Posted on 04/02/2009 11:30:18 AM PDT by SLB
Angry villagers formed a human chain to thwart the progress of a Google Street View car that was in the process of taking photographs of their homes.
Police were called to Broughton in Buckinghamshire yesterday, after furious villagers blocked one of the cars, complaining it was an invasion of their privacy and that the photographs would attract burglaries.
Paul Jacobs, a local resident, spotted the car yesterday morning, thanks to the distinctive 360-degree camera attached to its roof. He told the driver not to enter the village, then roused fellow residents by knocking on their doors. The driver eventually did a U-turn and left the scene.
Google Street View, a controversial mapping service that launched in the UK last month, gives 360-degree views of Britain’s biggest cities, allowing people to take virtual tours from their computers or mobile phones.
In the past six weeks there have been three break-ins in Broughton, near Milton Keynes, and residents fears that the digital photographs of their roads would be used as a tool in further burglaries. Google says the car was on a public road and therefore not breaking the law. The company said it would remove any images that members of the public object to. Mr Jacobs said, “I was upstairs when I spotted the camera car driving down the lane. “My immediate reaction was anger; how dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my consent? I ran outside to flag the car down and told the driver he was not only invading our privacy but also facilitating crime 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. I was determined to make a stand, so ....”
(Excerpt) Read more at technology.timesonline.co.uk ...
Well done!!!
Comming to a town near you.
I tried to get street view of the worst parts of detroit and it didn’t seem to have any.
I wonder what the reaction will be when this happens in a rural area of the US? In some places the car and crew might simply disappear.
“I tried to get street view of the worst parts of detroit and it didn’t seem to have any.”
Because the camera was stolen.
You think our rural residents would stoop to murdering the driver of a Google car? I obviously think more of our rural residents than you do.
Already here for most people.
It came last summer.
It studiously avoided my street (private property).
A non-event if there ever was one.
Meh.
I saw one of these cars going up the next st. from me and quickly whipped out my camera phone and held it in the windshield of my car and the gsv car drove away.
I see from your profile you are from Texas? Don't tell me there are not meth labs in rural areas of the Lone Star State? I am sure the opertors would love the publicity of appearing on Google Earth.
Few, they can't compete with the ones in Mexico.
I think there's a good alternative to violence.
So what? There is no expectation of privacy on a public thoroughfare!
You have a point there. Here in the Bluegrass we not only have the meth labs but there are still quite-a-few unlicensed liqour producers. The first of April the state increased the tax on alcohol by 6% so I imagine the numbers of stills will go up.
I wonder what the reaction will be when this happens in a rural area of the US? In some places the car and crew might simply disappear.
You think our rural residents would stoop to murdering the driver of a Google car? I obviously think more of our rural residents than you do.”
Rural people invented the “Shoot-Shovel-Shut Up” method of dealing with intruders.
I don’t think Hussein will go the street-view route. He’ll prefer installation of Orwells viewscreens in our living rooms.
Having lived in a rural area, the motto is shoot, shovel and shut up...Rural folks don’t like nosy interlopers.... They are not wussy city folks...
Their british !! They have no rights.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.