Hey there Reddit! I know this has been done before, but it has shown up again in requests, and it's been over a year now since the other one, so go ahead! Ask away!

NOTE: I did sign a NDA, but honestly, what don't you guys understand by now? I drive around, take pictures, and Google puts them online.

Proof: http://i.imgur.com/TeNVQRq.jpg

Edit 1: It's getting late here, but I'll be around for a little while longer and will definitely check this out again tomorrow. So keep 'em coming!

Edit 2: Today is the last day, so if you have any last minute questions I'd be glad to answer them! Thanks to all of reddit for your questions and support! I like this place, so I think I'll stick around.

Final Edit: Thanks for making this great reddit! I enjoyed answering your questions, and will definitely answer any more that come up in the future, should someone else find this. It's been a blast.

Comments: 303 • Responses: 95  • Date: 

dick_wool73 karma

How often do you rip ass in the google car?

Googly-Doo-Wop210 karma

AS MUCH AS I WANT.

SouthBelle82755 karma

How often does streetview updates it's images? The streetview of my house is roughly 2 years old now.

Googly-Doo-Wop58 karma

I honestly couldn't tell you that, it all depends what the big brains over in california decide.

sebastianowl51 karma

How many miles does your cat have? What's the average mileage for when they retire a car?

Googly-Doo-Wop162 karma

I'm not sure how many miles my cat has.... about 7 years worth? They retire a car I believe at about 150,000

Raynonymous48 karma

How can we find out in advance where you will be driving, so we can get our hilarious costumes and poses ready?

Googly-Doo-Wop80 karma

There are two-ish ways to do this:

  1. Know someone who got the job, and ask them to conspire with you

  2. See a google car in your area, set something up and pray they go by you while you have it set up.

3ish. Wait every day until they actually happen to go by you.

spannermagnet46 karma

How often do people get their tits out when they see you coming?

Googly-Doo-Wop224 karma

Not enough

bigj748941 karma

  1. How's the pay and benefits?
  2. Do you have to flag things in any way if you notice that you drove past something they won't want going live? (Naked people, violent acts, etc)
  3. Thanks for the info...always have wondered!

Googly-Doo-Wop50 karma

  1. Pay is really not anything to brag about, 15 an hour. No benefits. Although if you have to pick up the car from another state or something, everything gets paid for, and you get paid for travel time which is kind of cool

  2. I don't go through the pictures, so I don't get to flag anything like that

  3. My pleasure =)

Ingens_Testibus33 karma

Can you describe how you became a Google driver, the requirements, how the process of determining when/where you drive is determined, and has anyone ever flashed you?

Googly-Doo-Wop48 karma

Well, I found a posting on Adecco looking for a "Cityblock driver" which I found out meant a Google street view driver. They are somewhat picky about who they pick. The biggest things they look for is no points on your license, followed by a drug screen, and a background check.

For me, they gave me the name of a town and just said "Get to it!". It's different for different drivers. The guy before me had a set area laid out on a map he had to cover.

No flashes yet, although the guy before me promised me at least 1 person would moon me by the time I'm done.

Ingens_Testibus9 karma

In college, I volunteered at the Western White House when President Bush was in office. He used to land AF1 just outside of town at a former SAC base that is now a technical college. Anyway, I wanted to be one of the drivers that drove the press or lower-level staff from the airport to the ranch. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of driving like a bat out of hell so the Secret Service rejected my application to drive the vans. =(

Googly-Doo-Wop11 karma

That sucks. Will that stick with you forever on your record?

SpartanZ1830 karma

Are any google cars invisible? My mom and I at one point were on google maps, but I never saw the car!

Googly-Doo-Wop86 karma

Shhhhhhh. People can't know yet. It will spook the masses.

zombie_930 karma

What was the funniest reaction you got while driving around?

Googly-Doo-Wop65 karma

Probably just when I stop somewhere, people are always shouting things like "OMG THATS A GOOGLE CAR!" or something similar at me.

LovecraftianWarlord29 karma

Have you played GeoGessr? If so, have you come across something you did before?

Googly-Doo-Wop21 karma

I have not played it, what is it exactly?

walid37322 karma

Do you have to keep a certain speed when it's taking pictures? Drive not too fast and also not too slow? And also, when can you say "I'm almost done for today!" do you have to cover a certain area every day/week/month?

