---
title: "Goodyear Blimp Halts New Jersey Traffic After Drivers Mistake It for a UFO"
description: "This begs the question, though: Do the aliens have Goodyear tires?"
date: "2020-09-16"
modified: "2020-09-17"
authors:
  - name: "Stef Schrader"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stef-schrader"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/36473/goodyear-blimp-halts-new-jersey-traffic-after-drivers-mistake-it-for-a-ufo"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "boats"
---

# Goodyear Blimp Halts New Jersey Traffic After Drivers Mistake It for a UFO

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/09/jerzfo_970x546.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Look, if there is extraterrestrial life out there, I'm certain that it would want to stop for a pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich. They're that good, New Jersey! Unfortunately, what *youse guys* saw wasn't a [UFO](<https://www.twz.com/34377/here-are-the-air-forces-reports-on-aircrew-encounters-with-unidentified-flying-craft>). It was the Goodyear Blimp, which is technically a [semi-rigid dirigible](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/8328/the-goodyear-blimp-is-dead>) nowadays, but either way, it's definitely an aircraft from Earth.

The beloved blimp was hovering over the New York Giants vs. Pittsburgh Steelers football game at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium Monday night, [*Jalopnik*](<https://jalopnik.com/traffic-in-new-jersey-stops-for-ufo-sighting-which-was-1845076087>) reports. This caused a whole lot of confusion for folks traveling nearby, and to their credit, it was definitely a flying object they weren't able to identify from that far away.

It clogged up traffic, too. Multiple videos posted on social media show drivers slowing down to capture the "UFO," per [*WUSA 9*](<https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/ufo-sighting-new-jersey-just-the-goodyear-blimp-metlife-stadium/507-5e1ccaaa-afa8-48da-927e-f5841b4241af>).

https://twitter.com/_/status/1305697876132200448

https://twitter.com/_/status/1305733671228452865

I appreciate the optimism, Jersey drivers. Who wouldn't want to see aliens at this point in 2020? Given the [state of things](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/36367/welcome-to-the-apocalypse-now-is-the-time-to-pick-up-an-amphibious-car>) lately, maybe it's worth the risk to ask them to take us with them.

The videos of the Goodyear Blimp cosplaying a flying saucer went viral, with [one TikTok](<https://www.tiktok.com/@.babyyjennii/video/6872517294896041222?lang=en>) racking up millions of views and 677,000 likes at the time of this writing.

As *Jalopnik* notes, the viral videos even spread to UFO enthusiasts, who might feel a little silly now given the recognizability of the flying object in question.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1305812246082269184

https://twitter.com/_/status/1306300451546161154

"During this pandemic, UFO sightings have been more frequent than previous years," asked Alexander Helbert on Twitter, as translated by Google. "Do they all have a relationship? Maybe they worry about what is happening to humanity?"

A few skeptics hopped online to come up with a more reasonable explanation, but some seemed to get tripped up by the bright lights on the blimp's bottom:

https://twitter.com/_/status/1305728547168944128

https://twitter.com/_/status/1305891126646394889

Others really weren't having any other explanations:

https://twitter.com/_/status/1305847901701242885

For better or for worse, aliens weren't onboard the blimp, either. The [blimp](<https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/1347/a-look-at-the-weird-and-wonderful-promotional-vehicles-of-1935>) was just catching aerial footage for the NFL game, per *WUSA 9*. Here's what it looks like filming onboard the blimp from a previous event:

https://twitter.com/_/status/1295097408376971266

I guess it's all up to you, Area 51. Let's see clearer shots of those aliens.

*Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
Stef Schrader is a former senior staff writer for The Drive. She started writing about cars in 2013 after meeting Jalopnik's editor-in-chief at a race track, where Stef can be found at every available opportunity.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefschrader/>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/stefthepef>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/stefthepef>)