What's in a Prague street name

Originally published – albeit with a more inconclusive (slash wrong) ending – on Twitter on 18 July 2022.

Dovcova was built in, well, let’s talk this one through.

Google Maps says that Dovcova exists.

But there’s no street sign, and the street (is that even the correct word?) looked like this when I went to take a photo of the non-existent sign.

It’s not on the list included on https://regiony.kurzy.cz/praha/praha-3-mestska-cast/ulice-vypis/… (whose final page is behind a paywall, which will traumatise me no end in a few months when I realise I’ve left out one street in Prague 3 and can’t work out which one).

It’s also not mentioned in this fine volume (which includes an English translation, so do get yourself a copy).

I originally assumed this street was under construction – the photo would certainly imply that.

But it turns out that this is known as a ‘trap street’ – a street which publishers of maps include in their maps, knowing full well that it’s not real, because, if somebody else happens to produce a map including the same, fictitious street, they can then go and sue them for plagiarism.

Handy.