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'.
Congratulations on yet another fantastic thread ziggy.