'Flash Mob' Results in Calif. Mall Evacuation

[Elmore Furth]

Source: Associated Press

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Fire officials say a Northern California mall was evacuated after nearly 5,000 holiday revelers showed up for a "flash mob" organized by a local choral society.

Fire Inspector Tom Dodaro tells KXTV that the spontaneous holiday musical performance at the Roseville Galleria drew a huge crowd.

Officials say there were reports of the floor and foundation moving and creaking near the food court, which spurred the evacuation.

Flash mobs are groups of singers or dancers whose surprise performances in public places are often recorded and posted online.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/12/21/us/AP-US-Flash-Mob-Evacuation.html?ref=news

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Choral societities are undermining American values." - Republicon Moral Midgets (R)

"After we round up all the libs and torture them, the Choral Society miscreants are next."

- Republicon Moral Midgets (R)

[galileoreloaded]

5. You are so deliciously wierd...........n/t

[HughBeaumont]

8. FTW.

[SkyDaddy7]

2. 5,000 person Flas Mob!

Is that a record? I have never heard of one that big!

[boppers]

21. That's up there with Pillowfight Day.

It's held the record, at 5,000, for the NYC group since 2008.

[saras]

3. Must be a new mall

Since the mall wasn't designed to support a central square full of shoppers, presumably it was designed with a failed economy in mind...

[TheEuclideanOne]

4. Whoever designed that building may have some splainin to do

Flash Mob or not, I have never heard of a Mall nearly collapsing due to having too many people in it. Seems like a poor design to me. If you go to the mall by my house, that place is totaly packed during the holidays and that is without a flash Mob.

[surrealAmerican]

6. It might be bad design, or maybe just shoddy construction.

Either way the place is unsafe.

[Brother Buzz]

23. It is a good design and the mall opened the next day

The floors were, indeed, bouncing a little too much for some, but they are designed to move like that.

The mall was basically evacuated because too many people showed up in one small area of the mall. It was jammed with people, assholes to elbows.

[melm00se]

13. it all depends

a structure may be built to support 5000 people under normal circumstances but if they all start to move in synch and hit the harmonics of the structure you have a recipe for a disaster.

the harmonic issue is of sufficient concern that many buildings have harmonic dampers to prevent this issue.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuned_mass_damper#Dampers_in_buildings_and_related_structures, specifically:

Mechanical human sources

Masses of people walking up and down stairs at once, or great numbers of people stomping in unison, can cause serious problems in large structures like stadiums if those structures lack damping measures. Vibration caused by heavy industrial machinery, generators and diesel engines can also pose problems to structural integrity, especially if mounted on a steel structure or floor. Large ocean going vessels may employ tuned mass dampers to isolate the vessel from its engine vibration.

but even dampers can be ineffective if the mass is large enough.

[TheEuclideanOne]

16. That really is a fascinating topic.

[superduperfarleft]

7. Flash mobs stopped being cute/clever/funny a LONG time ago.

Seriously people, it's getting old.

[SpiralHawk]

9. Flash mobs passe' - Crop mobs are the new cool

[Blue_Tires]

19. i didn't even know people still did them

[Javaman]

10. Personally, I welcome our spontaneous choral overlords. nt

[Roy Rolling]

11. Flash...

Flash construction techniques defeat flash mobs every time. :grouphug:

[Bragi]

12. So where's the video?

Flash mobs can't exist without video. It's like a tree falling in the woods that makes no discernible sound.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. It starts with "Glee."

Then they go on to the hard stuff.

"Oh, sure, I can watch just one episode. What's the worst that could happen?"

[warrior1]

15. The mall

was set on fire by a customer and part of the mall collapsed just a couple of months ago. That was a stupid thing to do, the flash mob.

[okieinpain]

17. too bad they can't take time to flash mob to a voting booth. n/t.

[Missy Vixen]

18. How do you know they don't vote?

They like to sing, so they don't vote?

:eyes:

[okieinpain]

22. my jedi mind powers. n/t.

[Cowpunk]

20. Good. Now I have a reason to hate flash mobs. NT

[RexDart]

24. Is this the same mall that burned a couple months ago?

6.9 million in damages and 20 stores wiped out after someone locked himself in a Gamestop and set a fire. I think it was the same mall.