Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Top 10 Unseen Street View Sights

Tuesday, 3rd June 2008 by Alex

It’s been a whole year since Google first launched their controversial Street View service, and we posted our first Street View sight. Since then we’ve seen the rate of discovery of the most bizarre and unusual finds increase as Google has added more and more US cities to the roster.

With the service due to launch soon in Canada, Italy, Spain, Australia and Japan, we thought we’d mark the one year anniversary with a roundup of the best 10 Street View discoveries that we haven’t already posted to the site.

10) Google camera gets stuck in tree

Yes, this driver forgot he had a giant camera stuck to the top of his car, and drove it into a low-hanging tree.

9) The giant finger of doom

Arrgh! The giant finger of doom! Actually, if you pan round you can see that this is actually an image of a normal-sized man with the world’s biggest hand.

8) Working girls, working

Well, not actually in flagrante, but rather hanging around waiting to possibly um… service some customers?

7) Scuba diver on city street

Well he isn’t a Scuba diver unless he’s in the water. Walking along the road like this just makes him a bit of an idiot.

6) Segway convoy

Rubby ducky rubber ducky, come in, this is ageing geek! We got ourselves a convoy!

5) Usin publik transport: ur doin it rong

Is this the cab’s driver, or a passenger in need of some assistance? Perhaps this person has been subjected to a particularly lethal LOLcat attack?

4) Having to explain the enormously suspicious camera on the top of your car to a police officer

“Yes officer that’s right, taking photos to put on the internet!” *Click*.

3) Man with giant head stomps all over Street View car

A relative of the man with the world’s biggest hand, this man must surely have the largest head on the planet.

2) Post-it attack!

A couple of teenage girls take brilliantly surreal revenge upon somebody, and don’t blink as a car passes recording their actions forever…

1) How not to get IN a car

We’re stunned, we have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on here. Brilliantly bizarre and a worthy winner of the top spot!

18 Responses to 'Top 10 Unseen Street View Sights'

  1. 1. williamj says:

    Brilliant! The #6 entry is a service in Pittsburgh that sponsors Segway tours of the city. It’s a lot of fun, but you get the undeniable feeling that everyone thinks you’re a dweeb. Nonetheless, it’s the best way to tour the city.

  2. 2. Uri says:

    This is the only night-time shot (with bizarre stripes, too), that I’ve found on Streetview: Placemark: here / Google Earth

    Anyone knows if there are others?

  3. 3. Lee Bennett says:

    Haha, the Post-Itâ„¢ car is about 4 miles from my parents’ house in Tampa. Too funny.

  4. 4. Parabellum says:

    Uri, Times Square and surrounding area of Manhattan has tons of night time Street Views.

  5. 5. Parker says:

    Number 4 is an interesting one. That doesn’t seem to be a regular gas station (no building) and the cop is clearly there before the Google car arrives, and after it leaves. I don’t think he got pulled over, it almost looks like he just stopped to chat. Perhaps he needed directions? I’d bet it’s easy to get turned around when you have to drive down every unfamiliar street in the city. Although considering he’s *mapping*, I would hope that wouldn’t be an issue. Who knows?

  6. 6. Keith T. says:

    I think it would be awesome to see the Google car get pulled over (SV watchers have caught it speeding), but it looks like, from the up/down street context, that the Google driver was just pulling over to ask for directions.

    And it looks like the gas pumps were municipal, not for public use — the rock wall by the entrance says “Public Works”.

  7. 7. Keith T. says:

    No joke, a block east of that picture, there’s a place called Raper Park. Uh, stay away.

  8. 8. Keith T. says:

    I think the driver might have been lost…. behind that point, outside Lawson, he Placemark: makes a U-turn / Google Earth.

  9. 9. davide says:

    this is interesting, google driver asking for directions?
    you would think such a car should have a GPS on it, wouldn’t you?
    or couldn’t he look up his position in google maps??

  10. 10. Bubu says:

    Placemark: click here / Google Earth and go to north and than all over LastVegasExpy… :)

  11. 11. koen says:

    I think the person in number 1 left a candy bar somewhere in the trunk and is desperately trying to get it. Not that (s)he needs it…

  12. 12. Josh says:

    I’m a huge fan of #4. I love that he had to stop to get directions. You know he was lost, why else would you be WAY out there? I also love that the street overlay got pulled into the gas station with him. Pretty darn funny.

    I’m thinking #1 is installing a stereo. Getting that giant sub to shake their giant… uh… calves…

  13. 13. bob says:

    Parker, you’re right about the #4. The most unusual thing about this gas station is that you can’t see any brand! No Shell, Texaco, Exxon or Mobil logo…

  14. 14. nova72 says:

    looks like the officer in #4 has a camera in her hand.

  15. 15. nova72 says:

    in number one…does anyone else think its odd they didn’t park in the driveway, rather bumper to bumper on the street.

    as close as the two cars are parked it looks like some sort of partical joke on poor thunderthighs

  16. 16. pirate says:

    The diver on #7 is most probaly just returning from a dive and walking to the dive shop Laguna Sea Sports, which is just around the corner.

  17. 17. Jel says:

    And there I was, thinking it was a Venice street-walker visiting her friends…

  18. 18. EAF says:

    FYI - I just spotted the Google Street View car in Annapolis, MD!

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