Have you ever opened up Google Maps and seen images from Street View? This feature can be used in many places on the map, and some particularly awe-inspiring views have been captured since its introduction. With Street View, anyone with a reliable internet connection can get a first-person perspective on any location in the world. But have you ever wondered how this was all done in the first place?
There was a time when Google personnel would drive around in cars equipped with 360-degree cameras and take photos of the landscape around them. Nowadays, it can be done with much smaller tech. Cool, right? Here is our list of awesome images captured by Google Street View. Check out how perfectly timed these images are.
Toilet Paper Halloween Decor
We're not sure what comes to mind for you, but to us, it looks as though the owners had a large party the night before, or maybe some kids had fun at the expense of the house owners. The toilet tissue “art” seems to have endured until the following morning.
Our impression is that these people went beyond with their Halloween toilet paper prank. That must be at least three packs of paper, considering the size of the house and the driveway. This image has been forever captured on google maps. We’re not sure if the owners will be too happy about this.
Old Man vs. The Bear
Credit where credit is due. We pay our compliments to this elderly gentleman for his boldness and bravery while chasing away the large brown bear on his property with what appears to be a wooden paddle. If this isn’t courage, we don’t know what is.
This would not be our first choice of action in the face of a bear, but this guy is going for it. If it were up to us, we’d just hide until the bear found another place to sleep. We are amazed by his determination and courage.
On The Run
This guy can't seem to get any luck. This man, dressed in what appears to be a prison suit, appears to be on the run. His appearance here on Google Streets can’t have helped his cause. Just when you thought you could get out without being seen.
The thing about Google Maps is that they try to do a thorough job at covering all the roads where possible. At the very least, they covered his face. We wonder if the authorities used this photo in order to track him down if he was indeed an escaped prisoner.
Crashdown
Given that they only fell from a bicycle, it’s probable that they'll be fine, although any fall to the ground can be painful. This is any bike rider’s worst nightmare—immortalized on a pantoscopic camera for all to see. We only pray that there wasn't another vehicle approaching too quickly in that lane.
Throwing out her hands was a smart choice, but it looks like she was really thrown off. If nothing else, she’ll have this picture to laugh about with her friends. There aren't many people who can say they have a photograph of themselves at the exact time of their accident.
Long Ride With A Penguin
This is unquestionably one of our favorites. Just have to marvel at this one and wonder—it's incredible. You are witnessing a man on a penny-farthing dragging along what appears to be a stuffed penguin. We don't think it's strange at all. Totally normal.
How many times have you wanted to pop your favorite plush animal into a sidecar and go for a spin? In this case, the spin would take quite a long time, considering the size of the front wheel. We're glad Google captured this one-of-a-kind image.
A Banana-Eating Horse
Suppose you're using Google Streets to look up a particular address when this comes up. Are you at least a little intrigued to know what's going on there? It seems that this man woke up one day with a quest: dress as a horse and have a little tea party with his flamingo friends.
Is that a phone sitting on the table? It appears that this picnic is getting a little crowded. We'd like to meet this guy and shake his hand. What's up with the blurred image of his calves, though? Was he also nervously tapping his feet when this was taken? We’d be a little nervous too.
Cow-Existence
What a strange sight to see while filling up the car with gas. On this roundabout, a herd of cows munches on grass. The sign at the gas station reads "Pemex," which is the name of a Mexican oil corporation. We wonder if this is a normal scene in Mexico.
It looks like these Mexican Cows wanted to take a stroll. This picture is one of our favorites. Nature and modernity can coexist in harmony, as this picture demonstrates. Cows continue to graze peacefully in the middle of the road while cars pass by.
No Casualties
Whoa! This one might well go down in history—what a strange sight to capture on camera. I can only imagine the terror this Northwestern bus driver was experiencing as this shot was captured. Fortunately, it doesn't appear like the bus was crowded at the time.
Even though we'll never know what happened, we're pleased to report that nobody was wounded in this incident. There was ice on the roads, and the bus probably started spinning out of control until it hit the railing.
An Unexpected Mishap
If you're going to drive, you may as well do it in style. Is the man standing a few steps behind the owner of the blue vehicle? Or were they just bystanders who happened to be in the right spot at the right time?
The passengers in the car were startled, but it seemed that everyone was unharmed. After all, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence of a significant collision. Instead, the vehicle seems to have slid off the side of the road.
