Reddit: Seattle crosswalk hacked with voice message mocking Jeff Bezos
A crosswalk in Seattle's U District was hacked to play an AI voice message mocking Jeff Bezos.
Similar crosswalk hacks have been reported in the city, and even more around the U.S., targeting other entrepreneurs and billionaires like Elon Musk, Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg.
SDOT says they are working to correct the hacks all over town, as the gag interferes with people with disabilities being able to safely cross streets.
SEATTLE - Videos of crosswalk buttons hacked to play audio messages making fun of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos have taken social media by storm — and now several crosswalk buttons have been hacked across Seattle, officials say.
A Redditor shared a video of a crosswalk button in Seattle's University District, with an AI Jeff Bezos voice chiming in when you punch the button to cross the street.
"Wouldn't it be terrible if all the rich people left Seattle…and then normal people could afford to live here again?"
What they're saying
Ordinarily, pushing the button would prompt the signal to say: "Wait, wait, wait," before telling you when the walk sign comes on.
The crosswalk button hacks have an entirely different message.
"Hi, I'm Jeff Bezos. This crosswalk is sponsored by Amazon Prime, with an important message — y'know, please, please don't tax the rich, uh, otherwise the other billionaires will move to Florida, too," says an AI Jeff Bezos voice when you punch the crosswalk button in the U District. "W-Wouldn't it be terrible if all the rich people left Seattle, or got Luigi'd, and then… and then normal people could afford to live here again?"
Playing during the message and escalating afterward is the song "Bezos I" by Bo Burnham(WARNING: Explicit lyrics), which disingenuously praises Bezos.
Dig deeper
The soft-spoken voice message mocks Jeff Bezos and others who made their fortunes during Seattle's 90s/2000s tech boom — suggesting big names like Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates and Howard Schultz.
Seattle's tech boom largely gets the blame for the city's housing crisis and climbing rent prices, which continue to outpace national trends. The median contract rent in 1990 was $425, according to a report compiled during housing policy discussions for the city's 2001–2004 Consolidated Plan.
By comparison, the median rent in Seattle in 2025 is north of $2,000.
Additionally, Washington state's tax system is one of the few in the U.S. with no income tax, but has among the highest sales taxes in the country. This has drawn growing criticism of the state's affordability, though legislative efforts to implement a wealth tax have not gone far, with Gov. Bob Ferguson stating his opposition to them.
As for "getting Luigi'd" — it is a clear nod to Luigi Mangione, who is currently on trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Thompson was gunned down while walking outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown, Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024.
Thompson's murder drew polarized reactions, with some offering condolences to his family, while others used the event to criticize the United States healthcare system. In some circles, people took to mocking Thompson and praising Mangione, or expressing apathy at Thompson's murder.
UnitedHealthcare is the United States' largest healthcare insurer, and was named in a 2024 U.S. Homeland Security committee for a surge in healthcare claim denials, despite generating $281 billion in revenue in FY 2023.
The hacked crosswalk audio messages point to a growing resentment against the ultra-wealthy, including those grown in our area.
Local perspective
The Seattle Department of Transportation confirmed to FOX 13 Seattle that they have fixed several of the crosswalk buttons, and have received reports of hacked buttons at the following locations:
15th Ave NE & NE 45th St
15th Ave NE & NE 43rd St
Brooklyn Ave NE & NE 45th St
Fairview Ave & Denny Way
35th Ave NE & NE 70th St
"The audio recordings at crosswalks play a critical role for people who are blind or have limited vision, helping them to cross streets safely. We are concerned that someone would disregard the safety of people to make a political statement," reads a statement from SDOT. "We take this matter seriously and are working as fast as we can to respond to the situation. We are also working with our vendor to explore stronger security measures to prevent future hacking."
City officials urge people to report hacked crosswalks using the Find It, Fix It app, filling out an online form, calling (206) 684-7623, or emailing 684-ROAD@seattle.gov.
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