Dangerous internet craze sweeps Jersey
Tuesday 21st June 2011, 3:00PM BST.
A picture of a ‘planker’ at Fort Regent overlooking Snow Hill from the Jersey Planking Society’s Facebook page
A DANGEROUS new internet craze where people lie down in bizarre or high locations and post pictures on the web is sweeping Jersey.
The phenomenon, known as ‘planking’, has already left one man in Australia dead and scores of others around the world injured.
Now police are warning Islanders against the ‘idiotic’ craze after pictures emerged of people ‘planking’ on top of lampposts, roofs and railings in Jersey.
• Full report in Tuesday’s JEP
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Natural selection, if anyone is stupid enough to do this in a place where they might die let em. That guy in Australia was on the 7th floor when he thought it was a good idea to balance on a 4 inch balcony.
Could all the kids out drinking till the early hours on West Park/St.Clements beaches start by doing this at the top of Pier road. Then perhaps the politicians could follow – instant fix.
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Natural selection will eventually end this craze.
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Dangerous craze? Um…it’s been going around for a few years now and only 1 person has died. Skateboarding is more dangerous.
Sweeping Jersey? – we can’t move for plankers on this rock eh?
As for the police being “shocked”, there are far more shocking things going on in this island that are not being reported in the media than this!
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only one dead so far globally?
out of how many millions ?
more die per day from dirty water/ lack of food .
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only slightly less dangerous than walking down mulcaster street at 11:15 on a friday evening.
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Ha Ha, I knew it would eventually get on the news.
Go onto Facebook and like the’Jersey Planking Society’. Then you can see some real planks.
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I would love to push the idea to some of our politician and I will be please to hold the camera to take the snap.
I ll do it for free (inc. GST): Only if I can do it before I retire at 67 and if I can use their free parking.
I ll make sure that if something goes wrong, I will bring them to A&E. Bring them property magazine while they waiting ( as it might take forever, but the magazines are getting thicker so no worries there).
Hopefully , they won’t break their teeth as this is going to cost.
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Oh please… this is another craze that will die down as quickly as it came…. most of the planking photos I have seen have not been dangerous….. ok there are some people that have taken it too far – as you get with every thing.
However, I hear that you are not covered by insurance if you get hurt through planking?… this is just getting silly, you are not covered if you injure yourself from “lying down”, however if you do something like BMX’ing, ramp it down a flight of stair cases and break your arm then you are covered?
Yet again, a funny little game has been taken completly out of context due to some people taking it too far…
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Very important:
Kids ,do not try this at home, your parents needs you to pay for their pension, and the States also needs you to pay for the rest.
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anyone that dose this is a right plank ,
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Every generation of young’uns find a ‘Dare’ game to play…a dicing with danger game or it would not be fun…whether likes us you raced motor bikes with no helmets and 6 pints of Mary Ann best on board..or pier jumping whatever…it has and will always be there…it’s a fad and passes ’till the next one…question here is The J.E.P. have now shown how it’s done and have publicised it…is that wisdom…Oh a warning should be issued I hear some say…well you may placate your own conscience with that tosh but anyone with reliable memory knows that warnings are not heeded and in fact up the anti…
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Totally agree, this must absolutely *NOT* become a trend in Jersey however, is printing a photo the way to go? Those (most likely,youngsters) who have not heard about this, will have just been shown how it’s done!
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Think before you plank in a dangerous location, it’s very tempting to try and do something extreme but think of the risk.
Plank safely kids, make it amusing but not at the risk of injuring yourself, and enjoy yourselves.
The JEP are NOT helping to discourage this by publishing front page photos such as this one.
Josh
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Jersey police are spoil sports!
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Headline news, is this a joke ? One person killed in this activity out of how many who have done it ! maybe the more danger and possible loss of life and injury can be saved with the Policing services being on watch that more often on dangerous bends and corners where truckers and car drivers drive when on their mobile phones !
