Toothing. The Truth is Out There. I Think …

You are now aware of dogging if you have been reading here for a while. If not see the this article. Well the UK brought yet another to the fore called Toothing, last year. It is the practice of using your Bluetooth mobile phone to solicit sex with a stranger within the vicinity.

The Bluetooth wireless networking conduits your message to other mobiles or PDA’s within the immediate area. Making targeting of people on trains, busses and meetings possible. The toother sends a message and waits for a response from a fellow participator. This action ultimately leading to the couple meeting up for sex.

It was reported that it is challenging trying to figure out who in a crowded train or room possess a Bluetooth phone. Also the gender of the person, the only clue being the name of the phone originating the message. Toothing requires the participant to be totally aware of their surroundings and anyone using a phone, for they could be the person you are communicating with. This is a long shot as most people these days play with their phones constantly. Which could lead to some rather embarrassing moments.

Forums and Bulletin boards began to spring up for interested parties to solicit. The original idea came from the duo Stu Curran (then editor of Edge magazine) and ex-journalist Simon Byron. They set up a hoax forum about Toothing and asked for people to contribute ficticious accounts. Shortly after they launched the craze by sending an article to a gadget magazine. From that theme grew.

The press widely reported the craze and potential participants were sending in their requests to the numerous worldwide forums. Both TV and magazines wanted were interested and reported on this new phenomenon, including our very own BBC. They had successfully managed to dupe the press and public alike.

This couple of guys got people all over the world requesting interviews and even offering them a stand at the next sex convention. The original site was closed down by the service provider but you will note that there are still people out there talking buzzing about this. So, could it just be possible that there is a small community out there who are delving in to this or is it pure fiction?

I for one would have liked for this to have been a real social practice. Perhaps not always resulting in a shag but certainly a date for the shy amongst us.