NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A Google glitch is giving drivers trying to reach a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Staten Island directions to the upstate city of Schenectady.
Google has placed the 10308 zip code, the one for the Great Kills section, in Schenectady, which lies a few miles west of Albany about three hours up the Hudson River, the New York Daily News reports. So anyone trying to get to Great Kills and seeking driving directions from Google is being sent north.
Not the first time this has happened, won't be the last. And Google Maps is not alone. Map Quest used to be notorious for this sort of thing. And some of those GPS devices also can get squirrely.
SCHENECTADY Site moves Staten Island north Google Maps glitch puts downstate ZIP codes in Schenectady BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter
Type in a ZIP code for Staten Island and the popular Google Maps Web site will give you precise directions — to Schenectady. Schenectady, the city that is home to Santa Claus’ unoffi cial ZIP code, 12345, is now also home, according to Google Maps, to several Staten Island ZIP codes. For several days at least, the vaunted Internet mapping operation has sent those searching ZIP codes for the downstate borough directly to Schenectady. The error appears limited to the ZIP codes. If you type in a specific Staten Island address, Google Maps will give you directions to that address. The glitch appears to be the result of some kind of typo. The ZIP codes correspond except for the second digit, as in Schenectady’s 12307 vs. Staten Island’s 10307. Still, the error hasn’t escaped the notice of downstaters, some of whom have wondered facetiously in published accounts whether any hapless travelers ended up hours out of their way, becoming an unwitting upstate tourist. Gail Kehn, vice president for visitor services at the Chamber of Schenectady County, doesn’t think that that has happened. “My guess is people would be able to tell right away by looking at the map,” an amused Kehn said after being told of the quirk by a reporter. “Staten Island is an island. Schenectady wouldn’t have water around it,” she said. The Staten Island Advance reported last weekend that the issue was first found by the Search Engine Roundtable blog at http://www. seroundtable.com. The paper also reported that Google officials are aware of the problem and are working to resolve it. Keehn noted the legendary Google Maps directions from U.S. cities to London, which included instructions for a lengthy swim across the Atlantic. The swim was published widely in 2007 but appears to have since been removed. “It’s a great tool, but you can’t depend totally on it,” she said. Staten Island-in-Schenectady, however, pales in ......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00903
Yep. I'm sure the Gazette figured this one out all on their own. I'm glad to know they're still reading this forum, but it'd be nice if they at least gave credit where credit was due, dontcha think Judy? (and by credit, I mean UPI, who originally broke the story. The Gazette doesn't use the UPI feeds, and most likely got the "scoop" here however.)
Good find MT. Another scoop for this site. Judy says see's unaware of the boards?-HAHA-Astute reporters use this for lead generation and improved editorial content. Especially when they cite me. Then deny they peek.
Great Kills is home of the closed NYC dump. Welcome to the Upstate version. Now go home-but pay the Metrograft tax. This will lead to many lost visitors? "Tourism officials" in Schenectady County-OMG!-your tax dollar at sleep. This tourism nonsense is hilarious-anyone visiting here has relatives or is lost on the way to Saratoga.
I'm not claiming credit for it ... UPI and the blogosphere get the credit, it's just funny that they fail to cite where THEY (DG) gets their info - or even acknowledge it's existence.
Funny cause I think we all picked up on that one. If ya notice...same thing happened with the Mohonasen eminent domain thing too!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
Good find MT. Another scoop for this site. Judy says see's unaware of the boards?-HAHA-Astute reporters use this for lead generation and improved editorial content. Especially when they cite me. Then deny they peek.
