Mar 26 2009
The zombies are everywhere
So you know those huge electronic traffic signs on the side of the highway that are usually wrong and nobody really pays attention to? It turns out that someone found an actual use for them: pulling off one of the greatest pranks ever. I first heard about this happening in Austin, TX but since then the same thing has been done in Omaha and Richland Township, PA. The signs were all hacked into and changed to read “Zombies Ahead.” In the case of Austin, it was like that for days before anybody was notified. That is so awesome. Apparently there is a website that I will need to Google to see exactly how this was pulled off.
It takes me back to my elementary school days. This was in the late ‘80s and the school had just purchased a brand new scrolling red LED sign, and for some reason I was one of the kids allowed to program it. In addition to typing in the lunch menu for the day, I loved all of the special effects that went with it. In particular, I enjoyed using the effect where a little alligator ate all of the words as they scrolled. But being able to hack into one of these big roadway signs would be the ultimate for a geek like me.
That is AWESOME! I would love to see something like that on my commute…spice it up a little. I always drive past those signs and think about LA Story, and think it would be the coolest thing to see one do something unexpected.
I especially love that no one called it in till several days later.