By Will Sturgeon, 13 January 2004 15:35
NEWS A junk-food fan was left shocked and upset recently when his order at a Burger King drive-thru was declined on the grounds that he was "too fat".
The man ordered at the speaker but was told by the voice on the other end of the intercom: "You don't need a couple of Whoppers. You are too fat." He was then told to drive on.
While he may at first have assumed it was a member of staff at the Troy, Michigan, Burger King who had grown tired of being in gainful employment, the source of the abuse is actually believed to be a group of malicious pranksters who hacked into the wireless frequency of the drive-thru's intercom service.
Some consumers were told the restaurant had no food or drink, while others were subjected to profanities, according to a report on the Click On Detroit website.
The group are believed to be operating somewhere in the vicinity of the restaurant and have been abusing diners since late last week. Burger King staff are currently trying to change the frequency of the intercom system to avoid further embarrassment.
It appears the authorities do not see the funny side of the prank, however. If caught, the tech-savvy miscreants face up to three months in prison under Michigan's misdemeanour laws.
Comments
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1. Alfred Nonymous
That is hilarious! It's such a shame they have to be jailed for such an act.. Of course, I don't know what else they had been saying but I can just see a future where a machine detects your state of health in order to determine whether your poor old body can handle yet another 2500 KCals of whopper, super sized fries and cola. If not, it may come up with advise such as "Go to the gym and work out for 30 minutes three times this week and try again".
2. shaun
lol....sounds like a great idea.
Its the kind of joke that you may see in the simpsons, if homer pulled into burgerking.
3. anonymous
Of course, it's perfectly okay to take BK and the other fast food restaurants to court and sue their socks off for destroying our health.
4. dodge
Perhaps someone could make this the default message at ALL artery-clogging junk food outlets? Jail? - give these guys an award!!!
5. anonymous
The miscreants responsible for this horrid crime should be deported. Quality nutritional food is just not appreciated anymore.
love
mac anne frys
6. R. Harris
This is sick. The hackers juvenile pathetic stupidity will result in lost revenue for a business and possibly, lost jobs for others at the store. Message to Hackers: "You're too stupid to be playing with technology...go back to school and try again!....Idiot!"
7. Andrew Lewis
This is juvenile (but funny). If they catch the pranksters, shouldn't they be sentenced to something more appropriate like cleaning the lavatories in Burger King and learning a little customer service as compensation to BK and their customers? For free of course!
8. anonymous
This could be very costly to the pranksters. It's a violation of federal law to operate an unlicensed radio transmitter and interfere with the operation of a licensed user. When the FCC comes calling, the pranksters had better behave themselves. The fines and prison terms are big. If they are ham radio operators, they will lose their licenses and equipment.
9. Arax Qrantz
10 Points for the side of hackers. Hackers have been getting too much of a bad name, and this just proves that the more bad media they get, the more events such as this that are going to happen.
If the media would post the good things that hackers have done, or even show a bright side to such events, things would be different. The only reason that people do these things is because they are going to get noticed. Now if they go to jail, other hackers may retalitate by doing the same thing in other cities.
As a business owner, I would be pleased that this happened. It sounds to me like it could have been much worse. This would give me the chance to upgrade my systems to make sure something like this does not happen again in the future. There are 1,000s of retauraunts out there with the same security flaw. It is time they get out of the dark ages.
Last time I checked, it takes a hacker to find all the bad code that the professionals made. If the businesses hired more hackers or paid them for discovering these bugs/features, there would be less to exploit.
10. Dr. Schnider
>Name: R. Harris
>Country: Alberta
>Occupation: Programmer
>Comments: This is sick. The hackers juvenile pathetic stupidity will result in lost revenue for a business and possibly, lost jobs for others at the store. Message to Hackers: "You're too stupid to be playing with technology...go back to school and try again!....Idiot!"
Dear Mr. Harris:
You're too stupid to be on-line or to have a computer altogether. Please go back to school and learn how to live!
11. a hacker
yeah, they did this in the moviie Takedown.
its just copycats.. like after CKY came out and people tried to steal atm machines by attaching them to their car and driviing off...
12. anonymous
I used to work at a Burger King restaraunt. This is nothing compared to the types of jokes I have seen. Heck, I remember this one time when my brother's friend asked if he could order my bosses daughter to go on a date with him (I was working the register at the time).
13. anonymous
Good luck to Burger King on changing the frequency of the drive through. A simple tool like a frequency counter can determine the new frequency. ANd using subaudible tones won;t work either, because most new radios now have them built in and it's just a matter of scanning again. Only way this is going to stop is for the guys to get caught.
14. anonymous
The people that think that this is not funny needs to get their head out of their ass. It has to be most amusing. If you saw this on t.v. you would be laughing your socks off. Now because some people are doing it, it is such a crime. Get the police to do their job and stop the damn criminals in the world!