Googly-Doo-Wop33 karma

I usually go the speed limit. If i go too fast, the camera can't keep up and I'll have to slow down after a while.

Pretty much they want 8 hours in. So about after 7 hours, I can say that.

Nickquebec19 karma

First, it like to thank you for your work. It's completely invaluable to mine (solving delivery problem for a distribution compagnie newspapers and flyers). Here are some questions :

  1. What are the time limits? I'm asking because i sometime got picture late at night and you can't see anything with those.

  2. On street that are accessible but still under construction, are you asked to stop or do you just turn around when it get too rough?

  3. Have you ever been asked to do another pass at a place because the picture was bad or obstructed by a big truck?

Googly-Doo-Wop19 karma

  1. That's a shame, we are told to only map between an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset.

  2. I haven't run in to much construction. As long as it isn't a dirt road, or some weird low bridge or something, I'm fine to pass through

  3. No I haven't. They don't get reviewed immediately.

crindee17 karma

Is this a temporary/seasonal job, or something that could provide stable employment year-round?

Googly-Doo-Wop27 karma

Temporary

Chartis16 karma

I put in a submission for a Google backpack about a month ago. How long is their backlog to get back to me?

Googly-Doo-Wop86 karma

bout tree-fiddy.

heyitsmekatie15 karma

2 questions... What's the funniest or most bizarre thing you've personally seen while out taking pictures? What do you listen to while you're driving about?

Googly-Doo-Wop54 karma

I've seen a lot of elderly peoples faces with an expression that just looks like they want to ask me "What in tarnation is that doo-hickey?"

Black keys, Avett Brothers, Gorillaz, Coldplay, Fitz & the Tantrums. I need to get some more CD's because I go through them so fast.

dick_wool12 karma

I need to get some more CD's because I go through them so fast.

CDs and no mp3 player?

Googly-Doo-Wop20 karma

Believe me, I would if I could. The car doesn't have an aux port.

Leiderdorp15 karma

Get one of those FM radio transmitters for your phone, works like a charm.

Works on every cat they'll put you in (:

Googly-Doo-Wop27 karma

Ah, except the maps car. The equipment will actually interfere with the radio and it won't work.

DP0RT2 karma

What about radio?

Googly-Doo-Wop8 karma

The equipment interferes with the radio, so it doesn't work while I'm working.

nsfwusa12 karma

  1. How much training do you need, I would think they don't plop you in the car and say good luck
  2. Is your route mapped out with Google maps? (or do you secretly use Garmin)

Googly-Doo-Wop15 karma

It's pretty basic, just telling us not to hit things, and how to report our work.

It does use google maps.

istherefreefood12 karma

Does the weather affect your job? Or do you just drive around as much as you need to and Google people edit everything later?

Googly-Doo-Wop23 karma

I'm only supposed to drive in clear weather, cloudy is iffy, depends on how dark it is, and rainy or foggy is a no-no

locoblacbelt11 karma

Are you worried about job stability given Google's self-driving cars?

Googly-Doo-Wop22 karma

well, no. It's a temporary job, so I'm not doing this forever.

primitiveType11 karma

I've heard stories and seen pictures of people who knew the Google car was coming on a certain day and set up something silly to be immortalized by street view. How do these people find out the time and day that you'll be coming?

Googly-Doo-Wop18 karma

Probably they know the driver in some way? That's the only way I could think of.

whiteguywithtornshoe6 karma

Are you coming to AZ anytime soon? I would like to follow you around and make it seem like I'm everywhere on google

Googly-Doo-Wop14 karma

I will be actually! But not with the google car.....

Leiderdorp9 karma

First off: cool AMA

Q: How long before your days work gets added for us to see?

Q: Do you get followed driving around?

Wish you many safe miles!

Googly-Doo-Wop15 karma

A1: It takes a while. 6 months or more

A2: I did today actually. Some guy just decided to follow me around for a bit. I know because I drove through a rest stop area thing without stopping, and he did as well.

Mr5tanley9 karma

Do you need to stop everytime the car takes pictures, or can you just keep driving and is it fast enough to do it in one shot?

For how much could I borrow or buy the car from Google?

Googly-Doo-Wop17 karma

I can keep driving. I can even go highway speeds.

