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Google Gone Wrong

I was driving home from New Hampshire with my daughter behind in another car two winters ago and came across a road block. Having to turn around, we decided to use her GPS to guide us back to the highway. The road got narrower and soon turned to dirt. Then the GPS advised us to take a left down a Jeep trail strewn with fallen branches.

That's what came to mind when I heard about Lauren Rosenberg from Los Angeles.

Lauren was in Salt Lake City and wanted to walk to a local park. Google Maps sent her down a highly-traffic sidewalk-free road where she was promptly hit by a car. Now she wants a 100 grand for her troubles.

Apparently Lauren used the mobile version of Google Maps, which offered no warning of the lack of sidewalks and no alternative route. The regular Web version would have had both of those things.

Is Google at fault or was Rosenberg stupid to proceed down an unsafe road? You be the judge at [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on June 04, 2010


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