People Are Stealing Old Town Road Signs So Often That Massachusetts Officials Aren't Replacing Them

It appears fans of Lil Nas X‘s “Old Town Road” have taken their love for the hit to a whole new level by stealing street signs of the same name in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Within the last few months, the signs have been pilfered three times, according to a statement on the town’s website.

At this time, the street signposts remain empty as the Department of Public Works waits “for the song’s popularity to fade before replacing the signs again.”

Officials say that each time the sign has gone missing, “replacement costs can add up to $280, not including installation labor.”

The missing signs have not only affected the town financially but also have created a plethora of safety hazards.

“First responders often rely on the street signs in emergencies and missing signs could delay response times,” the statement reads.

Google Maps
Google Maps

The Town of Wellesley decided to go public with the incidents to help “discourage individuals from taking Old Town Road signs or any other town street signs in the future.”

It is not immediately clear if any arrests have been made and no suspects have been revealed to the public.

Lil Nas X | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Lil Nas X | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Last month, Lil Nas X’s single, which features Billy Ray Cyrus and has been remixed by Mariah Carey, made history by becoming the longest-running number 1 single to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It was released in April.

In a lengthy post celebrated the news, Lil Nas X, 20, acknowledged how he was a “struggling artist” less than a year ago but due to the hard work and perseverance he put into the track, his life has now drastically changed for the better. The rapper also said he never would have expected the song to be as successful as it is.

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“Last year in October, as a struggling artist starting to lose faith in what I could be, I went looking for beats on YouTube,” he began his post, which featured a series of screenshots about the success of his song, as well as a sweet video of him and Cyrus, 57, in the studio together.

“I remember clicking on so many generic sounding beats trying to find the right one for me,” Lil Nas X recalled. “When suddenly I came across a country-trap sounding masterpiece. I immediately knew I would make something special out of it”