Mob Mentality

Maybe we should just go ahead and sue the Internet.

by Isaiah Thompson

Poor Philly: first a snowstorm, then a deluge of rampaging teenagers. But nothing like a good storm — natural or political — to rile public officials into ... well, action might be a stretch ... let's say reaction. In the wake of last week's "flash mob," in which 150 teenagers poured out of the Gallery onto Market Street, wreaking havoc on Center City's stores and pedestrians, Philadelphia's pols reacted swiftly — and, for the most part, unhelpfully. Topping the list of half-baked ideas was that offered by City Council members Frank DiCicco and Jim Kenney, who asked Mayor Nutter to consider suing ... the Internet — specifically, Facebook and Twitter, which they believe the flash mob used to organize. Like the bills this duo offered a few months ago seeking ridiculous sanctions against bicyclists for minor traffic violations, the idea is well-intentioned,but unworkable, obtuse and decidedly knee-jerk. In a word, political.

They're not alone. School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Arlene Ackerman responded to the incident with outcry about the lack of "public outcry" about school-related violence. But when Asian students went on strike over racially motivated violence at South Philly High, Ackerman didn't focus on school security; she called for a task force on "racial and cultural harmony." Not a bad idea — but a political one. After the flash mob, Ackerman charted a similar course, rejecting the idea of having the school district monitor social networking sites while pointing the finger at society.

What should she do? Fair question. I don't know. But probably not nothing. The most concrete idea proposed so far came from City Controller Alan Butkovitz, who wants to limit student use of city-issued TransPasses, thereby creating an ol' fashioned economic disincentive for kids to "roam" on — one could say "use" — the city's transit system. It may be distasteful to parents and student advocates, and it's certainly political — Butkovitz and SEPTA have bickered over this one for more than a year — but at least it's not crazy.

Well, not completely crazy — although, he also calls for the "fast-track development and implementation of SEPTA smart card TransPasses that restrict free travel by students."

If the city's plan to deal with errant teens is to wait on SEPTA to get smart cards ... I'd rather just go ahead and sue the Internet.