"Planking" Trend Has Authorities Seriously Concerned

“Planking” is an Australian trend in which people lie face-down in a weird places, take a picture, and put it on Facebook. And it has the Australian police extremely concerned.

As seen on the extremely absurd Facebook page devoted to the activity, you can plank in many different places. On the grass! On the roof! In a TV studio! In a parking lot, while naked! Even a dog can plank. But it was the guy planking on the police car that got the authorities involved. Says Sergeant Matthew Russell of the city of Gladstone,

While we appreciate the activity is light-hearted fun, putting yourself and others at risk and breaking the law will not be tolerated. The activity is potentially dangerous, as proponents of the movement try to outdo each other by planking on structures and in precarious positions, putting themselves and others at risk of harm.

Also, they’re threatening to charge the police car dude with an “Unauthorised High Risk Activity.” This is pretty much the equivalent of the teacher yelling about your permanent record while all the kids throw spitballs and draw dicks on the wall. My guess is police condemnation is only going to make plankers more committed to their cause. Instead, maybe Australia’s Department of Health should endorse planking — after all, it looks like it’s really good for your abs.