Tamil Nadu Driver Relies on Google Maps for ‘Fastest Route,’ Ends Up on Flight of Stairs

At some point, each of us has found ourselves in a situation where relying on Google Maps turned out to be a blunder, leading us down uncharted roads or presenting routes we never intended to take. Such a scenario unfolded for an SUV driver in Gudalur, a hill town in Tamil Nadu, who, while relying on Google Maps for navigation, found himself stuck on a flight of steps.

In an unexpected turn of events, a man was driving back from Gudalur, where he and his friends had spent the weekend, using Google Maps for guidance on their journey back to Karnataka. Gudalur, situated at a tri-junction among Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, is a popular holiday destination frequently visited by tourists heading to Ooty. Despite following Google Maps’ directions, the friends were led through the Police Quarters, a path the navigation app claimed to be the “fastest route.” Unfortunately, this route led them to a steep flight of stairs in a residential area.

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Finding themselves unable to proceed, the man halted the vehicle on the stairs and sought assistance. Residents and police personnel came to their aid, helping the group maneuver the SUV back to the main road so they could continue their journey back to Karnataka, as reported by India Today.

This incident, however, is not the first instance of Google Maps causing trouble for drivers. In a similar mishap, a group of Californians returning from a Formula One event in Las Vegas relied on Google Maps for guidance, only to end up in a desert instead of reaching their intended destination.

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According to a report by SFGATE, Shelby Easler, her brother Austin, and others were driving back to Los Angeles when they used Google Maps to guide them on an alternate route, suggested by the app to avoid traffic delays due to a dust storm on Interstate 15. Unexpectedly, Google Maps directed the group off the main route and into Nevada’s rough desert environment, leaving them disoriented in an unfamiliar location. They eventually called for assistance, reaching out to 911 and a towing business to help them navigate their way back to civilisation.