# Seen anything odd on Google Maps recently?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 1, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177 "2008-12-01T13:48:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DoubleJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DoubleJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoubleJ)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177/21 "2008-12-03T21:54:57Z")

</div>

> [@sailor](#):
>
> At 38.899, -77.021 , Chinatown in Washington DC, Google Earth shows a big hole in the ground and construction site but in reality there is a huge building which has been completed for quite some time now.

Similarly, the new Wilson Bridge is in the line data (updated yearly, possibly more frequently) but the aerial photography is from when it was being built. So you can see the Beltway float across the Potomac, glancing off the bridge piers on its way across.

(Just zoom into DC in map view, where you can see the southern point of the city, then switch over to “satellite” view with labels on. I’m too lazy to do it 🙂 )

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177/22 "2008-12-03T22:58:35Z")

</div>

I tracked down the town, Army post and airfield I was stationed at in Germany—but didn’t see any blurring. The ATC tower I worked in is gone and the increase in the density of buildings and cars is most disappointing.

Related: My student dentist at the dental school is from the Ukraine. He was most impressed when I visited his home town using the local traffic cams.

I sometimes spend hours at a time looking at a certain on-ramp in Portland hoping to catch a glimpse of an old girl friend.

Help me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177/23 "2008-12-03T23:18:40Z")

</div>

> [@Myself](#):
>
> I sometimes spend hours at a time looking at a certain on-ramp in Portland hoping to catch a glimpse of an old girl friend.
> 
> Help me.

\*Shoots \*\*Myself \*_dead in an uncharacteristic act of mercy_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177/24 "2008-12-03T23:49:35Z")

</div>

> [@DoubleJ](#):
>
> Similarly, the new Wilson Bridge is in the line data (updated yearly, possibly more frequently) but the aerial photography is from when it was being built. So you can see the Beltway float across the Potomac, glancing off the bridge piers on its way across.
> 
> (Just zoom into DC in map view, where you can see the southern point of the city, then switch over to “satellite” view with labels on. I’m too lazy to do it 🙂 )

Good catch! I’ve been crossing over it often but did not think of looking it up. It’s at 38.7931, -77.0345°

Interesting how on the MD side the new and old images merge leaving like the gost of the old deck.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177/25 "2008-12-04T00:27:21Z")

</div>

Airplane parked on the side of HWY 1:

N 36° 39.638 W 121° 48.952

(sorry, I don’t know how to link directly to a GoogleMaps screenshot)

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seen-anything-odd-on-google-maps-recently/475177.md?page=1)