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Well ,they’re certainly are all a bunch of plankers!!!!!
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there you go Phil try this new craze and twitter at the same time
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Maybe Terry would like ago
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ONE person has died, across the ENTIRE world.
But of course, get them back to drug taking, crime committing and underage binge drinking because thats far safer!
The childeren of tomorrow will be frail, cotton wrapped wimps if we carry on this way.
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Police today have formally charged two idiotic people for the activity of planking.
The two states members, identified as Terence Le Sueur and Philip Ozouf have allegedly been caught lieing about on top of a massive budget deficit, states policies and spending without doing any activity to change the position.
When asked repeatedly to stop by the public they ignored the request and continued. A concerned citizen has been today stated “they clearly have no idea of the dangers their policies and current activities are having to the man in the street”.
Inspector Helier Le Gresley-Carre-de Syvret publicly lambasted the two planks in question “These people have been caught undertaking an idiotic and dangerous activity. Due to their actions harm will come to many people of Jersey and their blatant disregard for accountability and plain common sense is frankly shocking, we will look into this matter and see if any laws have been broken in regards to misrepresentation, breaking of oaths of office or providing information knowing it to be false. This lieing by states members has got to stop,
In an unconnected incident the Planning and Environment minister has spent the last 4 years lieing on an island with his head in the sand ignoring the people of Jersey.
The activity is named after Sir Frank “The Plank” Walker the first states member to lie continuously, and who first started the tradition which has not stopped since.
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This media highlighing of the planking craze has probably just doubled or even trebled its interest and popularity. Well done JEP!
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It started with the Plinker Pollard plunking away on the guitar at our expense..now we have Plankers who are being finger wagged by Plonkers……what an amusing bunch we are.
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#3 I’m a Planker – “Dangerous craze? Um…it’s been going around for a few years now and only 1 person has died. Skateboarding is more dangerous.”
Why the Skateboarding comparison? Skateboarding has been found to be far less dangerous than many sports!
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front page news? really?
wow…
What better promotion?
tomorrow’s front page news “a seagull got run over by a car”…
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let the plankers called polititions do a bit of planking on the top of cyrle le mar house in a force nine, that should wipe out a lot of plankers
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People like me only plank because it’s some fun here’s nothing else to do in the island for our age group. No teens want to go and play sport and do all that now a days, so no wander we’ve all thought up something for all of us to do.
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I didn’t realise going to bed was so dangerous !
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And this makes the lead articles in our local paper? Jersey truly z list…
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ha ha ha, i have read the article and the bit about a boy planking in cheapside traffic, ive actually seen the photo and there was a green man, so technically he didn’t break the law shame
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Who is going to try this on St Clement’s Coast Road, then?
The element of danger will be enhanced by the cars doing 30mph rather than 40 as they will take longer to ‘roll over’ you at the slower speed.
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Surely its more stupid to drive around in a coffin
on wheels! The “black” Range Rover brigade.
You know your bored when you take inspiration from
Katie Price!Jerseys full of “plankers”!
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Now I’ve heard it all! Planker (comment 26)I was never in to sport myself and spent a lot of my youth in Jersey feeling “bored” but I find the idea of lying on a railing in a high up place for entertainment quite amazing-for how long does that actually keep you “entertained?” The mind boggles!Having recently known of a 16year old girl who died of leukaemia in May (she was diagnosed in January)I am feeling particularly angry towards young people who are wasting the precious gift of life which has been given to them.You only get one chance.
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Oh come on – lighten up people, a lot of these posts suggest you were perfect little darlings for your parents, never got in to trouble or tried anything risqué, it is harmless FUN!
For those of you pointing the finger at the JEP – it was clearly advertised on social networking sites well before the JEP went to press, how come no-one is blaming Channel TV for their interview!
Yes there is an element of danger, what harm are these people doing – oh and it is not just youngsters, it is adults to, yes local adults.
Nice pics though, JEP & Channel TV planked, and before people start pointing this is from a youngster I am in the 40+ category.
