Traffic sign hacked to display vulgar retort to West Palm mayor

PalmBeachPost.com ^ | November 24, 2004 | Splatter

[Splatter]

WEST PALM BEACH — As commuters may recall, West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel took advantage of a roadside sign along the North Dixie Highway reconstruction project to express empathy with traffic-bound drivers this month. "I Am Mad Too! - Lois," her message flashed.

Now, someone has responded anonymously to the mayor's frustration. Tuesday morning, the electronic board displayed an obscene message.

Whoever left the message then locked the metal box housing the sign's keyboard, so that road workers were unable to change the words and had to shut the sign off altogether, which they did shortly after 9 a.m. Someone from the sign leasing company arrived with the key later in the day.

David Giancola, an assistant manager at Bob's Barricades, which leased the sign to the road contractor, said the control boxes generally are locked and the keypads require a password. But it's not particularly hard for a determined vandal to hack in and alter a message, he said.

Still, he added, it's rare that anyone types in obscenities. "I've been here for five years and that's never happened," he said. "I've seen them shot up, turned over, flipped around, graffiti on them — but nothing like that."

The mayor, for her part, took it in stride. "Happy Thanksgiving," she said. "It's a silly response. I understand the frustration, but this is a very special week for us to give joy for all the blessings that we have."

Will there be an investigation? "I'll leave that to the police," she said. "I don't know what they're doing. I think they have enough things on their mind."

[Splatter]

I am curious to know what the "vulgar retort" was. What did it say?

[KingNo155]

"I'll leave that to the police," she said. "I don't know what they're doing. I think they have enough things on their mind."

She's the Mayor and doesn't know what the police are doing?How did she she get elected?

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

"I'll leave that to the police," she said. "I don't know what they're doing. I think they have enough things on their mind."

She's the Mayor and doesn't know what the police are doing?How did she she get elected?

---

I don't have the slightest idea. But she sounds like a good delegator. Especially since it appears she is signaling that the police should keep their eye on things of importance, rather than tracking down some random insult against herself.

If only all public officials were like that.

[KingNo155]

I'll buy that line of reasoning , but a mayor who doesn't know what the police of her city are doing seems absurd.

[MikefromOhio]

I'll buy that line of reasoning , but a mayor who doesn't know what the police of her city are doing seems absurd

---

In West Palm Beach? That isnt exactly a little town. It is quite possible that the Mayor wouldnt know the minute to minute dealings of her police force in a place that size...

[mlocher]

"I'll leave that to the police," she said. "I don't know what they're doing. I think they have enough things on their mind."

She's the Mayor and doesn't know what the police are doing?How did she she get elected?

west palm beach is a large community. i think her choice of words failed her, but i would not expect the mayor to micromanage the police force.

[weegee]

Whoever left the message then locked the metal box housing the sign's keyboard, so that road workers were unable to change the words and had to shut the sign off altogether, which they did shortly after 9 a.m. Someone from the sign leasing company arrived with the key later in the day.

David Giancola, an assistant manager at Bob's Barricades, which leased the sign to the road contractor, said the control boxes generally are locked and the keypads require a password. But it's not particularly hard for a determined vandal to hack in and alter a message, he said.

Sounds like it was left unlocked, not that someone "hacked" the keypad to gain entry.

What was the KEY for if someone figured out the code (which could probably be observed by watching someone ELSE (from a distance) type it in)? Did the "mad hacker" CHANGE the password as well?

Shoddy reporting at best. WHO (don't know), WHAT (edited the message AND entered the case, was it locked? DON'T KNOW), WHEN (last week), WHERE (along the highway), WHY (don't know), and HOW (don't know)?

Police blotter journalism.

[RonDog]

I am curious to know what the "vulgar retort" was. What did it say?

From www.nbc4.tv:

Traffic Sign Hacked To Display Vulgar Message

POSTED: 10:11 am EST November 24, 2004
UPDATED: 5:49 am EST November 25, 2004

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A hacker put an obscene message -- possibly for this city's mayor -- on an electronic traffic message board, shocking morning commuters.

Mayor Lois Frankel recently had put up large electronic signs that flash humorous messages meant to make light of ongoing construction delays, such as "I Am Mad Too! - Lois."

A hacker typed in the three-word message that Frankel thinks was aimed at her for Tuesday morning commuters to see...

O.K., Vanna, I'd like to buy another vowel:

Is there an "I" ?

(Hint: "female dog.")

[G.Mason]

" She's the Mayor and doesn't know what the police are doing?How did she she get elected?"

By lying, just as she is doing here.

[chainsaw]

The 5 "W's" are meant for responsible journalist.

[ovrtaxt]

Assuming the best, I see that comment as "I don't know what they're doing in relation to this particular incident." Assuming the worst, I'll agree with your take.

[lifacs]

She's the Mayor and doesn't know what the police are doing?How did she she get elected?

She's a democrat and WPB leans democrat. She was one of the politicians screaming, "Bush stole the election" here in Florida. I figure being Mayor of WPB was her reward for sticking by the party in 2000.

WPB has also had a rash of unsolved drive by shootings lately:

Man wounded in another West Palm Beach shooting

By Thomas R. Collins

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, November 26, 2004

WEST PALM BEACH — A man was hospitalized with two gunshot wounds after a gun attack in the north end of West Palm Beach on Thursday afternoon.

Police said Brian Gerald, 22, of 819 32nd St. was in a red car at about 4 p.m. when it turned the corner at Eighth Street and Carver Avenue and passed two men next to a green Buick.

Then one of the men started firing shots from an assault rifle.

One of the men had long dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail, and the other had medium-length dreadlocks, police spokeswoman Dena Kimberlin said.

Both men wore all-black clothing, she said.

Gerald was shot in the arm and chest.

He took off for Good Samaritan Medical Center for treatment, police said. He was later flown to St. Mary's Medical Center.

The injuries don't appear to be life-threatening, Kimberlin said.

The men next to the green Buick were forced to flee on foot, she said.

"Our Thanksgiving present was that the suspects locked themselves out of the car, and it is in our possession," she said.

Police will examine the car for evidence, she said.

Police found more than 10 bullet casings in the area.

Some gunshot pellets hit a tree and another flew through somebody's window, police said.

The shooting took place about four blocks south of Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, a road that has been the scene of many of the shooting deaths in the north end of the city since Nov. 3.

But police said they didn't know whether Thursday's shooting was related.

The only obvious similarity to some of the other shootings, other than the proximity, was that an assault rifle was involved, Kimberlin said.

[chadwimc]

You don't have to be a "hacker" to change readouts and access codes to a vast majority of electronic equipment. Anyone who services this type of stuff knows there is a pretty common way for people to access the information.

[geedee]

Two of my favorite road signs . . .