Google Cars Invade Des Moines
For several years I’ve had the pleasure of helping customers with Google Local, Google Maps and most recently with Google Places. I would venture to bet that our team have spent more time using and optimizing these tools than almost any other person or business in Iowa. Face it…Blue Traffic lives and breathes search engine tools and functionality – and Google has plenty to keep us busy.
On a more personal level, I also enjoy using Google Maps with Street View (try it here) to get a preview of what a neighborhood should look like when I get there. This technology from Google has been around since 2007, and maybe you’ve tried it to check out images of your street or house.
This morning was the first time I’ve ever seen one of those Google cars equipped with the Street View camera. I was at a Kum and Go in West Des Moines when I noticed it pulling away from the gas pump. I managed to get a quick photo with my camera phone, but wished I could have met the person behind the wheel.
Now I need to start watching for the Google Street View Trike and the Street View Snowmobile. Seriously…I’m told they do exist!
Have you ever seen any of these camera equipped Google vehicles in Iowa?
Comment by Des Moines Report:
Always wondered what one of those looked like. Cool you were able to snap a pic.
Comment by Carrie:
I was standing outside of my home when that drove by. So glad I wasn’t published in it because I’m sure my facial expressions would have been priceless!!!
Comment by Lorenz:
I saw the gogole car twice so far in the Des Moines Area. Once on Mills Civic Parkway heading west towards the mall. I waived to the camera hoping to appear on the street view function. A week later i saw the same car ( i think) in Ankeny on Orlabor Drive also headng west past the DMACC campus. I waived to the camera again!
Comment by ted lietner:
Saw the google map car on Jordan Creek Parkway driving past mall, it looked like it had a tarp over the camera (it was raining earlier in the day). I wanted to turn around to see if I could get on a google map but had to get to work. The camera looked as if it was angled down with the brown tarp over so I assume it wasn’t on but maybe it’s was an optical illusion. It looked just like the picture above and this pic looks like the Kum and Go off of Mill Civic and 50th. It was kinda cool to see it.
Comment by Laura:
We must have seen it at the same time. I took a picture on my phone, but it wasn’t so clear as I took it while on the road (at a stop). I agree it had a tarp or something over it.