Slashdot Mirror


Angry Villagers Run Google Out of Town

Barence writes "A Google Street View car has been chased out of a British village by angry residents. The car was taking photographs of Broughton in Buckinghamshire for Google's when it was spotted by a local resident who warned the car not to enter the village then roused his neighbors, who surrounded the vehicle until the driver performed a U-turn and left. 'This is an affluent area,' protester Paul Jacobs said. 'We've already had three burglaries locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are plastered all over Google it's an invitation for more criminals to strike. I was determined to make a stand, so I called the police.'"

41 of 1,188 comments (clear)

  1. To the Google Security Team by diablovision · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was driving close to the Googleplex the other day and spotted what I thought was one of those infernal google camera cars, so I drove up next to it and stared, holding a bizarre contorted face for as long as possible. Turns out it was just Google security. Sorry security man, I thought I could be famous....

    --
    120 characters isn't enough to explain it.
  2. Re:That would be nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "This is an affluent area. We've already had three burglaries locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are plastered all over Google it's an invitation for more criminals to strike."

    An affluent area hey? Thanks for the info.

    -Burglars.

  3. Ah, Little Britain... by Archimedean · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is a local street for local people!

  4. hey, moron by geekoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    the burglars already know where you live.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  5. Re:Google Maps by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's nothing just wait until I finish my iBurgle application for the iPhone which automatically scans google's database and directs you the nearest rich persons house!

    --
    "I only speak the truth"
    Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
  6. Re:Surprising by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 5, Funny

    Honestly, all they had to do to get him to leave was offer food.

    --
    "I only speak the truth"
    Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
  7. Re:That would be nice by dotgain · · Score: 2, Funny

    When StreetView is outlawed, only outlaws will use StreetView

  8. Re:What kind of cowards do they hire? by Chyeld · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think the obvious solution here is to equip Google cars with sharks. I don't care how angry your mob is, lets see it mess with a shark.

  9. In other news by hampton · · Score: 2, Funny

    In other news, Chrysler calls Google and offers them a great deal on some less recognizable cars.

  10. Re:What kind of cowards do they hire? by Idiomatick · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah but think of the publicity Google gets having street view with a mob in it. I'd check it out. If the group followed the van for a few hours it would be amazing. The whole village would look like it has thousands and thousands of people constantly screaming. And all the faces would be blurred adding to the scary feel. Village of the faceless screaming hicks? Maybe not the same ring as night of the living dead but still.

  11. Re:Glad to see.. by Oswald · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope you die (Sorry if that possibly sounded a little harsh).

    Nah, it's totally cool. And an eternity in hell back atya, buddy.

    BTW, did you know you can actually edit the shit you write before you post it, in case you go, say, completely over the top?

  12. Re:Glad to see.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    this is england, i hear there is proposed legislation that would create a government position to wipe citizens asses, they say it's too dangerous to let people do it themselves as they may get paper cuts from the toilet paper. california legislators say this is landmark legislation and are considering introducing it here.

  13. Re:Nice with the gun control by Hottie+Parms · · Score: 2, Funny

    Also note my crafty and subtle way of injecting a socialist point into my comment when the parent actually didn't mention the word "socialism".

    Crafty indeed. Socialism + me 4evR!

  14. Re:What kind of cowards do they hire? by Daimanta · · Score: 2, Funny

    "AN angry mob can flip a car, break windows, flatten tires."

    And destroy the enemies' SCUD-storm. But watch out for those toxins!

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
  15. Re:That would be nice by mofag · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Streisand Effect should be banned!

  16. I dont use it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Have you ever used streetview?

    Sorry, it uses Flash and JavaScript. I refuse to use those because they are insecure, closed source, and were never part of the W3C standard.

    The web was never meant for this kind of thing and if Google wants me to use it, they should release the source code so I can inspect it first. Then if I determine it is secure, I can compile it an run it on my desktop. The browser is for delivering text containing useful information and text for locating porn. This "web application" delivers neither text nor porn.

    somewhat useful

    I can take pictures of the street with my camera, what is your point? Why do I need their DRM infested flash player to do something anybody can do already?

    1. Re:I dont use it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      RMS, is that you?

  17. Re:Glad to see.. by hoffmanbike · · Score: 5, Funny

    anyone up for a multi-thousand pound Burglary? first we'll go in and case the homes; taking pictures and posting them in a public location so as to not draw attention to ourselves......

  18. Re:Glad to see.. by devloop · · Score: 2, Funny

    Whoa!, lots of details there, Tommy. Sounds like you've been giving this idea more than a fleeting thought.

  19. Re:Alternatives by moosesocks · · Score: 5, Funny

    Better idea:

    Organize a huge mob of people to visit the village "because it wasn't on Google, and wanted to know what it was like"

    --
    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
  20. Re:What kind of cowards do they hire? by John+Hasler · · Score: 5, Funny

    Might scare off the burglars, too.

    --
    Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
  21. Re:Google Maps by __aasqbs9791 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You wouldn't want them taking your soul, would you?

  22. See, but by einhverfr · · Score: 5, Funny

    the government always has everyone's best interest at heart! More surveillance is good, as long as the government does it, right?

    --

    LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
  23. Get off My Lawn!! by MacColossus · · Score: 2, Funny

    ya damned kids and your google. We never had google when I was a kid. If you wanted porn you had to peek into the crack in the side of the outhouse.

  24. Re:cant wait by eihab · · Score: 2, Funny

    Am I the only one that read this article...

