Q What is the point of flash-mobbing when everyone already knows the plan?
Well the answer is, there is no point, and that is exactly why what you did in writing about Friday's event in advance was so dumb!
And that is why the organisers had to change plans at the last minute. That's what you get for spilling the beans. I realise you were probably just following orders in writing that story, but you would have gotten a much better story if you kept your mouth shut and waited a day.
What is worse than you writing the article about Hong Kong's first flash mob before it happened is you printing all the details of the plan. Fortunately, the organisers were smart enough to devise a new plan at the last minute, although some reporters did still manage to get there. But the look of shock on the faces of the ones running up to the (new) scene right after the actual flash mob happened was priceless. But, beans spilt or not, we still had fun.
A Hong Kong mobber
Your talkback question is irony in all its glory. The whole point of flash-mobbing is to leave the passersby in mass confusion and to bring wonder to people's faces. It's like a glamour bomb, when someone does something outrageous and ends up putting a smile on someone else's face. The Post putting it on the front page made flash mobs known and now instead of having a crowd to participate, we will also have a crowd that knowingly watches. It loses its appeal. Thank you, oh so very much.