JackTheTripper
07-17-2003, 07:39 PM
What is a flash mob you ask... (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0307110016jul11,0,7996487.story?coll=chi-leisuretempo-hed)
OK, so this MOB project thing was so interesting, fun, freeing, comical, amazing and so many other things all at the same time I can’t find the words to sum it up in a short paragraph. I went not knowing if I was actually going to take part and was just sucked in by the whole thing. (As were others, but more about that later.)
I heard about this about the concept of a Flash Mob about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Read all the articles about the New York Mobs and what they were about, and learned there was one coming to SF in mid July. “Interesting.” I thought. “I’d like to check that out.” So I signed up on the Yahoo group that had been set up. It told me there would be instructions coming soon. A week later the group was gone. Shut down by Yahoo? The organizer? “Da man?” I did not know. All I knew was nothing gained, nothing lost.
On July 11th I received an invitation to join a yahoo group. I joined and waited. It was locked up tight so I could not post a message asking more details about it. On Sunday the 13th instructions were sent out. Basically they said go to one of three bars near Union Square on Wednesday the 16th at 6:00 and wait for further instructions. So my wife and I met a couple friends there, one of which was the person who invited me originally. I told my wife if they tell me to drink the Coolaid I was out of there.
At about 5:55 or 6:00 a girl started handing out half sheets of paper. It stated that at 6:20 we were to head down to the cable car turn-around at the end of Powell and linger about so we don’t attract attention, then at exactly 6:27 go to the large crosswalk on market and wait for the crossing signal. When it changes green cross market, but you are to spin clockwise with your arms stretched out. If the DO NOT CROSS signal comes on we were to wait for the next crossing as to not block traffic. If someone asks what you’re doing make something up. Examples were “I lost my wallet” or “I’m on a school field trip.” Just don’t mention anything about the mob project. At 6:37 everyone disburses in different directions without a trace. Simple enough.
So we leave our designated bar and can see that the other bars were already unloading onto Powell and heading for the cable car turn-around. A huge group. People heading up market wove in and out fighting the flow of bodies like salmon returning to their breading waters.
We got there at almost exactly 6:27 so we headed for the crosswalk, waited for the green and crossed. There were so many people you could not outstretch your arms to the sides so everyone put them straight up in the air. For some reason, as if it was part of the instructions, as everyone made their first pass across Market they let out a “Whoooooooooooooooooooo” sound. It came naturally and once we reached the other side everyone giggled. It was like everyone had reverted to the age of 8. Not everyone made it across and after a couple of passes the group was almost evenly divided on either side of the street. When crossing it was difficult to not bump into people. Some did this purpose but lightly in a childish sort of way. I was bumped in the forehead with an elbow but it was unintentional and didn’t hurt.
A man in a gray suit walked up to me and my friend and, thinking he was funny, asked “So….. what’s going on here? I must have missed the memo.” My friend could not keep a straight face and turned away. With a serious look I said “We’re looking for our dog, have you seen him?” He replied “No, really. What are you doing?” Urgently I said “He’s about this big. A little brown Poodle. We can’t find him. Have you seen him?” With a confused look he walked away.
The first three times I was on the North side of Market I noticed two girls about 19 years old standing there taking the whole thing in and smiling. They looked shocked, amused and curious all at the same time. I crossed Market back to the south side and while waiting for the signal to change again someone asked “I wonder if somebody was just walking by and decided to join in.” From behind me a voice says “I did!” I turn and one of the girls had joined our Mob. Everyone cheered.
At one point we heard a siren. My first thought was it’s “The Man” coming to smack down the law on us. But instead it was an ambulance racing down market. As it passed the two groups on either side of Market cheered and clapped. I found this a little disturbing but let it go.
In the end, the Mob disbursed at exactly 6:37 as requested and everyone went his or her separate ways. This was a little sad as we had met a girl named Sarah (with an ‘H’) at the bar beforehand. She took a few pictures for us. My wife tried to find her but had no luck.
