People smile and wave like it’s a movie star but it’s just the Google street car
- The driver of a Google Street View car has spoken about his job
- He has driven around 100,000 miles in three years
- The car attracts attention wherever it goes
Published on May 26, 2025 at 5:01 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on May 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A motorist from Florida who has racked up 100,000 miles driving the Google Street View car has opened up about his unusual job and what it’s like to be behind the wheel.
Three years ago, Joe McCallen spotted a vague job advertisement online simply requesting a ‘driver’.
After he applied, he discovered that he would be driving the famed Google Street View car – a tricked-out Honda HR-V with a 9ft tall turret on the roof.
Since then, he’s clocked up around 100,000 miles and traveled all over the US.
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Google first introduced its Street View to its Maps service in 2007, and since then, it’s been a staple for motorists and nosy folks the world over.
One developer likes it so much, he’s even used it to create a live virtual road trip across the US.
For Joe, Street View is part of his everyday life, as he drives around from just after sunrise to just before sunset, taking photographs that are then spliced into panoramic images and used online.
“I love doing it,” he told The New York Times.
“The places you go to, the people you see. Stuff you just can’t write.”
The publication sent along one of its reporters to spend the day with Joe as he and the Google Street View car made their way through New York.
As you can probably imagine, the Google Street View mobile is no ordinary car; inside, there’s a specially customized screen covering the center console and a bunch of computers in the back seat.
But it’s the giant turret holding the camera that makes the car so recognizable when out on the road.
The New York Times reporter said that ‘nearly every pedestrian who walked by took photos, waved, pointed or nodded at the car like they had just seen a minor celebrity’.
And if you fancy seeing the ‘celebrity’ car out and about, it’s actually easier than you might think.
Google has a ‘where are we mapping this month’ section on its website, where you can pop on and choose your country from the drop-down list to see where it’s headed next.
And who knows? You might be seeing Joe and his Honda on a road near you soon.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
