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Google Maps has been around since 2005 and since then, the platform has expanded to the point where it offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets, even real-time traffic conditions and route planning.

However, as a byproduct of all these cameras constantly documenting the world, we also get countless weird, awkward, and hilarious moments preserved online forever. The subreddit ‘Google Maps Shenanigans’ is full of screenshots capturing exactly that, from strange street encounters to perfectly timed coincidences, funny technological glitches, and much, much more.

#1

Google Maps Approved My Photo For The Vet

Google Maps shenanigans dark street view at 1021 N 5th St with dim lights

SexLiesAndExercise Report

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    #2

    Maps Suggested I Rent A Scooter To Cross A River (There's No Bridge)

    Google Maps route showing electric scooter share travel time from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas

    Jesus Christ on an electric scooter.

    TheMightyPPBoi Report

    #3

    Shout Out To The Google Streetview Guy In 2016 Who Did His Job At Night

    Google Maps route with highlighted public transport path on satellite map

    Sufficient_Two_5753 Report

    #4

    University Of Edinburgh

    Aerial view of University of Edinburgh location repeatedly labeled on Google Maps shenanigans

    frankieepurr Report

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    #5

    This Route Is Only Legally Possible Like This

    Google Maps shenanigans route map with blue and red lines and travel details in dark mode

    Dense_Govt1506:

    This is not even possibile because Moroccan-Algerian border is closed since 1984. You have o cross the Gibraltar Strait and get a ship back to Algeria.

    Hot-Mouse9809 Report

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    #6

    Elon Musk Naming A Street At The Spacex Facility In Texas "Memes Street"

    Google Maps dog on driveway captured in a funny Google Maps shenanigans photo

    25°59'30.1"N 97°11'00.0"W

    reddit.com Report

    #7

    Why?

    Google Maps navigation showing Aleja Partyzantow route and surrounding forest area

    PauseNervous5600 Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    51 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looking at the road layout, they're being directed the wrong way on the roundabout and into oncoming traffic. You just know some will blindly follow the satnav.

    #8

    Abandoned Real-Estate Development In Dubai; The Streets Are Covered In Sand

    Google Maps aerial view of roundabouts in a desert landscape

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    #9

    Streetview Car Drives Up Driveways?

    Google Maps aerial view of suburban roads and houses surrounded by greenery

    42.504387721572456, -83.45006802754308.

    Organic_Award5534:

    The driver is told to drive all roads in the prescribed area, but there are a few reasons driveways or private roads could be captured:

    Some of the roads in the area might be very narrow and the driver mistook the driveways for narrow roads.

    The driver is very new to the job and want to do the job thoroughly - Google marks many driveways and road on maps and this may have thrown off the driver.

    These small roads might actually be classed public roads, despite looking like driveways. Can happen in rural areas where people have long driveways.

    Another reason is that the driver was told to be more thorough this time as the area is lacking in street view coverage. Sometimes local areas ask Google to be more thorough because they benefit from Streetview in some way.

    reddit_god694200 Report

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    #10

    Weird City In The Middle Of The Desert

    Satellite view of the Burning Man festival layout in the Black Rock Desert on Google Maps

    asunyra1:

    I’ve helped build that city and take it back down again about a dozen times over the last 25 years : )
    It’s “Black Rock City”, aka Burning Man

    fortnitefishyman Report

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    #11

    Found A Plane Flying Over Cape Town Airport

    Satellite image of Cape Town International Airport with a large ghostly airplane figure on Google Maps

    awtizme:

    Wow it's literally a 3D object lol
    Altitude is 1.09km

    No idea what the thing attached underneath is

    oretah_ Report

    #12

    I'm Glad Google Is Taking Cow Privacy Seriously

    Google Maps street view showing a cow walking along a canal path as an unusual shenanigan

    nomanskyprague1993 Report

    #13

    Saw This While I Was Just Looking At My Area On Google Earth

    Satellite image showing a Google Maps error with a steep cliff along a rural public footpath

    wiseguy4519:

    This is probably a seam between two different data sources for elevation.

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    #14

    This Is Slightly Pissing Me Off

    Map highlighting Naval Air Weapons Station near California and Arizona

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    #15

    Circleville

    Aerial view of Circleville with circular fields from Google Maps shenanigans

    WelchRedneck Report

    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    Deformed Horse Glitch

    White horse grazing by roadside on a rural area captured on Google Maps

    Uh-oh, looks like a new breed of horse! This was in State Of Bahia, Brazil.