You'd have to talk to Google about buying one. You would probably also have to wait til they retire one.

AOx38 karma

How do you keep track of where you have driven and where you have not?

Googly-Doo-Wop15 karma

It keeps track of it on the GPS

Picklie8 karma

Is this a temporary position?

Do you go home at night or are they putting you up in hotels if you are on the road?

Googly-Doo-Wop16 karma

I go home at the end of the day. When I left to get the car, they did put me up in hotels.

It is temporary.

ma_k8 karma

Do you have to turn the camera on or does it automatically start taking pictures?

Have you ever forget to turn it on after driving around for hours?

Googly-Doo-Wop12 karma

It automatically takes pictures, and it would be difficult to forget to turn it on. It isn't just some casual thing, setting everything up is a specific process.

sdsoftwareguy8 karma

  1. What kind of car is the camera attached to?
  2. Does the camera/car require any kind of calibration/setup before driving.
  3. Do you get any kind of real time feedback from the camera the pictures the it's taking are coming out ok or are jacked up?

Googly-Doo-Wop10 karma

  1. Subaru Impreza
  2. I have to fold up the camera, other than that it does everything itself.
  3. Yeah, It'll show me pictures every so often to make sure there aren't bugs or anything on the camera.

SirSpooksAlot6 karma

Have any crazy/scary encounters to tell about?

Googly-Doo-Wop17 karma

I'm waiting for the situation with my neighbor to play out more. He has stated very bluntly that he does not like the google car taking pictures of his place, and it does everyday pretty much when I go to work because I go right by it.

Leporad6 karma

I thought the cars were driverless. Was I being lied to?

Googly-Doo-Wop11 karma

Yes. And no. They have made driverless cars.... they just don't use them for streetview now.

wizardkick5 karma

What has been the most beautiful street you've been to?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

That's a tough one, because I drive down so many they all kind of blend together.

corntorteeya5 karma

Do you ever see people making stupid faces toward the camera? I've done it to a tom-tom car

Googly-Doo-Wop21 karma

Well I try to focus on the road so I don't murder anyone in a Google car, but I've seen people make gestures and what not.

Xboxben5 karma

How did you get your job ?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

Post on Adecco.com, craigslist has also done it in the past.

macgillie4 karma

Why did you take a picture of my butt? Can't post picture from my phone, but I have proof!

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

why did you stick your butt in our cameras?

macgillie3 karma

How do you suggest I get the groceries out of the trunk?

Googly-Doo-Wop13 karma

Never turn your back to us! Cuz we gon find you

cmyk30004 karma

Did you see me waving at you!???

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

Sorry. I'll be sure to catch you next time!

bigpandas4 karma

Do you ever tell people beforehand where you will be mapping so that they can do something memorable for Google Earth?

Googly-Doo-Wop10 karma

I have not (yet)

Almostana4 karma

Do you ever get bored?

What's the furthest from your home you've done street photos?

What's your favourite colour?

What's your favourite place to take a break?

Googly-Doo-Wop10 karma

  1. I like looking at all the places I've never actually driven before, and will probably never drive again, so not terrible bored.

I don't travel on a normal basis, I am just commuting to a certain area, but I did have to go pick up the car in another state. Which was the worst.

Teal

Anywhere quiet, where someone won't be coming up to the car to start asking questions. Just somewhere I can take a little power nap.

sillypaul2 karma

Why was picking up a car from another state, "the worst?"

Googly-Doo-Wop11 karma

They horribly underestimated the time it would take to drive to my hotel. I drove about 11 hours that day.

lpetra19 karma

Waaaaait wait wait. Google underestimated how long it would take you to drive there? THEY DIDN'T USE GOOGLE MAPS?!

Googly-Doo-Wop3 karma

I don't know what happened... because when I used google maps for navigation, it said it would take an hour longer than they told me.

autumnx4 karma

Are there strict rules when it comes to your driving record? For example, if you were to get a parking ticket then would you be fired?

Googly-Doo-Wop13 karma

I'm responsible for all tickets, so I don't think that I would be fired, just a little poorer.

