Entertainment

Watch a Group Pull Off a Giant Prank Involving 100 Cars…and Their Alarms

Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:11pm by Liz Klimas
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A car alarm going off incessantly can be a huge annoyance. Now, imagine a hundred car alarms going off at once. How would you react?

The group Improve Everywhere — the same pranksters that flash mobbed a TED conference with a presentation of the Mac’s “color wheel of death” — recently conducted an experiment to find out.

Dubbed the “Car Alarm Symphony,” the group pulled 100 cars into a Staten Island, New York, Lowe’s parking lot and walked to an inconspicuous place around the corner. There they were instructed to push their panic or horn button on keyless entry systems.

Improve Everywhere Conducts Car Alarm Symphony Setting Off Car Alarms in Staten Island Lowes Parking Lot

(Photo: Improv Everywhere)

Hiding behind a wall while setting off their car alarms in a Lowe's parking lot. (Photo: Improv Everywhere)

Although the Car Alarm Symphony orchestra appeared to be enjoying themselves, some in the Lowe’s parking lot exhibited confused and irritated emotions, while others laughed it off as a joke.

(Photo: Improv Everywhere)

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Watch the event for yourself:

According to Improve Everywhere’s website, this piece was conducted as a part of the Guggenheim Museum exhibition stillspotting nyc. This project is conducting exhibits in each of New York’s five boroughs.

In a behind the scenes blog post of how they conducted this latest event, Improve Everywhere explains that they were able to increase the range of the keyless entry system by putting the keychain under their chins. What? Here’s more on that technique:

I did a little bit or research about keyless remote ranges and found out something really strange. If you put your remote underneath your chin and open your mouth, you can dramatically increase the range. I don’t know why but it works. We mostly stuck to lifting our hands in the air, but some participants used this method as well.

Demonstrating the keychain under the chin amplifying technique. (Photo: Improv Everywhere)

The mission was not without its challenges. The group had to remain inconspicuous, trickling into the parking lot to position their vehicle and avoid walking out looking like a line of ants around the corner. According to the website the biggest challenge was not conducting the experiment but getting the car alarms to turn off.

The idea for using the car alarms as instruments, it states, is a spinoff of its 2006 Cell Phone Symphony. As a bonus, here’s footage of that park:

[H/T CBS Local]

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Comments (32)

