GeoGuessr players are out of this world. If there’s anything that comes close to real magic on the internet, it’s seeing players use nothing but a photo of a telephone pole on Google Maps to determine where that object actually is. And there’s probably no one more skilled at this feat than Trevor Rainbolt, known online as Georainbolt or sometimes Rainbolt. A TikTok sensation who posts wild discoveries on his social media channels, he’s well known for his quick insights and dry humour. Oh, and his uncanny ability to find things, sometimes having almost nothing to go on before telling you exactly where that thing is.
But sometimes, it’s not just about beating a record or imposing a crazy rule for finding a Google Maps location. Georainbolt often uses his skills for things a little more creative than being a skilled GeoGuessr player. Here are some of the wildest things Georainbolt ever found.
Connecting with a mother
we were able to help her connect to her biological mother pic.twitter.com/05IimDJTjt
— rainbolt (@georainbolt) January 17, 2023
One follower sent in a request with a photo of their biological mother on a beach. In the request, the follower explained they were adopted, and this photo was the only link they had to their biological mother. This isn’t the only instance of Rainbolt helping followers connect to lost loved ones, with another showcasing Rainbolt matching rocks to find the location of a photo featuring a follower and their deceased dog.
That time he exposed the New York Jets
we’ll take it @georainbolt pic.twitter.com/oOaszXKzma
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 12, 2023
I’m not really a sports guy, but I understand the amusement of essentially exposing the entire schedule of the New York Jets and their eighteen opponents. OK, so this wasn’t really a leak, but it’s still impressive how he was able to ascertain all of the Jets’ opponents with pitch-perfect accuracy using just Google Streetview.
A scary car commercial
Rainbolt isn’t always able to immediately track down the location of a photo, and more often than not with these special requests, it can take days or even months. This instance saw Rainbolt finding the location of a driveway featured in a viral “scary car commercial,” a process that took over 150 days and the assistance of multiple people. By the way, this isn’t actually a “scary car commercial,” and is instead a pretty basic jumpscare video. An iconic one, at least.
For fans of music and Ice Spice
Rainbolt often delves deep into his process and how he’s able to pinpoint locations from certain photos, as he did in this video where he found a street featured in the music video for Duke Dermont’s “I Got U ft. Jax Jones.” Of course, the knowledge he holds is still wildly impressive, but he is able to pinpoint certain geographical quirks and features to narrow down the location. The location in question here is the lush Phi Phi Islands in South Thailand.
Presumably, he uses a similar method to find a shooting location for one of Ice Spice’s music videos, or that time he blew Lizzo’s mind with one of his other discoveries. A dangerous skill, indeed.
https://t.co/tg3wVk3Bhf pic.twitter.com/P1VsraBma5
— rainbolt (@georainbolt) October 28, 2022
Memewatch
51°30’45.09″N, 0°13’8.52″W https://t.co/yy8ssZFRHh
— rainbolt (@georainbolt) October 16, 2022
In tune with the online zeitgeist of zoomer humour and meme culture, it should go without saying that Rainbolt would use his skills to find the shooting locations of some of the internet’s most iconic memes. The “Hi, OK,” vine, for example, was located with pinpoint accuracy, coordinates, and all, thanks to the presence of some lush trees.
But nothing can be more iconic than pinpointing a filming location of Rick Astley’s “Never Gone Give You Up.” Now, you can rickroll your friends while also knowing the exact coordinates of Rick Astley and his iconic dance moves.
Blast from the past
geolocating a lost wwii photo pic.twitter.com/VpWHceuL7J
— rainbolt (@georainbolt) November 15, 2022
The age of a photo isn’t something that gets in the way of Rainbolt and his deductions, as evidenced by this geolocation where Rainbolt finds the location of a photo taken during World War II. This follower’s grandfather had a photo taken in Germany, which was pinpointed with precise accuracy, with a large mountain looming over the backdrop.
Captcha buster
I’m pretty terrible at captchas, to begin with. Rainbolt, though, doesn’t bother with clicking any boxes and is instead more interested in finding where some captcha photos are taken. I hate captchas with a burning passion, but there’s some comfort knowing at least these locations are real and serve a purpose in internet security.
Finding a lost package
One of Rainbolt’s quirkier discoveries is helping one of his followers locate a lost package, with a photo of said package located on a random stranger’s doorstep. Coordinates and all, Rainbolt was able to find the exact location of this person’s home, which is honestly a little sketchy and morally ambiguous. But if the TikTok is to be believed, the follower did manage to secure their package, which…is a happy ending?
Sleuthing while blindfolded
And if there was any doubt over Rainbolt and his geographical knowledge, there’s this TikTok where he’s shown pinpointing the locations of numerous photos while blindfolded. Going off of pure descriptions, Rainbolt is able to name the location of several different locations. There’s lots of insight here on ways Rainbolt is able to learn different quirks for different countries, such as the colour of licence plates or the shape of telephone poles.
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