I trust Google with a lot of things, but when in doubt I always fall back on good-old common sense. Lauren Rosenberg did not. She walked onto a highway because Google told her to and got hit by a car.
Rosenberg, who apparently takes things very literally, was reading the directions on her Blackberry and thus wasn’t privy to the warning that shows up when you access walking directions on a computer:
Walking directions are in beta. Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
Deer Valley Drive, also known as Utah State Route 224, was one such route; following Google’s instructions to brave it on foot, Rosenberg was hit by a car and is now suing the company for $US100,000. She probably figures it’s a reasonable sum, considering that Google’s worth $US1 with a hundred zeroes after it. [Fortune]
damien
Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 7:49 PMI would like to say ‘stupid american’ but unfortunately idiots are everywhere. But then it seems the yanks are the quickest to try and blame someone else for their stupidity.
Kevin Kissack
Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 11:04 PMcommon sense is the enemy of science – for years it was ‘common sense’ that the earth was flat.
Guest
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 12:37 AMAll I can say is that she should get hit again to get some common sense knocked into her!!!
matt
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 12:40 AMI’m sure in their never ending stream of ELUAs and disclaimers about using all your information, owning your souls ect, they have something in their to cover this.
Nato
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 11:03 AMEULAs are not scripture, if parts of the EULA are challenged they need to be proven as lawful.
Sean
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 1:56 AMI hate to think what someone that dumb would do with $US100,000…
Andrew Champ
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 10:25 AMPay her medical bills from the accident?
Shane
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 9:10 AMI’m sorry, isn’t there a law protecting companies against the stupid?
What about this, she’s to stupid to use technology and should be banned from ever owning any!!
We should lock her up for her (and our) own protection.
The phrase “idiot on the outside” springs to mind.
Unfortunate, I’m sure google will have to pay her something in the end. And people wonder why our world is in the state it is in…
Had it lead her to the person of her dreams, a pot of gold or some other life changing moment (other then been physically injured) would she have so upset???
Seriously, people need to take more personal responsibility when it comes to using these types of devices, not just be blindly lead…maybe she should join the army, sounds like she’d be a perfect candidate…
Just remember, when they line up all the idiots against the wall and shot them, I’ll now be second in line!
Rodney
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 9:12 AM*Darwin continues rolling in his grave*
Samuel
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 9:59 AMAhhh… the American ethos “I’m in pain, therefore someone owes me money”
James-Mac
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 10:37 AMI think we should at least be pleased an American was walking somewhere.
Starchie
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 11:25 AMWouldn’t she be trying to sue Blackberry, as the warnings are generated, but not on her blackberry? Keep in mind I still think she is an idiot and should look where she is walking.
Cpt. Pajama Shark
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 11:34 AMIs her phone OK?
Aaron Browning
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 11:35 AMShe’ll ask Google Maps what to do with it
Thomas Rayner
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 12:14 PMGive the girl a Darwin award
Josh
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 1:21 PMI say give her the money…………….. with the condition that she is ban from all aspects of technology for the rest of her life, including the light bulb.
Why oh why do stupid people today win things? Life is made up so these people are removed from the gene pool, not added to it
Jim
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 1:57 PMSue Google? Good luck!
Tim Mac
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 2:12 PMI’m sure if your GPS says to turn right on a bridge in a river, you would be sensible enough not to follow it. What has happened to common sense these days – I guess not so common! This is probably just a money grab as she is suing the other driver as well…
Steve B
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 5:59 AMDon’t blame Americans its the infectious climate the lawyers and our legal system that allow for frivolous lawsuits. Unlike the UK or elsewhere where she may have to pay the defense attorneys fees in the US it is only done in extreme cases. Such is a system where the politicians are all lawyers. You should have pity on us.
I do wonder though what she would have done if the directions would have said to take a long walk off a short pier.
Paul
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 3:44 PMIn response to the valid suggestions already mentioned above:
1. Damien, you are quite correct until this woman’s recent location (through no fault of her own LOL) there was a village deprived of an idiotclearly said village has now recovered said idiot, however, is no thankful for her return.
2. Kevin, not only did this woman lack sense (in this case they all failed such as her eyes to see oncoming traffic, her ears to hear oncoming traffic amongst other items which for brevity – despite the apparent amusement that would ensue, will be left to the reader’s imagination).
3. Guest, I agree but suspect she could be hit several times without any corresponding improvement – hope her phone is ok – hehehe!
4. Matt, despite the use of EULA’s I think it safe to assume that idiocy is at the forefront of any disclaimer much like that of contributory negligence. I think Google and Blackberry may be contributorily negligent in providing such an imbecile with a phone in the first place – god help us if she is allowed to have children!
5. Nato, there is no requirement for the EULA that refers to contributory negligence to be proven lawful – her idiocy provides the direct and irrefutable evidence necessary to establish she is completely at fault.
6. Sean, agreed – one must wonder if the money would best be invested in a full frontal lobotomy – it would improve her IQ dramatically.
7. Andrew, chances are that she’s too stupid to use the money for medical bills given she was too stupid to avoid an entirely avoidable “accident”.
8. Rodney, I congratulate you on being the first person to mention Darwin – she’d have won an award without doubt.
9. Cpt Pajama Shark, authorities expressed grave concern for the survival of said phone and rushed it along with a full police and paramedic escort to the Mayo Clinic to receive the appropriate treatment, meanwhile she was left to figure out what she had done wrong but decided it was easier for her to stop and think about what she had done right, only problem with that was that she was stumped at the first part and I believe that the creators of Robot Chicken wish to engage her for future episodes of “when idiots go wild”.
10. Aaron, google maps will now be aware of her “state of affairs” and suggest she take the bus but direct her that she is to refrain from licking windows.
11. Thomas, as was mentioned earlier Darwin is still rolling in his grave trying to determine an appropriate award for her.
12. Josh, she is definitely a fine example of someone who should be removed from the gene pool and excluded from reproduction. Google and Blackberry should create a website in her honour to display the functionality and simplicity of their phones.
13. Jim, I’d love to see her sue Google, not because she’d have any chance of winning but so the rest of the world can gain amusement from what would be her latest addition to her Darwin Award collection :-)