BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'

Subject: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: GUEST,Hamshank
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 12:41 PM

Heard anything about this?
I received in my email from a "FED" contact of mine. Mostly of note to those of us here Stateside. I hope it doesn't catch on elsewhere.

Very Important
Please keep all windows rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down are being targeted. Groups of teenagers have been caught, in alarming numbers, playing a new and dangerous game called Spunkball.

Spunkball consists of a group of teens in a car pulling up to a stoplight, and looking around for a car stopped near by with an open window. When one is spotted, the teens shout, "Spunkball", and throw a gasoline soaked rag that has been wrapped in aluminum foil through the open window.

On the outside of the foil is attached a small firecracker, with the fuse lit. When the firecracker explodes, it shreds the foil, and the rag is ignited, causing a large flame that may catch the interior of the car on fire.

Spunkball playing has already claimed two lives, caused uncountable injuries due to burns, and caused thousands of dollars in damage to automobiles. The best defense, say authorities, is to keep all windows rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down are being targeted.

If you are at a red light and hear a shout of "Spunkball", and notice something come flying in your window, the best thing to do is to have all passengers immediately exit the vehicle. DO NOT try to retrieve the object, as it will ignite when the firecracker explodes.

The little bastards! I'd be sticking the firecracker up their asses and lighting them.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: GUEST,Foe
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 12:48 PM

Go to www.truthorfiction.com and click on search. Put "spunkball" in the blank and click on search. Web site says this is an e-rumor and Fiction.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Troll
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 12:54 PM

http://www.snopes2.com

Claim: Teens across the U.S.A. are amusing themselves by throwing lit gasoline-soaked rags into cars halted at stop lights.

Status: False.

ALWAYS check stuff like this out before posting. Snopes is an urban legend debunker and does a fine job.

To repeat, this is an urban legend and is false.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 12:54 PM

Yep, so does http://www.hoaxbusters.ciac.org :

Spunkball Warning
March 2002

Spunkball??? Sounds like a bad movie. Pretty scary huh? At least until you think about it a little. Imagine trying to soak a rag in gasoline and wrap it in tinfoil. What would you end up with? A tinfoil ball coated with gasoline and reeking with gasoline fumes. Consider now what happens when you bring a lit match near it? Poof, the teen attempting to throw the Spunkball goes up in flames. This is a self curing prank. Actually, this is an old one that keeps coming back in different variants.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 12:55 PM

Snope's Info

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Nemesis
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 01:07 PM

Hmmm, best not publicised - otherwise some stoooopid little twerps mights miss the dangerous aspects and try it. Like the local lad here who for a dare, stuck his tongue on the live rail way line..... not at all pleasant and oh, so stooooooooopid!!! Plus, it held up all the trains along the South Coast...

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 02:02 PM

"...Like the local lad here who for a dare, stuck his tongue on the live rail way line..... "

Sounds like a candidate for a Darwin award.

W

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 02:36 PM

I got to agree with you there, Walrus!

'Ello, 'Ille......*G*

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 03:53 PM

A teen prank that was popular here about two summers ago -and I heard and saw the effect on my neighbor's mail box -was to put dry ice in a plastic pop bottle, add water, shake briefly, screw the cap on, throw it in a mail box and run like hell.

It makes one helluva boom (woke me from a sound sleep), and seriously deformed a sturdy metal box. Apparently the police caught the small group that was doing it, and the fad passed away.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Amos
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 04:00 PM

I thought fads were only those notions that caught on in more than small groups?

A

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Amergin
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 04:02 PM

no Amos...that is small-minded groups....

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Rollo
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 07:14 PM

Don't believe those guys who tell you urban myths aren't true. Folkies should know better about oral tradition, and what a STRONG memory it has! Sure the original events are twisted while passed on, but there is a core at least! Our prof at archeology told an example about a grave hill. The locals knew a legend that in this hill a fairies' house had burned. When the exvacation was in progress they found that some 1500 years ago grave robbers had opened the hill and dropped their lamp. the wooden grave chamber had burnt out.
And for local myths: When a german professor wrote his bestseller book about urban myths he claimed a story about a doctor who threatened to come back on his funeral and dropped out of his coffin on the way to the ditch was not true. Yet it happened, and caused quite a hush, because he was a senior member of local society around here in the southern parts of hamburg/germany. I think I should be able to relocate his grave, where he finally rests in peace now (or so I hope at least).
So whatever some internet page might tell you I am sure something like this spunkball incident HAS indeed happened, although the actual technique might have been modified.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Blackcatter
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 07:30 PM

Gee, from where I am from, "Spunk" has a whole different meaning - I was envisioning this before I got to the part about the gas...

pax yall

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Amergin
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 07:48 PM

Well, Rollo....in that case we could all just send you our bullshit urban myth junkmail and tell you they really happened....

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: Amergin
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 07:49 PM

BTW I got some emails telling me how to get rich quick and make up to 250,000 dollars (american) a year...they really work...you want them?

Subject: RE: BS: Deadly New Teen 'Game'
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 09:32 PM

Sounds like fun though. A variation on the brown paper bag filled with dog crap, and lit on a front porch.