Proposal 2.0
It's always exciting to catch someone in the middle of performing a proposal. Of course, the excitement carries only if the prospective bride or groom agrees. If not, things may get a little uncomfortable. He wrote 'Proposal 2.0', so we're assuming that this is his second attempt.
If that's the case, we're crossing our fingers that things went better for him the second time around, especially now that it’s widely available to the public on Street View. If it didn’t go according to plan, at least the lady on the far right-hand side got to say hello to their mother.
Lawn Mower Breakdown
This gentleman was either finished mowing the grass for the day or simply felt like being a little bit “punk rock.” He decided to flash the Google cameras to give anyone who wanted to look at his house in the future something to look at.
This photograph sends us back to a time when we mowed the grass as a part-time summer job that could be done in shorts while listening to music. It sure used to beat working in an office, that’s for sure.
This Guy Is A Party Animal
If you wake up looking like this in the morning, you know you had a good night. You probably had a big party, surrounded by friends and liquor. Now you’re waking up outside the party house donning a crown—we certainly hope this gentleman enjoyed himself.
Thank goodness Google's cameras captured this amazing morning-after moment, just as he was about to wake up along with his hangover. Having a comparison snapshot of this guy an hour later would've been fantastic.
Mannequins
This is, without a doubt, the back door to some kind of clothing establishment. But who knows? A great thing about these finds is that they allow you to see into a world of strange occurrences and make up any backstory you want to go with them.
This is the only way to do it, but it’s still an amusing way of getting rid of your mannequins. Take a look at how they've all been arranged as if they were the ones who decided it was time to take a dive into the garbage.
Easter Bunny Merchant
This shot is one of the creepier ones, for sure. A man dressed as a hare or bunny rabbit was clearly in need of footwear. Or he’s the store mascot whose job it is to greet customers. Obviously, the owners never heard the fable of the turtle and the hare.
The problem is, we have no idea if the kid in the photo was really with the bunny or if he was just captured inadvertently. Maybe the man inside the suit is his big brother or dad? Or maybe he’s just a big fan of bunny rabbits.
It's Game Over for Gumby
This one is great. Gumby is being chased by shoe-wielding children in what looks to be a car park. The look on his face here is priceless. For decades, Gumby was a household name. Even today, the Gumby series is still being rerun on some television networks.
Even though this guy is dressed as Gumby, we don't know if it is supposed to be him for sure. He could be some kind of mascot for some green soda. We want to believe that the kids and Gumby got into a quarrel over a wrapper or some other sticky subject.
Santa Is On The Street
It appears that Santa Claus had a less than stellar year. That, or we happened to stumble upon Santa Claus’ less successful, less well-known brother, Santo Claus. This could also be a rare image of a tall gnome. Images such as this one allow for all types of rational interpretations.
Maybe the most reasonable explanation is that an old man felt like walking around an industrial park in his red jammies. What matters is that it's a priceless memory captured forever on the map. Assuming this is Santa, we hope he has a better Christmas this year.
BigFoot, Found At Last?
The existence of the mythical creature appears to have been definitively proven by Google. If not the legendary bigfoot, then what? Perhaps it could have been an oddly dressed hunter, a bear, or even a strangely positioned tree.
Google's engineers must have laughed when they saw this one. As it stands, if this were the 1950s, and Google had 360-view cameras back then, they could have used this shot to make a narrative, and Bigfoot would have been scientifically proven.
Legs of San Francisco
It appears that Google cameras captured a gigantic, 1950s-style woman emerging from a residential window in San Francisco. Well, we thought she was real at first, too. Of course, it had to be in a city with a unique personality like SF.
This unique artwork, which features a pair of legs emerging from a house window, is one of our favorites! Was it placed there by the tenant, or was it part of the house’s original design? Is it possible that this was originally intended to be a psychedelic homage to Alice In Wonderland?
A Big Bird
It's clear that the people of Pittsburgh know how to have a good time. This guy is either returning from an exciting rave or preparing to perform a role in a parade. We think he’s wearing some kind of bird costume. Where is this gentleman heading? We suspect he’s been locked out.
Perhaps they were simply experimenting with variations of the Big Bird costume when the camera happened to capture this member of the team dressed in a psychedelic version of the famous character? Only this man can know for sure.
This Dog Is Thrilled
There is nobody we would rather have come with us on a bike ride than this dog. Take a look at its expression—he’s ecstatic. After all, why wouldn't it be? He’s in a cozy, enclosed carriage being chauffeured around the city by his kind owner.
