# Is there "Flashmobbing" in the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122 "2003-09-02T13:33:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/21 "2003-09-03T05:14:23Z")
Here’s a [BBC story](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3065685.stm) which details the first and second mob. What a world. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/22 "2003-09-03T05:17:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Antiquarian \* > \*\*Ok so they all coordinate, run into said fast food joint, moo like cows and make the staff think they need to make all this food, then leave? Without buying anything? To what end? or purpose? to make the fast food place waste a bunch of food? Seems quite petty, immature don’t you think? \*\* They didn’t _make_ the fastfood place think or do anything. The fastfood place thought they saw an opportunity for a quick buck, and paid for their unjustified assumption. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/23 "2003-09-03T05:40:19Z")
As someone said, it’s one of those tiresome things, like streaking, that’s been going on for longer than we thought it would last. At least streakers have that wild rebel air. Group activities lack that embiggening spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/24 "2003-09-03T07:48:14Z")
I remember back when I was a kid oh god gramps is going to tell another story we did similar things. This was pre-internet, so it worked on a smaller scale via passed around notes. I recall, for example, everyone dropping their pencil on the floor at a precise time in the middle of seventh grade math class. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/25 "2003-09-03T09:47:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Janx \* > when the light changes they all take a bow run to the other side of the street and disburse. They start giving money to people? Or do you mean they “disperse”? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/26 "2003-09-03T10:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Janx \* > It has been happening here in São Paulo, mostly on Aveineda Paulista (the major high street here, think 5th Ave) usually some youths hang around a crosswalk and tell other youths “Psssst, flash bomb, tomorrow, here 1pm!” At the time a crowd gathers and when the light turns to “WALK” they all flood out into the street, whooping it up, some lay on the ground and flop around like fish others dance to non existent music etc. when the light changes they all take a bow run to the other side of the street and disburse. **Kinda like mooning**. At this point it is harmless, but it is very disconcerting because there is a phenomenon here where large groups of nogood-nicks gather on a given beach and all at once go charging en mass through the crowds ripping off anything they can get their hands on, knowing that not all of them will get caught. So flash bombing is frownde upon as a security risk. “Kinda like mooning”?? If it has “flash” in its name, it oughta be all about mooning. I thought this was a thread about mass groups of people mooning innocent bystanders. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/27 "2003-09-03T10:19:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewT \* > \*\*They didn’t _make_ the fastfood place think or do anything. The fastfood place thought they saw an opportunity for a quick buck, and paid for their unjustified assumption. \*\* You know, cynical though I am myself this is just a ridiculous thing to say! A load of people go into a restaurant [any one you like]. I think that as a worker you could reasonably expect that they will order something and it is your job to prepare for that. The workers don’t make any more money however many customers they serve but they might well get disciplined/sacked for not being able to serve their fast food fast enough. Unjustified assumption my arse (as Jim Royle might say). :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Janx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Janx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janx)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/28 "2003-09-03T12:44:34Z")
Um, errrrm, > [@](#): > > So flash bombing is frownde upon as a security risk That would be flash\*mobbing \* :smack: ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/29 "2003-09-03T13:23:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewT \* > They didn’t _make_ the fastfood place think or do anything. The fastfood place thought they saw an opportunity for a quick buck, and paid for their unjustified assumption. \*\* I’m going to echo Martiju on this one. It is a reasonible assumption that a mob of people are going to order food, not act like mooing jackasses with too much time on their hands. Anyhow, it’s not like the food costs all that much. I’m sure the restaurant will be fine. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j.c. \* > At least streakers have that wild rebel air. Group activities lack that embiggening spirit. Their nobel spirit embiggens us all, however cropulent this fad becomes. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/30 "2003-09-03T14:16:42Z")
> [@](#): > > There have already been “counter flashings” and it has been said that the whole scene has been utterly ruined by outsiders. _Counter_ flashing? Is that where a couple of hundred McDonald’s workers rush into a room full of off duty flashmobbers, looking like they’re going to serve them with hamburgers, but then just stand around making the noises that kids make when mummy simply refuses to buy them yet another happy meal ? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/31 "2003-09-03T14:21:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trabi \* > \*\*_Counter_ flashing? Is that where a couple of hundred McDonald’s workers rush into a room full of off duty flashmobbers, looking like they’re going to serve them with hamburgers, but then just stand around making the noises that kids make when mummy simply refuses to buy them yet another happy meal ? > > 🙂 \*\* That is one hell of a funny image!! (and colleagues are looking at me bemused as I splutter!) Thank you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/32 "2003-09-03T15:23:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\*I’m going to echo Martiju on this one. It is a reasonible assumption that a mob of people are going to order food, not act like mooing jackasses with too much time on their hands. > > Anyhow, it’s not like the food costs all that much. I’m sure the restaurant will be fine. > > … > \*\* The owner of the franchise might disagree with you. With the competition in the fast food business, margins on the main items like hamburgers are very low (as opposed to margins on soda, which are very high - they make up for the razor thin hamburger margins on fries and drinks). The owner probably took a serious hit that day. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/33 "2003-09-03T15:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j.c. \* > \*\*At least streakers have that wild rebel air. Group activities lack that embiggening spirit. \*\* Yeah, streaking was so much more cromulent. ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122/34 "2003-09-04T05:00:30Z")
Maybe what we need is flashmob streaking… Maybe not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-flashmobbing-in-the-united-states/199122.md?page=1)