Woman lacks common sense, sues Google.

[CeeKay]

I wonder if she used Google to find her lawyer?  if so then maybe she can sue Google again if she loses.

[ATB]

If this is not summarily dismissed by the first judge who sees it, it's time for revolution.

[Bullwinkle]

While I agree this seems ridiculous, we're getting this through secondary sources and don't know the facts of the case.  There could be more to it (though I can't imagine off-hand what that might be).

As an example, everyone heard about the woman who sued McDonalds for burning herself with hot coffee.  The media portrayed this as the epitome of frivolous suits.  Similarly, there was a "common sense" factor that was hyped in the media.  Radio DJs were wailing about the business woman who should have known better than to open her coffee while driving.

In truth, the woman was in her 80s, was a passenger in the car, which was parked.  She suffered 3rd degree burns on her groin (and didn't actually want to bother with the lawsuit herself, but her family was overwhelmed with the medical bills).  McDonalds had been aware for years that their coffee was too hot (some 700 cases of serious burns had already occurred), but they did nothing.  In fact, they served their coffee a full 20 degrees hotter than anyone else; a temperature that was known to cause 3rd degree burns in seconds.

The facts of the case are not only staggeringly different than what was reported in the media, they showed that McDonalds willfully ignored knowledge that the coffee temperature could cause serious injury (they refused to even have a warning at the time, despite the general public not being aware of the serious problem).  People who heard about the result second hand were up in arms, but there was really no other way it could have gone down.

Ever since then, I look at these ridiculous lawsuits with a grain of salt.

[Purge]

Here's the McDonalds Coffee Case, for your perusal.

[Laner]

According to Google, the street I live on doesn't exist... I don't think they make any claims to the infallibility of their maps.  Furthermore, the woman didn't have the common sense to look at this busy highway without a sidewalk and think "Hm, maybe these directions aren't 100% accurate - perhaps I shouldn't walk on this particular road". Hard to see how that might be Google's fault.

[Bullwinkle]

According to Google, the street I live on doesn't exist... I don't think they make any claims to the infallibility of their maps.  Furthermore, the woman didn't have the common sense to look at this busy highway without a sidewalk and think "Hm, maybe these directions aren't 100% accurate - perhaps I shouldn't walk on this particular road". Hard to see how that might be Google's fault.

Again, though, you only have the facts presented in the article.  Just like all those people who said, "Hard to see how it's McDonalds' fault."

I'm not saying there is more to this case.  The woman may well be a money-grubbing idiot.  However, it's been proven in the past that you can't make assumptions.

[Roguetad]

I blame google all the time for stuff completely unrelated to walking or driving.  My wife forgot to buy the ben and jerry's cherry garcia that I like?  F***ing google!!!  I'm late for a meeting because I procrastinated and left my office late?  Google!!!  I am getting swarmed by gnats at my 6 year old's soccer practice and the coach wants to go another 10 minutes...just to work on some things?  F***ing google!  I have a dentist appointment this afternoon?  Google!! 
 

[Laner]

According to Google, the street I live on doesn't exist... I don't think they make any claims to the infallibility of their maps.  Furthermore, the woman didn't have the common sense to look at this busy highway without a sidewalk and think "Hm, maybe these directions aren't 100% accurate - perhaps I shouldn't walk on this particular road". Hard to see how that might be Google's fault.

Again, though, you only have the facts presented in the article.  Just like all those people who said, "Hard to see how it's McDonalds' fault."

I'm not saying there is more to this case.  The woman may well be a money-grubbing idiot.  However, it's been proven in the past that you can't make assumptions.

Yeah, but you could say that about just about anything, stifling all conversation.  And what fun is that?  

Rather than just poo-pooing it,  how about some speculation why she would think taking a stroll down a highway was a good idea?

[CeeKay]

I blame google all the time for stuff completely unrelated to walking or driving.  My wife forgot to buy the ben and jerry's cherry garcia that I like?  F***ing google!!!  I'm late for a meeting because I procrastinated and left my office late?  Google!!!  I am getting swarmed by gnats at my 6 year old's soccer practice and the coach wants to go another 10 minutes...just to work on some things?  F***ing google!  I have a dentist appointment this afternoon?  Google!! 
 

you should sue!

