Dubai: The dangerous dare-devil craze of planking is rearing its ugly head in Dubai, despite critics suggesting supporters are as thick as two short planks.
Planking - the act of lying flat, face down, in different, often dangerous locations, getting a picture taken and then posted on social media websites - has already claimed its first victim when a 20-year-old man fell from a balcony in Brisbane, Australia and died while attempting planking.
Reports of the craze reaching Dubai emerged this month, around the time of the first planking death in Australia, with one local radio station publicly encouraging the public to "get pranking started" in the city.
"It's getting like the computer game Lemmings here in Dubai," says an online forum.
Rising support
This week alone, support for planking in Dubai increased by the hundreds.
Dozens of online pictures have been posted showing people planking in local locations, including Jumeirah Beach Residence, with some in risky situations. The pictures include four men on a steel structure hanging about five metres above a stream, while another man is lying between two stationary cars with the motors running.
As of Wednesday, more than 650 people were supporting two Facebook pages encouraging "planking" in Dubai and the UAE, with a survey asking where is the best place to plank: "On top of a moving car or on a 7th floor balcony?"
The page lists the official planking rules - hands at the side for three seconds, the photo must include the whole object being planked, the use of photoshop is banned and the plank must be held for five seconds.
The Dubai Planking page follows a global Facebook pranking page supported by more than 230,000 people, mainly teenagers and young adults.
