Young punks

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
But then why didn't he just say so when my husband asked him "why do you want to know?" If he was really looking for a cop, he would have said something then.

why do you assume that? we dont know his reasons for asking for a cop. it seems odd that if his intent was simply to intimidate a random stranger that he would say something like are you a cop. of all the things to say. my guess is he had seen someone like your husband before in some situation involving himself and others where it was clear they were a police officer (maybe at his school? maybe in his neighborhood? maybe at some mall or at this same thearter?) and simply wanted to blow his cover by outing him in front of his friends and strangers who may be looking. Picking out a larger individual would certainly make sense if he WAS truly thinking your husband was a cop. When your husband reacted the way he did the kid suddenly realized he didnt really have a plan on how to react at that point and backed down. He became intimidated and suddenly doubtful and instead of challenging him decided well maybe I was wrong. What do I do now??

Ive seen "young punk" teens in malls hounding the security guards and such. To a lot of them if you are on a well known basis with the local authorities its like a badge of honor. So they go out of their way to tease or give them a hard time so they can say yeah I know that cop/I know that security guy. Hes busted me a few times cool huh. Just approaching your husband as a random stranger to give him a hard time by saying something as random as hey are you a cop seems less likely to me.

[Hemel]

IR:
Just approaching your husband as a random stranger to give him a hard time by saying something as random as hey are you a cop seems less likely to me.

Oh I don't know. I had a similar random/random situation ... guy I was with once, one summer, some kids came up to him and asked, "Oi! You! Are you Jesus?"

To which his response was, "Nah. Wrong time of year."




On a serious note, though, it gets a bit much. Just the last couple of weeks I've had a football kicked at my back while I was passing by (it HURT ), and had kids try to block me on my bike (they got hurt ). And I've lost count of the number of times I've been sworn at or had stupid things shouted at me.

[Elvengirl]

Kids can be so cruel

[Ithilgalad]

I believe it is getting worse. When I was 10 and started the equivilant of a high school here in Austria, ALL of my classmates (even the *tough* ones) would vanish into nothingness (meaning the toilets or a classroom nearby) the moment an eight-grade (by that time being almost 18) showed up. We were kind of *ohoh lets get out of the way before he/she sees us, noone knows what he/she might do to such a small person like me*. Basically: We had RESPECT of them .

But when finally we grew up to eight-grade (being 18 ourselves), first-grades would almost knock us down in the aisle and then challenge us... saying something like: "Hey you, watch out next time!" or "Hey you! Get lost, you idiot, you bumped into me!"... That´s when I realized that something weird is going on ... they were so different from us at the same age...

Now I´m almost 30 (biologically, not mentally )... and I see teenagers, walking down the streets, smoking (I did that, too), drinking (only started THAT at the age of 20 )... and provoking whoever crosses their path, some of the younger ones just following their older mates... and I think to myself: 'What the hell is going on with these kids?'...

Nobody will convince me that it was the same 20 years ago... it was not .

NOTE: I DO admit that not all teenagers I´ve met are like that... some of them are very nice and *noble* (if you get what I mean by that)... but some are definitely a 'pain in the a***' !

I think it´s still much better over here in Europe (from what I see, hear and read in the news) than in the US... but even in that field we´re getting closer (pupils with weapons shooting or stabbing their classmates or even teachers... has happened just a few years ago in Austria, too).

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by Hemel
...On a serious note, though, it gets a bit much. Just the last couple of weeks I've had a football kicked at my back while I was passing by (it HURT ), and had kids try to block me on my bike (they got hurt ). And I've lost count of the number of times I've been sworn at or had stupid things shouted at me.

Only times I've had things shouted at me or been sworn at has been by adults. I've never had any teens ever do or say anything to me.

On a side note, don't you just love it when stupid people yell stuff at you out their moving car? Sounds like this: BLAHBLAHBLAH BLAH BLAH blah bla bla bla bla bla ***
Doesn't it just make you want to burst into a rolling laughter!

I'm glad you ran over the kid trying to block your bike. *snicker* I suppose he/she will learn ... or not.

[Ithilgalad]

I´ve never sworn or yelled at anyone... only mini-me does sometimes (but no one can hear HER except me )...

[Valandil]

Interesting discussion. Naturally not all teens are like that. Also noted conversation about city-suburb. I observed some time ago (to myself, mostly - it was quite profound though) that as people had retreated from the cities into the suburbs, they erred in thinking that the problems of the cities would not follow them. It's all just coming along right behind. Also agree that it is changing and getting worse... wonder if it's been cyclical in society at all though...??? Don't know.

Had an incident along similar lines myself a few months ago, except I wasn't the one being hassled. Pulled into a drugstore parking lot and was walking toward the store. As I neared the door, I noticed two teen-age boys 'shadowing' this older man who was sort of hunched over and walking with a severe limp. They were basically mocking him - imitating and exaggerating it. He was almost to his car. At first I was just stunned, like 'Why would they be doing THAT?!?' I even wondered if they were stupid grandsons who were goofing around with grandpa, but quickly discarded that.

So I stopped walking and yelled out, "Hey! Leave him ALONE!" I thought that would intimidate them a bit, at least by being unexpected. Anyway, one of the kids yelled back - I don't remember exactly - asking what I was gonna do about it or whatever. That was about it - but the guy was pretty much to his car and they were leaving him alone at least. I got in a last word and went on in the store.

My wife would have TOTALLY not wanted me to get involved anyway (she grew up here in Chicago - I grew up in one of those small towns where you wave at everyone when they pass by), but I don't think we can live our lives that way. I think if I ever see something like it again, I have a better plan for it. I'll walk their way and yell when I'm about 25 feet away and closing... and try to make them scatter.

*hmmm... dominant baboons wouldn't try to protect elders in the pack, would they?*

[Rían]

Originally posted by Valandil
*hmmm... dominant baboons wouldn't try to protect elders in the pack, would they?*

Great point, Val!

But I can guess what the response will be ...