Are the dog days of summer weighing you down with heat, humidity and a bit of boredom tossed in for good measure?
Well, UK newspaper the Telegraph is reporting that some British teens have found a clever way to cool off during this sweltering season with a little help from
Google Earth and
Facebook.
The kids are using the accurate imagery on
Google Earth to find out where private swimming pools are located and then inviting friends (and anyone else they've linked to) via social networking sites like Facebook and
Bebo to join them at clandestine pool parties, often picking late night hours or waiting until homeowners leave for work during the day to trespass and go for a swim. It's called Facebook 'dipping.'
Police are getting reports of people returning to their homes at the end of the day to find their pools and back yards full of beer cans and other evidence of these impromptu parties. Others are being awakened late at night by partying kids, who advise each other on Facebook to bring their bicycles so they can make a quick getaway if caught.
So far we haven't seen reports of this happening stateside – but Web access, rising temperatures and a little ingenuity seems to promise incidents soon. (Who knows? By writing about it are we giving kids bad ideas? For the record, we're firmly against trespassing and other tomfoolery.)
The British police are advising homeowners to be aware of the problem – but they haven't exactly spelled out what people should do, short of draining the water from their pools. [Source:
The Daily Telegraph.]