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Planking is dead :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2006484/Planking-officially-dead-Gordon-Ramsay-tries-hand-latest-online-fad.html
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Am I missing something and activity that young’uns do in there own time which damages nothing which is quiet and which keeps them amused…and you’re complaining!!! It’s hardly antisocial.
Dangerous hardly! most of the pics on facebook appear totally harmless. The most dangerous bit would be walking along the pavement to the planking site!
and surely not frontpage news…slow news day was it?
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Surely we need outside consultants to tell us this is dangerous ?
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#27 Terry W
You made me laugh
I think if that’s what they wanna do so what – as said in the first couple of posts Natural Selection !
We are all guilty of doing silly things when we were younger, lets just hope the one death world wide doesn’t spread into a mad epidemic !
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I have just invented the new craze of plank slapping take one plank about 3 feet long one states member of your choice bend him or her over and the rest is up to you . You could have the forearm smash the backhand slap the backhand back spin slap the choice of slaps are endless
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Like most dangerous activities carried out by youngsters, it will stop when they grow up and become adults, which for the last 10 years or so has unfortunately risen to to around the age of 28 to 30.
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32# JULIE – One sympathises Julie, but you have no right interfering in how youngsters live their lives. It their life, not yours. I agree with comment 26, there is very little for youngsters to do in Jersey these days. When i was a teenager 15 or so years ago there was lots to keep my friends and i busy, not so it seems these days…
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ONE person has died, across the ENTIRE world?
Must be safer than drinking alcohol then!
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As usual Jersey catches up 2 years after the rest of the world! If those that are lambasting actually looked at the photos they’d realise that apart from the odd lunatic the vast majority of them are relatively harmless and clearly done for fun rather than adrenalin.
There are idiots in every ‘activity’ – always skiiers that go off piste without the right kit, always road cyclists without helmets and always drivers who drink.
For those kids that are doing this harmlessly and with a low risk to themselves then let them get on with it! Natural selection will sort those stupid enough to take it to dangerous extremes…
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The stupidity of the JEP in putting a ludicrously dangerous example of “Jersey planking” on the front page for others to out-do is breath-taking (because, Bo #33, that’s how planking works – publishing a picture to show how much further you’ve pushed the envelope). Planking will only become unfashionable and stop when it loses the oxygen of publicity. Most of us do stupid things and try to out-do each other when we’re young, but when I was young (am also over 40, Bo) the stupidity was restricted to the small group that happened to be there. The internet is great in many respects but has magnified the audience for these risk takers and therefore the number of risk takers. Well done JEP for compounding the problem. By the way, RIP Ryan Dunn – a good example that doing dangerous stuff for fun eventually gets you killed. Many will say kudos to him. His family and girlfriend won’t agree. Well said Julie #32.
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#38 Jean the Bean – I’m in… what are the rules?
1. Does it have to be a wooden plank as I have a sword that is 3 feet long?
2. Do ex-states members count?
3. Can it be any civil servant?
4. Do the states members have to be alive at the end of it?
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#26 and #40
Nothing for youngsters to do in Jersey?
Skateboarding, roller-blading, fishing, walking, exploring the Island, any number of sports, any number of hobbies, going to the cinema, listening to music, making music (playing in a band/choir/orchestra), going to the beach, shopping, “just hanging out with my mates”, watching TV, doing my homework/studying, Staurday/after work jobs – etc; etc;
In other words, all the stuff I had to do as a youngster in Jersey 25 years ago plus the (good sides of) the internet, skyping, facebook, gaming etc; etc.
I know plenty of fantastic young people in Jersey who keep themselves out of mischief in these ways.
Yes some of the above activities involve spending money, but many don’t (and some involve making it).
At the risk of sounding like a Monty Python Yorkshireman, things really were no better in my day – it’s time some people got a sense of perspective and realised that carpe deum can involve something more meaningful than teatering on the edge of a multi-story car park, behaviour more usually associated (very, very tragically) with the mentally ill and suicidal. I know people who have killed themselves jumping from the top of local car parks. I wonder how their families felt when they saw the front page of the JEP?
