March 24, 2010

Even street signs giving Ratner the finger

With construction for developer Bruce Ratner's Brooklyn Nets arena looming, a disgruntled local took out their frustration on an electronic street sign yesterday, changing it from "Fifth Ave Closed" to "Fuck Ratner." (Credit to New York mag and Atlantic Yards Report for publishing photos of the unexpurgated version.) The new message was visible most of the morning, until it was changed around 10 am.

The New York Times cited a "contractor at the site" as blaming someone who cut the lock on a control box, enabling them to access a keypad and type in a new message. The New York Post, however, reported that "According to local merchants it was unlocked for days, allowing anyone to get in."

A Ratner spokesperson charged that the work of the "irresponsible prankster" had "compromised public safety" and promised a police investigation. The operator of a preschool across the street had a different interpretation: "It was hilarious."