Yob Culture in the UK
Do you feel intimidated by the youth of today ?
Does their presence in certain circumstances cause you to alter your behaviour ?
This post grew out of two things really:
Firstly:
-
I was walking toward the local shops this week as was an elderly lady a few yards ahead of me. As the corner was rounded you could see a gang of mid to late teenagers stood outside the shop doorway, shouting, swearing and bedecked in the ubiquitous hoodies.
The lady stopped for a moment then completely altered course and went to the other shop.
She clearly felt intimidated, or at least very uneasy, and altered her plans accordingly.
Secondly:
-
A quote from the legendary Sir Ranulph Fiennes, former member of the SAS, arctic explorer and leader of the Transglobe expedition. An unbelievable man ! He even cut his own frost bitten toes off with a saw in his garden shed rather than bother going to the doctors.
For those unaware you get some idea of the mark of the man
He said:
It’s more terrifying being alone at a train station full of yobbos than it is lying alone in a tent listening to wolves howling in the polar night !
Returning to the shop incident, I strode through the middle of the pack forcing them all to move out of the way !
I was not intimidated - but then I’m nearly 6ft 3″ and only (only?) 42 - but …
How much longer before these things make me anxious and will it impact on what I do ?
I’ve always believed that the fear of crime and perception of danger pose a far greater personal and social threat than the actual crime or danger itself.
So, is it Getting Worse ?
Using a historic time frame I doubt it. Using a living persons time span then I suspect it is.
Thinking about this as I write I think the problems and issues are the same it’s just the extent and locations which have spread and multiplied.
Poorer areas of large cities have been notoriously rough for centuries but things seem to be spreading to almost everywhere now.
Can Anything Be Done About it ?
I doubt it !
It all comes down to discipline and respect. This is a job for parents, not schools or the police.
You have to instil basic levels of respect and discipline into young children in their formative years - this seems sadly lacking in today’s society.
Once you’ve lost them they’re gone - you cannot turn the clock back - what’s done is done !
As that legendary philosopher Tony Soprano said:
You can’t put the s**t back in the donkey
Jordan said,
October 25, 2007 @ 8:53 am
RC
You are showing your “only only 42 years”.
There has always been gangs on street corners, even ‘back in the day’ when you where young. I don’t think anything is ‘lacking in todays society’ it has always been the same, things have always been lacking.
Yes, we shouldn’t be made to feel intimidated by people and it shouldn’t be only if you are 6 ft 2.73in that you don’t feel that way.
The police have brought in all these community police officers to try to combat the crime but all that has seemed to do is higher the rate of the council tax we pay.
Jordan
Witches of Eastwick said,
October 25, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Rod,
Last night on national news it was reported that a gang of yobs injured a fireman while he was on duty, probably a chunkier version of yourself. Subsequently the local fire service is having to send two trucks out to every incident because of this sort of threat.
WoE
Rod said,
October 25, 2007 @ 10:55 am
Jordan
community police officers
Aren’t they they ones that stood there and watched a child drown !
RC
Rod said,
October 25, 2007 @ 10:58 am
WoE
I’ve never understood why they organise attacks and ambushes on the fire and ambulance services.
The police you can understand, somebody holds grudges etc
But who the hell can have a problem with someone who drags you unconscious from a burning building or saves your life when you have a heart attack ?
Staggering !
RC
Jordan said,
October 25, 2007 @ 11:30 am
Just the same! Good to know that they get paid £25k for doing it
Femme Fatale said,
October 25, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
In my experience of the so called “Yob Culture”, I also blame the parents. Having had first hand experience of Yobs and their parents I have very often heard the phrases; “Its not my son/daughters fault that they have got in with the wrong crowd, What else is there for them to do, there is nothing here for teenagers and the one I have heard the most is; He/She is a good child really,they just need to be given a chance”. Bless the little bx**##*.
They all need a good Thrashing
FF
xx
Rod said,
October 25, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
FF
well said !
I think one thing which really has changed in society is this constant need to apportion blame rather than accept responsibility
It’s always someone else’s fault and not our own !
Could be another thread here !
You’re also right - they need a damn good thrashing
Regards
Rod
Little Brother said,
October 25, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
Rod,
Until last year when the government banned it I used to employ fifteen and sixteen year olds to wash up at weekends. Ninety per cent walked in hands in pockets, chewing gum, piercings and attitude. Within five minutes I would let them know who was in charge and give them a taste of a b********g chef style, not a teachers ‘please don’t do that’.
I installed a sense of discipline into those little blighters and lectured them at every opportunity. Years on I met five of them in a pub and they all thanked me for, quote: ‘getting me ready for the outside world’.
The do-gooders want to stop wrapping them in cotton wool, I learnt the hard way and it didn’t give me any emotional problems!
LB
Femme Fatale said,
October 25, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Rod,
Another quote from a parent “My son/daughter would never behave like that”.
Have all parents turned into morons, are rose tinted glasses given out in maternity homes?
LB
I have heard that teachers are unable to give bad school reports, If this is the case, then is it any surprise that all parents think their children are near perfect?
FF
xx
Rod said,
October 25, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
LB & FF
great points !
It seems as though we are bringing children up in a dream world.
Don’t do or say anything which might upset them.
Tell them they are all doing fantastic
Give everyone an A pass
Tell everyone they can go to university
LB is well versed in how useless and molly coddled the young men of today are - yes it’s a problem - but just wait until we are entirely reliant as a country on these people !
Parents need to understand their job is not to make little Johnny/Janet as happy as possible and give them everything they want as and when they demand it but to raise them in preperation for the rest of their lives which are going to be a whole lot different !
Best
Ranting Rod
Little Brother said,
October 25, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
FF,
You can’t say anything untoward in a reference now either, when I worked with pot heads who could never get out of bed the chef would sack them and tell a fellow Head Chef that such and such did drugs and were a liability. That’s not allowed anymore so now a fellow Head Chef will recruit somebody I have sacked, realise he/she is a t****r and consequently think I am a t****r.
The reference forms I am now sent to fill in cannot differentiate between a real star and a pain in the a**e. It’s not right.
L****e B*****r!!!
Jordan said,
October 26, 2007 @ 8:32 am
How right you all are!