HOUSTON — A Texas teenager tweeted how he managed to “get a free printer” just by pranking his neighbor using a wireless printer.
Before the new year, Blake Messick, 18, of Houston noticed his neighbor got a new wireless printer so he decided to send a message and pull off an epic prank.
“Hello. I am your printer. I have become self-aware. Run,” the message said.
my neighbor just got an unsecured wireless printer, so I sent this to him pic.twitter.com/UxVdyLJTYv
— blake messick (@blakemessick) December 30, 2016
Apparently Messick’s neighbor was so freaked out that the printer was on the curb the next day.
“Update: my neighbor has thrown out the printer,” Messick tweeted.
update: my neighbor has thrown out the printer pic.twitter.com/OPoAFuJjZ5
— blake messick (@blakemessick) December 31, 2016
A third tweet later on New Year’s Eve showed Messick with the printer in his house.
“And that’s the story of how I got a free printer,” Messick wrote.
And that's the story of how I got a free printer pic.twitter.com/DOJlS7jf39
— blake messick (@blakemessick) December 31, 2016
The story has since gone viral and the internet has both criticized and commended Messick for his joke. Some even told him maybe there is room for one more joke.
https://twitter.com/planetxanna/status/815567783303974912
You should tell him the truth, that it was only a joke and return him the printer, but it's up to you.
— Dennis el Azul 🦑 (@DenniselAzul) January 1, 2017
the next step is to return it to his doorstep with a paper in the tray reading, "that wasn't very nice, Tom"
— alex (@alexxvstheworld) January 2, 2017
Although Messick said the internet fame has been “exciting,” he tells BuzzFeed that he likely won’t keep the printer.
“I’ll probably just return it once all of this blows over,” he said. “I’m sure my neighbor will have a laugh about it once he sees what a sensation it’s become,” Messick said.
