Some emails circulating are urban myths, not facts

Fliers and e-mails warning of gang initiations are moving through the city again, which means urban legends are on the march.

Police in Midtown put out a warning Tuesday that the horrors described are not true.

People are not throwing eggs on the windshields of the cars of women and attacking the women who get out to wipe them away.

Baby seats with dolls in them are not on the side of the road to lure women to be raped or robbed, and people are not hiding under cars to attack women.

They also are not playing recordings of a baby crying outside the window to lure a woman out so she can be attacked.

Such tales, which experts link to folklore and scary campfire tales, sweep through the city several times a year, police say.

For some reason, people continue to forward them to others, they say, and incite unfounded fear and paranoia.

Campfire ghost stories never seem to go away, either.