[Bullwinkle]

According to Google, the street I live on doesn't exist... I don't think they make any claims to the infallibility of their maps.  Furthermore, the woman didn't have the common sense to look at this busy highway without a sidewalk and think "Hm, maybe these directions aren't 100% accurate - perhaps I shouldn't walk on this particular road". Hard to see how that might be Google's fault.

Again, though, you only have the facts presented in the article.  Just like all those people who said, "Hard to see how it's McDonalds' fault."

I'm not saying there is more to this case.  The woman may well be a money-grubbing idiot.  However, it's been proven in the past that you can't make assumptions.

Yeah, but you could say that about just about anything, stifling all conversation.  And what fun is that?  

Rather than just poo-pooing it,  how about some speculation why she would think taking a stroll down a highway was a good idea?

I guess my point is that it's happened before and all the fun has put out a ton of disinformation by the media.  It's not just about anything, it's about a situation that has had precedent.  Also, as you'll see fom my posts, I'm not just poo-pooing it, I'm only saying not to take it at face value.

Case in point, how do we know what route the woman took to get to a point where she was on the highway?  Maybe she was lead so far astray, that it was the most logical path still open to her.  Or how do we know that she was hit on the highway?  Perhaps she reached that point, came to the logical conclusion that we all would, decided to retrace her steps and was hit in doing so?  I have no idea what could have happened because I don't have all the information.  Just as I never would have suspected that McDonalds purposely served third-degree burn-inducing coffee that caused a woman drinking under perfectly understandable, normal circumstances to go to the burn unit at the hospital.

Of course, as I've already said, it could well turn out that the woman was just off her rocker.

[walTer]

It appears she was hit crossing a street.  A rural highway.  At night.  At some point common sense HAS to kick in.  Google didn't tell her to cross the street at night in an unsafe manner.  Is google required to say on their directions, "watch out for negligent drivers?" 

You know, there are instructions on shampoo bottles along with statements like "not for internal use".  I think that these things are there because of people like these.

[Purge]

They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going without ever knowing the way?

[Destructor]

Unfortunately the driver didn't kill her so she'd instantly win the Darwin Award for the year. Oh, and not be able to sue either because she's a fucking retarded fucking idiot.

Did NO common sense go through her head at all that maybe you shouldn't be WALKING ON THE HIGHWAY!?!?!?! The only, ONLY reason you should be doing so is if your car is broken down and you have no way to call anybody. But even THEN it's not a good idea.

It's because of retards like her that every item you purchase has some moronic 'Do Not Be A Dumbfuck' warning on it.

[Isgrimnur]

They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going without ever knowing the way?

Finally someone quotes a song that I'm actually familiar with. 

[Roguetad]

You know, there are instructions on shampoo bottles along with statements like "not for internal use".  I think that these things are there because of people like these.

Like pop tarts.  Easy to use, hard to master.  I prefer to eat them barbarian style, raw, but I know others with more refined sensibilities that feel the need to cook them.  Even if I wanted to cook my pop tarts (laugh), the shiny-shiny silver packets are way too distracting for me to actually read anything printed on them.  And don't get me started on the crazy notion that 1 pop tart is 1 serving.  Ridiculous.  It comes with 2.     

[walTer]

Like pop tarts.  Easy to use, hard to master.  I prefer to eat them barbarian style, raw, but I know others with more refined sensibilities that feel the need to cook them.  Even if I wanted to cook my pop tarts (laugh), the shiny-shiny silver packets are way too distracting for me to actually read anything printed on them.  And don't get me started on the crazy notion that 1 pop tart is 1 serving.  Ridiculous.  It comes with 2.     

But remember, if you heat them up...THEY MIGHT BE HOT!

[CeeKay]

Like pop tarts.  Easy to use, hard to master.  I prefer to eat them barbarian style, raw, but I know others with more refined sensibilities that feel the need to cook them.  Even if I wanted to cook my pop tarts (laugh), the shiny-shiny silver packets are way too distracting for me to actually read anything printed on them.  And don't get me started on the crazy notion that 1 pop tart is 1 serving.  Ridiculous.  It comes with 2.     

But remember, if you heat them up...THEY MIGHT BE HOT!

that is a pure fabircation.  these things are not- OH MY GOD IT BURNS LIKE THE FLAMES OF THE WHITE HOT SUN!!!!!!!!!