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New York to London in 29 Days, 10 Hours

Posted: Thursday, April 19, 2007 10:45 PM by Countdown



Hey, if you're on Google Maps looking up driving directions from New York to London, you probably deserve to be messed with by the code monkeys extremely talented and smart software developers (sorry...really!).



It's fun! It's easy! You can try it yourself!

Just go to "Directions", put New York in the "from" box, and -- well, if you really need further instructions, maybe the internets are not for you.

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Comments

If any one was insane enough to try that there may be a legal issue are two, one the person would have to be legally insane & two some insane lawyer would try to hold google liable.But i quess you would have to produce the body first. Anything is possible just take one look at the Bush administration. "Just all in fun Ok"

Don Oubre, Paulina, Louisiana (Sent Thursday, April 19, 2007 11:31 PM)

A friend sent this to me the other day, it is hysterical! The mere idea that anyone would attempt to swim across the Atlantic is preposterous. Sometimes I think the gang at Google just gets a bit bored and tries to spice things up a bit.

Lynn, New Orleans (Sent Thursday, April 19, 2007 11:47 PM)

This would make an exciting commercial for the 2012 Olympics.

Jessy Scholl, Mandan ND (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 12:38 AM)

I guess you could go that way, but that laurentian abyss is a bitch this time of year. I'd belly up towards the east greenland current if I were you.

Aquaman, Under the Sea (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 12:52 AM)

Interesting challenge. But before the final stage of such a daredevil attempt there are often trial runs to work out any unknown kinks. So before anyone makes such an attempt let's drop GW and Cheney in the middle of the ocean at the half way mark and see if they can make it back to New York City. If not, well, no great loss, and we'll know not to allow any future attempts. If they do make it, naw, they won't make it. And before the coast guard heads out to try and rescue the two they will be required to ask Gonzales for directions (where the Pres. and VP were last sigthed). And of course he will have to reply, I don't recall. Let's schedule the trial run for first thing in the morning.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 8:30 AM)

A girlfriend sent this to me yesterday and it really gave me a giggle. As a Virginia Tech alumnus, I've been at an emotional nadir all week; when I saw the instruction, I laughed out loud, surprising myself. I usually make a point to laugh every day, but it's something I hadn't done since Sunday and I'd forgotten what my own laughter sounded like. We need silliness and goofiness in the world; they're an antidote to tragedy and heartbreak. I especially like that it says it'll take 29 days to complete the swim (an average of 5 miles per hour).

LV (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 10:34 AM)

Perhaps google is just trying to expand thier market to whales,dolphins, and jellyfish. Its a huge untaped market.

jen (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 11:02 AM)

I saw this yesterday as well and personally think it's Google's tongue-in-cheek way of telling anyone who would ask for "driving" directions from New York to London to take a long walk off a short pier. It is especially funny that there are 22 detailed steps before they finally tell you to jump in the pond. Also notice that they fail to tell you where to get out of the pond. The timing is obviously a joke as well: where did they get the 10 hours from? But it surely was funny, and heaven knows we need funny right now.

Bonnie, Madison (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 11:12 AM)

I assume there isn't going to be a bridge any time soon. I tried looking for a route between Honolulu and Juneau, but didn't get any results.

Jake, Laurinburg, NC (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 11:19 AM)

My question is, If I try it, will I get to do a "Speedo's" commercial?

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 11:42 AM)

someone sent it to me yesterday. hilarious. i bet dubya thinks its legit. mayhap he would like to try......

Barb G, Albany NY (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 11:51 AM)

They definitely need to put a disclaimer out there-wouldn't want anybody to think they could actually do it. I can see the news now: FAMILY SUES GOOGLE BECAUSE MORONIC RELATIVE FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS TO SWIM TO THE UK! One of my sisters sent me the directions to Paris this am. I think I'll give it a go!:) Happy Friday all, and have a good weekend.

Jamie, Chula Vista, CA (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 11:56 AM)

Hee. That's hilarious.