    Bulky-Afternoon2169 Report

    #17

    A Floating Head At The Georgia Guide Stones

    Woman's head appears to float on ground in Google Maps shenanigan

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    #18

    For Anyone Wondering Why America Drives So Many Cars, This Is Why

    Google Maps shenanigans with distorted road view and scribbles obscuring image

    I spent 7 years living in Germany and traveled much of Europe. It opened my eyes to how efficient and convenient public transportation is when networked across a whole continent. I grew up in rural Georgia (US) and never gave public transit a second thought. Now that I'm back, America feels really behind.

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    #19

    Found An Accident In Japan And Also Completed An Investigation

    Google Maps shenanigans showing a flipped car on road with a woman nearby in rural area

    MrCloppity Report

    #20

    Someone’s Dog Chasing The Street View Car

    Google Maps image of a black dog on porch and street in Google Maps shenanigans

    milksicle Report

    #21

    Weird Flying Skull And Monk?

    Google Maps shenanigans showing a person on a hill and a giant skull-shaped balloon in sky

    So I found this by wanting to see how much snow was in Alaska weirdly enough. My husband was considering taking a job there so I checked Google Maps. How did I end up looking at this specific point? I remembered the old story I was told in grade school about the person naming Iceland and Greenland the opposite of each other and pulled the map over there. Then I saw weird strand like images and zoomed in to try to figure out what they were. I believe they are ice but this little dot was the closest point to the ice strand things. Any thoughts on if this is a real... statue? It is so strange and to me looks edited in. If it is edited in, how do they end up doing it? This is my first post so sorry if the editing question has been answered before in a different post. Thank you!

    magicmike87:

    This is a user upload opposed to a street view image. This person has contributed a few hundred times and often contains wacky pixel art.

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    #22

    What Is This Weird Jet On Cvn 77 In Google Maps. It Was At Naval Station Norfolk

    Google Maps satellite view of an aircraft parked on a runway

    It looks like a mini b1 lancer because of its (probably) swept wings.

    cyanide_sunrise2002:

    Looks like a hornet. Perhaps an image artifact making the wings look weird.

    Fleetwyre Report

    #23

    I Was Browsing On Google Maps And Saw A Completely Censored Area. I Think It Might Be Someone’s House, But I’ve Never Seen Anyone Have Their Private Property Censored Before

    Google Maps satellite image of a small island with a building obscured by pixelation

    While browsing Google Maps, I found a symmetrically censored area. There isn’t even the smallest settlement around it, and the surroundings are completely rocky with no structure that looks like a pier. Do you think it’s an error, or could it be a military area? Link

    Opposite_Bus1878:

    It's basically just some rock outcrop.

    daldaley Report

    #24

    What Does This Node Represent?

    Google Maps map of Terminal 4 with red arrows pointing to an eraser mark anomaly

    I saw this when looking at JFK airport and it looks common around different parts of airports. I'm sure its obvious but any info would be interesting.

    Longjumping_Gap_9325:

    Ticketed Turnstiles from what I can tell? This is at SFO in the BART area.
    That or paper shredder locations to take care of any paperwork before security or Customs & Border?

    reddit.com Report

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    #25

    Aye Aye, Cap’n! I’ll Just Take A Curved Detour Through A Bunch Of Buildings Then

    Google Maps aerial view showing N Glenoaks Blvd route and nearby landmarks in detailed shenanigans view

    bring_me_egg Report

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    #26

    The English Tradition Of Showing Two Fingers

    Google Street View image of a person at 189 Hylton Rd Sunderland showing unexpected street capture

    Note the beverage and attire. Sunderland, North East England.

    ATrueNaturesChild Report

    #27

    Rip The Invisible Stone (Hannover, Germany)

    Cars stuck on rocks at a Shell gas station parking lot in Google Maps shenanigans

    At a gas station driveway in Groß-Buchholz (Hannover, Germany) there once was an unassuming stone that was invisible to any motorist coming along … the little rock turned out to be one of the best-rated sites in Hannover, with 167 Google reviews averaging 4.9 stars, most of which are absolutely savage (search for Der unsichtbare Stein). Unfortunately, his outstanding camouflage abilities lead to him being removed by the city - as can be seen from a recent Google Maps picture - but his memory lives on.

