Egging
Egging refers to the act of throwing eggs at houses, cars, or people. Egging is a criminal offence in most areas. The eggs are usually raw, but are sometimes hard-boiled or rotten.
Eggs are capable of causing damage when thrown at property and egging is often considered vandalism for this reason. Eggs can break windows and, when thrown at cars, can dent a body panel or chip paint where the shell breaks, leaving an oval outline. Additionally, egg whites can degrade certain types of vehicle and house paint. Whether or not the egg damages the surface beneath it, dried egg can be surprisingly difficult to remove. Vigorous removal attempts with scrapers or abrasives can, themselves, damage the egged surface.
A nurse was blinded in one eye when an egg was thrown at her from a passing car in March 2008 in Dublin.[1] A boy in Long Island also lost sight in one eye after teens from a local high school threw eggs out of a passing car on Halloween 2005. [2]
Victims of egging may be entitled to compensation commensurate with the cost of repairs to mend damaged property due to the egging, common charges involved with eggings are damage to property, vandalism and may be liable to nuisance.[3] In some more serious cases where injuries due to egging is presented, perpetrators may be charged with assault and fined.[4] Egging is sometimes associated with certain events and holidays. In parts of England and the United States October 30 is referred to as "Mischief Night," where mischievous teens rub soap bars on car windows, throw eggs at houses, adorn trees with toilet paper, and run away after ringing doorbells. In some areas of Queens, New York, Cabbage Night involved throwing rotten fruit at various neighbors, cars, and buses. Pre-teens and teens would fill eggs with Veet and Nair and throw them at unsuspecting individuals.
As protest
Eggs are sometimes thrown at people as a form of protest as they are inexpensive and nonlethal yet at the same time very messy when broken. High-profile people that have been egged as a form of protest include Steve Ballmer,[5] Arnold Schwarzenegger,[6] John Prescott,[7][8][9] Nick Griffin,[10] David Blaine,[11] Richard Prebble,[12] and Ed Miliband.[13] Irish bank AIB was egged in response to the Irish banking crisis of 2009.[14] The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament was egged by deputies inside the Ukrainian parliament on April 27, 2010 as a protest against a natural gas agreement.[15][16] During the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election candidate Viktor Yanukovych was rushed to hospital after he had been hit with an egg (while government officials claimed he was hit by a brick) which became a source of ridicule.[17]
Egging can cause serious eye injury[18][19] and may in some districts constitute assault and battery.[20] However, egging is also a way of celebrating when a student graduates from university, with the eggs being smashed over the new graduate, along with other substances such as flour.
See also
- Devil's Night
- Mischief night
- Pieing
- List of practical joke topics
- List of shoe throwing incidents
- Toilet papering
- Trick-or-treating
References
- ^ Youth blinded nurse in 'egging' attack from car, Conor Gallagher, Irish Independent, 6 November 2009
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Nottingham riots: 11-year-old girl facing criminal damage charges". Metro UK. 11 August 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ McNerthney, Casey (15 October 2008). "What happens to people caught egging?". Seattle PI. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Steve Ballmer: Steve Ballmer Egged in Hungary!
- ^ "Schwarzenegger vows 'people's takeover' of Sacramento". CNN. 2003-09-03. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "Egg Head". bofunk.com. Retrieved 2006-04-30.
- ^ "Prescott sees red". BBC News. 17 May 2001.
- ^ "Prescott 'regrets' blow". BBC News. 17 May 2001.
- ^ The Guardian
- ^ TimesOnline
- ^ NZ Eyewitness News, 31 August 1988
- ^ Watch the moment Ed Miliband is egged during campaign visit to London street market
- ^ AIB bank in Cork egged by man in suit
- ^ Ukrainian parliament ratifies agreement extending Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Crimea, Kyiv Post (April 27, 2010)
- ^ Oppositional deputies throw eggs in Lytvyn, Kyiv Post (April 27, 2010)
- ^ Revolution in Orange, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, ISBN 0-87003-221-6 (page 58 + 59 written by Taras Kuzio)
- ^ Stewart RM. Durnian JM. Briggs MC. "Here's egg in your eye": a prospective study of blunt ocular trauma resulting from thrown eggs. Emergency Medicine Journal. 23(10):756-8, 2006 Oct
- ^ "Egg raid victim granted $70,000". One Perth. 1 February 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ "Nigeria Law, Act-Part V Assaults". Nigeria Law. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
External links
- The Yolks On You Maynard ABC Australia