An artist in Germany set out to downtown Berlin to prove just how easy it was to create a virtual traffic jam.
Simon Weckert rolled around a wagon stuffed with 99 cell phones, all of which were opened to Google Maps. Google Maps use GPS and location data from mobile devices to determine possible traffic congestion. Since Weckert had all those cell phones clumped together, and all were using GPS and location services, Google Maps thought there was a traffic jam wherere Weckert and his wagon were, even though there were virtually no cars in the area.
Weckert wrote on his website, "99 second hand smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route to avoid being stuck in traffic."
We can only imagine the amount of headaches for people trying to go about their day thinking there's a traffic jam on your route!