Maybe the owner thought it would be a nice day for a long bike ride, and he wanted to bring his faithful companion along. It would be nice, especially if his dog were getting on in years. Anyway, we're happy these two adorable friends were photographed together.
Going on a Date with a Doll
Congratulations to this gentleman, who opted to take what looks to be a love doll for an afternoon walk instead of finding a suitable, human date to bring along. You've got to give him some credit for his bravery.
It is our sincere wish that he will not take the doll to meet his parents anytime soon. This individual was possibly delivering products to or from a store, or perhaps he had simply purchased the item; however, he was undoubtedly caught red-handed in the act.
Cat For A Hat
This guy's sense of style is impeccable, and we can't get enough of it. He decided to wear a cat on his head because he thought it would be fun. You can see that he has a baseball cap underneath, probably so that his scalp doesn’t get cut to shreds.
The cat seems to be an expert at maintaining equilibrium. Trying to perch on someone's head without slipping off must be excruciatingly difficult. A man and his cat deciding to go on a walk is definitely a photo opportunity, especially if the Google Maps truck is nearby.
Gate Crashed
Either the gate failed, or the driver pressed the trigger far too soon, and the door came crashing down on the hood—what a ludicrous way to scratch your automobile. Automatic gates do have their disadvantages, it seems.
Imagine how surprised this car’s owner would have been when they saw the state of their car. But there’s another explanation: it might be that this owner simply has a garage that is too short or that closing the garage door this way helps to double-secure the car from theft.
The Return of the Rubber Duckies
This seems like a scene from a bizarre sci-fi film called something like “The Return of the Rubber Duckies.” Perhaps they're not rubber duckies at all, but yellow peeps, the marshmallow candy. Whatever it is, it looks like this boy is trying to sell them.
Nevertheless, his presentation was superb. He’s really laid them out in an interesting way. There are also some white ones beside him. Maybe he saved them for VIPs. Or perhaps he knew they'd screw up the color scheme and didn't want to risk it.
Vehicle Kabab
Google has captured quite an accomplishment here. How these cars got speared onto this gigantic needle is a total mystery. Perhaps a junkyard worker was just having some fun one day, or perhaps it’s a monument of some kind orchestrated by a junk-car connoisseur.
Perhaps someday you can show your grandchildren this image and say, "In my day, parking was much more difficult. We had to park our cars one on top of the other, like a kebab, not like nowadays where you can just park up on the side of any old road!"
Poor Parking
We have a few words of criticism for the driver of this car. Assuming that the car in the image has come to a full stop, we want to point out that it’s not quite in the parking lane. It’s also breaking the laws of physics. We’re not even sure if it’s legal to do that sort of thing.
Okay, it's also possible that we’re looking at a seriously impressive piece of street art that has tricked our brains into thinking there’s a spider car up there, thanks to forced perspective. Whatever the case, it’s impressive.
Offroad, Off River
That must have been quite the wave. We think these people probably got stranded on the side of the road while transporting their kayaks since there don’t seem to be any rivers around in this street view shot. There may not be any water, but you can always practice sitting in it… we guess?
We understand that it's best to practice some moves on the dry ground beforehand, but you probably shouldn’t spend the entire day next to a road, out in the sun. The only way to get a feel for kayaking is by doing it in water, where it’s actually wet.
The Drive-By
We have a few questions about this image, as do the police, in all likelihood. This car looks like it took a few serious wrong turns before arriving on this driveway. It’s almost a miracle that the car itself isn’t damaged, considering its “decorations.”
Police tape, two American flags, a traffic cone—even a pink flamingo lays victim to this car’s rampage, presumably ripped from its place on the lawn by rampant rough riding. This might be another example of Google Maps giving the police evidence of untoward behavior.
Extreme Wood Cutting
Woodcutting using a chainsaw usually requires a lot more safety equipment than this guy appears to have on. In his undies and brandishing a chainsaw, he’s getting a little too up close and personal for our liking.
Even though it seems to have been extremely hot that day, if you’re going to cut wood, you should at least wear a pair of pants. This man isn’t even looking at what he's chopping! We understand the heat, but this is a careless approach.
The Mutt Mobile
Dumb and Dumber's famed Mutt Cuts Vehicle van has been recreated and seems to be hitting the road. The officer, while he doesn’t seem to be flagging the car down, must have been as equally perplexed as we are. It’s enough to give anyone pause.
