Hacked Houston construction sign tells drivers: ‘Go f—k yourself’
If you can’t take the heat, get out of Houston.
A hacked electronic construction sign at a busy Houston street corner left drivers gawking with its strongly worded warning: “DUE TO WEATHER. GO F—K YOURSELF.”
The shocking message splayed across a changing screen at a corner on the city’s west side quickly took off online, as stunned Houstonians who caught a glimpse of the aggressive display looked to see who was responsible.
The founding editor-in-chief of the Houston Landing, Mizanur Rahman, was first to post pictures of the sign’s startling message on X.
“Well this made my commute to our office this morning rather entertaining,” Rahman wrote Monday morning as the mercury climbed to 93 degrees.
The sign remained unchanged with its bizarre and bold directive on display over three hours later, according to Rahman’s post.
The internet was quick to share the post, with many social media users chiming in with how much they love Houston’s attitude.
It’s unclear who the trickster responsible for the message is and whether it was just a stunt or they truly had a bone to pick with the heat Houston has experienced this summer.
The city has recorded record highs, having set a new high temperature of 109 degrees last month.
A Houston Public Works employee told Chron the equipment controlling the sign’s message is inside a locked box attached to the sign — meaning whoever wrote the foul-mouthed note either had the ability to unlock the box or was able to hack the system.
The assertive message may also be in response to a law Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June that overrides local measures that ensure outdoor workers receive regular water breaks.
Opponents of the bill call it a death sentence for construction workers. The state already leads the US in construction worker deaths, according to the Center for Construction Research and Training.
It was not immediately clear which city contractor was in charge of the construction project associated with the sign.
Houston Public Works said it does not operate the sign, and that officials were still trying to identify its owner.
“This sign was not a Houston Public Works sign. A city inspector visited the location and turned the sign off. We were unable to locate who the sign belonged to,” a Houston Public Works spokesperson told Chron.
No construction workers were seen near the sign at the time it was hacked.