Provo, UT: I-15 VMS says “God Hates Gays”

[Lyon Wonder]

An electronic road sign on I-15 in Provo, UT near Brigham Young University was reprogrammed to say "God Hates Gays".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=704fAF-iatY&feature=player_embedded

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54666287-90/sign-message-signs-dethman.html.csp

Hacked I-15 sign flashed "˜God Hates Gays'
Hate message » UDOT says it will ensure security of road signs.

By Lee Davidson

After one of its mobile construction-zone message signs on Interstate 15 flashed "God Hates Gays," the Utah Department of Transportation says it is now busy ensuring such signs are secured to prevent passers-by from reprogramming them.

On Tuesday night, a sign at Provo's University Avenue exit alternated flashing "Follow detour," and "God Hates Gays."

"Someone broke in and reprogrammed one of our message boards," said Leigh Dethman, spokeswoman for the I-15 Corridor Expansion project that is rebuilding the freeway in Utah County. "It happened sometime after 10 p.m., and was taken down about 5:30 a.m. [Wednesday], but we don't know exactly what time it went up."

Dethman said UDOT did not receive complaint calls, but a contractor noticed the message and stopped it. A video of the sign was posted on YouTube on Thursday, entitled "Really, Provo?"

Dethman said the sign was not secured, allowing any passer-by to reprogram it. "So anyone could have done this," she said.

"The program boards cannot be accessed remotely. So someone had to physically go into the board and reprogram it. This was an isolated incident and this sign was unsecured," she said.

"UDOT has taken appropriation action with the contractor," Dethman said without elaborating. But she did say that UDOT and the contractor are assessing all electronic signs to ensure they are properly secured "so that this never happens again."

Dethman added, "Obviously, this message is extremely offensive," and UDOT condemns it.

" We take this very seriously because these signs are so important to communicating road construction and traffic messages to keep the public informed and safe."

The online video was attracting plenty of negative comments – so one Provo spokeswoman even added a comment there saying the city did not do it, and condemned the message.

"This is not a Provo City sign and of course it does not reflect the opinion of the city. I personally find it very offensive. Despite every effort to prevent it, sometimes signs like this get hacked," wrote Provo spokewoman Helen Anderson.

[agentsteel53]

it's this sort of asinine immaturity-disguised-as-extremism which will be the downfall of the religious right.  that and old age.  in 20 years, we'll be laughing at these sorts of things the same way we laugh at Klansmen.

[NE2]

Could have been a troll who hates the religious right. In which case good for him.

[agentsteel53]

Could have been a troll who hates the religious right. In which case good for him.

in this case, I am sticking with Poe's law...

[kphoger]

I'm not saying I support hacking into VMSes.  I'm not saying God hates gays.  BUT...

I'm sorry, I'm cracking up imagining driving down the highway in the middle of the night and seeing that message.  That was one super-cool prank.  Of course, I completely condemn the action.  Sort of.  Wait, yes, I most certainly do.  I guess.

[agentsteel53]

I'm not saying I support hacking into VMSes.  I'm not saying God hates gays.  BUT...

I'm sorry, I'm cracking up imagining driving down the highway in the middle of the night and seeing that message.  That was one super-cool prank.  Of course, I completely condemn the action.  Sort of.  Wait, yes, I most certainly do.  I guess.

it doesn't require much intellect to reprogram an unlocked VMS.  "hacking" is overstating it by a severe amount.  it is about as much talent as spray-painting a three-second tag on it.

and besides...



much funnier.

[kphoger]

Most definitely.  Maybe this thread should be merged with the one I started about roadgeek jobs for non-engineers.  I'd love to get paid to come up with alternate messages for VMSes.

[Scott5114]

The only humor I could have managed to get out of the situation would be from the fact that it was still alternating "GOD HATES GAYS / FOLLOW DETOUR".

[kphoger]

Well, yes, it would have been much less funny if the "Follow Detour" part had been removed.  Also funny would have been:

Follow Detour / We Shoot to Kill

Stupid People Ahead / Follow Detour

Follow Detour / Or Else ! ! !

Follow Detour / And Don't Come Back

World Will End 1 Mile / Follow Detour

Follow Detour / Then Eat at Joe's

[roadman65]

I do not approve of the message that was said as it is like graffiti, but I do not support the act of the lifestyle either.   Plus, God loves everyone!  He hates nobody.  Even those who are the most evil in the world, he loves.  He may not approve of what many of us do, but he loves us unconditionally.