    PetitAneBlanc Report

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    #28

    Found This Structure With A Moat Around It In Cottageville, SC. Can’t Find Any Info On It

    Top-down satellite image of a circular moat and castle structure on Google Maps

    junipertwist:

    It's a house, 12146 Round O Rd, Round O, SC 29474

    PineappleFirefighter Report

    #29

    The"Volvo Island" Now Has A Second Volvo

    Google Earth street view of cars oddly parked in water at Volvo Island location

    CakeDOTexe Report

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    #30

    Can Anyone Tell Me What Is This Or What Is Happening Here?

    Aerial view of a keyhole-shaped body of water on Google Maps

    TIMPA9678:


    It's an artificial pond used for weapons testing. They put boats in and shoot them as well as testing underwater explosives.

    addictivestuff Report

    #31

    Street View Facial Recognition Blurs Out The King Of NY Biggie Memorial In Brooklyn

    Mural of a crowned figure blurred on a building in Google Maps shenanigans

    AmateurJenius Report

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    #32

    Dentist Appointment

    Tattoo artist working on client with Google Maps city map background

    DowntownClassic1738:

    Looks more like the piercing, there’s no tattoo machine seen, no barrier covers, the package from steriliser laying on the table - not the tattoo setup definitely.

    Jacksfan2121 Report

    #33

    16 Years Ago, £1 For A Pizza And £8 For A Family Meal. Crazy Times

    Google Maps showing pizza shop menu with prices on Gower Rd storefront

    MumsSpagBowl Report

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    #34

    Half Of Brest Is Censored Out

    Google Maps blurry distortion over Brest, France satellite view

    NSFW

    atom644 Report

    Cé Vi
    Community Member
    44 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Perhaps because it's the Brest harbor and its LA ROYALE Navy military installations...

    #35

    The Elusive 6x2 Camaro

    Orange six-wheeled car glitch spotted on Google Maps

    42.278477° -88.150577°

    trek7000 Report

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    #36

    Paratroopers During An Exercise

    Google Maps aerial view of a plane casting multiple shadows on a field

    Spotted in Argentina.

    VanillaFine3920 Report

    #37

    Same Guy, Same Place, Same Jacket, But 3 Years Appart

    Google Maps street view of two men next to a building with a private parking sign

    This guy waited 3 years at the same spot for the streetview car to come back.

    Geologue-666 Report

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    #38

    This Tunnel Progressively Turns Pink

    Google Maps tunnel view showing Ternate Nasugbu Rd with navigation labels

    got-a-friend-in-me Report

    For All Pedernity
    Community Member
    7 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OP really thinks it's the tunnel turning pink...?

    #39

    I Found A Lightning Mcqueen In Belgium

    Car painted like Lightning McQueen from Cars movie spotted on Google Maps

    This is actually a Mazda MX5 Miata from 2016 and up.

    Bulky-Afternoon2169 Report

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    #40

    Looky The Little Adorable Lambs!

    Sheep grazing near road captured by Google Maps in Wales

    Now get away from the street. Drivers do not care about the lives of others.
    [52°32'04.4"N 3°42'06.7"W]

    LoganPine Report

    #41

    Ryan Dunn's Skid Marks From His Crash :(

    Google Maps shenanigans image of veterinary cat clinic with cat behind desk

    Wood_Yi Report

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    #42

    This Sports Bar Used To Be A Hollywood Video Store. They Reused Parts Of The Original Sign

    Front view of Big Woody's Sports Bar & Grill exterior captured on Google Maps

    thrakkerzog Report

    #43

    Excellent Suggestion Google Maps 👏

    Google Maps route screenshot highlighting a 12-minute slower alternate route on Annagh Rd

    norwegian_unicorn_ Report

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    #44

    There's A Permanently Parked Plane In Costa Rica That Has Pics All Around It

    Google Maps showing a puzzling airplane shape made of blue circular icons

    StuD44 Report

    #45

    Breaking The Law Is A Serious Crime In Oyo State, Nigeria

    Google Street View showing a billboard warning about law-breaking in Oyo State

    Found this message from the government of Oyo State in Eruwa (7°32'20.5"N 3°25'28.7"E)

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    #46

    A Giant Cruise Liner Emerged In The Tilted 45° View

    Google Maps aerial view of a harbor area with red markings highlighting map shenanigans

    While exploring Helsinki on Google Maps, I came across something interesting in the 45° tilted view, something that wasn’t visible at all in the standard 2D imagery.
    In the regular map tiles, nothing noteworthy. But switch to the 45° view (pseudo 3D), and suddenly, a massive cruise ship appears docked at the harbor. After a bit of searching, I found out it might be the Carnival Splendor.
    You can still see it here on the map (as of now): https://h2h.run/CTILW9WAC/IO6/ (60.152992°, 24.914309°)
    What’s especially disappointing is that Google Maps’ 45° view API is scheduled to be discontinued soon, something I only found out yesterday.
    While the high-res 3D tiles have their strengths, they often suffer from severe distortion at close range. In contrast, the 45° imagery offers a more photorealistic and grounded view, and occasionally captures interesting scenes, like this cruise ship.

