“Old Town Road” is now the longest-running number one single ever and 2019’s undisputed song of the summer, but the town Wellesley, Massachusetts, isn’t too happy about Lil Nas X’s massive success, apparently—because now people keep stealing the town’s Old Town Road street signs as fast as the local government can put them up, according to local news blog the Swellesley Report.
The Wellesley Department of Public Works says that the street signs for the small, unfortunately-titled residential street has been stolen three times so far. And the costs are starting to add up.
Videos by VICE
Instead of just stealing the Old Town Road sign itself, the pranksters or die-hard Lil Nas X fans or whatever ran off with the entire sign post itself, meaning the town has to replace two street signs and the metal pole, which winds up costing just shy of $300. At this point, Wellesley is almost in the hole $1,000, not including the cost of the workers who have to actually go plant the signs back into the ground.
“We hope the publicity over this sign issue will help individuals realize this is a costly prank and removing the sign can be critical for first responders who might be trying to locate the street in an emergency,” Public Works communications and project manager Stephanie Hawkinson told Boston.com. “We hope they appreciate the song but leave our sign in place.”
For the time being, Wellesley is apparently just giving up on the street signs. “The Highway Department is waiting until the popularity of the song lessens which will hopefully help keep the signs on the posts,” Hawkinson continued, apparently unaware at just how long that might be if Lil Nas X just keeps these remixes coming.
