Two French cyclists, Brian Jacques Gilbert and Sébastien François Gabriel, who had set off from Delhi on a cycling journey to Kathmandu, found themselves stranded in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, India, due to a ‘shortcut’ suggested by Google Maps. The incident was shared by the Uttar Pradesh Police on social media platform X.
The cyclists, who had planned their route through Tanakpur to Kathmandu, were relying on Google Maps for navigation. However, as night fell, the app directed them towards an unfamiliar and desolate road, leading them away from the Nepal border to the Churaiyali Dam area in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, instead.
Lost and aimlessly cycling through the unfamiliar route, they encountered villagers at around 11 PM. Upon seeing the foreign cyclists, the villagers were initially surprised, as they couldn’t communicate due to language barriers. Despite this, the villagers decided to assist and escorted the cyclists to the nearby Churaiyali police station.
At the station, police officers initially struggled to understand the cyclists due to the language issue, but soon learned that the problem stemmed from a Google Maps error. Once they understood the situation, the police decided to help further.
Anurag Arya, a senior police officer, arranged for the cyclists to stay at the home of a local village head. The following morning, after ensuring they were well-fed and rested, the police showed them the correct route, advising them to avoid taking any more shortcuts and sending them on their way.
Having arrived in Delhi on January 7th, the two cyclists gained an unexpected experience during their journey. They shared how, despite getting lost due to relying on Google Maps, they were touched by the hospitality of the Indian villagers who came to their aid during the night.
