Facebook ‘dipping’ craze irks pool owners from the Telegraph reports that teenagers on Facebook are using Google Maps to locate pools in their neighborhoods and then hold pool parties as uninvited guests. The new phenomenon is called “dipping” and has caused concern in the Bournemouth, UK area.

These “dippers” have been inviting others via Facebook to join the parties. The teenagers are instructed to “wear fancy dress costumes” and bring a bicycle as a way to make an escape for when the cops come. These dipping events seem to run between midnight and 3am and only have 16 confirmed participants.

There is concern that the events might grow. The Telegraph reports that “invitations were sent to more than 500 users on the Facebook site.” A police spokesperson told the Telegraph:

We are advising owners of swimming pools to be on their guard and extra vigilant.

We would also warn prospective swimmers that using someone else’s pool is trespassing and therefore illegal.

Related Topics: Facebook | Google: Maps & Local | Search & Society: General

About The Author: Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here. See more articles by Barry Schwartz