Brie B., Los Angeles, CA (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 12:09 PM)

This is really viral -- my sweetie emailed me (and a bunch of her buddies) with this two days ago. It's gone all over the world! It made for some light comedic relief from more "evidence" of the surge's success in Baghdad, Virginia Tech and Gonzo's lack of sparkle in his testimony to Congress. I hope that Keith will have the author of "Blackwater" on -- a fascinating and scary book. Americans shouldn't use mercenaries -- look what it did for the longevity of the Roman Empire!

Stu (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 12:21 PM)

I have seen this one, my son emailed it to me. It caused a smile and a chuckle. What I liked was that the request was to DRIVE between New York and London. I think it shows a lot of talent and insight by the Google team. They didn't reject the request (basically saying "Hay stupid) the processed the request and showed that their may be a need to try alternate transportation.

Gerald Von Riesen (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 12:32 PM)

Code Monkey? CODE MONKEY!? You are nothing but an uneducated, ill-informed, bigot whose understanding of the intelligence and determination it takes to write good programming code AND have fun while doing it wouldn't fill a pore on a strawberry. You make Don Imus look like the frickin' Pope...

Darrel In Edinboro, PA (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 12:45 PM)

Darrel in Edinboro should lay down and put a cool damp cloth on his forehead. We all know computer programmers (and that "code monkey" is not a bigoted remark, geesh), and their silly senses of humor. This is perfect stuff. Let's hear it for Captain Nemo!

Stu, Seattle WA (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 1:32 PM)

Uh oh, you went and insulted the programmer geeks. Watch out for anthrax in your email inbox!?

Mark, Chapel Hill, NC (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 1:35 PM)

Thanks! I haven't laughed like I just did for a while now! Apology accepted! Thanks for all you do out here in the ether of the Internet. Your comments and articles help me believe that there are others with like minds.......who aren't monkeys (hahaha, that's a joke!)

Darrel In Edinboro, PA (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 1:59 PM)

Wow, Darrel, you need to relax!!

Chillin' in Omaha (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 2:19 PM)

Maybe it could tell us where Jimmy Hoffa is buried!?

Andre, Baltimore MD (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 2:26 PM)

touche

Jason K. (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 3:12 PM)

I put in Chicago to London and it gave me routing directions from Chicago to Boston, swimming directions to France and driving directions on to London. Total miles 4,705 mi - total time about 29 days 22 hours.

Janet, Chicago,IL (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 3:13 PM)

To all those who think I need to "chill", or "relax", or whatever, my first impression when I read "code monkeys" was a picture of an endless cavern filled with monkeys sitting at typewriters. And I'm sure you've all heard the statement about "if you put enough monkeys in a room full of typewriters, sooner or later, one of them is going to type "War And Peace"", implying a great sense of randomness to the work we programmers do. I do have a great sense of humor, and the fact that these folks had enough foresight to predict that some turkey would actually enter the choices they did, and program an appropriate, yet humorous, response, really makes me laugh. And, the crossed-out "code monkeys", with the apology below, really made me laugh right out loud! Plus, I'm sure that whoever wrote that wouldn't be terribly pleased to have their work categorized as being created by a "news monkey". So, the "code monkey" hit a little close to home. I applaud the Google Maps programmers for their originality, and often wish I had the same latitude while pounding out endless mountains of dry, humorless, code. Have a nice weekend, y'all........I'm turning off the TV, the PC (and all other electronic communication devices), and getting out into the sunshine......

Darrel In Edinboro (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 3:25 PM)

I tried some others but got no results FROM WICHITA TO ISLAMABAD FROM DUBUQUE TO NOVAYA ZEMLYA FROM CORPUS CHRISTI TO EASTER ISLAND FROM BRAZZAVILLE TO MEDICINE HAT FROM TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES TO OAHU There are probably some more Easter Eggs in there somewhere

Rastro (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 3:49 PM)

Got a little curious. Unalaska, AK to Moscow, Russia - 11071 mi. about 35 days, 22 hours. There's nothing like a Friday afternoon stuck in the office.

