Google Maps is good and useful application, works well on mobile phones too nowadays. Found a useful shortcut in Dublin for a 3-mile walk I take often with Google Maps, otherwise I’d never had realised it. And it’s funny to look at peoples houses with street view! Have you found use for Google Maps, stalking or else?
Come on people, you must have some funny stories about Google maps. I’ve used it for work and fun and street view gives lets you how the other half lives!
I can’t say that I have used Google Maps very extensively - I live in an area of very small towns, and basically you have to already know where you are going in order to get there (many streets don’t even have names…). When the street view thing was newer, someone sent me a specific view - apparently they captured a young lady bending over to pick something up. She was wearing a short skirt, and no underwear…now your imagination will have to serve you…and while I believe the photo probably survived on some archive somewhere, I think that Google quickly replaced it with an update, sans upskirt delights. To me, that was proof that the people at Google just don’t know how to enjoy life. So AlanH - what work purpose does Maps serve for you? What fun am I missing (since there is no search for “upskirt photo” in Street View)?
I was shocked that they mapped my little town of 100 people. Virgil, Kansas if anyone wants to see my little town. 
I found Sharrow mill. Its on an unnamed little lane. I can zoom in down their driveway, and pan around to all the body shops and warehouses next to it. Yeah, I use it a lot, but more for play than for real travel help.
I love Google maps! I live in New York City, and I drive a scooter. Since I won’t take it up the highway (the engine is strong enough, but traveling at high speed with careless/insane drivers around me is not a good idea), I always have to find other routes to get around the city. The street view funtion is a life saver. It allows me to recognize new surroundings without actually being there. This eliminates the possibility of getting lost when driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood.
Basically I use Google Maps on cell phone to navigate around Dublin, this is a big city and tricky to get around no matter how long you lived here. Mobile phone application gives your location more or less accurately which is handy in emergencies. And of course I stalk snuff trade partners houses around the world.
I’am afraid of google maps it keeps trying to kill me. Like suggesting that walking down the busy highway where there is no shoulder is the best way to go when it’s shorter to take the back roads and go through a park or two. Seriously google maps wants me dead.
@bob On top of that, the satellite images shown on Google maps can be couple of years old. This means once beautifully paved and smooth road can now be riddled with potholes. Choosing which roads to ride based on images I see from Google maps can be quite tricky. I learnt that lesson the hard way…
I know I just heard something on the news recently about someone suing google for the exact reason Bob mentions. Unfortunately I don’t remember the details. edit: LINK
It Just Sounds Like America to Me.
I noticed google map shows my house at least two years before I bought it. Doesn’t even look like the same house now, Kinda outdated.
@ Carol:- “I was shocked that they mapped my little town of 100 people, little town.” We in the UK would say, not a town, it’s just but a little Hamlet, you just have dirt roads. Also there don’t seem much going on, there.
Yeah, the car parked in the driveway in front of my house belongs to a girl that moved out, almost a year ago.
I can see my old car in my driveway :o that makes me uneasy
I can see my messy backyard as well…oh how embarrassing…
Yeah, I had a friend email and tell me to clean my pool. lol Forget Big Brother, it’s kind of scary how much Google knows about ALL of us.
I use it for mini-vacations. It’s a nice little 15min break from reality.
I use it regularly on my iphone, and on almost all previous cell and smartphones. My HTC Fuze I got second hand with Garmin software installed so I used that typically. However the iPhone Google Maps application is pretty darn seamless. The only thing is I do not like it’s “turn by turn” method. Truly I never really liked that in GPS’s. I get the map up, figure it out, then drive. Reduce behind the wheel distractions as much as possible. Ken
Hey cstokes I love taking mini vacations too. It can be really interesting to explore a random place and just see what you can find. Definatly makes for some good food for thought. I love when you hit seasonal changes (have you had that one yet??)