In brief
Officials are investigating and have temporarily disabled the audio at affected crossings to prevent further disruptions while highways remain safe.
Pedestrian crossings across Northern California found themselves at the center of a whimsical hack, delighting and perplexing passersby with fake audio messages impersonating tech moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. The incident occurred over the weekend, mainly observed in towns like Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City, regions closely associated with both billionaires' business ventures. Officials swiftly took action to disable the audio feature typically responsible for guiding pedestrians to "walk" or "wait." The playful impersonations included one claiming Musk would buy a Tesla Cybertruck to anyone who became his friend, and another attributed to a fake Zuckerberg introducing himself with, "real ones call me The Zuck." Details regarding who orchestrated the prank remain a mystery, although local authorities are conducting thorough investigations into the tampering of approximately 10 crossings. Pedro Quintana from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) confirmed that these locations, which have been reverted to a timer-based operation, no longer have functionalities allowing for the amusing messages. Several recordings began circulating on social media, featuring Musk's voice welcoming individuals to Palo Alto, humorously noting, "You know, they say money can't buy happiness and... I guess that's true. God knows I've tried." Meanwhile, the Zuckerberg impersonator was heard suggesting the integration of AI “into every facet of your conscious experience.”Palo Alto's city officials reported noticing at least 12 crossings impacted shortly after an employee flagged issues with the audio feature. With actions taken to mitigate further disruptions, vehicle traffic signals were also ensured to be functioning properly and without issues. Local media outlets highlighted similar occurrences in nearby Redwood City, where audio from the crossings mimicked both Musk and Zuckerberg. As of now, neither billionaire has responded to the incident, allowing this quirky hacking event to remain a buzz within California.
