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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Burger King Hacked |
| 2004-01-12 |
| Police believe teenage pranksters are hacking into the wireless frequency of a US Burger King drive-through speaker to tell potential customers they are too fat for fast food. Policeman Gerry Scherlink said the pranksters told one customer who had just placed an order: "You don’t need a couple of Whoppers. You are too fat. Pull ahead." The modern version of calling people and asking them if they have Prince Albert in a can. The offenders are reportedly tapping into the wireless frequency at the restaurant in Troy, Michigan. Police believe the culprits are watching and broadcasting from close range. Bet they’re sitting in the parking lot. Officer Scherlinck said the men are telling customers who order a Coca-Cola that, "We don’t have Coke." And when the customer asks what they do have, the hacker would say: "We don’t have anything. Pull ahead." But what has managers concerned is the profanity the hackers are using, according to police. A drive-through customer has told police if he had children with him in the car and someone used profanity, he would have been upset. But you didn’t, so don’t be. Your kids will just have to learn profanity at school like everyone else. Burger King franchise owner Tony Versace issued the following statement in response to the incidents: "We apologise to our customers who’ve been insulted by the use of this drive-through speaker." Management at the fast-food restaurant are reportedly trying to change the radio frequency used for the speakers, reports Local 4. That’ll work, for about as long as it takes for them to scan the new frequency. Gotta love em, today hacking Burger King, next year tracking al-Qeada satellite phones. Say, that would make a great Army commercial. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #8 I had a buddy of mine go into a KFC one night and be told they were out of chicken. His comment was, "What the f**k you think I came in here for, bread and mashed potatoes?" He thought he was on Candid Camera. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-1-12 8:45:57 PM |
| #7 Could be worse. Back in college in the mid-60s two of us were working spotlights for a play, keeping in touch with the stage manager with a set of hand-helds. Seems we were bleeding over into the frequencies the local airport tower was using! Didn't bother us, but I think there's still a Cessna circling, waiting for it's cue to land. |
| Posted by: OldeForce 2004-1-12 7:00:17 PM |
| #6 Now if they could find a way to hack it so that they can change the customer's order... "What? I didn't order three dozen Whoppers you IDIOT!!" Last time I ate at burger sling.... --shudder--..... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-1-12 3:46:34 PM |
| #5 Actually, Mojo, the wireless is necessary. I spent a couple summers in my youth working at McDonald's, and the headsets are worn by: 1) drive-through cash, the person taking the order 2) drive-through window, the person assembling the order 3) one or more people on the grill 4) a manager The last three have to do lots of running around, so they have to be wireless. The first doesn't have to move so much when things are busy, but during idle times gets to handle some routine chores in the back. Also, the headsets are used to communicate other messages -- "need more toys up front", "need more cups", "check out the next car load of freaks" -- on a seperate channel that doesn't go to the speaker. I suspect the speaker and mic out on the curb ARE wired; it's just that there's a wireless "hub" (for lack of a better term) in the middle. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-12 3:18:56 PM |
| #4 Shows the bad side of using wireless for something that should be wired. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-1-12 2:37:13 PM |
| #3 Sounds like something a PLA member would do. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-1-12 12:47:00 PM |
| #2 I'll bet it turns out to be the Chick Filet cows again. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-12 12:45:11 PM |
| #1 Back in high school a friend of mine could do this to the local grocery store via his car's CB radio. Since he worked there, his voice over the PA wasn't all that surprising. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-12 12:28:44 PM |