The Google Street View cars started cruising 20 cities in Germany just last week, and already they've captured a naked dude in a car trunk, inspired eggings of some of the 240,000 German homes whose residents opted out of appearing on the app, and now, witnessed the miracle of birth.
Ok. Probably not. Gizmodo came upon this Berlin, Germany image on the sea of humanity that is Tumblr blog 9-eyes. Named for the nine-lensed camera on the Google Street View car that captures simultaneous images, 9-eyes is a repository of cheeky mooners, car accident aftermath, hookers from across the world, and kids flipping you off. And now, this scene.
Note how carefully it tells a story – a tiny European car run aground on the sidewalk, door still ajar. A man (the father?), frantically gesturing on his cell phone. Samaritans (or friends?) assist a woman on the sidewalk, one lifting an infant, the umbilical chord still attached. One dude walking away who couldn't care less, another mildly interested.
Yeah. That didn't happen. One Gizmodo commenter reports:
I am German and have to tell you it's a fake. It has been reported in German television and in different German news sources (one of them: [www.pcgames.de] ) There is a hospital right across the street and they have no knowledge of a birth right in front of their door.In the house is also an advertising agency that has no knowledge of a birth in front of their house.
Italy requires Google issue a Street View schedule three days before the car hits its route – getting the schedule isn't exactly espionage. Given the kerfuffle over the cars finally mapping Germany, the stage for Google Street View performance art is set.
