BENSONHURST, BROOKLYN (TRP) — You can pretty much search for anything on Google and walk away with a truckload of results.
And if you’re looking for drugs – specifically in Brooklyn – according to Google maps, West 8th Street between Bay Parkway and Avenue O in Bensonhurst is the place to go.
This week a Reddit user discovered that Google Maps labeled this one strip the “drug section” of the rather quiet neighborhood.
“I don’t know why Google would say that?” resident Evelyn Vargas told PIX11 News. “This is a safe neighborhood.”
Meanwhile another local, Ann W. decided to give Google the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m not gonna slam Google because everyone makes mistakes. Even Google.”
After a preliminary search and a not-so-scientific investigation, the only crack PIX11 found in the area, was the type typically pushed by a plumber.
In a statement to PIX11 News, a Google spokesperson explained that “the various types of data found in Google maps come from a wide range of sources.”
“Our basemap data – things like place names, borders, and road networks – comes from a combination of third-party providers, public sources, and user contributions.”
“While we regularly update the map, the amount of time it takes to update varies. Fortunately, we have tools that users can access to speed up the process.”
With an abundant amount of suggestions flowing in from users on all sides and a limited amount of hands on deck, it explains how a snarky contributor managed to slip through the cracks, dubbing West 8th Street the neighborhood’s “drug section.”
The error has since been fixed.
It’s yet another lesson we should learn about the unfiltered flow of information on the internet. You’ve been warned.
the RAMOS project 
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