http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/29/if-google-told-you-to-jump-off-a-cliff-would-you/
Well, title and short article say it all. There's more info in the link.
I guess if anyone could create an app for common sense, they'd be a billionaire by now.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Woman sues Google after being hit by a car while using walking directions
- Thread starter killerrobot
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/29/if-google-told-you-to-jump-off-a-cliff-would-you/
Well, title and short article say it all. There's more info in the link.
I guess if anyone could create an app for common sense, they'd be a billionaire by now.
This reminds me of an episode of The Office (US), when Michael's navigation system told him to turn right. He immediately turned and ended up in a pond. 
But Michael Scott has an excuse. He's a character on a sitcom.
This lady has no such excuse. She's just an idiot. In fact, I'm glad she doesn't drive.
I just hope Google doesn't just pay her to shut up and go away.
Pretty amusing.
But Michael Scott has an excuse. He's a character on a sitcom.
This lady has no such excuse. She's just an idiot. In fact, I'm glad she doesn't drive.
I just hope Google doesn't just pay her to shut up and go away.
Pretty amusing.
It reminds me of the story from Germany where a woman was using turn by turn and it told her to turn left and despite no road being present, turned left anyway and right into a wall.
That's what people said about the woman who successfully sued McDonalds for the hot coffee that burned her.
In our lawsuit happy society of today that denies personal responsibilty to varied degrees this woman actually has a chance of winning or at least being enough of a threat to get a settlement. I bet at the least Google adds a warning type of disclaimer to the use of it's maps.
They already have a disclaimer. But it doesn't show up on the mobile versions, which I believe she was using. And the walking directions are still in 'beta' which also creates more disclaimers.
This is just stupid all around.
They do already - on maps.google.uk if you select walking directions it gives a warning of some effect
Frivolous
Frivolous- Not having any serious purpose or value.
And people wonder why everything costs so much.... Now, assuming this moan wins, google is going to have to change a ton of code and whatnot to incorporate some dumb warning to the effect of mcdonalds "warning, hot coffee is hot, ********" warnings.
This woman may "win", in the most ridiculous sense of the word, but everyone else loses after google is forced to raise their price or increase ads or whatever they do to counter the $100,000+ payout.
I wonder if these people filing for punitive damages ever stop and think "Hey, maybe the big nasty corporation ISN'T evil, maybe I'M just pretty incredibly stupid and greedy..."
Anyways, why wouldn't she file charges against the driver of the car that struck her? Or heck, maybe the shoes she was wearing that carried her onto the road... Or maybe her mother for bringing her into this world to be so terribly victimized...
Frivolous- Not having any serious purpose or value.
And people wonder why everything costs so much.... Now, assuming this moan wins, google is going to have to change a ton of code and whatnot to incorporate some dumb warning to the effect of mcdonalds "warning, hot coffee is hot, ********" warnings.
This woman may "win", in the most ridiculous sense of the word, but everyone else loses after google is forced to raise their price or increase ads or whatever they do to counter the $100,000+ payout.
I wonder if these people filing for punitive damages ever stop and think "Hey, maybe the big nasty corporation ISN'T evil, maybe I'M just pretty incredibly stupid and greedy..."
Anyways, why wouldn't she file charges against the driver of the car that struck her? Or heck, maybe the shoes she was wearing that carried her onto the road... Or maybe her mother for bringing her into this world to be so terribly victimized...
I do feel compelled to point out, as the wiki article does and which I read many years ago, that the lady in question, Stella Liebeck, had to have skin grafts to repair the damage caused by third-degree burns on her thighs.
Third-degree burns? I'm sorry, but if McDonald's actually expected me to drink coffee that would cause third-degree burns, I'd sue them too. That's just too damn hot.
****
Now, that said, suing Google for stepping out into traffic is unbelievably lame. Nuff Said.
Did you read the whole article? Anything over 60C can cause scald injuries, and this is a temperature that would be unacceptably low to most coffee drinker. 190F is a pretty standard temp for brewing and serving coffee. Yes, it can burn if you spill it. If the person at the drive through window had accidentally dumped it on her, it would be a reasonable case.
umm 190F was shown to be hotter than most places. The common temp that they go for is around 140-150F (60-66C)
It is the amount of time you get to get the liquid away from you skin at the lower temps.
Maybe we need a common sense test before we start calling people adults, and giving them rights as adults...
Q. Say you have no job, no education and live on welfare. Should you have children?
A. Of course, more baby more welfare.
B. No, I'll keep them shut until I get a job.
Q. Google maps suggest you take a right onto oncoming traffic on a one way street. Do you..
A. Take the right, the laws of physics in a collision don't apply to actions taken when directed by a Google App.
B. Reconsider your route.
Q. Say you have no job, no education and live on welfare. Should you have children?
A. Of course, more baby more welfare.
B. No, I'll keep them shut until I get a job.
Q. Google maps suggest you take a right onto oncoming traffic on a one way street. Do you..
A. Take the right, the laws of physics in a collision don't apply to actions taken when directed by a Google App.
B. Reconsider your route.
Sad thing is because it's America she will win! In the uk it would have been thrown out warning or not because common sense.
As for the mcdonalds drink lady. In the uk the minimum core temp for hot foods and drinks being served is 63'c. Again coffee is expected to be hot and depending on blend it could be alot hotter. Mcdonalds whould have won there case in the uk. Coffee = hot = common sense
As for the mcdonalds drink lady. In the uk the minimum core temp for hot foods and drinks being served is 63'c. Again coffee is expected to be hot and depending on blend it could be alot hotter. Mcdonalds whould have won there case in the uk. Coffee = hot = common sense