An electronic road sign in Queens appears to have been hacked by a supporter of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea—though whether this is the work of teenage pranksters, or just the latest instance of Kremlin meddling is, at this point, hard to say.
NK proganda on Metro Avefrom nyc
The unnamed individual who posted the video clip on Reddit said the roadside agitprop was spotted at Metropolitan Avenue and Forest Avenue in Ridgewood at around 8 a.m. Thursday morning. Several reddit users have since pointed out that the DOT's electronic road signs are notoriously easy to hack, as they reportedly all come with the same default password.
Back in 2009, a band of e-vandals took similar advantage of the insecurity to warn that "New York is Dying" and "Shit Bird Orl." A more innocent time, really.
A DOT spokesperson says they're looking into this and will get back to us. In the meantime, remember that such pranks are illegal, and could potentially distract drivers from important traffic updates. That said, if we do find ourselves in a road sign-based propaganda war any time soon, the internet has plenty of resources to catch you up to speed.
