Flashmobs are the latest craze in Europe this summer

Flashmobs are the latest craze in Europe this summer. It’s another scorching day in Berlin, and on the Alexanderplatz in the city’s center, people are sitting on the edge of a fountain, hoping to catch some relief from the heat. A few are standing around in curious expectation. An Internet site had said a flashmob would take place at 5:00 p.m. But at 4:59 there was no trace of anything out of the ordinary. Then at five on the dot, a circle of some 10 people suddenly convened around the fountain from out of nowhere. They were all young men in their 20s. Each took off his left show and passed it to his neighbor. Within about 15 seconds, the shoes had made a full circle and were back with their owners. The men gave themselves a high-five and dispersed without a trace. All that was left after their departure were amused and slightly confused onlookers, wondering what they just say. Flashmobs, or spontaneous gatherings of people engaged in somewhat pointless activities, are the most recent U.S. import. In June of this year, the first such event took place in a Macy’s department store in New York. Since then, the concept has spread quickly across the United States, and leapfrogged over to Australia, Singapore and, as of the end of July, made its way to Europe. In Germany, flashmobs have become very popular among a mostly young, computer-savvy group. More than 150 towns and cities have been the sites for the blitz-like gatherings, and in Berlin, at least two or three of the brief nonsensical events are announced every day on various Web sites, e-mail lists and mobile phone messages.