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I might get involved, looks like a right laugh!
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“Why the Skateboarding comparison? Skateboarding has been found to be far less dangerous than many sports!”
I used skateboarding to illustrate exactly that point; that there have been more injuries and deaths caused by a relatively safe activity than caused by planking.
Sorry if I inadvertantly touched a skateboarding nerve there. I admit I could have said ‘knitting’ but I didn’t want to upset the knitters and not only are there more of them, they are armed.
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Dear Planker # 26. In order to try to make some sense out of your rambling post may I please re-write it in English and include words that might help describe what you are saying. Mine are in brackets by the way.
——————
People like me only (lie down) because it’s some fun. There’s nothing else to do in the island for our age group (apart from lying down). Teen(ager)s (do not) want to go and play sport and do all that nowadays, so no w(o)nder we’ve all thought up something for all of us to do (namely, lying down).
————–
Honestly, if you had worded it better your point would have been better understood.
Lying down sounds great. Taking photos of other people lying down sounds utterly thrilling. Much better than than all those sports, hobbies, pastimes and other boring stuff eh?
May I suggest, as a career choice, a job in undertaking?
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Chris (comment 40) Believe me I have no interest in “interfering” in how young people live their lives-I was simply expressing my opinion that if lying on something in a high place is entertaining then it is a rather sad state of affairs.It just saddens me that young people moan and complain of boredom when they have their lives ahead of them and so many opportunities.Having said that I did a good bit of moaning when I was young so perhaps you have to grow up to appreciate what you have!By the way Chris what was different in Jersey 15 years ago when you were growing up?What has Jersey lost in the way of entertainment for youngsters?I ask this because I genuinely am interested! I tend to agree with Sage at comment 45.
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Kids will probs now just see it as more of a game to go as crazy as they can now it’s been in the paper!
I still don’t understand Planking, in my day we stayed in watching Keenan and Kel!
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It went through my boarding school (*cough*HARROW*cough*) and someone did it naked on my housemasters desk
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26 Planker
Genius!!
How long did it take you to think that one up?
However, planking has been around since man walked the earth……what next? Sitting down? Standing up? Why not push the boat out and, wait for it,……kneeling down?
Knock yourselves out! Obviously kids nowadays do not have the ability nor the inclination to do anything interesting!
I thank my lucky stars that most of my generation had a lot more creativity and energy to get out there and actually DO something……I would hate to be one of the new “boring” generation!
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Hey JEP how about highlighting and supporting underage drug abuse issues in Jersey or is that just to non establishmentarianism and well, all round riske for you? “dangerous craze” PLEASE, JEP, grow up!
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#38 JEAN THE BEAN
‘I have just invented the new craze of plank slapping…’
and #44, Vote Quint!!
‘I’m in… what are the rules?’
Does it go without saying that it has to be recorded on a phone?
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#26 No wonder you can’t find anything else to do if you’re going to lie face down. You can’t see whats in front of you..There’s plenty to do if you actually go looking.
#48 I love your last comment. Brilliant!!
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#47 I’m a Planker – Indeed, all i was suggesting is that you chose skateboarding to illustrate your point when there are many more dangerous sports, football or horse riding for example.
Yes you did hit a nerve i suppose, 24 years i’ve been skateboarding, and the amount of prejudice i’ve seen in that time toward people who enjoy my healthy and extremely skilled pastime gets rather annoying after all these years.
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#49 Julie – Maybe i took this comment the wrong way then? “I am feeling particularly angry towards young people who are wasting the precious gift of life which has been given to them.”
And maybe i was wrong that young people have less to do these days than when i was growing up?
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#54 C Le Verdic.. CCTV should be sufficient – it can then be broadcast on crimewatch.
