A video captured the moment a Polish tourist named Wiktoria Guzenda suddenly fell into a canal in Venice (Italy). The incident happened when the girl was busy navigating and looking intently at her phone, then slipped and plunged straight into the water.
The video shows female tourist Guzenda walking down the stone steps along the canal but her eyes still cannot take off the phone screen.
Before she could see the water, she lost her balance and fell straight into the canal. The footage then shows the Polish woman sitting on a high step, wiping the scratches on her leg after the fall.
According to the female tourist, the incident happened because she believed and followed the instructions of Google Maps - a digital map service that provides directions and route finding features.
The video has attracted hundreds of thousands of views with many mixed comments. Most of them said they did not understand what the girl was thinking when she continued walking down the steps to the water.
"Maybe you should stop following GPS directions and look around to find your way," one account commented on Instagram.
Along with that, many people question whether Google Maps is really to blame in this case. Tourists who have experience traveling to Venice believe that you should not use the Google Maps application when coming to this city.
Trusting Google Maps' directions, the girl slipped and fell straight into the water (Video source: Wiktoria Guzenda).
According to Italian travel sites, using Google Maps in Venice can be more trouble than it is effective.
The reason comes from the city's unique urban structure. Unlike other cities in the world , Venice is divided into many districts with a complex house numbering system, not in a certain order. This makes navigation difficult, even for those who are tech-savvy.
The difficulty is compounded by the fact that Venice has many dead ends leading straight down to the water, or narrow passages that seem like streets but end in canals. Even bridges that seem possible to cross are actually blocked.
Additionally, Google Maps fails to account for changing water levels, which can cause roads to suddenly become flooded or impassable. Google Maps, on the other hand, typically directs travelers along regular routes.
"Many tourists had to stand there, stunned, by the water's edge, exactly where the app told them to turn," the travel site Tour Leader Venice once shared.
In fact, many travel websites advise visitors to temporarily stop using Google Maps when visiting Venice. Instead, visitors should use a paper map or a specialized navigation app for Venice.
"Or best if you are unfamiliar with the water and the place, you should hire a local guide. This is both safe and you don't have to worry about bathing in the canal like the Polish girl," a local guide shared.
Also related to Google Maps, many accidents have occurred because users completely trust this application.
In August this year, a tragic accident occurred in Chittorgarh district (India) when a car carrying a family of 9 was swept away into the Banas river.
The initial cause is believed to be that the driver followed Google Maps instructions and drove straight onto a bridge that had been closed for months.
Of the 9 people in the car, 5 were lucky to survive because they managed to hold on to the roof of the car until they were rescued.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tin-loi-di-theo-google-maps-chi-duong-co-gai-truot-chan-roi-tom-xuong-nuoc-20251018232216354.htm
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