have something of interest to spies like the Benbecula missile range. I was on Colonsay on 24 June 2009 and one of their photo cars was there ( no photo evidence since I failed to grab my camera in time). Basically Colonsay has one circular road and the chances of getting lost or not finding your destination are nil. Having said that I did meet some people who missed the turning for Oronsay!

Cheers