Google maps and Google Street Views are super handy. It's hard to remember a time when we couldn't just look up where we were going on our phones any time we got lost. You can even go into Street View mode to make sure you know exactly what the building looks like before you go. It's hard to top that.
Of course, with so many Google cars driving all over the world, each equipped with a 360-degree camera, you know they're bound to catch some pretty weird stuff on film.
On that note, we bring you the weirdest Google Street View photos ever captured. Big thanks to all the folks who save these things when the see them, especially over at Street View Fun.
Have a peek!
60. Someone write a story about this
Seriously, someone needs to write a short story explaining how you think this guy ended up in the trunk of a car with no clothes on. The winner gets my respect. Whatever happened, that dude had a long and interesting night.
59. For the birds
In Tokyo, the Google crew caught glimpse of these people in a park, mysteriously wearing bird masks. If you're wondering what in the world these people could possibly be doing... hold on to that feeling. It's basically the essence of Google Street View.
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But what's even weirder is...
58. Pecking order
...They turned around to follow the progress of the camera.
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Well played, bird people. I'm tossing you some virtual bread heels.
57. They're Grrrrrrreat
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"Don't mind me. I'm just a tiger about town. Getting a fur cut, depositing a check at the bank. Now I'm on my way to see the new Men In Black movie. ...Zoo? What's the zoo? I've never heard of it. You must be thinking of some other urban tiger you know."
56. Bill is bored on the billboard
Google
I really, really hope that guy is just changing the ad on the billboard. Either that or doing pull-ups. The threat of falling to your doom is certainly one way to motivate yourself.
55. Are you hungry yet?
Google
I'm sorry: having a giant chicken sticking out of the ground at an intersection is a traffic hazard. The safest thing to do is probably the pull over and take a bite. It's no good driving on an empty stomach, after all.
54. The mermen
Google
What a perfect little moment frozen in time. You know there's some cockamamie story of how these two guys found themselves at the point where they were running through the streets in diving gear, chasing a Google car, having some kind of altercation. But we'll never know what that story was, and there's something faintly magical about that.
53. Seeing double
Google
What are you staring at? Is it a crime for a man to go for a stroll with his identical twin following thirty feet behind him?
As funny as these 'seeing double' Google Street View photos are, they (unfortunately) have a perfectly rational explanation. Sometimes multiple snapshots end up in the same frame. It's just the same guy in two moments in time -- at least that's the official line.
Of course, you're free to develop alternative theories that shatter the known laws of physics. Rough Maps supports you.
52. Aquaman
Google
Just a regular dude having a regular day at the beach dressed as a regular old seaweed monster. You know the drill.
51. Skywalker ranch
Google
Yes, that's right. The kids who live there are way cooler than any of us because they have a treehouse in the shape of an AT-AT walker from Star Wars. Great. Now I'm jealous and confused.
50. Gucci goo goo
Google
Okay, in all seriousness, I really hope someone found that baby before it got into trouble.
But on the other hand... Do you expect me to believe you 'accidentally' got lost outside the Gucci store? You're a fancy a baby, we get it.
49. Milkers
Google
Okay, I had to blur it out because we're not that kind of website. But I swear that's a fully naked lady on her porch, holding a milk jug for reasons known but to god. I think it might be some kind of Freudian statement.
48. The mask
Google
Dude, I get it. I too prefer to do my farting in the woods. And I too have to wear a gas mask while I'm in the act because my body turns chicken fingers into pure methane.
47. Good morning
Google
This one's not funny. More poignant. I feel like we're seeing a man who just woke up to the worst day he's had in a while. Sometimes the timing of Google Street View is just uncanny.
46. They walk among us
Google
Nothing makes me feel better about the future that watching an adorable young alien run a lemonade stand. Sure, you can portal to other dimensions and travel through spacetime faster than the speed of light. But can you navigate the harsh vicissitudes of late capitalism without getting lemon juice in your eyes?
