These unauthorized signs were apparently real and placed in Union Square, creating a viral uproar among people who believed the signs’ official-looking claim that “stolen goods must remain under $950.”
Among the community of people who actually pay Elon Musk $8 a month for a blue check mark on Twitter, the latest outrage du jour is a series of signs spotted near high-end Union Square SF retailers saying, “Notice, Stolen goods must remain under $950.”
California – Signs are posted to alert criminals they can happily steal with zero consequence as long as the goods are worth less than $950 dollars. pic.twitter.com/QzK02FJNwF
— Ron M. (@Jewtastic) June 30, 2024
Many are taking these signs at face value, and believe the City of San Francisco is legitimately giving shoplifting advice.
This gag is likely a reference to 2014’s voter-approved state law Prop 47, which makes the theft of stolen property worth less than $950 a misdemeanor charge rather than a felony. That law has long been blamed for California’s crime situation, and it may be revised by a ballot measure this year.
The signs were not sanctioned, and were probably a prank. The Chronicle got a response out of Public Works, who said they had nothing to do with the unauthorized signs, and the Chron reports that “a city staffer was sent out to investigate but didn’t see any signs.”
Gizmodo was also on the case. “They’re photos of a ‘real’ sign in the sense that they weren’t created using programs like OpenAI or Photoshop,” that site explains. “The sign was captured from multiple angles, as you can see above.”
Additionally, Gizmodo adds that “while they look professionally done, the signs had subtle clues indicating they weren’t real (including screws that look different from those used by the city), which proves they were installed by anonymous pranksters.”
So yes, this was once again the work of pranksters. But we gotta admit, some of the Twitter responses were pretty funny.
Related: SF Artist Lampoons Empty Downtown Spaces By Covering Google Office Sign With Spirit Halloween Store Sign [SFist]
Image: @transmissions11 via Twitter
2024-07-03 00:16:48
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