It looks like it was stolen from the set of the movie. What if this is a real thing that people drive around in on a daily basis? We're crossing our fingers that it's some type of pet grooming service for giant cars that look like dogs; otherwise, it would be an absolute pain to clean.
Google Street Tricycle
Here’s a bonus shot showing how Street View was made. Google was so committed to the cause that it even purchased tricycles equipped with 360-degree view cameras. Imagine what it would be like to have that job—being the driver for the Google Street View tricycle.
It doesn’t sound so bad, honestly. Fresh air and exercise. What an enjoyable way to spend your day in addition to getting paid. Because a tricycle is considerably less conspicuous than a vehicle, you’re likely to catch people on the street with their pants down—not literally, we hope.
Childhood's Meanness
This photograph depicts a pretty common high school scene. How wonderful those days were, but sometimes they came with scrapes. This girl’s friends can be seen laughing at them on the ground, having fallen. At least we only hope she fell.
One of the great things about Google cameras is their ability to catch spontaneous moments that give us a peek into people's day-to-day lives, even people from other cultures and countries. We hope that this girl’s friends helped her to her feet afterward.
Busted
You can't get away from the law. It appears that these men were unable to run quickly enough, or more likely, they were taken out of their vehicle and stood up against this wall. Hopefully, these guys have since been able to avoid contact with the police.
Is it possible that the police officer on the left has the Google camera in his sights, or is he simply staring very intently at something? Whatever the case, it's not a pleasant situation to be in for anyone in the scene.
Another Horse Show
There are a number of ways to explain this picture. It's possible that the guy simply decided it was a good day to wear a purple sweater and a horse head and went for a stroll. It might also be a publicity stunt or maybe a photoshoot for some kind of album cover.
Getting a photo of something like this in the wild is unusual, but finding something like this on Street View is even rarer. It's comforting to know that people still do things like this even in adulthood—doing whatever they want, even when they go outside.
Lawn Mower Mobsters
These gentlemen have the appearance of gangsters, except that instead of selling contraband or illegal goods, they sling lawnmowers. Or maybe they just decided that it was time to get rid of all the old lawnmowers sitting in their safehouse.
Perhaps they had accumulated all of these machines throughout their lives. Or maybe this is just a quirk of this specific neighborhood, where everyone leaves their lawnmowers out for anyone in the neighborhood to borrow, like a library for grass cutters.
Down In The Dumps
We’re guessing that this kid got himself into his predicament voluntarily, but we have no idea how he came to get this way. Here are a few possibilities: He and his pals may have been recording some comedy skits when the Google truck happened to drop by.
Or maybe he was trying to persuade his ex to give him another chance before she, well, you know. The question on our minds is whether the Google truck driver decided to stop and help the poor kid or not, or whether they just carried on their way oblivious. Hilarious!
The Skeleton Watchman
No longer do people have to worry about feeling unsafe in their neighborhood. To keep an eye on everything, this skeletal vigilante has decided to monitor the streets in what appears to be some kind of golf cart or electric stroller.
Ironically, seeing this would surely freak out any nearby residents, prompting them to call the police. If we ever came across a man dressed in a skeleton costume, we’d jump out of our skin. Unfortunately, however, it tends to be the people who blend in who are the most dangerous.
Taking An Alpaca For Coffee
A man and his alpaca were photographed here enjoying a cup of coffee and some pastries at the village bakery. Did the alpaca just happen to walk right up to him when he was having his morning cup of coffee, or did he bring him along?
Is this a pet or a new friend? Whatever the circumstances of their meeting, this man appears to have a good relationship with the alpaca. However, the man walking past seems to be just perplexed as we are.
Today's Headlines
This man feels so comfortable in the world that he strolled into the local square and sat down to read the newspaper… in his undies. Because his feet appear to be sand-covered, it's possible that he's on his way back from the beach, stopping by the pavilion for some rest.
This man seems to place a high value on reading the news, which we appreciate. He probably never imagined that he himself would be newsworthy. Maybe he’s reading about all the developments in surveillance and thinking about the dangers it brings.
Top Secret Mission Caught On Camera
You can tell right away that something big is about to happen here. These five men appear to be on a covert mission or may have recently returned from one. Unfortunately, Google's camera captured them in action.
They don't appear to be pleased to have been captured on camera. We think that if we were driving that Google truck, we would hit the accelerator hard and leave these men to whatever they were doing before we appeared.