Ohio DOT Teases Gullible Facebook Users
If you’re a Facebook addict like me, you have probably seen those copy-and-paste updates that tell users to share the post as soon as possible for some magical prize. Sometimes these are legitimate giveaways and contests from reputable sources, but many times they are too good to be true.
The Ohio Department of Transportation took the opportunity to turn a popular hoax into a very real (but very funny) warning to drivers to steer clear of floodwaters.
Upon the recent birth of his daughter Max, Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to give away $45 billion of his fortune to support several charities. Apparently, spammers took the opportunity to misinform the public and lead them to believe that some of that money would be donated to regular Facebook users. The hoax post (which starts off saying that it is not a hoax) tells the reader to share the post, because the first 1,000 people to share it and tag five to ten friends could get a $4.5 million share of the donation.
ODOT’s Facebook post is much more believable and funny. It shows Zuckerberg neck-deep in the floodwaters that have plagued parts of the state following a weekend of heavy rain. It then says “Your chances of making it through this flooded road are about the same as Mark Zuckerberg giving you money for sharing this post on Facebook”. As of 6pm tonight, the post has been shared more than 4,700 times.
While the post is funny, its message still rings true. Please don’t drive your car on a flooded street, as it takes less water than you think to overwhelm most powertrains, and it is impossible to truly know how deep or forceful any standing water is.
News Source: WHIO
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