VanishingFreedom
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 9:44am
New York-explains allot
Their parents must be so proud, I wonder how much in unpaid student loans that group represents?
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mauijonny
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:59am
What people do when they don’t have jobs…
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nosharia
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:25am
Stupid
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- Pheonix411
  Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:45am
  Brilliant!
  Report Post »
RRFlyer
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 12:57am
I can’t believe what a bunch of stick in the muds you all are. I loved it.
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RRFlyer
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 12:55am
I loved it. You people with no sense of humor need to lighten up, it makes you live longer.
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- bigdaddyt46
  Posted on June 6, 2012 at 6:22am
  would you feel the same way had this caused serious health problems for some people?? what about the elderly with heart conditions, stroke, or alzhimers? this stupid stunt could have caused several health issues due to panic. i’m all for a good laugh, but this is not included in funny. what’s next? the go to an elderly heath care facility with horns and drums??
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julie w
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 12:26am
Any group of people could do that – so sorry – just not impressive at all. It’s not even humorous (I don’t think)….and just too chaotic, noisy and messy. What WOULD be impressive? If they actually took individual turns and played some sort of song with the alarms. Or at least come as close as they COULD to sounding like an actual popular song. Now THAT would be impressive AND fun!
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- RRFlyer
  Posted on June 6, 2012 at 12:56am
  Maybe, but “any group of people” didn’t. Just this group. Are you jealous you didn’t think of it first? Come on YOU people, lighten up. You make us Real Conservatives look like jerks, Or is that your plan?
  Report Post »
SovereignSoul
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:54pm
How is this nonsense ‘improving anywhere’ much less ‘Improve Everywhere’?
Yes, I understand it’s Improv.
And, more shoddy journalism.
If it is important enough to publish, it is important enough to spend 3.726 seconds proof reading if you take yourself and your work seriously.
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dontbotherme
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:15pm
This ranks as “fun”. It is good to laugh sometimes.
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- SovereignSoul
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:41pm
  I think ‘silly’ is a more accurate description. Right off the top of my head I can think of several hundred billion things that would be more fun than this.
  Report Post »
IntegrityFirst
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:44pm
This ranks as newsworthy?!
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Laus Deo
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:49pm
Why aren’t these dipsh¡ts at work? Oh yeah, obama policies.
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- ohboyohboy
  Posted on June 6, 2012 at 6:42am
  My thought, too. Government bureaucrats? Teachers?
  Report Post »
- RMarch
  Posted on June 6, 2012 at 9:36am
  I am sure where ever these folks are Saturday’s, Sunday’s and any time after 5:00pm doesn’t exist. So yeah they are just a bunch of jobless bums. Give me a break, seriously?
  Report Post »
DanielChapterNine
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:44pm
As can be seen in the lower left corner of the images, the group’s name is Improv Everywhere, not Improve Everywhere. With my 54 year old eyes, I can understand the mistake.
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LibsAndCopKillersALoveStory
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:02pm
I guess some people just run out of things to do.
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- American Soldier (Separated)
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:45pm
  That wasn’t their best event. I really liked their first Musical in the food court, Best buy, home depot and the fairly recent one where they would go soundless almost at random but still moving out what they were doing prior. Check them out on Youtube.
  Report Post »
- American Soldier (Separated)
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:50pm
  Oh yea and the Star Wars Subway scene was awesome too.
  Report Post »
Rayblue
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:32pm
Want to talk about “pranks” ? Pull that prank Irish Spring Scrubbing Bubble add off before I lose my ever lovin’ mind.
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- So Cal Tea
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:23pm
  Agreed!!!
  The symbol or graffiti behind this guy is perfect and the fact it’s right behind him is a great analogy for this prank…..
  Report Post »
- sawbuck
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:27pm
  RayBlue…
  Not sure what browser you have …? But I have internet explore as my browser ..
  I changed my home page to “bing”.. Then went to their tools.. Then went to safety …clicked “on” active X filter…Then went to..” tracking protection”….and “enabled” almost every pop-up blocker they had….Just because of that…. Irish Spring pop-up.
  
  (I had it ) and guess what I have NO advertisement at all here (the blaze)…NONE ..Bing tools even has a block “Google Tracking“…The only thing with that blocker ..if its enabled…you cant see any of the videos that are linked to the stories here at the blaze( they somehow must be connected to Google)…you have to “disable” that blocker ..or not enable it at all ,to watch videos here (blaze)… (there is a description with each blocker) …its easy enough to go back and forth on the on/off on the blockers ,once I figured it out.. The best thing I ever did …you wouldn’t believe how much faster your computers refreshes also. …and no more adds.
  Report Post »
- db321
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:39pm
  cool prank
  Report Post »
- JACKTHETOAD
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:11pm
  Not a prank. Clean-up batter on deck. :)
  Report Post »
- Rayblue
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:43pm
  Thanks Sawbuck. I’ll try your method of blockerage. Or whatever it’s called.
  Report Post »
Mutiny
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:29pm
This is much more important than what happened at the LA. GOP convention over the weekend that the Blaze doesnt seem to want to cover.
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Locked
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:24pm
“The group Improve Everywhere”

It’s “Improv Everywhere,“ not ”Improve”…
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Tom K
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:21pm
Noise Pollution Sucks ! Silence is Golden !
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JohnnyBrillcream
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:17pm
There was a penis on the wall behind him……..
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- Mutiny
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:31pm
  That is the best part of this annoying video.
  Report Post »
- So Cal Tea
  Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:26pm
  I bet one of his improv buddies pranked him by drawing that master piece on the wall, the night before!!! HAHAHA
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