EVERYONE knows that for a pearly white smile, you have to clean your teeth every day - but it's not usually done in the city centre.
But this was the scene in the heart of Manchester when hundreds of pranksters descended on Market Street and started to clean their teeth together.
Shoppers were stunned when the crowd of about 200 people suddenly emerged with their toothbrushes and started brushing frantically.
Yet within minutes, the stunt was complete and the crowd had disappeared - leaving gob-smacked shoppers looking on.
It was the latest `flash-mob' event to hit the city, with previous stunts including a massive pillow fight which left a covering of feathers in Albert Square.
Flash-mobs are groups of people who get together briefly in a public place to perform an unusual stunt.
Sometimes the events are designed to make a political point, but Salford University student Joe Czechowicz said that this one was simply for fun.
"We chose brushing teeth because toothbrushes are easy to carry and everybody has one," said Joe, 18, who was one of the flash-mob organisers. "We drew about 200 people and we'll be doing it again in the future. It's not really about anything - just a laugh."
Organisers of this weekend's event rounded up the crowd on the social networking website Facebook. They arranged to meet at three different locations - Piccadilly Gardens, St Ann's Square and Exchange Square - before descending on Market Street for five minutes.
One of the city's first recorded experiences of flash-mobbing is believed to be in August 2003, when 200 people met near to the Printworks, opened their umbrellas and jumped up and down, before disappearing.
In December, 2006, a pair of schoolboys from Altrincham organised a massive pillow fight outside the town hall, in Albert Square.
The two friends - Daniel Dixon and Declan Foley - had drawn up the plans for the `fight' as part of a list of 101 things they wanted to do before they reached 18.
They were joined by 250 people, who all took part in the event after details spread on the internet.
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Brush with the bizarre
January 29, 2008
Flash mob event on Market Street
Showing comments 1 to 5 and replies | View All
Laura Norder, Didsbury (29/01/2008 at 11:21)
LookingForLogic, Stockport (30/01/2008 at 02:34)
Miles, Manchester (31/01/2008 at 17:06)
I have 3 things to say.
1) dental health is a real world issue.
2) we are in no way diminishing the validity of political/environmental demostrations. In fact many of us are actively involved in attempting to publicise and tackle real world issues.
3) All we did was stand in a public place and brush our teeth. So sue us! It's as good a way as any to spend a Saturday afternoon - and far more original, enjoyable and memorable than most ways I'll tell you. We're also contributing to the life and interest in our city.
Pescado (01/02/2008 at 04:03)
It was a prank so it need not have logic.
Lighten-up there Looking.I suggest a big glass of orange juice and a new toothbrush might cheer you up a bit.
marc (01/02/2008 at 09:09)