Posted on 04/30/2009 11:49:19 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Mass texting among “thousands” of Boston Public Schools students fueled a high-tech hooky Tuesday, as throngs of students skipped class for sunny Revere Beach.
The coordinated flash truancy blindsided cops and school officials and led to widespread chaos and crime in the beach town, authorities said.
The idea to skip school on the warmest day of the year went viral for the first time thanks to social networking Web sites, online instant messengers and text messages that can send mass instructions with a mere click.
By noon, hordes of middle and high school students - who either slipped out of class undetected or never showed up at all - used their school-issued MBTA passes to board the T, ride to Revere and wreak havoc.
“It was a huge disruption,” said Revere Police Capt. Michael J. Murphy. “They did not represent themselves well.”
Teens entered convenience stores and looted the shelves, Murphy said. They fanned out into the neighborhood, disturbing residents. And six teens were arrested after multiple fights broke out on the beach. The disturbances caused a shutdown of Revere Beach Boulevard, turning 10-minute afternoon commutes into hourlong ordeals.
Boston School police started hearing rumblings that students were planning to leave school for Revere early Tuesday morning. They showed up along with the Boston police gang unit to help control the crowd.
Irvin L. Scott, high school academic superintendent for Boston Public Schools, called it “an unofficial senior skip day that sort of spread like wildfire through text messages.”
Scott said the schools haven’t calculated total absences yet, but that some headmasters already were cracking down on students yesterday.
“It’s the age that we’re living in, and we have to do a better job of ascertaining these things sooner,” he said.
Asked about reports from multiple students that they were able to slip out of school unbeknownst to school police, teachers or staff, Scott said, “We’re always concerned about that. It’s inexcusable and it’s unacceptable.”
Tina Lam, 15, a freshman at O’Bryant School of Math and Science, awoke to find “everybody’s Facebook status was like, ‘Revere Beach at noon.’ ”
Lam said she didn’t go. Few ’fessed up. Asked how many of her friends skipped school, 14-year-old freshman Alexandra Diaz’ eyes widened as she said, “Whoa. A lot.”
School’s out for...spring...?
Swine Break
We get the children we deserve.
Oh... I thought it said “thongs.”
SOunds like the idea went viral, so they flu the coop...
Good grief, if the LE can’t handle a bunch of teenagers we’re doomed if something bad should actually happen.
My only consolation is that I’ll probably be dead before the first member of that generation gets elected president.
This is no different than when I was a senior in High School (class of ‘94). Every class before us and everyone after us has had their own “Senior Skip Day”. the school always gripes about it, but does nothing.
Yeah, but did you rob and/or vandalize stores?
Sounds like the riot at Kent State this past weekend.
I didn’t. But there were a few troublemakers who would ruin thngs for everyone.
Kent State had a riot this past weekend? What happened?
We drove by about 10:30pm and saw the SWAT, police and fire trucks.
Should of called the National Guard........
Miss the class, you miss the words and don't know what is meant. Then the instructor announces a quiz on a certain portion for the next class and are amazed that the people who missed the first class ace the quiz!
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