A big ‘hello’ to all of you in tiny Thames Ditton. Yes, we know you’re reading. Let me explain.
Google’s cool new “Trends” page lists the leading locations from which people enter given search terms. (If you’re concerned that this may be a little “Big Brother”, then I’d tend to agree).
Searching on “spanking” gives the following Top Ten locations for the spanking-curious:
1. Thames Ditton – United Kingdom
2. Milton Keynes – United Kingdom
3. Brentford – United Kingdom
4. Birmingham – United Kingdom
5. Manchester – United Kingdom
6. Dublin – Ireland
7. Edinburgh – United Kingdom
8. London – United Kingdom
9. Philadelphia – United States
10. Zurich – Switzerland
I giggled at the inclusion of Philadelphia. A few years ago, a US Immigration official checking my passport looked up at me and asked, “Have you ever visited Philadelphia.” I hadn’t. “You should, it’s lovely,” she told me, before allowing me into the country. Only now does the conversation – at last – make sense, although I am surprised that my proclivities are that obvious!
When one changes the search term to “corporal punishment”, suddenly Auckland (New Zealand) appears at number two, followed by three Australian cities in the top ten. South Africa is the top searching country. Are you southern hemisphere folks not into mere “spanking”, then?