parsing gmap json output in rails 3

I am a newbie.

I am trying to consume gmap data via json. I have it working with xml in http://github.com/dmclark/geoaccess/blob/master/app/models/route.rb.

uri = URI.parse("http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=Chicago,IL&destination=Los+Angeles,CA&waypoints=Joplin,MO|Oklahoma+City,OK&sensor=false")

gives me

URI::InvalidURIError: bad URI(is not URI?): http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?or开发者_如何学Cigin=Chicago,IL&destination=Los+Angeles,CA&waypoints=Joplin,MO|Oklahoma+City,OK&sensor=false

any pointers?

Try encoding it.

uri = URI.parse(URI.encode("http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=Chicago,IL&destination=Los+Angeles,CA&waypoints=Joplin,MO|Oklahoma+City,OK&sensor=false"))