15. Timothy B. Smackley
Maybe he really *was* too fat - in which case the hackers did a public service by keeping this lardo from further expanding his ass in the hopes of being able to someday declare independance and avoid taxation.
16. anonymous
It will only be Funny, When You are the Dumb-Dumb at the Speaker and You think that you can't get Your Whopper.
17. anonymous
I'm not a hacker or over weight... but this is one of the funniest stories ever!!! All of the intercoms need to be equipt with these types of messages! It may slow the Obesity problem that the US has found ourselves (NOT ME - I'M NOT FAT) in!
18. John Doe
Ok, somebody tell me what tools and parts I need from Radio Shack.
19. me the queen of bitches
why doesnt BK just TURN OFF the speakers? if they start taking orders at the drive through they cant get hacked and the kids will lose out on their fun and harrass someone else...although I do applaud them for creativity.
20. Billy Ross
Aw man, their just havin sum fun.
If anything the punishment should be they HAVE TO work in burger king...whatta nightmare :p
Later
-Dark-
21. anonymous
What law have they broken?
22. shady
Thats not a hacker.
That is an old trick.
(Am not saying its not funny, it is.and fun to do.)
But thats like your neighbors mom with that newborn kid, shes now a hacker, since her baby monitor can pick up cordless/cell phone calls
23. gildas
arrgh, if it wasn't for those damm kids i'd still be selling burgers to fat people... (Said while shaking fist at the general direction of said kids). But those kids just did not push the envelope far, they had the posibility of doing a great prank and blew it doing kiddie stuff. A for tech, C- for execution, needs to pay attention in technology class.
24. anonymous
Man, have a sense of humour. I would rip at the seams if someone did that to me!
25. Cheeky Chappess
Whoa, lighten up everybody! We were all young once! 3 months for playing a prank? Where would Dom Joly be now if we all took that attitude?
26. Christopher Buhler
Basically, I think you are all thinking a bit unclearly here. This kind of skill should be lauded while the medium should be discouraged. Rather than jailing these guys, find something more productive they could do with their time.
Sending kids who pull minor stunts like this to jail while we routinely release murderers and rapists because of "overcrowding" is a leading cause of the breakdown of our society as a whole.
Someone with the talent to do this and not be caught even though police have been looking for "several months" needs to be educated about the harm they are causing and found a positive place in society. Just think how much good just ONE of these kids could do if you could reach them...
27. anonymous
Under the Patriot II Act I propose we have these "hackers" tried as enemy combatants and executed!
28. Bob Smith
LOL!! I was just telling my friend about trying that the other day!!
29. anonymous
Did somebody up there say dumb dumb?
30. Rain
w00t! New weight loss program! My mom used the same tactics on me.
31. anonymous
These kids should be held up as the heroes they are.
Fat people deserve no sympathy. It is they who make a conscious choice to be fat by being lazy gluttons. And then they insist on taking up the space of two people and stinking the place out with their terrible b.o.
These kids should get an award for public service.
32. anonymous
This is really strange, no one seems to have any compassion for the poor person abused by this juvenile activity. People do have feelings, for all you know this person pulled into the drive thru after a long drive for a diet soda. Using word like lardo and not understanding why this is not funny indicate very sick and deranged people. Some of you should seek counseling. One day all of each of us will be old, disabled or in some other way ‘unperfect’, you will get your just dues then.
Thanks You.
33. XPerties
Morons, These aren't hackers. I wish the media would get a grip on what is and is not hackers. The only idiots here is this site and the rest of you guys who think these kids are hackers.
34. Michael
Im sorry but this is hillarious.
hey maybe the poor fat slobe looked down at him slef then went to the local grocer to help do something about it. Who needs to eat that crap anway. Kudos!!!
35. Without a name
It's not terribly funny, but in a way, the hackers are right. While their approach to the situation was rather juvenile and immature, they do make a valid point. Americans do eat to much fast food. While it may not always have a visual effect on us (such as making us "fat"), the chemicals in fast food can seriously screw with our bodies. Who can honsetly say that eating a meal at Burger King makes them feel "just great!"? I know I can't. That's because my body isn't designed to eat food that is so salty and greasy.
The hackers should have tried to get their point across in a different way. The poor guy who was called fat was just trying to get some nourishment in the only way he knew how to do. A much more effective approach to the situation whould have been to hand out information on healthy eating at the resturaunt door. The actions of the hackers only served to alienate and humiliate regular, everyday people, and did nothing to hurt the corporate empire.
36. anonymous
I just read the stupid hippy posting someone made about "reaching these children", i have an idea... KILL anybody who costs a business to lose a customer. kill every hacker you catch, kill every virus creator, then maybe we will all get a break from these stupid children who have nothing better to do with their lives.
