1y ago

A rant about an experience I had with Google maps today.

I am currently studying in college and part of my college course dictates that I most do a work experience placement. I ended being placed in a charity shop. The first couple of days went well. Its a small little shop in a shopping center so there wasn't much for me to do. So they decided that today I'll do some work in the warehouse where they receive their goods.

They gave me the address but they forgot the bus so I ended taking a bus that stopped at a 20 minutes walk away. I got off the bus and tried to find this warehouse with the help of Google maps. It kept constantly telling me to go in different directions for the next 40 minutes. So I was walking around in 0 degrees Celsius weather is just a jumper. I eventually managed to find the correct area but it was in a big industrial park. I went searching around for 40 minutes and it turns out all they had to identify them is like a tiny wooden sign. So I finally got to my placement nearly 2 hours late. They were quite forgiving about it though since apparently that has happened to a few other before.

33 comments

This morning my colleague was sent to a school she didn't know, so she used GMaps to get the directions. She parked her car, but wasn't able to find the school. She called me and we found out that GMaps sent her almost 1km away from her destination. I gave her the correct address and she was able to find the place, but she was late for work (no big deal anyway). After further inspection, I found out that the school was mapped as an insurance office. I suspect it's a case of vandalism, but who knows.

The last time I used Google Maps for navigation (several years ago), it had me get off a highway, and then get back on it in some strange U-turn situation... I was a guest speaker at an event, but fortunately gave myself plenty of time to get to my destination, as it wasn't a place I've been to before.
I couldn't believe it had me do all that when "continue going straight" would have been the only real option!
So, yeah. It doesn't surprise me that it also gave you and others the runaround. I'm surprised they haven't fixed this problem in all these years. I bet they improved the ad delivery, though.
- Had you accidentally turned on 'avoid highways' by chance? Because the one time that happened to me it was.
  
  Maybe it's a non-US thing, but here in Sweden GMaps will desperately force you onto roads that it has decided are highways or some other kind of "fast" roads I guess and it makes no sense.

I found out that the best way to force Google Maps to update is to make the correct edit in Open Street Maps. Google seems to source its local information from there.
Just an anecdotal example: I live at the end of a cul-de-sac, and I've seen loads of cars drive up to my house, and then gingerly do a 15-point turn (the road is very narrow), and drive back. I checked Google Maps and found that it lists my street as open. I've filled reports with Google several times, and nothing happened. Then, I updated OSM to indicate that at the end of my street there's just a pedestrian footpath to the next street. Within two weeks, the number of cars turning around decreased drastically. I checked Google Maps, and found that they fixed their map. A few years later, there's still the odd car making the mistake, but the only map service I could identify that still didn't update was Apple Maps.
Since then, I've done several edits in OSM (I live in a young estate, with loads of construction still going on, so maps are not very reliable), and Google always picked up these edits.
- I corrected gMaps about 20-30 times over the last few years since we moved into a new building (first renters -- whee!). I actually had work peers submitting corrections too.
  Finally, out of the blue, it was fixed, and now I check weekly for it to revert. Now, fucking UPS losers who can't read huge numbers on the side of the road can find me again ... and drop my package out on the street in front of the building for the free-rangers to steal. You're gonna love how my new presbyopic, astigmatic, myopic eyeglasses feel on your face, you dick.
  I'll try a correction to OSM next time. That's GENIUS.

I've had this happen often enough (while walking) that now I check the map to see the direction I'm going and brute force it, ignoring the instructions. It's at least as handy as a paper map sometimes lol.

As much as I use Google maps, I'm always upset with it. It constantly wants to reroute me to whatever it decides is more "optimal" even when I put in a very specific route. I don't always need the fastest, most fuel efficient, or whatever else Google decides is important route. Sometimes I want to the scenic route and just would like the occasional turn is coming up prompt.
- Also the way to chooses the optimal route is questionable.
  Some times it prefers to do a longer, slower route that includes toll roads... I could understand if it was faster or shorter or both, then paying the toll would be worth, but otherwise...
- This is why I switched to organic maps and OSM

You know people used to use paper maps or just remember directions.
- Jesus.
  Phone is obviously giving bad directions, blindly follows them anyway.
  Travels wearing a jumper in lethally cold weather.
  Too socially broken to ask a stranger for directions.
  Can't figure out how to call the shop or warehouse. Or anyone?
  Took the wrong bus, because "they" forgot which one he needed?
  All of this is Google's fault. (And the warehouse for having a tiny sign.)
  And if I got any of that wrong, it may be because OP can't relate a simple story in proper English.
  
