High school seniors from Northeast High School in Pasadena, MD (Anne Arundel County) pranked their town last month when they placed a “Coming Soon” Trader Joe’s sign in front of a vacant building.
Word spread quickly with hundreds sharing the news across social media and neighborhood apps, until someone actually scanned the QR code that was on the sign. It led them straight to a music video for Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Also known as a RickRoll.
Rickrolling is a prank that involves tricking someone into watching the music video by disguising the link to appear as something else. Based on the many public social media posts about the situation, most took it very well and found the humor in the prank. Others appeared to be genuinely upset that they wouldn’t be getting a new Trader Joe’s in the neighborhood.
Here in Montgomery County, seniors at Northwood High School were able to access the electronic sign in front of the school and changed it to write that the school building, which will soon be torn down for a new building on the property, is available for sale.
