Tuesday, June 01, 2010

"Look what you made me do"

Another one from the 'I'm not responsible for my own actions' file.

Various news outlets are reporting that in the US, Lauren Rosenberg is suing Google for damages because she was hit by a car while following Google Maps' walking directions.

She thinks Google should pay her more than $100,000, apparently.

She says the instructions took her along a very busy highway with no pedestrian walkway, where the car struck her.

Her lawyers claim that Google is liable because it did not warn her that the route would not offer a safe place for a pedestrian to walk. A screen grab in the Sydney Morning Herald story shows a clear warning about the possible lack of footpaths.

She's also suing the driver of the car, which is fair enough.

But how on earth is Google responsible?

The story is short on detail - was she walking towards the oncoming traffic? Was she in the middle of the road? Was the driver paying attention?

Regardless of that, if it looked too dangerous she should have turned back. But she made the decision to walk the route. That was her decision. She's responsible for that.

If she'd asked a local shopkeeper for directions and had the same result, would she now be suing him?

It's a growing and sorry trend, people blaming someone else for things they bring on themselves.


The Sydney Morning Herald story is here.

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