As if things could get any worse for me.  I suggested that my wife sell her antique Schwinn Trike before we moved to California.  My reasoning was that a) she never rode it, b) it was kind of dangerous to ride (it liked to tip over in corners), and c) the thing weighed in at about 200 pounds and would have cost a mint to move across the country (exaggerated, of course, but it was sure heavy).  And, while I appreciated the idea of using it to peddle glow sticks to festival attendees, I correctly suspected that she’d never follow through with getting the necessary licensing.

So, imagine my dismay when the story broke in May that Google had loaded the Streetview camera array on to a tricycle to capture pedestrian-limited areas.

Even worse, while this practice apparently started in the UK, it is now happening in my back yard!  The Google Streetview Trike has been used to index some very, very nearby locations including the Santa Monica Pier.

It seems at this point that it is only a matter of time before she sees one of these trikes riding through our neighborhood, or down the walking path we use quite often.  When she does, I imagine I will have to rejustify my reasoning for making her sell it.

My only other chance to get out of this cleanly might be getting her the job of riding that thing for Google.  Hmmm… maybe that would be easier (and more fun for everyone concerned).

Matt Cutts, if you are reading, can you hook me up?

Here’s something you don’t see every day:

A San Francisco photographer posted pictures on Flickr (yes, Flickr and not Picasa) of the Google Maps “Street View” camera vehicle pulled over by the police in the Presidio.  It seems that a SF motorcycle cop found the enormous apparatus mounted to the roof of this lady’s Prius to be a little suspicious.  Either that, or she was speeding. 

I have always wondered what Google’s camera apparatus for Streetview looked like, and thanks to Damian Spain, now I know.  Some bloggers are speculating what the hardware included– with some convinced Google is working on collecting 3D data for some new functionality to add to Street View.

So, now we know what it looks like.  And, the next time you see a hybrid vehicle with a 5-foot camera array following you down the street, don’t miss your chance.  Do something visible and memorable for the camera, write down where you were when you saw it, and watch for it on Google Maps.  When else will you get a chance for such fame?