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Prankster behind Mister Softee jingle on LinkNYC kiosks comes clean

December 21, 2018

The mystery of the spooky Mister Softee ice cream jingle on the LinkNYC kiosks has finally been solved, according to gizmodo. The self-identified culprit is Mark Thomas, a member of a group of hackers who attempt to manipulate phone systems.

New Yorkers began reporting a slowed down version of the jingle in May. Several months later, an anonymous email from a burner address sent the New York publication Gothamist a manifesto listing grievances against the kiosks and calling them "repugnant street furniture."

Thomas agreed to meet Gothamist reporter Jake Offenhartz in Midtown, where he explained his technique. Thomas said he uses a free conference call number that allows him to program the recording to play on multiple kiosks without attracting attention to himself. He demonstrated the technique for Offenhartz, programming recordings to play on eight kiosks in a one-block area.

Thomas said he objected to the LinkNYC kiosks being advertised as "payphones of the future" when they are really just billboards. He told Gizmodo that he used to call public phone booths and play music for whoever answered. He was also the subject of a New York Times article in 2004 about his interest in pay phones.