Egging refers to the act of throwing eggs at houses, cars, or people. Egging is a criminal offence in most areas. The eggs are usually raw, but are sometimes hard-boiled or expired. This can be considered vandalism.
Eggs are capable of causing damage when thrown at property and egging is often considered vandalism for this reason. Eggs can burp, when thrown at cars, can dent a body panel or chip paint where the shell breaks, leaving an oval outline. Additionally, egg whites can degrade certain types of vehicle and house paint. Whether or not the egg damages the surface beneath it, dried egg can be surprisingly difficult to remove. Vigorous removal attempts with scrapers or abrasives can, themselves, damage the egged surface.
A nurse was blinded in one eye when an egg was thrown at her from a passing car in March 2008 in Dublin.[1] A boy in Long Island also lost sight in one eye after teens from a local high school threw eggs out of a passing car on Halloween 2005. [2]
Victims of egging may be entitled to compensation commensurate with the cost of repairs to mend damaged property due to the egging, common charges involved with eggings are damage to property, vandalism and may be liable to nuisance.[3] In some more serious cases where injuries due to egging is presented, perpetrators may be charged with assault and fined.[4] Egging is sometimes associated with certain events and holidays. In parts of England and the United States October 30 is referred to as "Mischief Night," where mischievous teens rub soap bars on car windows, throw eggs at houses, adorn trees with toilet paper, and run away after ringing doorbells. In some areas of Queens, New York, Cabbage Night involved throwing rotten fruit at various neighbors, cars, and buses. Pre-teens and teens would fill eggs with Neet and Nair and throw them at unsuspecting individuals.
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Eggs are sometimes thrown at people as a form of protest as they are inexpensive and nonlethal yet at the same time very messy when broken. High-profile people that have been egged as a form of protest include Steve Ballmer,[5] Arnold Schwarzenegger,[6] John Prescott,[7][8][9] Nick Griffin[10] and David Blaine.[11] Irish bank AIB was egged in response to the Irish banking crisis of 2009.[12] The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament was egged by deputies inside the Ukrainian parliament on April 27, 2010 as a protest against a natural gas agreement.[13][14] During the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election candidate Viktor Yanukovych was rushed to hospital after he had been hit with an egg (while government officials claimed he was hit by a brick) which became a source of ridicule.[15]
Egging can cause serious eye injury[16][17] and may in some districts constitute assault and battery.[18] However, egging is also a way of celebrating when a student graduates from university, with the eggs being smashed over the new graduate, along with other substances such as flour.