45. Wipe
Google
Nice house, dude. But it looks like you screwed someone over to get where you are because you got pranked old school.
44. Mr. Cellophane
Google
Speaking of pranks, here's another classic. Nothing seals in your car's natural flavors like an entire roll of saran wrap.
43. The cat in the hat
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"Hey there, beautiful. I'm the Cat Conductor at this station. Why, yes, that is me in the picture directly behind my back. I didn't even notice. When you're this famous it honestly gets boring. What say you and I go lick out an old tuna can some time? Come on, baby. Everybody wants to be a cat."
42. Google goggles
Google
Hey everyone, look! It's Horace and Jasper, on their way to explain to Cruella De Vil why they couldn't get her that dog coat she wanted so badly.
41. Tonight, I feast
Google
This fellow is the only customer at the bear equivalent of an all-you-can-eat sushi joint. Salmon sashimi for days!
40. Isn't love beautiful?
Google
"Hey baby. What say you and I get in my maroon station wagon, swing by the old flea market, and make out like sophomores on the pavement?"
"Okay. As long as you promise we won't wind up on the internet..."
39. Took a wrong turn
Google
Yikes. That's a mighty big gun you have there, brother. I feel like this is the secret meeting place of some third-rate James Bond villain.
38. Wolf boy
Google
I want to believe the Google Street View car just happened to take this picture on Halloween. Maybe these kids are just running some kind of trick or treat drive-thru. It's probably more efficient that way.
I want to believe that. I don't.
37. Sweet freedom
That moment when you try to sneak out of work early:
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36. How long did it take you to spot it?
Google
We've seen a cat in a hat. Now behold the cat who is a hat.
35. Show off
Google
Imagine if Google Street Views caught you in, like, the coolest moment of your life, so you could be immortalized forever on the internet as an all around chill person.
This guy doesn't have to imagine it.
34. You only have until midnight, if I recall correctly
Google
This one comes to us from London, England, so I'm thinking there must have been some royal wedding we all just forgot about. Who's getting married? The Burger King? I'm sure they're worth the traffic jam, whoever they are.
33. Please explain
Google
This guy in Melbourne, Australia is riding a giant Victorian style penny-farting bike, pulling some kind of... penguin thing? ...behind him. I'm glad I got to see it, but I'm going to spend the rest of the day desperately trying to figure out WHY.
32. Runaway train
Google
This woman was caught on camera, out walking in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. There is apparently nothing around this spot for miles and miles in any direction.
Let the conspiracy theorizing commence!
31. Raise them high
Google
This guy is happy because he has two good dogs. How many good dogs do you have?
30. Another good dog
Google
This puppy hit the jackpot by finding a heap of bagels by the side of the road. I feel like he's eyeing up the camera, just daring us to try to take one of his little dough discs. Go ahead: make his day.
29. If I only had a brain
Google
I know what you're thinking, but those aren't people. They're scarecrows. It's tough to say what you're trying to scare the crows away from eating since the only thing that seems to grow in this field is, well... scarecrows. Fear itself, perhaps?
28. William Tell
Google
Check out these two Mensa members. Yes, that guy is apparently about to (attempt to) shoot a can off his buddy's head with a bow and arrow. I really hope they decided not to go through with it at the last moment. But quite honestly, my hopes have never amounted to much.
27. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here
Google
Well, at least they're not pulling any punches at the end of the Earth. I don't know about you, but I can appreciate a harsh truth. Especially on the open road.
26. I say 'neigh, neigh'
Google
I kind of hope this is how we find out they're doing a live action version of BoJack Horseman. It would be quite an inventive marketing campaign.
25. There are no words
Google
I can't begin to know what it is. But since it's France, I'm just going to assume it's some kind of postmodern art installation I don't understand. You know, so I can sleep tonight.
24. Rapunzel
Google
What do you think: sneaking out of the house, or attempting to escape some kind of hostage situation? Either way, this looks like a terrible idea.