Aaron, KC, MO (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 3:53 PM)

AS A Virginia Tech grad, I can tell you that I too really enjoyed the laugh break this provided. AS A professional "code monkey" (although I must admit that I prefer "software developer") I can tell you that the professional term for this sort of tomfoolery is "Easter Egg". AS A longtime tinkerer with all the web's strangeness, I can tell you that I have the longest journey I have thus far been able to construct using a "swim the Atlantic" step has been from "Homer, AK" to "Nordkapp, Norway" (10,542 mi, about 34 days 6 hours). AS A competitive old son-of-a-gun, I can issue the following challenge: "Anyone care to top that?"

Balrog, Eagan, MN (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 3:56 PM)

I laughed myself silly when I first saw this on Monday... I put in lots of destinations in Europe (Dublin, Rome, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, etc.) and got the same thing. I was only disappointed in trying to map New York to Tokyo -- I was hoping it would at least give me good driving directions cross-country before stopping somewhere along the Pacific coast. I'm not talented enough to make "Easter Eggs" like these -- but I'd love to see someone else do it!

Jackie, Portageville, MO (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 4:26 PM)

Wow Arron! I didn't even get my challenge out before you topped it! Okay then, my **NEW** best is "Unalaska, AK" to "Nordkapp, Norway". Next?

Balrog, Eagan, MN (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 4:29 PM)

There was a story the other day " . . .Martin Strel completed his swim of the entire 5,265-kilometer (3,272-mile) Amazon River on Saturday, a 65-day odyssey". Maybe he was just warming up for the swim "across the pond"!!!

ginab, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 4:31 PM)

Darrel, I would think Keith and the rest off the MSNBC News Monkeys would not mind being called News Monkeys. Most monkeys are okay if you get past the flinging poo thing. Now had either of you been called Flying Code/News Monkeys, well, thems fightin' words in some parts . . .

Todd, Emerald City, Oz on loan from New Orleans, La. (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 5:01 PM)

It's not that far fetched to ask for directions to London - as there is a London, Ontario in Canada.

Amy, Chicago, IL (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 6:01 PM)

And now for your official disclaimer: Do not try this, even in the privacy of your own home(land). This map was initiated and tested by trained professionals. Attempting this may cause many of the same symptoms as most of the drugs you see advertised on television. If you are still swimming after four hours, please consult your physician. Do not swim without your official passport. Please wait at least 30 minutes after eating to begin. This does not ensure that you may not be eaten within 30 minutes of entering the water. Yada, yada, yada.

Jeff in Seattle (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 6:16 PM)

did anyone pause to think that they're maybe catering to the amphibeous car owners out there with a lot of time on their hands planning a New york to London trip and they really don't want to pay the high rental car prices when they get to the other side so they bring their car with them, so that's gotta be the reason for that google map.......okay I'm stretching!

LTM, Las Vegas, Nevada (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 7:00 PM)

Jeff in Seattle; Great disclaimer i like that, maybe you should send it to Google!

Don Oubre, Paulina, Louisiana (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 7:29 PM)

I tried Mogadishu, Somalia to Perth, Australia with no luck.

MIke Las Vegas, NV (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 8:05 PM)

What's even weirder is that there's only one place that you can hop in the Atlantic: Long Wharf in Boston. I tried Miami to Madrid, which would seem to be far enough south on both ends to go due east. The map, however, has you go up to Boston then over to London, then back southwest to Spain. Seems like a long way around to me.

Andy, Germantown, MD (Sent Friday, April 20, 2007 10:04 PM)

How do we work out the 29 day time for the journey? Are we basing this on the average swimmer? Michael Phelps? Is there a swimming speed limit? If I travel at a non-peak shipping time, do I get a better travel time?

Eileen Washington DC (Sent Monday, April 23, 2007 5:42 PM)

I will die trying.

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. (: (Sent Sunday, April 29, 2007 2:31 AM)

They fixed it... it doesn't work anymore! What a bummer!

Jim, Florida (Sent Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:25 PM)



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