It could only happen in Texas?

[nihil]

I would normally have just put this in Tech Humour but there is a slightly more serious angle.

http://cbs11tv.com/watercooler/zombi....2.921226.html

A person or persons unknown gained access to a couple of road traffic warning signs in Austin, and sent their own "warning"

Electronic signs intended to warn motorists of construction near the intersection of Lamar and Martin Luther King boulevards were changed yesterday to warn of "Zombies Ahead! Run for your lives!"

You should not mess with road traffic signals. It could easily have unfortunate repercussions.

The biggest safety hazard came from drivers slowing down or stopping their car to take pictures, Jones said.

The two signs are about a half mile west of the University of Texas campus.

Ah! the usual suspects?

Austin Public Works spokeswoman Sara Hartley says the message was only displayed for a few hours. She said the hackers cut a padlock to get into the signs' computers.

Don't they have criminal damage and trespassing with intent in Texas?

Hartley also tells KXAN-TV in Austin that the stunt is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine if the scamps are ever found.

Over here that stuff is classed as "safety equipment" so you would be looking at a felony, and a much more severe punishment.

My message to our student fraternity (we don't use the term "sorority" in the UK unless we are referring to nuns) is that whilst it is fun, please think about the repercussions if it goes wrong and/or you get found out.

You don't need an associate's or bachelor's degree to flip burgers