Day in the life of a flash mobber

The madcap internet craze of flash mobbing is sweeping the nation. Read Toby Earle's first-hand account of a flash mob in action.

Bamboozling commuters, security guards and train drivers in two locations last night, London's second flash mob was an impressively ambitious event.

Participants had been asked to assemble in two separate locations according to their star sign, where they had to wait until organisers appeared and doled out instructions.

I headed to the first Zodiac assembly point, the Royal Festival Hall, where dozens of people seemed to be glancing anxiously around.

The second organisers materialised and handed out instructions, eager flash mobbers raced to learn what we had to do. As expected, the instructions were amusingly daft.

Every mobber (or flobber, if you like) had to text a friend and ask them to call at 6.35pm precisely, but then ignore the call. By this time we would all be on Hungerford Bridge, waving at every passing train and boat while hailing them with a hearty "Ahoy!". All the time we had to remember to click our fingers whenever the letter "Y" was uttered.

From 6.30pm to 6.40pm, Hungerford Bridge played host to several hundred flobbers, who waved cheerily at every passing vehicle and were rewarded with boats and trains tooting their horns. Surrounded by smiling and laughing people that you'd normally be crushed up against in rush hour proved this good natured silliness isn't without merit.

As we dispersed, we had to complete our final task - compliment two strangers. I might have left the bridge without someone complimenting me, but I'm hooked.

Watch this video clip of the flash mob in all its waving glory (File Size: 5.14MB).