ZUG Interviews Brad Carter, The World's Most Dangerous Prank Caller A comedy article
by Johnny Plankton 4,102 27 12/20/2010 11:01 PM 2337 views
It may be difficult for some of you kids to believe, but there was such a thing as hacking long before there was an internet, just as there were once phones that could not download porn.
And there was a man, sometimes known as RedBoxChiliPepper (RBCP), other times as "the motherf-ing rat bastard that I'm going to kill when I found out who he is," and sometimes as just "Brad." Back in the early 1990's, Brad Carter began hacking phone systems, chronicling his mischief in text files under the name "Phone Losers of America." These files were actively distributed on hacker bulletin board systems, and the PLA gradually established a reputation as the underground experts on "phreaking," or phone hacking.
As the Internet took off, Carter and the PLA moved their activites onto PhoneLosers.org, and began supplementing their how-to guides with prank phone calls and other phone-related mischief [read the best here]. In the ensuing decades, PLA has spawned a radio show, a TV show, and now -- twenty years in the making -- a new book that details their shenanigans through the years.
What stands out about Carter's work is his constant, obsessive quest to turn technology on itself. From intercepting Taco Bell's wireless headsets to hacking into Walmart's customer service line, he delights in finding the loophole that lets him use ordinary technology in unexpected ways -- to surprise, annoy, or just confuse people.
ZUG caught up with Brad Carter as he was changing a "BRIDGE OUT" sign to "DRIVE AS FAST AS YOU CAN - NO COPS" in front of a private golf club for telephone executives. Old habits die hard.
ZUG: What was your first great prank?
RBCP: I'm so old that it's hard to remember the first one. One constant prank that sticks out from my childhood era was broadcasting on display radios with my miniature FM transmitter. I'd tune a bunch of display radios in a store to the station I was broadcasting on, then I'd hide a few aisles away and talk to the people who passed by or I'd scream to scare them. I had years of fun with that transmitter, especially once I entered middle school and some of the teachers would turn on a radio during class.
ZUG: What was your inspiration for all those early technology-based pranks?
RBCP: I think my main inspiration was John Sever, who was my best friend and partner in crime in the 80's. He was even more demented than me, and we seemed to be on a constant quest to amuse ourselves at the expense of others. He got me started with prank calling pay phones and call-in radio shows in grade school, and we annoyed local CB radio users enough to make them drive around looking for us. So I'd say it all started just for our own amusement. I'd probably be a quiet, God-fearing schoolteacher if it wasn't for him.
ZUG: Why do you insist on Frost-ing with The Man? What did he ever do to you?
RBCP: I just enjoy Frost-ing with people in general. It's an ongoing social experiment, which I expect to be completed by 2047.
ZUG: How and why did you form Phone Losers of America (PLA)?
RBCP: When I started dialing into BBSes in 1990, I was really inspired by the informational text files that could be downloaded, so I started writing my own documents on underground topics, but padding the informative content with humor, pranks, nonsense and complete lies. A few years later, my friend El Jefe came up with the name Phone Losers of America, so I attached that name onto all of my writings, and we began our campaign of terror against innocent people in the name of the PLA.
I quit writing the informative texts a few years later, but I kept the PLA name and continued to use its website to publish my pranks and other projects. I never thought it would last this long, but we're still doing crazy things on the site and I don't have plans to stop anytime soon.
ZUG: What took you so long to write the book?
RBCP: I started working on the PLA book project in 2002, but kept getting sidetracked with real life and other online projects, such as my podcasting obsession, the weekly PLA show, and recording music. I would occasionally add to the book project each year, and now I'm glad I've waited because some cool things have happened during the past eight years that went into the book. I'm really happy with how it all turned out.
The book includes classic stories from the old PLA 'zine, some of my more popular pranks, stories about people we've crossed paths with over the years, and even some sign hacking.
ZUG: We're huge fans of Signhacker.com -- tell us about the history of the site.
RBCP: I created the site about three years ago, because it seemed like the internet was missing a good sign hacking site. By that point I'd already done quite a few sign pranks of my own and I thought it would be nice to have a central place to showcase them alongside other people's sign pranks.
I also like the idea that a site like this might motivate readers to put up their own crazy signs or make changes to existing signs, which has happened a few times. Not to mention that owning a site like this has encouraged myself to keep putting up signs and stickers everywhere. It's a fun site to run, and when our sign pranks get debunked on Snopes.com, we know we're doing something right.
ZUG: We really like the collaborative effort among your users. Often it's not clear who pulled a prank -- are you just one big team?
RBCP: I'm the ringleader of this huge crimewave, but a lot of people appreciate the content and the pranks they find on my sites and are sometimes willing to chip in and help. The users on the PLA Forums regularly discuss potential pranks, and we brainstorm ideas with each other.
ZUG: Who are the key people right now?
RBCP: There are a lot of ongoing projects in the PLA, and it all depends on which one you're talking about. Mrs. Spessa and I are the two people that are behind signhacker.com. She's ballsy enough to stop at every electronic road sign she sees and change it, just so she can update the site. Mr. and Mrs. Spessa and I are responsible for a huge chunk of the prank calls you find on phonelosers.org. And for our weekly live broadcast, called The Phone Show, the key players lately seem to be Roxy, Tombstone, and Laugh Track Matt. We're kind of like prank cells that all operate independently of each other, just waiting for the signal to band together and do something funny.
ZUG: You recently started another site called Old People Are Funny. It strikes us as both funny and sad.
RBCP: I think old people are awesome, but I find it hilarious when a news story shows a grandma accidentally super gluing her eyes shut, or an 80-year-old woman escaping her handcuffs and then punching a cop. When a story about a grandma drinking from a beer bong is accompanied by pictures, it's even more amazing.
People have submitted old people stories to me that are sort of funny, but they end up with an old person being seriously hurt or getting killed. I don't want to post stories like that. I like the stories that could be tragic, but have a cartoon-quality of old person humor about them. Like the old woman in Florida who fell off of her nine-story balcony, but landed on a first floor canopy and was fine.
ZUG: What's next?
RBCP: Now that the PLA book is finished, I suddenly have lots of free time. This is never a good thing for the innocent civilians around me.
Lately I've been working on recording music again, which is usually a good way for me to stay out of trouble. So I'd say next is probably a major-label recording contract, a new album and a year-long world tour. Keep your eye on the web site for the tour dates!
Click here to buy Phone Losers of America (the book) on Amazon.com -- makes a great gift for the mischief maker on your list!
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