37. |simon|schlesinger|
this is without a doubt both the greatest, and funniest news that i have heard all week.
i certainly hope that those responsible not only are not charged, but that they expand their operations to help lower our overweight population's dependence on overly fatty and unhealthy foods.
kudos.
38. antoine
That is just funny, i use to work at a fast food place like BK and mcdonalds was just next door and we use to hear their drive thru. Its a common thing.
Those kids just played a good joke. I would rather see my kid do that then smoking or drinking in the park.
Maybe if BK really cared about the custumers, they would say the same thing in a more polit way to fat ppl.
39. late in the game
the "hackers" were RIGHT in doing what they did. They were informing & educating the customer. Odds are they couldn't see the customer from their vantage point so the only reason the customer was pissed was because he was fat. really, really FAT. so fat that a word like "fat" was offensive. Ya gotta call fat fat. God that dude musta been fat!!!
40. anonymous
Some of you had comments praising these "hackers". Others seemed to be a bit preturbed by their actions. In my own personal case, I would have informed the customer that the food they were eating WAS unhealthy, but the reason that they should not be eating there is that nationwide beef conglomerates are driving down beef costs. Which in turn drives small organic beef farmers out of buisness. Not to mention the antibodies and chemicals corporate beef producers put in their animals. Not that the average fat american gives a shit. As long as they get cheap food and don't have to wait. So teach your children by example. Affect change where you can.
41. Peter
Done same thing myself. Long time ago
42. Dillon
As fatty's jaw dropped ..
We all laughed
43. Derek Barr
It's good to see a few others out there who are willing to put the effort into getting fast-food fans into shape.
However, profanity was not necessery and based on the fact that the "hackers" indeed did use foul language, I begin to suspect that the whole point was simply for a good laugh.
44. Rajurave
There is no law broken, the way a BK can use the radio frequency so can the kids. It's all unlicensed band. Whether it is 47mhz, 900mhz or anything that does not need a licence. You have to treat this like a cb radio.
45. L. Ardbutt
Heh heh heh! Speaking as a fat man myself I can see this for the prank it was and it should no way lead to a prison sentence.
I know there are people out there a genuine condition but most the majority do it to themselves. I don't think I'm "large boned" (unless you count my butt bone) or "Husky" I'm overweight and it's my fault.
I tell myself I should be excercising while I scarf down my curry on a friday night. I tell myself I don't have time to excercise while I sit in front of the TV.
A lot of people let themselves be fat (me included) and personally I think a sense of humour would help here.
It's a prank, lighten up those who say otherwise.
If he doesn't like his fat he didn't have to pull into Burger King!
A DIET COKE????
A cup of bubbly chemicals hmm yes that's what fat people need above water or fruit juice, do you think those chemicals will aid the weight loss? adding toxins instead of purging them.WAKE UP!
FREEZE FAT POLICE...PUT THE FORK DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE PLATE YOU'RE SURROUNDED...by cholesterol.
46. Jo Smith
Why the heck should they go to jail. I would give them a Nobel Peace prize or some shit like that. They are geniuses.
47. NEO
I saw him...He actually was quite fat.
48. Zachary Mellinger
sweet!
if i went to burger king they told me im too fat or swore at me, i would probably piss my pants laughing. everyone whos getting all worked up over this needs to take a deep breath and just relax. its not that big of a deal, unless ur too fat for a whopper. haha
49. anonymous
Way to go. A good clean prank that's not hurting anyone. How about all the uptight people just relax a bit and go eat a carrot!
50. gary owen
this world has too many fatties
maybe they should sell a copy of the Atkins diet with every burger!
51. Simplofi
Granted, I can totally see where they are coming from and personally could see myself doing the same if I was a few years younger. But to blatently strike at another humans morale for being over weight is not correct. Perhaps a better route would be to torch the BK to the ground, (along with all other fast food chains, and walmart).
52. ZpawN
H4cK tH3 PL4N3T
53. Granessa Nemper
It's a mean, and rude thing to do, but it is also quite hilarious. Americans do have a problem with obesity. Next time, tell someone tactfully.
54. Fat Albert
Too funny. Rude, but very funny anyway. If he wasn't so fat and it didn't ring with truth, he wouldn't be insulted. To know he was actually fat, the culprits would be in visual range, probably munching away on a whopper that lays perfectly on their belly.
55. Fat Albert
Too funny. Rude, but very funny anyway. If he wasn't so fat and it didn't ring with truth, he wouldn't be insulted. To know he was actually fat, the culprits would be in visual range, probably munching away on a whopper that lays perfectly on their belly.
56. cheeseman
those hackers are awesome i like them i bet they eat at burger king everyday and are fat or have no life one of the two
57. Andy B.
I'm not sure what I'm more amused by - the original prank or some of the reactions on this board. It's a prank!How much consideration does it need?!
