Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Ad Nauseam

NYC on Alert for Motor Vehicle-Based “Noise Terrorism”

Speaking of automobile advertiser shamelessness, check out the marketing campaign that, reportedly, rolled through the Lower East Side last night at around 3:00 a.m. courtesy of Microsoft and Toyota:

According to reports from residents in Lower Manhattan, a California-tagged, Zune-branded SUV rolled through Ludlow Street during the "wee hours of February 25th," but rather than handing out flyers to the night-owls still roaming, the vehicle decided to test out its "competition grade stereo system" in a densely populated neighborhood. Described as an "egregious display of noise terrorism," the 3:00 am blasting from a Toyota FJ Cruiser didn't garner the positive attention that the firm was apparently hoping for.

And if that's not an obnoxious enough deployment of motor vehicle-based digital audio technology for you, there's the HornTones FX550, "the first mobile audio device that allows you to customize the sound of your vehicle's horn."

The chorus of this song would make for a great "HornTone."



Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Hired Actors, Paid Media: Big Tech Has Already Dumped $8M Into Hochul’s Car Insurance Ploy

Buckets of cash and ads with professional actors are boosting Uber and Hochul's cause.

March 13, 2026

Claire Valdez: In Congress, I Will Fight For Transit and Bike Lanes

One of three leading candidates to succeed Rep. Nydia Velazquez shares her vision for how members of Congress can improve transportation.

March 13, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Close the GAP Edition

It's past time for the Department of Transportation to connect Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza. Plus the news.

March 13, 2026

Cement Truck Driver Kills Cyclist On Treacherous Borough Park Stretch

A senior cement truck driver struck and killed a cyclist on a notoriously dangerous Borough Park avenue on Wednesday.

March 12, 2026

MTA Demands Albany Deal With Toll Evasion Already

A new analysis of toll evasion found that the amount of money owed by drivers who don't pay paper toll invoices has more than doubled since 2022, from $147 million in unpaid tolls to nearly $350 million.

March 12, 2026

Hochul’s Car Insurance Plan Blows Fraud Way Out Of Proportion: Stats

Gov. Hochul's proposal to lower car insurance premiums is built on suspected fraud. But a body of evidence reveals that there really is very little.

March 12, 2026
See all posts