23. Stick 'em up
Google
"Hands up! When I count to three, you're gonna hand over the Skittles, dad. 3... 2..."
I'm joking because those are toy guns, right? Right? Oh, god, Google Street View, why do you ask me to make so many assumptions?
22. Can't be picky
Google
I don't know what it is about being in a car that makes us feel like no one can see us picking our noses. But it's not true, and the internet is here to bear witness.
21. The lady in the sidewalk
Google
Because of the 360-degree cameras they use to create Google Street Views, there's lots of potential for glitchy stuff. Some of them look strangely artsy, but this one is just hilarious for some reason. It looks like she stopped to take a picture, sunk into the pavement, and then it dried around her.
20. Nature calls
Google
There are three possible scenarios here:
1.) If that's your car, I feel so sorry for you. You just had to go, you picked the worst possible time, and now you're a meme.
2.) If that's someone else's car, you deserve this.
3.) If that's someone else's car but he's sleeping with your wife or something... We can call it even.
19. Designated driver
Google
Now that guy had a fun day. +1 to him for having friends who care enough to get him into the bed of the truck. +2 for doing it without spilling his drink.
18. Street gang
Google
"You don't want to step to my crew in the streets, boy. We roll hard. No, I mean we literally roll. On Segways. Because we're hard like that."
17. Lay it up
Google
You must be at least THIS TALL to deliver my mail.
16. Fashion statement
Google
I don't know what galaxy she thinks she's picking up signals from, but good for her. You laugh at her because she's different; she laughs at you because you're all the same.
15. It's broad daylight
This guy has good friends too. But -1 for lack of a pickup truck.
14. Bag flag
In case you're wondering, that's a bunch of plastic produce bags on a spool being sucked out the back of the truck. Maybe they're just leaving a litter trail to help find their way back where they came from.
13. "Mommy, where do clouds come from?"
"They come from a factory out in the country, little one."
12. The poor man's bus
"Are you sure this is safe? I mean, we're clinging for dear life to the back of an 18-wheeler as it snakes its way along narrow mountain roads."
"Oh yeah, dude. Don't worry. I saw this in a movie once."
11. In that moment, he knew this was incredibly stupid...
...but he did it anyway. This is yet another case of perfect timing. I could spend hours just marvelling at this picture of the moment a day went horribly wrong for these two idiots.
10. "So, funny story..."
I would love to be on the other end of that phone call, just so I could know what the excuse was for this one.
9. Hot date
"She's coming. She's probably just running late. She'd call if she wasn't coming. This is our third date, so... Hey, could I get another basket of bread sticks?"
8. Orange is the new black
This isn't a joke. This is just evidence.
7. Weekend at Bernie's?
Google
Or is this evidence too? Why do I feel like I'm going to be asked to testify somewhere after putting this together? Congratulations: you're all witnesses now.
6. Bikes + dogs =
Google
We've seen some very good dogs here today. But you are not one of them.
5. You're doing it wrong
Google
A) It's broad daylight. To increase your chances of getting away with this, wait until nightfall. B) That's a Google Street View car driving by. C) You TP houses, not cars. D) What are you, like 50? Grow up, grandma.
4. We three kings
Google
It's another glitch, but I do enjoy the illusion that all points in time coexist. It's kinda freaky when you think about it.
3. Rag time
Google
These are rag dolls, not people. Apparently, this is an art piece. The artist lives in a small Japanese village, and most of her neighbors have either skipped town or passed on. In response, she created a bunch of dolls to mark the places where they used to sit.
Still pretty creepy out of context, though.
2. Just another normal day in Tennessee.
Google
We've seen some very good bears here today. But you are not one of them.
1. We come full circle
Google
A Google Street View car capturing a bunch of Google Street View cars who are also capturing a bunch of Google Street View cars. The Street View panopticon. What could be more meta than that?
