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Fog Horn Malfunction Creates Rude Awakening For San Francisco Residents

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — While most San Franciscans are fond of the iconic sound of Golden Gate Bridge's fog horn, many residents were not so pleased when a malfunction caused it to blast—non stop—early Friday morning.

For over an hour, starting at about 1:45 a.m., the fog horns sounded off continuously.

Bridge officials told KCBS that it was due to an electrical problem—the horns somehow got stuck in the "on" position.

San Francisco police said they received many calls from residents in the Richmond district and Sea Cliff.

One caller told KCBS that he normally likes the sound of the foghorns but this time it was just too much.

"It's kind of like a friend pats you on the back but imagine if they just kept patting and patting for hours on end," he said.

At about 3 a.m, the Coast Guard gave the bridge permission to turn the fog horns off so crews could try to repair them.

For the time being, the Coast Guard is putting out a mariners' report to vessels as they approach the bridge.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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