Talk of jail or whether the customers feelings were hurt is ludicrous - If he was genuinely too fat then should he really be expecting a round of applause for turning up at Burger King? Maybe he NEEDS his head pulling out of his fat backside, or he could try walking to the counter then he can be abused in person... It's hardly an insurmountable problem anyway, just drive round to the window, complain and you'd probably get your order free anyway. If not, giggles all round no harm done. If it was just some guy wanting a break after a long drive then again they could have saved his life - I'll bet he was wide awake after that and again, free burger.
So perhaps a few lardbutts may be momentarily confused or offended at one branch of BK, but thanks to the power of the interweb the whole world is able to laugh at their misfortune which in my book is more global benefit than harm :¬)
Oh, and what were those posts about why didn't they use a more tactful approach, point out nutritional dangers, etc.?!? I'm hoping that your sarcasm was just too subtle for me in which case you'll know to ignore this - if not and you're genuinely that wet and fragile, then maybe the shock of upper case will finish you off;
BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE F#@KING FUNNY!!
58. thisman
these hackers are very good and i think they should open there own store thingy yeah and did someone say dumb dumb
59. eu sou o cara!
Isso foi realmente muito foda!!! Viva a criatividade contra as imposi?s desse sistema mentiroso e ilus?!!
60. eu sou o cara!
Isso foi realmente muito foda!!! Viva a criatividade contra as imposi?s desse sistema mentiroso e ilus?!!
61. jocktamson
What an inspired piece of culture jamming!.Surely the guy must have realised that it was the work of outside pranksters though as no burger
peddlar would ever turn any potential customer away[even if they rolled up on a hospital trolley wired up to a cardiograph machine].
62. anonymous
It's not hardwired? And here the whole time I thought it was hardwired into the building. If it's not, I guess that does leave it pretty vulnerable.
63. pinic
homogenization of culture or the evils capitalism was that the message? If so, then right on for the hackers. If not, then what a good waste of Direct Action. But thanks for the idea!
64. Sophia Celeste
omg thts so freakin great! they shouldnt be stoped, people need to not go to fast food joints such as burger king, they drive small family owned bussniesses under and they are really unhealthy. GO HACKERS!
65. anonymous
i am totally shocked by the comments posted by adbuster readers. i assumed, however naively, that these readers are intelligent considerate individuals. to find amusement in this prank is arrogant,elitist, and shows a lack of respect for the feelings of your fellow man. we all deserve respect whether we eat fast food or anything else.
66. rebecca
I happen to think that this prank is eceptionaly funny, yet were the pranksters doing it out of spite of BK? Or were they just mindless little fuckers who somehow stumbled onto a little trick to be rude and vulgar to people who just want to have a snack.Mmmmmm yum!
67. anonymous
Changing the frequency? all you need is a scanner and a little patience.
most fast food places around here are set on CB radio channels 13-24, easy to access,
68. The Fat Guy
I just want to thank the hacker kids. I really was too fat and now I can go on and eat something that grows from the earth-not out of a machine in Patterson, NJ.
69. anonymous
This is SO FUNNY! Perhaps the increasing rates of obesity will lessen if we can all make people realize that junk food isn't the best option for them...
70. anonymous
thats funny but very sad the only reason they are doing that is because of when that guy sued the fast food places for making him fat
71. riiiiiiiiiight
I'm in total agreement that for one, this is just a kid's prank, and it's funny ALTHOUGH they didn't have to call the guy lardo, I'm not down with wrecking someone's self esteem for fun, and I totally agree with the guy about some of you idiots needing help, or hlep as that smart guy spelled it...
72. me
LoLOLOLOLOllololololololololololololololololol. lololololololol
whoever says BK is quality, must eat cardboard and recycled newspapers for a regular dinner
73. B. King
These guys aren't hackers, and they probalby couldn't hack their way out of a wet paper sack. They are just delinquent kids that need to be spanked and sent to bed early.
74. psybrpunk
This is nothing new, I used to talk to customers and employees at fast food resturant speaker systems and over the PA systems in stores. All you need is a C.B. radio and an amp over 150 watts. Someday people will learn about shielding.
75. Cristi
ROFL!! ahahahahhaa! I think fat guys are super sexy... so don't feel bad if you're overweight and reading this... but this was hilarious! Obviously, they didn't really need to "hack" into anything. But what counts is what they said. lol.. oh god I have tears in my eyes.
76. Notchure Business
When did being cruel become ok in USA?
77. Yeh as if I'm gonna give my full name on a bleeding public website
This is actually disgusting... so I need to get my head out of my "ass" (since when am I donkey? It's ARSE you yankee morons) because I don't think upsetting people is funny? You all need to learn something called COMPASSION. Except the people who didn't find it funny.
78. william wong
This is BK own fault cos if they had hardwired it into their own drive though then it would not of have had hackers messing about their customers
but still this is a funny prank to pull off