Phonebooth stuffing
Encyclopedia
Phonebooth stuffing was a fad that began during the 1950s in Durban, South Africa and spread to Britain
, Canada
and the United States
by the spring of 1959. It involved a number of people consecutively entering a phonebooth, until the point where the phonebooth would accommodate no more, or there were no more individuals available. At some colleges as many as 25 students managed to cram some of their body into the standard phone booth. Although it was "one of the all-time great fads," it was passé by the end of 1959, replaced by the more sedate fad of hunkerin'
. It was akin to the earlier fads of flagpole sitting
, goldfish swallowing
, and panty raid
s, and a predecessor of the fad of streaking
.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the spring of 1959. It involved a number of people consecutively entering a phonebooth, until the point where the phonebooth would accommodate no more, or there were no more individuals available. At some colleges as many as 25 students managed to cram some of their body into the standard phone booth. Although it was "one of the all-time great fads," it was passé by the end of 1959, replaced by the more sedate fad of hunkerin'
Hunkerin'
Hunkerin is where a person sits on the balls of their feet in a squatting position. It is common worldwide, but briefly became an American fad in the late 1950s....
. It was akin to the earlier fads of flagpole sitting
Pole-sitting
Pole-sitting is the practice of sitting on a pole for extended lengths of time, generally used as a test of endurance. A small platform is often placed at the top of the pole.- History :...
, goldfish swallowing
Goldfish swallowing
Goldfish swallowing was an American school fad starting in the 1930s, where a live goldfish is swallowed.It is not clear how it became a fad: various people have made claims...
, and panty raid
Panty raid
A panty raid is a prank in which male students steal the panties of female students by intruding into their living quarters. The term dates to February 1949...
s, and a predecessor of the fad of streaking
Streaking
Streaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
.