Pub staff left in hysterics over prankster's 'voice activated' stickers
A mischievous prankster has been causing chaos at a York pub by attaching bogus "voice-activated" labels to equipment throughout the venue.
The Stone Roses Bar on King Street has become the target of an elaborate practical joke, with fake stickers appearing on various machines over recent days.
Joel Bray, the 22-year-old who owns the establishment alongside his parents, Greg and Sharon, revealed unsuspecting punters have been completely taken in by the deceptive labels.
The pub, which attracts a significant student cohort, has seen customers attempting to operate machinery using verbal commands alone.
Staff at the pub have found the ongoing prank amusing, although Mr Bray took to social media pleading: "Can whoever is sticking these to our machines please STOP!"
One particularly memorable incident saw a customer repeatedly bellowing "play Oasis" at the jukebox for a solid hour, convinced the machine would respond to voice commands.
"We've had someone shouting 'play Oasis' at the jukebox for an hour already today," Mr Bray recounted.
The toilets have also fallen victim to the sticker campaign, with labels appearing on hand dryers prompting patrons to shout phrases like "DRY MY HANDS" or "START" at the appliances.
A phone charging station within the venue has similarly been targeted by the mysterious joker.
"Every day we are going around and finding them on different machines we have got," the owner explained.
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Despite the confusion caused to customers, staff members have been thoroughly entertained by the situation, with Mr Bray noting: "The staff just think it's hilarious."
The young owner has taken the whole affair in good spirits, describing it as among the funniest yet most irritating incidents the venue has experienced.
"We get random things all the time, but I think this is up there with the best as funniest, but probably most annoying," he admitted.
Rather than seeking retribution, Mr Bray expressed a forgiving attitude towards the perpetrator, stating he would "probably shake their hand and buy them a pint" upon discovering their identity.
He acknowledged there was little the pub could do to prevent the joke continuing, although removing the adhesive labels had proven somewhat tedious.
The mystery has now been solved, however, with Mr Bray confirming: "After hours of searching through CCTV, we have found the culprit of the stickers."
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