New York is the latest prey for pranksters who are breaking into electronic road signs and replacing the usual traffic message with their own.
Three huge signs that warned drivers to go slowly due to Houston Street construction were altered on Saturday to show messages that ranged from the dire “NEW YORK IS DYING” to the social “PARTY AT JULIE’S” to the profane and mysterious “S – – T BIRD ORL.”
The city isn’t amused.
“It is wrong. It could pose a dangerous distraction for drivers, for pedestrians, for everyone,” said Matthew Monahan, assistant commissioner of the state Department of Design and Construction.
Tampering with a portable message board, also known as a variable message sign or VMS, has become a national craze since January when Web sites reported how easy it is do.
“It’s spreading like wildfire right now,” said Daniel Myers, marketing manager of Wanco Inc., one of the leaders in VMS manufacturing. He said his firm has been contacted by several departments of transportation from around the country asking how to combat the pranks.
Last month, traffic signs in Illinois, Texas, Indiana and elsewhere were altered with messages like “DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES” and “RAPTORS AHEAD – CAUTION.”
The pranksters are not traditional hackers, who use sophisticated means to break through firewalls and other safeguards, according to Myers.
“These are bored people who see a sign, jiggle a handle, put up a silly message,” he said.
In the New York incident, pranksters opened the backs of the signs, which were placed at Broadway and East Fourth Street, and on Houston at Chrystie streets, and near Mott Street. They then reprogrammed the signs by using the control-box keypad.
Monahan said DDC is taking steps to avoid a repeat, including removing the keypads and monitoring the signs frequently.
The wave of attacks spread around the country two months ago after techno-savvy sites provided step-by-step tutorials – coupled with disclaimers that didn’t seem quite sincere.
“By no means use these directions to write ‘Jalopnik Rules!’ ” advised one of the sites, Jalopnik.com.
Days later that very message appeared on a hacked sign near Bellevue, Wash.