Yes, boys will be boys and a game of dare is part and parcel of growing up, but the actions of two teenagers who dangled by their fingertips at 40ft off the ground, from a block of flats in Aberdeen, literally took things to a new level.
Passers-by could not believe what they were seeing, but it all seems to be part of a worldwide craze for taking pictures while hanging one-handed from tall buildings.
One false move, and they could have fallen to their deaths – or, at least, ended up in hospital with broken bones or injuries which could disable them for life.
We are talking commonsense and being careful here, which are not subjects close to the hearts of young lads trying to impress their mates and girl friends.
The problem is that once a craze, even a dangerous one, catches on, it is self-perpetuating as it goes viral and more and more try to outdo each other.
We could turn to parents and ask what they are doing to instil some sense into their kids, but they are often part of the problem. And trying to police such actions is almost impossible unless officers are tipped off very fast by the public.
We have seen it all before, of course, with varying death-defying stunts which come and go. The trouble is, they are not always death-defying – and someone inevitably gets killed, with tragic consequences for families and friends.