    No_Beautiful9412 Report

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    #47

    Ah Yes, The Good 'Ol Days When Maps Would Tell You To Swim 3,000 Miles Across An Ocean

    Google Maps directions with unusual swim across the Atlantic Ocean step

    Sufficient_Two_5753 Report

    #48

    Thanks Google, I Like Doing Completely Useless Loops For No Reason At All

    Google Maps screenshot showing shared bike and walking path route map

    I've seen Google give some pretty whack directions before, but this one makes absolutely no sense to me.
    When travelling from the top left to the bottom right, if transportation mode is set to biking or walking, this is the directions it give for either of the 2.
    Instead of just simply crossing the bridge, which has a shared pathway from biking and walking, it's suggesting I get off the road, take a trailway down the hill, then cross under the bridge, then come back up the hill on the other side of the road, then onto the shared pathway on the left side of the road, and then cross the bridge over the river.
    No, let's not use the crosswalk to get to the left side of the road and then just simply cross the bridge on the shared pathway on the left side of the bridge. That would be too difficult.
    Also, on a bike, I'm not even obligated to use the shared pathway, I could also just stay on the right side of the road and cross the bridge on the road with the cars. But even if it wants me to stay on the shared pathway, there's still absolutely no reason for this loop de loop down and under the bridge and back up 🤣

    APickledMelon Report

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    #49

    Two Women In Japan Waving At Google Earth Car!

    Two people waving sitting on sea wall captured in Google Maps Street View

    Fredivara Report

    #50

    It Looks Like Google Maps Has Already Started Documenting The Demolition Of The East Wing Of The White House

    Satellite view of the White House with Google Maps shenanigans overlay

    poop_dawg Report

    #51

    Why Are These Businesses On The Moon?

    Blurry satellite image showing NASA area with Google Maps shenanigans icons

    UniversalFlameGame Report

    #52

    Home Extension

    Old building with a precariously supported balcony captured in Google Maps shenanigans

    Navstar27 Report

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    #53

    Baldwin Street, New Zealand. The Steepest Street In The World. You Bet I Would've Sent It Down Here On My Bike When I Was Younger

    Street view of steep Baldwin St with houses and greenery from Google Maps

    MumsSpagBowl Report

    #54

    Quick Detour Through The Hotel Lobby?

    Google Maps satellite view displaying navigation route on Breite Str street

    Prookarus Report

    #55

    Random Field In Ohio Labeled "Kjbkn", Complete With A Designated Entrance

    Satellite view of oddly named area kjbkn in Russia, Ohio, USA on Google Maps

    red_brobster421 Report

    #56

    Airplane Rat King

    Aerial view of numerous parked planes at Iran Aseman Airline Headquarters on Google Maps

    Surely all these planes can’t be stored like this? Can anyone explain what I’m seeing? I assume this is multiple pictures overlaid.

    Correct-Water9057 Report

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    #57

    There’s A Few Streets Around Eccles, Manchester, UK Where The Street View Camera Is Of Inside The Car Rather Than The Street

    Inside a car with camera gear capturing Google Maps street view images

    wardyms Report

    #58

    Blued Out Cars?

    Google Maps satellite view showing Shamrock Rd parking area with multiple vehicles

    BeachProducer:

    Those are plastic wrapped boats for long term storage. The business is Boulder Marine Center & many ship yards use basically a shrink wrap for storage protection.

    InternPlantAddict Report

    #59

    Weird Part Of France Where Everything Is Purple

    Google Maps street view of a residential street in Saint Germain with purple hue effect

    n108bg:

    Looks like le infrared camera?

    Anon:

    Yep, the part of the camera that filters out infrared is broken or missing. Fun fact: every digital camera can capture infrared light, it just gets filtered out.

    Chayzer999 Report

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    #60

    How Are Kids Supposed To Play On This Installation?

    Playground with swings and yellow tunnel in Google Maps view

    astrocrat:

    "Sit in the short tube" was my favorite game as a child.

    Navstar27 Report

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    #61

    Uhhh (Saint-Aubin, France)

    Google Maps glitch distorts landscape image in Gers, France

    cesarainyt Report