Here are 2 pics I took while at the event.
http://www.bobx3.com/sf_flash_mob/PICT0226.JPG
http://www.bobx3.com/sf_flash_mob/PICT0232.JPG[/img]
OK, so this MOB project thing was so interesting, fun, freeing, comical, amazing and so many other things all at the same time I can’t find the words to sum it up in a short paragraph. I went not knowing if I was actually going to take part and was just sucked in by the whole thing. (As were others, but more about that later.)
I heard about this about the concept of a Flash Mob about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Read all the articles about the New York Mobs and what they were about, and learned there was one coming to SF in mid July. “Interesting.” I thought. “I’d like to check that out.” So I signed up on the Yahoo group that had been set up. It told me there would be instructions coming soon. A week later the group was gone. Shut down by Yahoo? The organizer? “Da man?” I did not know. All I knew was nothing gained, nothing lost.
On July 11th I received an invitation to join a yahoo group. I joined and waited. It was locked up tight so I could not post a message asking more details about it. On Sunday the 13th instructions were sent out. Basically they said go to one of three bars near Union Square on Wednesday the 16th at 6:00 and wait for further instructions. So my wife and I met a couple friends there, one of which was the person who invited me originally. I told my wife if they tell me to drink the Coolaid I was out of there.
At about 5:55 or 6:00 a girl started handing out half sheets of paper. It stated that at 6:20 we were to head down to the cable car turn-around at the end of Powell and linger about so we don’t attract attention, then at exactly 6:27 go to the large crosswalk on market and wait for the crossing signal. When it changes green cross market, but you are to spin clockwise with your arms stretched out. If the DO NOT CROSS signal comes on we were to wait for the next crossing as to not block traffic. If someone asks what you’re doing make something up. Examples were “I lost my wallet” or “I’m on a school field trip.” Just don’t mention anything about the mob project. At 6:37 everyone disburses in different directions without a trace. Simple enough.
So we leave our designated bar and can see that the other bars were already unloading onto Powell and heading for the cable car turn-around. A huge group. People heading up market wove in and out fighting the flow of bodies like salmon returning to their breading waters.
We got there at almost exactly 6:27 so we headed for the crosswalk, waited for the green and crossed. There were so many people you could not outstretch your arms to the sides so everyone put them straight up in the air. For some reason, as if it was part of the instructions, as everyone made their first pass across Market they let out a “Whoooooooooooooooooooo” sound. It came naturally and once we reached the other side everyone giggled. It was like everyone had reverted to the age of 8. Not everyone made it across and after a couple of passes the group was almost evenly divided on either side of the street. When crossing it was difficult to not bump into people. Some did this purpose but lightly in a childish sort of way. I was bumped in the forehead with an elbow but it was unintentional and didn’t hurt.
A man in a gray suit walked up to me and my friend and, thinking he was funny, asked “So….. what’s going on here? I must have missed the memo.” My friend could not keep a straight face and turned away. With a serious look I said “We’re looking for our dog, have you seen him?” He replied “No, really. What are you doing?” Urgently I said “He’s about this big. A little brown Poodle. We can’t find him. Have you seen him?” With a confused look he walked away.
The first three times I was on the North side of Market I noticed two girls about 19 years old standing there taking the whole thing in and smiling. They looked shocked, amused and curious all at the same time. I crossed Market back to the south side and while waiting for the signal to change again someone asked “I wonder if somebody was just walking by and decided to join in.” From behind me a voice says “I did!” I turn and one of the girls had joined our Mob. Everyone cheered.
At one point we heard a siren. My first thought was it’s “The Man” coming to smack down the law on us. But instead it was an ambulance racing down market. As it passed the two groups on either side of Market cheered and clapped. I found this a little disturbing but let it go.
In the end, the Mob disbursed at exactly 6:37 as requested and everyone went his or her separate ways. This was a little sad as we had met a girl named Sarah (with an ‘H’) at the bar beforehand. She took a few pictures for us. My wife tried to find her but had no luck.
Here are 2 pics I took while at the event.
http://www.bobx3.com/sf_flash_mob/PICT0226.JPG
http://www.bobx3.com/sf_flash_mob/PICT0232.JPG[/img]