I think this goes in the category of what was said at a New Jersey Wal Mart a few years back by a customer who grabbed a store phone to access the public address system to make that comment about blacks needing to leave the store.  Both are a little to far and give Christians a bad name!

[CL]

I wholly believe that whoever did this was someone with a bone to pick with the dominant religion around these parts (which, as you may know, is against same-sex marriage, but vociferously condemns any hateful words or discrimination against gays). Believe me—we hate the Westboro Baptist Church way of doing things as much as the next guy.

All this does is perpetuate the stereotype that Utah is nothing but a cultural and intellectual backwater. Which is a shame.

[Alps]

Most definitely.  Maybe this thread should be merged with the one I started about roadgeek jobs for non-engineers.  I'd love to get paid to come up with alternate messages for VMSes.

MIT has been known to hack VMSs left around - and that's not to say they're unsecured, either.

[agentsteel53]

MIT has been known to hack

yep

[kphoger]

Would this have been better or worse? . .
God hates gays / John 3:16

On the one hand, people might actually read John 3:16 and realize God doesn't hate gays.
On the other hand, . . . well, it's simply terrible!

[BigMattFromTexas]

I don't support the lifestyle, but this is completely unnecessary. I'm not ever gonna go out of my way to offend anyone, regardless of sexuality, religion (or lack there of in some cases), or race. As for the Westboro Baptist people, and their "God Hate [ya know...]", they piss me off. I know God doesn't hate anyone. Everyone else might not agree with my views, but oh well.

I do however like those other hacks, about Zombies! Haha.
BigMatt

[roadman]

Well, yes, it would have been much less funny if the "Follow Detour" part had been removed.  Also funny would have been:

Follow Detour / We Shoot to Kill

Stupid People Ahead / Follow Detour

Follow Detour / Or Else ! ! !

Follow Detour / And Don't Come Back

World Will End 1 Mile / Follow Detour

Follow Detour / Then Eat at Joe's

Or, given the subject of the "hack", "Follow Detour/Then Eat at Chick-Fil-A"

[Rover_0]

I wholly believe that whoever did this was someone with a bone to pick with the dominant religion around these parts (which, as you may know, is against same-sex marriage, but vociferously condemns any hateful words or discrimination against gays). Believe me–we hate the Westboro Baptist Church way of doing things as much as the next guy.

All this does is perpetuate the stereotype that Utah is nothing but a cultural and intellectual backwater. Which is a shame.

This. This needs to be said far more. I'm so sick of being lumped into this "backwater" stereotype. I can't say that it isn't an LDS Church member doing this, but if it is, they're likely towards the fringe side of things.

Not to get on the soapbox but IIRC said church is fine with civil unions, and I (as a member) am too.

Above all else, though: Can't everyone just get along?

[NYYPhil777]

Well, yes, it would have been much less funny if the "Follow Detour" part had been removed.  Also funny would have been:

Follow Detour / We Shoot to Kill

Stupid People Ahead / Follow Detour

Follow Detour / Or Else ! ! !

Follow Detour / And Don't Come Back

World Will End 1 Mile / Follow Detour

Follow Detour / Then Eat at Joe's

I have an idea:

Bud Shuster's I-99 Ahead/Detour NOW!

[Stephane Dumas]

I do however like those other hacks, about Zombies! Haha.
BigMatt

Wasn't one who used once the classic "All your bases belong to us"?

[US71]

Wasn't one who used once the classic "All your bases belong to us"?

Someone else once used "Gort Klaatu barada nikto"

[Special K]

I do however like those other hacks, about Zombies! Haha.
BigMatt

Wasn't one who used once the classic "All your bases belong to us"?

"All your base are belong to us."

[Beltway]

I have an idea:

Bud Shuster's I-99 Ahead/Detour NOW!

How about ...

Pennsylvania Ahead
Detour Now

[Alps]

I have an idea:

Bud Shuster's I-99 Ahead/Detour NOW!

How about ...

Pennsylvania Ahead
Detour Now

+7

[NYYPhil777]

I have an idea:

Bud Shuster's I-99 Ahead/Detour NOW!

How about ...

Pennsylvania Ahead
Detour Now

Other than I-99 and Breezewood, what do you have against Pennsylvania? 

[Ian]

I have an idea:

Bud Shuster's I-99 Ahead/Detour NOW!

How about ...

Pennsylvania Ahead
Detour Now

Other than I-99 and Breezewood, what do you have against Pennsylvania? 

It's a roadgeek custom to hate Pennsylvania and everything about it