Could this railing kill you? Answer at 11...

And you thought planking was dumb.

A new craze sweeping Europe, called "balconing" (original, we know), has already claimed the lives of six tourists in about a year, but that doesn't seem to be enough to get people to buck the trend.

Aol News notes that a 19-year-old was recently injured from a 20-foot fall while jumping between balconies at a hotel in Majorca. Others have taken to jumping from a hotel balcony into the pool below (well, what are they supposed to do when the hotel doesn't provide a diving board?).

So where did this ridiculous trend originate? Where else: "Drunk British men." The new craze is like parkour, plus alcohol and minus all of that silly training.

So could the craze, um, jump Stateside? After all, New York City is rife with fire escapes and balconies, hovering above the dangerous concrete below. We hesitate to ask if people would actually be that stupid because, in light of the recent news, we fear the answer is yes.

pengel@observer.com