By Tim Binnall
The owner of an Arizona auto shop is crying foul after being the target of a social media prank wherein a large group of troublemakers dressed as mechanics stormed his business and unleashed chaos in the process. According to a local media report, the bizarre incident occurred last week at Hyland Auto Repair in Tempe. Owner David Hyland recalled that the strangeness began when two men appeared at the auto shop "making accusations or threats that they were sent here to take over the business." As the owner was trying to process their peculiar assertion, he was taken aback by the sudden arrival of a van from which nearly two dozen faux mechanics poured out.
Clad in coveralls and wielding tire irons, wrenches, and other repair tools, the pranksters scattered around the building pretending to be workers at the business. Suspecting that he was being robbed, Hyland called the cops, which prompted the flood of faux mechanics to flee the scene. Although he later discovered that the incident was a social media stunt, the owner stressed that the strange scene was no laughing matter. "This is not a publicly accessible area," he explained, "there are lots of things you could get tripped on, slip and fall, vehicles up in the air, they physically climbed under vehicles, under the hoods."
Beyond the dangers posed to untrained individuals haphazardly bumbling around the workspace, Hyland lamented that their pantomime repairs were 'conducted' on his customers' cars. As such, he was forced to close the shop for the day so that his clients could "come down and look at their vehicles to make sure nothing was damaged." As one might imagine, Hyland is not too thrilled at his business being the setting for the elaborate prank. As for who was behind the incident, while Tempe police indicated that they were aware of a local social media 'star' who has orchestrated similar shenanigans, it is uncertain if the young man will be held responsible for the trouble he is believed to have caused at the auto shop last week.