Derry on Google Street Maps

[ziggysego]

There is outrage in Derry at the recent announcement by  the internet,
giant Google that Derry is to be included in the Google Street  View
application. Google Street View allows users to navigate a  city's
streets right down at road level. The Google Street View car  has
already been seen travelling the streets of Derry taking pictures  for
it's web site.

There have been some concerns about privacy issues  concerning Google
Street View. When the Belfast edition was launched, it  seemed that
users where able to see inside police stations and identify car  number
plates, but Google has since removed these images.

There have  been also concerns in Derry but for different reasons. 'Big'
Danny McCallion  from Creggan claims that the car taking pictures may
affect his career. "I do  a wee few odd jobs now and then on the quiet,
and then I sign on the dole as  well, what if the car takes a picture of
me working and then also takes a pic  of me leaving the bru? It's a,
bloody disgrace, us Derry people are always  getting picked on." said
Danny.

Many people in Derry are disabled and  the City has the highest level of
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants  per 100 people in the UK.
This is evident with the number of BMW's and 4  Wheel drive jeeps in the
city centre car parks that have the disabled driving  badge on their
window screens. Monica Bradley from Shantallow says she  is worried
about the affect that the Google Street View car may have  on her
disability. "Well I'm on the DLA for a sore arm and can't move that
well. I have a wee special DLA car and I'm on a constant prescription of
pain  killers. But I work in a wee shop a few days a week so what if
this Google  car crashes into my DLA car? I'll not be able to work in my
wee job. It's  desperate altogether."?

In the leafy Bogside there seemed to be more open  minded views.
Mackers, standing outside the Bogside Inn along with several of  his
friends, all with their hoods up, had no concerns about the Google  car
taking pictures. "Lefal hi, sure I'll just keep the hood up and  the
Celtic scarf up round the face so they can take as many pictures  as
they want, I don't give a ****. As long as they don't take pictures  of
us torching tourist cars on William Street or lobbing bricks up at  the
Fountain. You looking for any wingers then?"

Meanwhile in the  notorious Ballymagroarty housing estate, there are
similar concerns. 'Bally  Mac', as it affectionately known by it's
residents, is famous due to having  in the early 1990's the highest
concentration of single mothers in a housing  estate in Western Europe.
Concerned mother Sharon Chelsea Jordan Doherty  spoke of her concerns
for the privacy of her 4 children, Kimberly, Mikado,  Coconut and Treat.
"It's an f'ing disgrace, me and the 4 wains different  da's are all down
as separated but 2 of them still live here and 2 use my  address as a
dole drop so and what if the car takes a picture of them  up around my
house? We should have been consulted about this you  know."

Paddy O'Flaherty, well known local greyhound trainer and local  Sinn
Fein Councillor says that Google will have a fight on their hands  if
they think they are going to take pictures of Derry. "Derry has  got
nothing over the years and we still have nothing. Belfast has  got
everything and gets everything. If Google think they are going to  put.
Derry on the map then they have another thing coming." stated  Paddy.

No one from Google was available for comment though they did  release a
statement saying that indeed Derry was due to be included in  their
street view plans and had a project label of MDB, but denied that  this
3 letter project code was an abbreviation of 'Moaning Derry  B*st*rds'.

[Stalin]

Congratulations on yet another fantastic thread ziggy.