Skip to content

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:

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.”



Photo of Jason Varone
Jason Varone battles the streets everyday during a 9 mile commute on his bicycle from downtown Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. In addition to his efforts on Streetsblog, he is an artist making work related to the environment and technology. Examples of his work can be found at www.varonearts.org.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

A Better Busway Is Coming To Livingston Street In Downtown Brooklyn

September 22, 2026

Roundup: Local New York Jurisdictions Target the Wrong ‘E-Bikes’ as Market Outpaces State Law

September 22, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines: The President Was At Gracie Mansion Edition

September 22, 2026

City Exempted Truck in Fatal Crash from Life-Saving Safety Component

September 21, 2026

People-First Streets Will Pave The Way For The Best Version Of Downtown Brooklyn: Report

September 21, 2026
See all posts