As we all do, I spend a ton of time with maps. A few months ago I was standing at the corner of Mesple (Mess Plea) and Guavaberry on St Croix. Something wasn’t quite right so I went back to my digital data and double checked it. I was standing at the corner of a wonderful moment.
- Wrong Street Sign.
- Had it been right it was still misspelled. It should be Sour Sop
The residents in this neighborhood were an older set. I would guess in their 60’s. I asked around and talk turned to the Hurricane years ago. All the street signs were blown down. There was a neighborhood effort to replace them. Out of every intersection in the neighborhood this was probably one of the last signs standing. All the streets are named after fruit.
If you went to OpenStreetMap the neighborhood was not even there (it is now).
If you went to Google Maps the neighborhood was there except Sour Sap was spelled Soul Sop. They had Mesple right though.
Bing Maps is just as wrong as Google.
ArcGISOnline who pulls from the finest commercial vendors is just as wrong as Bing and Google.
If you use a map – know your data. Except there isn’t any way you would know if this was right or wrong unless you were there. So make no assumptions. Acknowledge that there may or may not be a road there and continue with your work until it is field verified.
I sporadically end up at a school from time to time and I ask the kids what street they live on. I also ask how many fire hydrants are on the street. Go check your street sign!
