SYDMOB #8 Saturday, 29th November 2003 - Approx participant count: 30 - 40

Emailed Instructions

SYDMOB #8

On the morning of Saturday 29th November, you should have already synchronized your watch to the time of the telstra clock available by calling 1194

*By 12:30pm you should be in the inner city. Make your way down towards Hyde Park. Go to the St James station Elizabeth Street Entrance. http://www.whereis.com/search/email_map_redirect.jhtml?id=301503

In that general vicinity, locate the Mob Rep wearing a yellow cap. Repeat the phrase "Once upon a time" and you will recieve the instructions.

*The Mob Rep will be only present between 12:45pm and 1:15pm*

**NOTE: It is vital that EVERYONE intending to take part in this event approaches the Mob Rep to recieve their OWN SET of instructions

Move away, read it, then follow them.


Script Instructions


SYDMOB #8

Mob Length: 1 minute (coverge @ 1:23pm, diperse @ 1:24pm)

Mob site: Borders Bookstore, Pitt Street Mall

Locate the Borders Bookstore side entrance, found in the SkyGarden Arcade (bottom of the Borders esclators) Enter the store at 1:21pm, browse around the shop (keep towards the back of the store), don't bunch up too close.

At exactly 1:23pm, pick up a random book, turn to any page and start reading any paragraph(s) outloud (for a minute)

At 1:24pm, stop reading & replace the book where you found it. DISPERSE.

Once read and memorised, hide this slip from view. Do not throw into a public bin.



We finally had our first indoor event. I'd been pretty eager to take it all indoors for sometime but had been a bit hesitant after seeing what could possibly go wrong, as with the other mobs around the world where things went bad (such as the now defunct NZ mob group with their HJ event) But with the location and very simple yet very effective event in mind, we decided it was due time we did it - and we're very happy with the results! Nothing went wrong; no overzealous no-neck security guards, no interference with any sales staff or sales.. just 40 mobbers suddenly reading out a random book for a minute before dispersing.

You may be curious as to why I choose Borders Bookstore as our first target for an indoor event? Well, cast your minds back to the 3rd event we held in Pitt Street mall, The Thunderbirds one. At that event, there was a guy with a microphone standing in the Borders Bookstore entrance talking up a storm about how good Borders was, and all the wonderful things they had to offer. Fair enough, though mind you, I don't know about yourself, but when I hear an annoying man on a microphone raving on and on about a store I instantly tend to steer clear of it.. it reminds me too much of those dodgy touristy shops... but anyways.. So, at the end of the Thunderbirds event footage, when the mobber grabbing the footage looks up at the Seiko Clock.. you can distinctly hear the microphone guy at Borders say the following phrase:

"..our show now begins inside here at Borders..."

Hrmmmmm. Indeed! Way back then when I heard that sentence my mind was already ticking over with a few ideas. So when the realization came that our outdoor events were becoming too much like staged performance art and I was keen to finally take us indoors.. Borders instantly sprung to mind. Now I just have to work out a way to have an event that includes that annoying Busker from mob #5 :P

So with our first indoor event under out belts as a success, you can now assume that given the number of indoor places around the Sydney CBD just *begging* to be mobbed, that our events will be now be indoors and coming thick and fast this month. I hope you can all keep up !

Thanks to each and every one of you that came along to our first indoor event, you all did a magnificent job (especially the mobbers who went right into the character of the book they were reading.. nice job!!..I'm just kicking myself that I didn't go straight to the horror section myself.. a bit of Clive Barker would've gone down well I think) And to those who doubted us, come along to mob #9 as we come through with the goods once again. SYDMOB is definately back ((:

MOB IMAGES

Below is a collection of images taken at the event (Thank you very much to Samantha)

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Borders Bookstore - Pitt Street Mall
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Mobbers choose a book


















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Punters start reading
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Mobber in the horror section.. nice choice!


















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Um Hello.. security?!
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Some amused shoppers




















VIDEO FOOTAGE (and other media)


Due to limited space circumstances, the footage taken of this event is only viewable/downloadable (is that a word? Ah well, is now) from within the "Shared Web" folder of the Sydmob Mailing List, via the "media" folder. If you are not currently a subscriber to the Sydmob discussion list but don't necessarily want to recieve any of the postings, thats fine - just go to the subscriber option link and select "no mail".

The Sydmob mailinglist is not just used for discussion, the seperate site also houses all the past scripts, footage, press releases and other information. If you've ever used the Yahoo service then you'd get the general idea (minus the spam popups for penis/breast/car engine enlargements)

If this arrangement proves too troublesome for too many people, then I'll explore other options. But for the moment, this is the best I can do. Sorry for any inconvience.

As always, any other footage or photos people wish to contribute is more then welcome.