    Probably.

    --
    If you can't mod them join them.
  25. Re:Glad to see.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    What if you say your house/yard is a piece of art and send a DMCA take down notice?

  26. British hicks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Village of the faceless screaming hicks? Maybe not the same ring as night of the living dead but still.

    The thing about British hicks, you know... the type that wears tweed clothes, wellies, flat caps and drives around in moss-green landrovers is their infuriatingly stoic nature. In the USA all you need to do to convince a bunch of hillbillies to break out ye-olde lynching rope is to take the lord's name in vain (or mention Darwin). In Britain, however, even when the hicks carry double barrelled shotguns the worst that can happen to you is being invited to tea and cucumber sandwiches and bored to death by stories about the intricacies pheasant hunting. The un-armed variety usually defaults to talking about bovine disease or complaining about the price of manure. Getting them angry is almost impossible, although if you try hard enough you may succeed in getting an emotional outburst. A stiffening upper lip followed by a slightly high voiced "I say!!!" is a good indicator you are getting somewhere. I'm not sure what Google did to enrage them this time. Just driving around taking photos is not a convincing reason. Perhaps some mean-spirited person tacked a sign to the back of the Google van reading something like "God shave the queen" ???

  27. Re:Glad to see.. by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't think outrage is still permitted there unless someone gets shot. My understanding is that it's otherwise limited to mild indignance. Anyone who was actually capable of outrage was put on a leaky boat some time ago. Ironically a huge number of those people ended up making it to a land at least an order of magnitude richer than the land they were kicked off of. Honestly, about the worst things we have here (besides Americans, of course... and German tourists) are poison oak and lyme disease. (Seems about fifty-fifty with Malaria, but it's a lot harder to find a tick than a mosquito if you know what I mean.)

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  28. Google auto-casing? by Torodung · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yup. My next door neighbor's house appears with its front door open on the Google StreetView. You can bet that burgulars are going to take interest.

    Google StreetView is a cool, but bad, idea. Just go there yourself if you're interested in what it looks like, and more importantly, so WE can see what YOU look like, and report any suspicious activity to the police.

    I consider any Google StreetView car to be engaging in a "suspicious activity." If I came to your neighborhood and started taking lots of pictures, wouldn't you?

    --
    Toro

    1. Re:Google auto-casing? by TheDugong · · Score: 4, Funny

      What?

      You think that potential burglers are going to see you neighbour's front door is open and think "You beauty! Someone has left their door open! I better get my stripy t-shirt, mask and sack with loot written on the side".

  29. Re:Surprising by Rufty · · Score: 4, Funny

    In order to combat the menace of Google street view cars CCTV must be installed!

    --
    Red to red, black to black. Switch it on, but stand well back.
  30. Re:What kind of cowards do they hire? by microbee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Village of the faceless screaming hicks

    There you are just being stupid. How could you tell people are screaming if they are faceless?

  31. Re:Glad to see.. by the_bard17 · · Score: 4, Funny

    There are a couple new devices for folks like you and your daughter, who are trying to keep their private lives private. Keep in mind I have no affiliation with the following sites, I'm just trying to help out ;o).

    http://www.curtainfactoryoutlet.com/
    http://www.thecurtainshop.com/
    http://www.windowblinds.com/
    http://www.blindsgalore.com/

    I've heard they'll even increase the energy efficiency of your home or apartment.

  32. And what about the wishes of the burglars? by Namarrgon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Speaking as an Australian (and therefore a convict who was run out of Britain years ago), I feel there's a staggering lack of respect for such an ancient and popular profession.

    Frankly, if people don't stop discriminating against thieves, robbers, pilferers, bandits, crooks, larcenists, prowlers, plunderers and pirates in general, we're going to see a general strike from the whole industry - and think what that will do during the Economic Downturn!

    --
    Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
  33. Re:Glad to see.. by Antique+Geekmeister · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not the paper cuts, it's the sparks from the flint in their toilet paper causing ignition. I actually visited London a few decades ago: unless it's changed, that paper is a violation of the Geneva convention.

  34. Re:Glad to see.. by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 2, Funny

    no-one cares about cctv cameras cos they don't see shit. The only person who needs to worry is Mr Fuzzy Blob of 12 Blurry Mess Lane, who now gets blamed for every unsolved crime in the country.

  35. Re:Glad to see.. by IceFox · · Score: 3, Funny

    He ripped off my childhood!

    --
    Do you changes clothes while making the "chee-chee-cha-cha-choh" transformation sound?
  36. Re:Surprising by tnk1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    After all, their government has been spying on them considerably more than Google, and it's Google they run out of town?

    Google doesn't have riot shields, batons nor tear gas to deal with unruly villagers. That tends to make them more of a soft target for said villagers than say... the Metropolitan Police.

  37. Re:Surprising by mpe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Google doesn't have riot shields, batons nor tear gas to deal with unruly villagers. That tends to make them more of a soft target for said villagers than say... the Metropolitan Police.

    Nor does Google have the ability to shoot people dead and only get fined for a "health and safety violation".

  38. Re:Glad to see.. by SomeoneGotMyNick · · Score: 3, Funny

    but it turns out that Brits and Yanks wipe their arses in different ways.

    Looks like a new Slashdot poll will be in the works.

    I pick, "Cow-bidet Neal"

  39. Re:Glad to see.. by skinfaxi · · Score: 4, Funny

    You need guns to protect yourself from Google?