Like Michael Scott driving into lake: Google Maps misleads travellers returning from Las Vegas into desert

Using Google Maps to reach our destination has often turned wrong for many of us. While some recover in the nick of time, others have to suffer a long detour which often leads to a feeling of haplessness. Something similar happened to a group of Californians who were returning after watching the recent Formula 1 race in Las Vegas.

ShelbyEasler, alongside her brother and their significant others, was heading back homeafter watching Max Verstappen take the podium in the penultimate race of the season on Sunday (Nov 19).

However, instead of taking Interstate 15,the major highway connecting Southern California to Sin City, they took Google Maps' advice which suggested they take an alternate route, so as to avoid running into a dust storm that was causing major traffic jams ahead.

“We ironically thought it would be a safer option, and it did say it would be 50 minutes faster. It was our first time driving to/from Vegas, so we didn't know that you can really only take the I-15 back and forth," she added.

As it turns out, it wasn't a shortcut, albeit a route to nothing. The omnipresent Google Maps directed the group away from the main highway and into the rugged desert terrain of Nevada.

In a now-viral video that Easler posted on TikTok, a trail of cars could be seen following their car, suggesting they all had been led into the vast, arid landscape of the desert by Google.

“The first driver that turned around talked to us to tell us that the road gets washed out the higher into the mountain you get, and we have to turn around since the path leads nowhere.He was in a huge truck and was just driving straight through the bushes and shrubs to let people know to turn around,” Easler said.

Upon realising they were lost, the groupdialled 911 but were told that the officials were bust with the dust storm on I-15. Eventually, they called the tow truck company which arrived on the spot and assisted Easler's car as well as others who were stuck there.

“The tow truck came around 5 pm, so we were pretty much stuck there the entire afternoon,” Easler said.

The off-roading had taken a toll on the car and the group had to leave it in Las Vegas. According to Easler, therearand right tire were on the verge of coming off. In the end, the detour proved to be quite an expensive affair for the group which had already spent a considerable sum of money in attending the Grand Prix.

Netizens had a funny reaction to the incident with many drawing parallels to the episode of the hit TV series "The Office" where the lead character was led into a lake while driving the car.

(With inputs from agencies)