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How to build a fake Google Street View car

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Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#21

Post by Xylakant »

Alexx wrote: post #15
mschuster91 wrote: post #2

These guys are fucking crazy. In the entire European Union, this WILL get the driver and likely anyone involved with this behind jail for driving a vehicle not licensed for street usage! Basically, you alter the car with not-licensed-for-street-usage components (these self-made things e.g. alter the ride height of your car from the one spec'd in the vehicle ID card), which in itself invalidates the car's insurance (i…

This is just misleading. You do not go to jail in the EU for adding under-floor lighting to your car, nor fitting a roof rack, or any other such additional fittings. A car must pass it's MOT and have valid insurance, that is all. MOT requirements differ from country to county, and all insurers are different. If it fails and you keep driving it then you'll end up with a fine.

Well, you'll not go to jail, but underfloor lighting is strictly speaking illegal in germany and only allowed for show cars - and even then it has to be off on the road. (StVZO §49a Absatz 1)

Violating that rule invalidates the permission to drive that car on a public road, immediately voiding insurance coverage. You'd better not have an accident with that car, because you're personally liable for any damage caused. That might not bring you to jail, but can seriously ruin your life if you cause a permanent injury to someone else.

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#22

Post by JD557 »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #5

Am I missing something? In an effort to "Fuck Google", they're driving like jerks and endangering people's lives and property. Edit: This comment is from watching them dangerously cutting off cyclists and cars on the video.

I'm with you on this one.

Also, to me this feels like a really cheap move to try to spoil a brand's reputation. If they believe that there's a problem with google street view and privacy, they should try to raise awareness to it, not pretend to work for Google and act like jerks.

This way, the only thing that they achieved was damaging Google's reputation instead of making people aware of the privacy implications of cars with cameras capturing everything.

I believe they could have done something more interesting with this.

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#23

Post by andor »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #5

Am I missing something? In an effort to "Fuck Google", they're driving like jerks and endangering people's lives and property. Edit: This comment is from watching them dangerously cutting off cyclists and cars on the video.

It should be obvious that the cyclist was an actor

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#24

Post by Alexx »

Xylakant wrote: post #21
Alexx wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just misleading. You do not go to jail in the EU for adding under-floor lighting to your car, nor fitting a roof rack, or any other such additional fittings. A car must pass it's MOT and have valid insurance, that is all. MOT requirements differ from country to county, and all insurers are different. If it fails and you keep driving it then you'll end up with a fine.

Well, you'll not go to jail, but underfloor lighting is strictly speaking illegal in germany and only allowed for show cars - and even then it has to be off on the road. (StVZO §49a Absatz 1) Violating that rule invalidates the permission to drive that car on a public road, immediately voiding insurance coverage. You'd better not have an accident with that car, because you're personally liable for any damage caused.…

Yes, specific requirements differ from country to country, and invalidating your insurance and crashing your car anywhere in the world has that effect.

Point is that you won't 'go to jail in the entire EU', or anything of the sort for simply driving car with an unusual load on the roof rack.

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#26

Post by BitMastro »

Two things:

1) IANAL, but I think it's a trademark infringement to use the Google logo on that car

2) Let's ignore them intentionally bothering drivers and cyclists, but you go through the pain of building a rig and you don't put a camera in it? A cellphone with a GPS? Goddammit!!!

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#27

Post by topynate »

This is of a kind with the guy who decided to pretend to be an arsehole Google employee at a demonstration against their buses. It goes right against the points they're trying to make: why pretend to be on the 'other side'? Obviously because the other side isn't acting the way you claim them to be.

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#28

Post by topynate »

andor wrote: post #19
Andrenid wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The aim might be to get Google in trouble there in Germany, since Streetview wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms?

Oh come on. It's an art project. They want to see how people react to Street View cars in various situations.

Well, their 'project of the week' was "FUCK GOOGLE". It's right there on the article page. So, you know, political art. Performance art plus politics, aka propaganda of the deed. Cutting cyclists off in the name of liberty.

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#29

Post by glynjackson »

Can I ask, Why? I don't understand why anyone would do this! The fact they have PDF's plans suggests to me that other muppets for some unknown reason want to pretend to work for Google. When did it become cool? Now a MI5 agents car with heat seeking missiles which blow up lane hogs.... that I would be interested in!

Re: How to build a fake Google Street View car

#30

Post by icebraining »

unwind wrote: post #14
fightlikeacow wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that were the case, how would people ever transport anything on a roof rack? That is effectively all the project is doing (somewhat pointlessly in my opinion, but each to their own). That's not to say that they won't get stopped for some kind of lack of photography permit, but not for any of the reasons you have outlined.

The fake camera rig is mounted using bolts in holes drilled in the (rented) car's roof rack . That's not how you typically mount stuff to a roof rack, perhaps it can make it more "part of the vehicle" than "cargo" in the eyes of the law; I don't know. I failed to see the point of the project altogether, and found it rather rude to drill in rented equipment, too. I'm sensitive like that.

Why do you assume the roof rack is part of the rented car? You can just buy a rack and put it on the rented car.
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