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Why don’t they have sex instead ?
best activity ever!!! lol
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Chris (57) Yes you did take my comment the wrong way! I have spent time at a childrens hospital recently and seen many children from babies to teenagers with life threatening diseases,one of whom has recently died as I said in my original post.So am I daft to be angered by hearing about SOME,not all,teenagers moaning about boredom?Surely anyone reading this can understand where I am coming from here!! How did that sound as if I wish to interfere in their lives? I just wish they could enjoy what they have and be happy-isn’t that what all parents want for their children?
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60. JULIE – I’m not sure I get your point.
Because some unfortunate teenagers/children have life threatening diseases other teenagers/children are not allowed to complain about boredom?
Just because people are in worse situations than I doesn’t mean I lose my right to voice my opinion, an example of this would be complaining about being bored or saying that I enjoy planking as it is a challenge to get an amusing/difficult plank.
Please don’t use emotional blackmail.
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for the people talking about natrual selection, check out the darwin awards: http://www.darwinawards.com/ but what’s wrong with having some fun? check out the facebook page and see for yourself.
btw the skill involved is not the actual lying down, but finding the right location, and getting to it. e.g. on top of the aqua splash slide as seen on facebook. The only things required are the imagination to think up the place, the physical capability to get there and a friend with a camera.
whats not to like? it’s free, fun, and gives other people some amusement as well.
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Why not start a new craze – Spank a Plank!!
Heads down, bottoms up – they’re asking for it!!
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60. JULIE..It sounds like you suffer from perfectionism. You do come across in you messages as needing to control others. Sorry…but it their lives, nothing to do with you!!
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To all those giving Julie a hard time and extolling the virtues of personal freedom above all else:
Julie’s point (I think) is that life is precious and full of potential and people shouldn’t take unecessary risks with it.
Of course there’s a difference between “insane” planking (eg the first JEP photo where a life looked at risk) and “silly” planking (the latest batch in the JEP). No one would grumble with anyone’s right to indulge in the silly stuff (although I guess they’ll get pretty bored with it, pretty quickly).
As to the insane stuff, of course our lives are ours to throw away as we so choose, but what some on this board seem to forget (or choose to ignore) is that “no man is an island” and around every individual there are probably those who care deeply about them.
In this day and age increasing numbers of people intepret the right to personal freedom as allowing them to ignore any impact their actions might have on those around them – the JEP (no doubt under the banner of the “freedom of the press!”) printing its first planking photo on the cover page being an example.
And many these days (eg insane plankers; excessive drink/drug users etc) fail to stop and consider what they’re risking and how lucky they are relative to others (eg the kind of unfortunate young people Julie’s seen suffer and lose a life they’ve cherished).
Just stop and think about others, whether you’re an over-excited JEP reporter or an insane planker. That’s all.
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Planking is the funniest thing I have seen in years !
But let’s not forget that kicking the shit out of someone in town is accepted (and not policed), whereas lying face down while having a photo taken (OMG OMG)…..enough said
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1. Ok I did not think this plank slapping would take off so well and did not consider the rules so I think we should have one or two rule one there are no rules plank slapping can be open to past states members or present vote Quint you can if you wish substitute for top – middle public servants and C Le Verdic phone recordings are good rule two follow rule one to the letter ok
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I’ve seen a far more idiotic craze sweeping the island.Overpaid,over fifty finance workers in their fancy dress of racing lycra on £2000+ road bikes wobbling around two abreast as if they own the roads.
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Planking can only be a danger to those whom participate in it, Speeding, txting, chatting on phone whilst driving, jumping red lights, drink driving, blimy the list is endless… is soooooo far worse as it a danger to others!! maybe me? maybe one of my family? maybe yours?!!! The stats are out there…
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shaun #69
‘Planking can only be a danger to those whom participate in it’
Unless the planker falls off a balcony onto the head of a passer-by below!
