Bag's Rants

Kids, the scourge of our society.

Reading this article about these 'mosquito' type repellers which are used on the youngsters in a bid to stop them congregating outside places. Read more here.

As a nice sales gimmick it is classed as an 'anti-gang' device which is a bit like classing a pistol as an anti-terrorist device. It may be of use for that but it impacts on others as well not just the ones it was intended on. For one thing this one is on the outside of the shop and covering a public area. Are kids not members of the public?

To me it is strange that we seem to see a bunch of youths hanging around a shop as a threat. I know there are some who are abusive and violent but in general the kids of today are no different from when I was a kids. Many, many moons ago. I used to hang around a small shopping precinct and there was not much trouble including violence or intimidation. Raised voices and the motor bike engines were the main issues. Of course moving on did not stop you riding up and down the road for a while instead.

I think that, like America, we are now reading so much in the media, that when you walk into an area with kids you then consider yourself in danger, walk away and call the police. Regardless if the youths are a small group of two boys chatting up two girls. They have hoodies and are smoking. They must be expunged. The police always seem to have the time to call around within an hour or so and move everyone on. They must have a PR shift rota that says at 20:30 go round route one and move everyone on. Followed by route two, three and so on. Finish at 22:30 regardless.

In the meantime more youths come on the scene and the cycle goes on. There is insufficient places for these people to meet within a reasonable distance from their homes and yet there are shops and shopping precincts usually within a thousand yards of most homes. Where are these people expected to go before they are 18. No wonder they are all smoking and screwing there is nothing else for them to do unless they want to stay at home until they are 18.

Meantime we wonder why the youth appears to be out of control. They aren't. As usual it is just a few. They all move on when they get bikes, cars or can get into pubs. The next generation have already taken their places outside the shops. It will never stop until we can provide a place for them that isn't five miles away, isn't free and isn't controlled so much that they don't see a point in going.

In the meantime what is wrong with allowing people to meet and chat in a public place? It must be safer than driving them underground. Except, of course, for our shopkeepers profits.

posted by Bag @ 3:20 pm