  Ok. I'll clear up some of them.
  I knew at some point so I tried sussing out and travelling in the general direction which is the best I could do in that situation.
  Yeah. I just wake up and forget to put on a cloth sometimes.
  I did eventually. But the thing is a random person on the street isn't going to know which warehouse it us unless they've been there. I asked and I only got vague directions.
  I called. They tried giving me directions but they had other calls to attend to so they couldn't be on the phone the whole time giving me step by step instructions especially when at the the time I called them I was at 20 minutes walk away.
  They didn't give me a bus. They just told me the location so I incorrectly guessed which one it was. I had Google maps open at that point I was convinced I had the right bus until it continued past a turn it was supposed to make to get to my destination. By that point it was too late so I had to get off before I went further off course.
  
  How is this the warehouse's fault?! They have a sign!! This is demonstrably 100% Google's fault for not knowing the numbering system inside a private industrial park and how it maps to exact GPS coordinates. This should work infallibly every time and require absolutely no correction from the business owner or user feedback.
  (/s in case that wasn't abundantly obvious)
  
  Sorry, but what's wrong with a jumper? That's normal cold weather clothing, isn't it?

I've driven all over the South and not had issue. Google's walked me down some truly weird back highways and byways, always got me there. And if I wanted to take a different route, I'd go my own way for a bit, let Google reroute.
Like OP though, once it run me in circles trying to get to the SSA office downtown. My wife started to turn according to directions, "No. Keep going, it's not back there."
Had to turn it off because it was driving me nuts, "Make a U turn." No. "Fuck you blind and deaf?! Make a U turn." Once I got past the glitch, no issue.
- Probably my biggest wish for Google maps is an option for me to turn off any suggestions to make a u turn.
  Maybe it's different in other parts of the world, but around me 90% of the time it's not even legal to make a u turn where it wants me to, most of the rest of the time it's legal but kind of a bad, dangerous idea to try to do one there.
  If I'm not at an actual dead-end I'm not making a u turn. Just reroute me around the block, have me do a lap around a parking lot, take me to the next-closest gas station, whatever you need to do, but a u-turn ain't happening on my watch.

It happens occasionally, you can file a report and fix it.
- I've filed so many reports and they have never fixed any of them. My favorite one was that I was driving along following directions and realized google took me down a private road. No shit, had no idea where I was, but this "road" was definitely someone's field road. In the middle of it there's a car parked to the side, and literally 2 guys, one with a shotgun just stare me down as I drive away. Got back on the main road and got the fuck out of there.
  Reported it to Google as a private road. Nothing changed. Reported again - response with "We didn't find anything wrong". Reported again and still nothing. Reporting is a placebo for google.
  
  Mine was fixed 🤷‍♂️
- Idk. Google Maps has had the wrong location for my mom's address for what seems like forever now. Reporting it has done nothing. It's really frustrating because it means she can't get deliveries from anyone other than USPS, UPS, Amazon, or FedEx. Food deliveries are flat out not possible. It directs people to an entirely different neighborhood.

I've had a few experiences like this. I started using landmarks and the compass to navigate instead but that doesn't take into account things like a sidewalk ending or obstructions which can result in major losses in time

Even though I put the actual address of my home in, it sends me to another address on a different street. There are a lot of one-way streets involved, so it’s not a simple re-route when people end up there. I’ve submitted countless correction requests for years, but of course nothing changes.
- Similarly, Google maps thinks that my driveway on a dead-end street is actually on the street behind my house. Fortunately, it only messes up its directions when you're leaving the house.
  
  That’s so odd that it’s a “one way” mess up!

I’ve stopped using Google Maps for walking directions and use Apple Maps instead. Whenever I use Google Maps, it gave me the most winding, dark backstreet walking route possible, but the same way on Apple Maps was really straightforward.
I really feel like Google is overall degrading.
- Am I taking crazy pills? Apple Maps is first of all (from my experience) orders of magnitude less reliable, and second of all has worthless recommendations and business ratings.

33 comments