Jaych4 karma

Hi, thanks for answering questions. I have a few:

  • Is there an exact route you're told to take, that most efficiently covers all streets without having to drive the same streets twice?
  • What are your break times? I'm presuming that you get more breaks than the average office worker.
  • Do you cover only a certain area? If you're finished driving around the whole area, do you move to a different area or just start again?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

  1. No, I just kind of go at it.

  2. Surprisingly, probably not. two 15 minutes, and a 30 minute lunch.

  3. Once I'm done the area that I've been given, that's it for me.

Jaych3 karma

Presuming an 8 hour work day, I'd see it as kind of dangerous to be driving that much with so few breaks.

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

Thankfully, it isn't a stressful area to drive in.

marvin_sirius2 karma

How do you know when you are done?

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

When I feel like I've covered a big enough area.

mormon_doubt4 karma

Do you get any perks from being a contractor with Google besides a unique position and the pay? Beta phone software? Automatic acceptance to Google Explorer program?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

Not that they've shared with me.

Patches674 karma

Did you ever drive through a neighbourhood and decide you're going to have to do it again later because there were idiots running through the streets naked and flinging babies out the window or something just to gain attention?

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

I can't say I've seen many babies being expelled from windows, but not really. I think a lot of people around me think to themselves "wow, that's cool!" But I'm sure I'll run in to some idiots eventually. I would do it over again if it happened.

mattryanharris3 karma

I saw a driver in my area 3 days in a row on my way home from college, is there a reason they might be doing the same route daily?

Googly-Doo-Wop4 karma

Yes. We are told to map to and from our areas, so it's most likely that they were commuting to and from a specific area.

eff-five3 karma

[deleted]

Googly-Doo-Wop2 karma

It's a defined area, but how we do it is pretty much up to us.

AsksAboutMoney3 karma

Hi there! Thanks for the AMA.

If you don't mind, how much do you make before and after taxes?

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

Before taxes I make 15 an hour.

Juanster3 karma

Who pays for the gas? And how does it work? Or do you get a google credit card and just pump gas on it yourself?

Googly-Doo-Wop6 karma

Second one. Card.

OsamaBinLlama203 karma

What do you do if you see a Bing street view car?

Googly-Doo-Wop29 karma

We have strict orders to challenge them to a duel on the spot.

selfmeditated13 karma

Are the house numbers that Google uses to verify an account creation from Streetview drivers?

Googly-Doo-Wop3 karma

I'm not sure I understand the question.... can you rephrase it?

smnai12 karma

He/she means the CAPTCHAs used by some websites to verify a human rather than a bot is creating an account or similar. I seem to recall they are from Streetview.

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

Ahhhh. I have no idea.

Thepinkbandit3 karma

I've always wondered does the google car take pictures based on a timer or distance?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

I actually don't know, but I would guess distance.

OhLongJohnson1233 karma

What is the weirdest thing that was in one of your Google shots. If you also have the picture would you kindly post it?

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

I don't keep the pictures, but if I could, I would post some of the people I've seen.

smnai12 karma

Are you Michael Bluth?

Googly-Doo-Wop10 karma

There's always money in the banana stand....

Yo_Banana_Boy2 karma

What is the most picturesque site you've taken pictures of while working?

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

I'm pretty rural, so there's lots of nice areas. Ponds with trees, older town buildings, etc.

Yo_Banana_Boy2 karma

Sounds like a great job! Do you enjoy it?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

I do. Maybe not for the entire 8 hours, but for the first five it's great!

linnanetheman2 karma

Has anything you've seen ever made you wanna nope the fuck out of there??

Googly-Doo-Wop12 karma

Really disgusting giant old people in tight clothes?

PM_ME_COOL_MUSIC2 karma

would you pick up a hitchhiker?

Googly-Doo-Wop6 karma

when not driving the car, sure. The only people allowed in the car are authorized Google staff.

ShowMeYourDog2 karma

how much did you get paid?

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

15 an hour.

XchrisZ2 karma

[deleted]

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

It's supposed to be 40 hours a week, but I'm not supposed to go out when it's pretty cloudy or raining.

nearnerfromo2 karma

Did google give you the car or did you have to get the paint job for your own car?

Googly-Doo-Wop8 karma

It's a company car. I just use it for my job.

ANAL_ANARCHY2 karma

Are you allowed to use the car when you aren't working?

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

Definitely not. I wish I could....

Bromidy2 karma

Have you ever had any girls flash you as you drove by?

Googly-Doo-Wop25 karma

Not yet, but I remain ever hopeful and vigilant.

