By Michael Holden
LONDON (Reuters) - British commuters take note -- the respectable person sitting next to you on the train fumbling with their cell phone might be a "toother" looking for sex with a stranger.

"Toothing" is a new craze where strangers on trains, buses, in bars and even supermarkets hook up for illicit meetings using messages sent via the latest in phone technology.

"Toothing is a form of anonymous sex with strangers -- usually on some form of transport or enclosed area such as a conference or training seminar," says the "Beginner's Guide To Toothing" on a Web site dedicated to the pursuit.

It is made possible by Bluetooth technology which allows users to send phone contacts, pictures and messages to other Bluetooth-enabled equipment over a range of about 10 meters (yards).

Users discovered they could send anonymous messages to people they didn't know with Bluetooth equipment, spawning a craze dubbed "bluejacking."

Jon, aka "Toothy Toothing" and the guide's author, explained toothing was born after he was "bluejacked" by an unknown girl while commuting to work in London. After a few days of flirting, she suggested a brief encounter in a station lavatory.

"The meeting wasn't a romantic thing -- it was purely sexual. Barely anything was said," he told Reuters via e-mail.

He said potential toothers begin by sending out a random greeting -- usually "Toothing?."

"If the other party is interested, messages are exchanged until a suitable location is agreed -- usually a public toilet, although there are tales of more adventurous spots such as deserted carriages or staff areas," his guide adds.

Jon, who's in his 20s and works in finance, estimates there could be tens of thousands of toothers from all sorts of professions and lifestyles. Certainly the Web site's message board is busy.

"Any toothing on these trains?" asks one poster about services between Cambridge and London, prompting positive responses from "Dannyboy" and "Zeke."

"I'll be around London Bridge mainline station around 9.45 - 10 a.m. tomorrow if anyone's interested...," another poster called "Boi" wrote hopefully.
While some happily recount their successful encounters, others suggest there are a few teething problems with toothing.

"I tried toothing in Tooting (south London) last night... not a device to be found," a frustrated "Snowdog" posted sadly.

Although clearly not what the industry had in mind, toothing may lead operators toward similar, more mainstream projects.

Last month it was reported that a team in Boston had created a service for cell phones called Serendipity, an wireless alternative to online dating.

It allows subscribers to store their personal details and what they want from a partner and when there are enough similarities between two people and they happen to be in the same area, it tells their phones to communicate with each other.

Dario Betti, of the British-based consultancy Ovum, said bluejacking had really taken off, helped by the fact the service was free.

"The element of the unknown, that you are connecting to someone around you that you might not know, it's a novelty factor that is helping it to start," he told Reuters.

If Jon and those who use his forum are right, toothing is certainly livening up life for some bored commuters.

"A lot of my day's taken up with a soul-aching commute into the city, and that just feels like dead time," Jon said.

"Flirting is fun, sex is fun. We're just employing expensive, complex toys to find the most basic form of entertainment."

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.

Can I get a "Toot toot"
Can I get a "Beep beep"
Runnin' her hands through my fro'
Bouncin' on twenty fo's

MostBeautifulGrlNTheWorld said:

f the 24 4's but can i get a blouse with no bra, IT'S SO NECESSARY

bkw said:

pig!!

MostBeautifulGrlNTheWorld said:

A filthy train station bathroom!

Not to mention the other person. Who knows where they've been.

So there's hope for me after all!!

minneapolisgenius said:

stole the though right out of my head.

oh gawd...

toothe me, baby...like you've never toothed before...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

INSATIABLE said:

AHA! I knew it!!!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

but seriously, why can't people just have normal sex within the context of a relationship or at least with someone they know? what the hell is wrong with people that they have to send messages to strangers in order to get laid? didn't their parents raise them right? what a great way to spread disease, unwanted children, and unhappiness. Not to mention it just makes nasty public bathrooms even that much grosser.

sex with strangers =

JasmineFire said:

You got a point there.

sag10 said:

thank you. i thought so, too.

JasmineFire said:

hey, arent you the same girl that curses like a sailor with her mum?

dont you know what cursing leads to?...hot annoymous sex with sweaty hunky men in subway bathrooms...

sosgemini said:

we may have dirty language but not dirty lives.

Damn!! I need to get a cellphone!!

i think this has been going on in japan for quite some time now. there are devices that let people know when someone with the same 'settings' on their device is nearby so they can hook up.

but seriously - what if you 'tooth' someone who turns out to be really repulsive in person? do you just refuse to make eye contact and dart off into the shadows? if so would they chase you down demanding sex?

it's really not for me.

JasmineFire said:

You make it sound like it's a bad thing.

bkw said:

i'm telling your wife!

JasmineFire said:

I dont think she would would approve.

bkw said:

I'm toothing your wife.

bkw said:

calling bkw's wife
[This message was edited Tue Apr 20 16:38:00 2004 by JasmineFire]

2the9s said:

2the9s said:

it sounds like a dental procedure. are you sure your not just taking x-rays and scraping the tartar off of her teeth?

JasmineFire said:

bkw said:

it's okay. i still love you.

JasmineFire said: