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Someone made it so. But who?
(Google Maps)
Apparently, there's still someone out there who isn't entirely pleased with the name TriMet chose for the car-less Tilikum Crossing.
On Monday, an online prankster managed to change the official name of the so-called "Bridge of the People" to Jean-Luc Picard Wunder Crossing, paying tribute to the Starship Enterprise Captain on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
That name was actually one of hundreds submitted by the public when the transit agency was building the bridge.
About a week after the bridge opened last September, Portland business owner Owen Lingley purchased two "Star Trek"-themed billboards near Portland State University suggesting the very same name change.
Lingley, who owns a local craft brewing canning and bottling company, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he isn't behind the Picard prank.
"But I'm pretty stoked," he said. "Somebody picked it up and ran with it."
But how did they manage to make it so on Google Maps?
Changing an official name is not an easy hack.
Google Maps spokeswoman Mara Harris told KGW the data "comes from a variety of authoritative public and commercial data sources, user contributions, and imagery references."
"Star Trek" fans may be thrilled with the name change. On Twitter, however, some bridge users said the prank was offensive to Native Americans.
As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, however, the bridge was still named Jean-Luc Picard Wunder Crossing, as far as Google Maps was concerned.
Bike Portland reports that GPS devices are also sending bicyclists over the "Jean-Luc Picard Wunder Crossing."
To quote the good captain: "Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."
Yes, who knows how long Portland will have a bridge named after a beloved "Star Trek" hero.
This may be the only day.
-- Joseph Rose
503-221-8029
jrose@oregonian.com
@josephjrose