Bar3ex2 karma

What's the most stupid thing people have done just because they knew it was for Google street view?

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

Surprisingly not a whole lot. Maybe I map in a relatively calm area...

Bar3ex2 karma

Do you have to remap certain areas few times? If so, how often?

Googly-Doo-Wop4 karma

I don't actually.

ScubahSteve2 karma

For work I go through images from 2007 with terrible resolution, how do they choose what segment to update next?

Googly-Doo-Wop7 karma

50 sided die to pick a state? Your guess is as good as mine.

Galaxyrain2 karma

How many other drivers are there in total? And, is it fun working for Google?

Googly-Doo-Wop6 karma

It's pretty cool, and I'm hoping a talking point later when I apply for a more permanent job. There aren't a whole lot of drivers, 100-200.

literaldickhead2 karma

[deleted]

Googly-Doo-Wop4 karma

It's a temporary thing, so I think I'll get out way before they actually transition to those cars.

GamesinaBit2 karma

What is your worst on-the-job experiance?

Googly-Doo-Wop6 karma

I can't say I have had any, It's been pretty great so far. Getting the car was probably the worst because of how long I had to drive.

revenge-dough2 karma

Have you ever had to drive in dangerous areas?

Googly-Doo-Wop4 karma

Nope. Not that I was aware of.

BeardAwesome2 karma

Where is the coolest place google has sent you? How long is the position for, as you mentioned it was temporary?

Thanks in advance, mildly interesting stuff!

Googly-Doo-Wop4 karma

1-3 months. I actually drove right next to St. louis to get back which was awesome.

Zee_dee2 karma

How many naked people have you seen?

Googly-Doo-Wop13 karma

42

GlitteredCunt2 karma

Have you ever taken a selfie?

Googly-Doo-Wop16 karma

Nope. I am not a girl in the 12-21 year old range.

Skahazadhan2 karma

What sort of equipment is on the car itself?

Googly-Doo-Wop5 karma

Well I can't be terribly specific, but basically on top there's a soccer ball looking thing holding 15 cameras, and a computer showing me the map.

mistertrustworthy7 karma

Why can't you be terribly specific? Will they beat you with sticks? Delete your Google Plus account?

Googly-Doo-Wop6 karma

  1. They don't want me to.

  2. I honestly don't understand how it all works, or what is all in it.

PostApocalypticJesus2 karma

What area do you drive? South-East Pennsylvania by any chance?

Googly-Doo-Wop3 karma

I'd rather not say... but no.

ImNotThereYet2 karma

Any age restrictions/minimum requirements to become a driver?

Googly-Doo-Wop3 karma

I THINK they wanted someone 21...

Dudewithaviators572 karma

Why Subaru?

Googly-Doo-Wop11 karma

Subaru has a pretty good rep for being bulletproof. other than that, I'm not sure. They gave Google a good deal?

MorphineBear2 karma

If something goes "wrong" in the pictures while you're driving around, like someone is bleeding on the floor (doubt that would ever happen), would you mark it down somewhere to make sure you know where to edit it out? What would happen in a case like that?

Googly-Doo-Wop4 karma

I don't have anything available to me to mark down "Person bleeding out" on the map unfortunately, but people review the pictures.

Crazy_Opinions1 karma

Do you experience animosity from people that don't like the idea of street view?

Googly-Doo-Wop9 karma

Definitely. Thankfully more people seem to be FOR it rather than against it.

mistertrustworthy1 karma

Ooh! Ooh!

I've got a good question: why did you think it was clever to do an AMA after signing a non disclosure agreement?

Googly-Doo-Wop1 karma

Well because they don't expect us to keep silent on absolutely everything, they realize people want to ask questions about it. As long as we aren't disclosing specific information about equipment, software, or anything to journalists.

bigpandas0 karma

Is there a feeling of job insecurity among drivers over fears that Google's self-driving cars will do it all themselves?

Googly-Doo-Wop3 karma

I don't keep in contact with other drivers, but I would say most of them don't care, because most, if not all, are temporary employees and it doesn't seem like they are going to replace us anytime soon.

[deleted]-1 karma

[deleted]

Googly-Doo-Wop2 karma

Sorry, I don't think that is something that Google would share with it's drivers, or anyone really, so I have no idea what to say to that.