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John@68, “wobbling around two abreast as if they own the roads”, They are allowed to ride two abreast..its legal,
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I love it…! I absolutely and in particularly ..love the Plank slapping….boy do we have some stuffed shirts here that could use a good plank slapping…those who cannot laugh at themselves,and who take themselves too seriously and are quick to condemn young folk having the crack…laughter is painful for these stiffs to hear…so give it to them goodstyle girls and boys…who knows…they may even lighten up and see the funny side …but don’t hold your breath…
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@John 68
I would go farther than that , i would make the wearing of Lycra cycling gear a fineable offence for any male over 13 stone and any female over 10 stone , an extra fine could be added in multiples depending on age and garishness of outfit in fact anyone cycling with replica outfits a la Tour De France should be banned from riding in public during daylight hours !
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The only thing that annoys me about cyclists in their fancy pants is they think they are too fast to use the cycle track and insist on riding on the avenue, newsflash, your not that fast! Oh and why do you think dressing like a berk is acceptable as long as you have a cycle underneath you? You wouldnt walk don king street like that without one i hope! You’d get laughed at….by me… and grasshopper!
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71.Jack
Two abreast may be legal but wobbling is not.Its dangerous.You wouldn’t drive a car like that.
It’s easy to spot someone who is comfortable on a bicycle and someone who is not.
In my opinion someone wearing full racing lycra and wobbling is having a midlife crisis.
Give it up before you get hurt and get back in the Porsche
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Jack however it is a bloody nuisance to car drivers trying to overtake on a narrow road. This never happened in the good old days of common sense when riders weren’t rabbiting to each other about what they got up to last night, at work etc etc…
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I’m delighted to see that plankers are refusing to take the criticism lying down
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How has this turned into a dig a cyclists?
Whats wrong with people cycling, although i will admit seeing a fatty in lycra wobbling is funny! “All the gear, no idea” still..at least they are trying i guess.
Btw Loving the idea of Plank Slapping, although id like to add one more aspect, the person being slapped has to be perched on the edge of a carpark, thats part of the challenge then, to stay on your perch while being spanked. Add wearing lycra to the mix and i think we are on to a winner.
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Must have been a slow news day!
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Jack
John@68, “wobbling around two abreast as if they own the roads”, They are allowed to ride two abreast..its legal,
Yes, it is legal but inconsiderate. It’s also legal not to let cyclists in in traffic or not to give way to them when they expect you to. But you do, because it is showing consideration to another road user. It cuts both ways. Then again, if cyclists don’t have to show consideration then perhaps everyone else can act in a similar way and get there a bit faster. I am a cyclist, by the way, and I would never cycle two abreast when out with my friend if I knew that there was traffic behind. I am also a car driver, so beware!!
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Quite funny that the word, “plank” means an unintelligent person. They are, “planking”, which is clearly not an intelligent pursuit, so the assumed title veritably fits the activity, if you will. So there it is.
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I saw a cyclist today going through a red light. You see it most days. And riding on pavements. And up one way streets. And at night without lights. None of these activities is legal. Let’s have a clamp down and a few prosecutions if they want to get funny.
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Okay, as far as I have read from these comments, alot of people disapprove of this, seemingly, safe activity. Some people also think that children these days have alot to do.
As a 16 year old, I for one know that there are things for us to do. However these things don’t necessarily suit us all. Of course some people will have hobbies, they will be in bands and they will ‘hang out with their mates’. But how can anyboy expect EVERY teenager in Jersey to have a hobby, have the time and, now 60p, to say, get up to St. Peters just to play bowling?
I mean honestly, what is the harm in people just lying down on their stomachs? I can understand your concern with people doing it in rediculous places (Such as on the top of Fort Regent dome for example). But those people will most likely injure themselves in a way which will render them incapable of planking in stupid places.
Also, just in a little side note, I plank. Not because it’s ‘thrilling’. but because of the company I keep whilst doing it. My friends and peers plank at the same time. It’s just a good laugh. Atleast it beats going to parade park with all of the alchoholics or peoples park with the drug addicts.
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