Are Flash Mobs in Philadelphia a Real Concern or Is It Just Fear-Mongering?
Some people think a flash mob is innocent fun. Others find a good flash mob is annoying. Philadelphia authorities think a flash mob is a public menace. City officials said Wednesday that they hope to combat flash mobs, impromptu gatherings that are organized online. Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter stated that the city plans to crack down on flash mobs. The Philadelphia flash mob scare stems from recent incidents where groups of teenagers have swarmed public areas like shopping malls. Ten teenagers were recently found guilty of felony rioting and conspiracy for their roles in a Feb. 16 flash mob in Center City. That incident saw more than 150 teenagers wreaking havoc in a Philadelphia shopping mall. What is a Flash Mob? Many flash mob aficionados would point out that those shopping mall incidents aren’t really flash mobs. As our old friend Wikipedia states, a flash mob is a “large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief
