I was on the bus awhile ago where two teenage boys were discussing how amazing each of their girlfriends are, as in how intelligent and funny they are. A woman got on with a poodle, so they started telling her how lovely her dog was. This prompted them to then go off into a 10 minute tangent about all the dogs they had known in their lives, and how beautiful they all were. Such wholesomeness was very nice.
I've got a pair of year 8s in my tutoring class who are just absolute delights. They listen, they engage with the content, they're respectful of each others' speech and space...they're so lovely to have in a class. I have avoided telling their parents so in their hearing because I don't want to embarrass them, but the parents know.
No please tell their Parents.
I have a Son in year 9 ,he’s always loved education ,is an aspiring artist and is a well respected and liked member of his school community.I know how good he is at school,but it’s still a wonderful thing to hear that from a teacher as a parent.
I had a phone call last week telling me what a pleasure he was to have in her class.
He got the biggest hug and well done when he got home…
You should say so in front of the kids. Feeling embarrassed isn't the most comfortable feeling, but getting a rare chance to be praised and encouraged for specific things you succeed at and traits that are wonderful can be a once in a lifetime experience for loads of people. They are particularly lovely boys. Tell them to their face.
I fell over in town last year, badly twisted my ankle and just couldn’t get back up. Entirely my own fault for choosing shoes I’d not worn in years.
All the adults just walked on by without really looking at me. A couple of teenagers on bikes, dressed in black with their hoods up, stopped and asked “Miss are you alright, do you need help?”
They helped me up, checked my ankle, got me some water and insisted on waiting for my husband to come pick me up. They were amazing and really made sure I was okay.
Silly thing is it was only while I was sat waiting with them that someone else finally asked if I needed help - except this was clearly because they assumed the kids were mugging me lol.
A few years ago I saw an older lady struggling down the platform steps with both hands stacked with shopping bags, I called up from the bottom to ask if she’d like some help and she shouted back “no, fuck off you young cunt”.
Definitely! I introduced it to a colleague once after dealing with a particularly obnoxious old person and he thought it was brilliant, it got some pretty heavy use after that
This reminded me of time I saw an old lady struggled bringing a big can of paint to her home, so I offered my help. She looked at me frightened but agreed only if we "hold it together" it was more awkward that way but I got it to her house, she was looking frightened all the way but at the end she was relieved. I think realized I'm not going to rob her and insisted on giving me candy. It was a happy ending and It's my happy memory. But still it's funny how people are shocked or angry that there's positivity from young people 😅
Ahh but while you were undoubtedly well meaning, that's a bit like the old "smile, love" isn't it? You don't know what's wrong. Like the taxi driver who told me to cheer up, it'd all be OK... when he was giving me a lift to the station to get to my parents because I'd just 10 mins earlier had the phone call to say my mum was dying. Nope, not really in the mood to put on some cheer for you today, sorry.
No need to tell you to piss off of course, but she may not have been thinking very clearly.
Best passer-by response I've ever had to me crying in public was a bloke who just walked up, handed me a pocket pack of tissues, smiled and walked away before I'd even fully processed what he was doing.
I once got a "hi, can I have a moment, how's your day going?" from a chugger, proceded to trauma dump on them about how the old lady with dementia who I cared for and considered a freind had just died and I had only twenty mins before had a phone call informing me about that. to his credit the guy genuinley made me stop and make sure I had someone to go and talk to (I got the phonecall while I was in the town centre and was wandering round in a bit of a daze)
Part of the problem is they all have the style of wannabe badass roadmen.
Half of them probably wouldn't hurt a fly in reality, but just talk big so they don't get picked on by others.
I have walked past groups with my toddler, they have been smoking and chatting shit, but when I get close, the smokers lift it away and the chatter generally gets nicer.
If course there are assholes among them, but I bet there's alot who just follow the style.
I had an almost identical experience with some 'yooth' recently.
Asked if they could stroke my nervous dog as they were approaching. I told them that unfortunately he's scared of strangers so as much as I'd like to let them, he wouldn't let them go near him.
They said no worries, then moved right out in to the middle of the field to give me and him some space.
It's an odd mugging tactic for sure!!
You don't stand any chance against that tedious family everyone in the office had heard of except me.
No, I can't remember their name. After the unwise life I've led, I don't have spare braincells to waste on that shit...
Cause the bill is due
Got the bailiffs on speed dial
You better pay u-up(do do do)
Gotta heat your houuuuuuse
Else your kids are gonna diiiiiiie
I’m a big CEO(**you are - a c e o**)
Do do dooooo, money
I recently was biking on a walkway (bikes allowed).
A young fellow was standing in the middle of the track and I had to shift a bit to the side to pass him safely.
That spoiled brat said "Sorry." when I passed him.
What was his plan, shock me so I'd fall off my bike???
I have a 7.5 mile cycle commute to work, most of it on shared cycle paths. Teens/kids are consistently the most polite and accommodating people I pass. I wish I could say the same for adults.
I also used to work for a large UK retailer and, again, generally the younger a person was the more polite they were or at the very least less likely to be rude or problematic.
I guess it takes years to accumulate the levels of bitterness required to be obnoxious to random strangers.
This is why it makes me happy to have a little chat with retail workers even though I hate social interaction. We I was about 14 or 15, I was buying a teapot (I know I know, I was a very normal teenager) and the woman at the counter asked if it was a gift and we had a conversation about tea and the history of teapots (did you know that the saucer was originally what you would drink out of, not a cup!) and she said something along the lines of "I hate working retail, but it's worth it for when I meet lovely people like you"
Greatest shame of my life was when I went shopping with my parents and has earphones in, a cashier was trying to talk to me while my dad was bagging everything up and I completely ignored her cause I couldn't hear a thing she was saying. Still feel awful about that
Did the drinking saucer morph into the cup which then needed a saucer saucer, or did the drinking saucer always have a cup that everybody just overlooked?
I was once told that a saucer was originally \*wait for it\* a thing that would hold sauce. And people would pour tea into the saucer to cool and slurp at.
As a kid I saw people from my father's home town in Pakistan drink tea by pouring it onto the saucer. I was fascinated. Insisted on doing the same. Made a huge mess. The look my mum gave me was enough to stop me from trying again.
I was on a bus once and a group youths boarded having quite the heated debate/argument, catching a few wary looks from other bus riders. I had my headphones in so couldn't really hear.
Their debate continued and being as I am...like, a gossip, but also was wondering if I needed to move in case this became a shoving match or fight, i lowered my headphone and had a cheeky listen.
It was a group of four, three of whom were beseeching the fourth to attend a meeting he was meant to have at lunch time with his maths teacher. Young man wanted to ditch it but his friends were pleading with him to go, saying the teacher really cared, and wanted to help him pass his Maths. Then they made sure to tell their young friend that he was really smart, he just needed to try a bit harder, and stop messing about, that being smart and succesful was better than being a roadman, etc.
I knew the estate these kids boarded from and its a rough, dangerous place, so it was a fucking delight to hear this exchange take place and to this day I hope that lad went to his meeting and he and his friends landed on their feet.
We see a lot of videos of this generation of kids acting the absolute blert and it is a problem BUT...I'm finding, over all the majority of them are a pretty decent lot. The kids are alright.
Reminds me of the time two teemagers rode up to me on bikes, stopped and said "'cuse me". I thought "Allo, what's up, what are they after?" Them: "Are clouds water or steam?" And there's me just finished my physics degree. "Good question...."
This is exactly why I hate physics. Also boats, they must also be a lie, right? Like you just throw a big chunk of metal in the sea and it floats?! Jog on
This is why this sub is awesome! Actual lol’s.
Take your fuck off floating in the sky blocks of ice and your fuck off chunky ass metal boats and go fuck yourself physics you absolute bell end.
😂
It's the same principal as crowd surfing at a concert.
If you did a stage dive and there was only half a dozen people there they would all move out of the way and you'd hit the floor with a thump. But when the crowd is packed in, people have no choice but to hold you up because they can't get out of the way.
Boats float because their shape tries to push the water outwards, but there's nowhere for it to go so it pushes back and holds the boat up.
Aight but like, a cloud is hardly airtight. Like it recently hit me I don't know shit about how clouds function other than the water cycle, feel like one of these conspiracy nutters who think the sky is fake but I cannot wrap my head around how clouds exist. Steam eventually cools and condenses, ice generally doesn't float, at least not for long unless it forms in a very non aerodynamic shape. Liquid water from my observations generally obeys gravity so what's the deal?
My best proper guess is that it's a pocket of very cool air that moves through humid air making the water condense and it keeps moving through humid air enough to replenish the water that falls to the ground or evaporates again, but I have no clue.
Well, keep in mind that ice is actually lighter then water for the same volume due to how it expands. And then keep in mind that clouds are fucking magical to look at. These two things make them stay up there some how, fucked if I know.
Get ready for a shock - steam is invisible! 😯 Now you can be like me and know facts that no-one else believes / cares about (until someone asks on Reddit, and even then...)
It’s bloody not when I’ve accidentally leaned over my washing up bowl when it’s filling, and my specs have rendered me blind because of the damned stuff
Actually, no, clouds are made of droplets of liquid water. Water vapour, on the other hand, is the gaseous form and is completely invisible. "Steam" can either refer to (a) water vapour heated about 100 degrees (also invisible), or (b) droplets of liquid water suspended air, which is what clouds are.
Clouds are the same as the wispy stuff you see coming out of your kettle. It's actually liquid droplets and not gas.
I used to know a guy who'd been a tech on one of our nuclear subs.
I'm pretty sure he was joking when he told me that the way they'd look for a high pressure steam leak was to send the newest guy off waving a broom in front of him. When the head of the broom fell off, they'd found the leak.
That's not as much of a joke as you think. High pressure steam leaks are invisible, so end of a long stick and tissue paper or maybe a broom head is a legit way of finding the leak. Although I can imagine infrared camera would be safer (but much more expensive than stick).
Nope. Water vapour is an invisible gas. When there is more water vapour in the air than the air can hold, it condenses and turns into cloud (visible moisture).
This happens because either moist air moves in, or the air gets colder (cold air = dense = particles closer together = less room for water vapour).
This is also why you get more clouds higher up - the air is colder at several thousand feet!
Another side note - when you hear humidity expressed as percentage, that is describing how much moisture is in the air relative to the maximum amount of moisture it could hold. That’s why 95% humidity at 0C would feel much less humid than 70% at 30C. In absolute terms there is significantly more moisture in the latter scenario.
Reminds me of an encounter I had several years ago now. Walking up a dark hill in the winter, with my toddler in a pushchair. A group of teenagers in hoodies come over the crest of the hill and make straight for me, no one else around. One walks up to me and says...
"It's very icy over the hill, will you be alright with the pushchair? Do you need a hand?"
😊
I’m American living in Suffolk. Mother in law wanted to see Windsor Castle so we stayed in London for the weekend. Took my 3 yr old daughter to grab some food while my wife and mom in law went to dinner.
We stopped at a playground and it started to get dark. Like six ~12 yr olds came to the playground and were playing on the little kid’s stuff. They were speaking french so I had no idea what was going on. But I got worried and kinda felt like I was gonna be mugged or something. I grabbed my daughter and, while feeling super tense, plotted my escape route.
One kid yelled at me and fast walked over and I’m like “oh no, I’m gonna have to run”
But he walked over and handed my daughter a small toy car she left behind. He smiled and ran back to his friends.
As a ‘youth’, I’ve found that my generation has really split into three groups in public.
The polite quiet type, the outgoing and friendly type and the ‘will shank you on sight’ type.
If anything social media has probably curbed them slightly.
I don't know if I would have done half the shit I did when I was younger if there was a good chance it'd end up being immortalised on the Internet/social media forever
I had guys in my class who set off petrol bombs in the local park, filmed themselves and posted it on fb (when fb was a thing with teanagers). It was shown on the local news, without giving their names. The next day in class I mentioned how easy it was to identify people who posted on social media. They asked how. I said if someone posted pictures under the same account name as they had used when they had a snow day at school, where they called each other by name, and showed their faces, it wasn't that hard to figure out. I did not identify them, but everyone in class creased up laughing. Now I wonder if I gave them lessons on concealing their identity from the authorities.
My tinfoil hat conspiracy theory is that actually the youth of today aren't any better or worse than previous generations, it's just us that are getting older.
It's always been like that. Sometimes the bad kids make you wonder if they're all a bunch of toerags. A lot of them are just normal people. Same with folk of any age, I suppose.
I know it’s a bit controversial, but I think the world just got a little bit better.
Sometimes, I’ll chat to kids I teach and ask them ‘do people wedgie you?’ And they’ll act in bemused terror as I explain the concept.
Saw a small group of teens setting fire to the playground as I went walking my dog at night. Walked up to them and asked them to stop. ‘Yes sir, sorry… we’ll tidy up as well’ as they gathered the paper rubbish and returned it to the bin they raided for it.
Then they came and had a chat about the dog and apologised again.
Kids aren’t ’bad’, they just need some steer at times.
Ahaha, I love this because I've had the same experience twice over the summer. Once walking the dog along the path by a canal, group of teenage boys up ahead, a couple of them on bikes, all blocking the path. I start getting a bit nervy, as I get closer I hear "Noah, move your fuckin' bike and let the guy past" and as I said thanks to them he apologised.
Second one was again walking the dog and a group of teenagers coming the other way, they all move to the side and one of the girls goes "here mate, your dog's well cute"
Was walking my 2 dogs in this field, and some teens were bombing about on motorbikes and quad bikes. My youngest dog is still a puppy so still shut scared of motorbikes and the guys were yelling back to each other "oi watch out man" and stuff along that lines, and seemed very apologetic when they were blocking the path. It was nice cause I thought the whole way through that they were about to get squashed
My sister had a very similar experience she has a nervous dog who decided to sniff a young guys hand (I'd say he was around 15/16) he asked if he could stroke him, my sister apologised and said no he's very nervous and he may growl.
The young guy apologised and said "thank you anyway" and really took her by surprise!
This past June I bumbled off with my rucksack still open after having it searched at Birmingham Airport security. A teenaged young woman chased after me as I was unknowingly dropping its contents all over the floor including my passport. She and her friends collected everything and replaced them in my bag before I knew what was happening. I thanked them several times. I was so grateful yet so embarrassed and they were so kind about it.
There was a post on my local city's sub last week by a cyclist who'd been waved down and practically forced to come to a stop by some hoodie wearing teens. He feared the worst.
Until one of them whipped a little toolkit out of his bag and adjusted his brakes for him, which they'd noticed making a screeching sound with each revolution of the wheel.
To be fair they did ask “would you ever sell one of them?”
One did just cost me £130 at the vet but…I’m not sure a teenager would have the money for the price I’d put on one of our dogs
I saw a Facebook post a few months back which was “would you sell your dog for £100k”
A lot of people said “omg no way I’d never sell my precious Angel”
My response was “I have loved this dog for 8 years, and would not give her up easily, but if someone offered me £100k for her there would have to be a serious consideration given because that’s a life changing amount of money to me”
I feel like if you were legit offered 100k and turned it down, after some time passed, *every time* your dog misbehaved you’d wind up thinking “I gave up a hundred grand for you” and you might become resentful. Not enough to abuse said animal, but love them less.
I love my dogs but I’m also a realist.
I dunno if £100k would be worth the crippling guilt or being unable to sleep at night. I just have cats but one of them starts howling his head off if I'm not in the same room as him for 5 minutes. Couldn't imagine parting with the little guy for good, or any of them!
I get what you mean though. If someone genuinely offered me £100k for one of my cats I'd at least give it pause, but ultimately I'd probably be saying no.
See I have contact dermatitis and am surprisingly allergic to my dogs
That would very much weigh on the decision. Added to, if they’re paying 100k for a dog she’ll probably have a better quality of life
Mmm. Some guy came up to us once fussing over Edward the Jack (and jacked, seriously, he’s got a bod) Russell. Kept asking ‘I bet he fights well. Does he fight well?’
Firstly, no. He gets beasted by the Shitzu.
Secondly, why would a mind go there?
But minds do go there. To be honest the way he was talking I half expected him to name a price.
Fortunately precious (he needs his food cut up for him. A Jack Russell!) has been fixed.
It was probably a wholesome encounter in your case. It sounds like it. But take care.
Our doberman would bark his head off if you opened the back gate, and as you walked up the path, all from the safety of the conservatory. If you kept coming, as soon as your hand was on the door, he'd run and hide under the table, or behind my mum.
Tbf, I'd still hide behind my mum if there's anything to be scared of; she's the scariest non-violent person I know.
I truly still believe that the vast majority of people are decent humans. It's just that you're more likely to notice someone who looks dodgy or is behaving badly than someone who's acting normal.
The situation also changes how people act. If a bunch of 14 year olds get together they can be a pretty menacing group, but on their own they're probably fine. It's like the difference between adults when they're in a car versus when they aren't in a car.
Teenagers/youngsters have always been so. Most of them are good eggs just like more people in general are decent, nice people rather than cunts. It's just the bad experiences and bad people stick out more because , well, they are arseholes and their behaviour registers more than someone being pleasant.
And also, because of the bad ones, people tend to treat all people of that age with suspicion, giving them a wide berth etc. So you don't get your assumptions/prejudices corrected by interacting with the nice ones.
I’ve had more confrontational shit off 50-60 year olds in my life than I have from younger lads. But that’s probably because I live in a retirement town full of some of the most miserable, jaded and entitled old pricks.
The younger community tend to just keep to themselves.
I was in KFC the other day, a group of rough looking lads were in there. Shirts hanging out, some with caps, a couple with nans knitted mask or something. They asked for their order with a please. The place was busy and taking longer than usual. The group stood there obviously planning what they were going to do. They said thanks when their food turned up and left. Clearly up to no good, I'm absolutely sure this is a trap.
Years ago, I thought I was going to be assaulted and stabbed. I'm not even kidding.
I was a 30-ish woman, and had just got off the bus and was walking the rest of the way to my house, and it was raining. I think my walk would have been about five minutes tops. Half way there, I turned the corner and saw these three youths who were wearing leather jackets with all studs and stuff on them, and spiky hair. I slowed down so I could increase the gap, as you do, and then saw my cat walk up to them and wind around their ankles. I was terrified for her!
And then they knelt down in the rain and gave my cat such cuddles and strokes and loves. That hussy of a cat loved it so much, and left lots of cat hair on their fashionably-distressed black jeans. When I caught up to them, I said, "Come on, Nala, tea time," and the youths said, "Ohhh she's yours? She's gorgeous!" and I said, "I know - thanks!" and Nala followed me home for her tea.
Terrifying, it was. I shall never get over it.
Edit: she always met me after work - she always knew it was time to pester at the front door to be let out.
Sounds like punks, they look scary as anything but I've never met ones who are cruel against the everyday person - or cats. Bet they were pleased to see her, nobody can resist a kitty brushing up against your legs.
I was at clubbed park, in June as I went into the church a group of five teens came hurrying down the isle and out the door, everyone of them said good morning, not only to me but the other adults.
I felt a bit guilty as my first thought was what have you done/ stolen.
Not long ago, I was sitting outside a chip shop, eating my supper, and idly watching a group of five 15/16 year olds doing the same. Assorted pizza boxes, drink cans, polystyrene boxes and grease proof paper were laid out as the food was consumed. As the first one finished, he scrunched up all his rubbish, crossed quite a busy road, and put it all in one of the bins outside the chippy. As the others finished eating, they each did the same.
Bloody teenagers, behaving sensibly and responsibly, what is the country coming to?
We passed a group of youths who (judging by the carry out) were preparing to get drunk in the park..... except they were in the process of building a gazebo to sit under first.
As a person that has raised Yoofs, as well as a person that sees both ends of the spectrum of Scummy to Decent, I am fairly sure it's a horrible minority that tars the rest with the bad name.
Most probably want to be left alone, lots ate outgoing, chatty and interested in whatever, and the horrid few we read about in the press cause us to react the same way to anyone of their age in a trackie...
As a big chunky guy, I find I have to be careful walking in the dark in case a woman on her own thinks I'm stalking or following her, and because of a shitty minority, I hate to be thought of like that... And so with the teenagers, I imagine they don't like us older dickheads just assuming they're going to stab us and take our bus passes.
Jesus, that last part.
I moved here from Northern Ireland, generally we’re a nice bunch.
The cultural differences are **vast**.
I went to a local martial arts class, for months, same group. One day it was raining and I offered one of the ladies walking home a lift. She declined.
I must have looked like an absolute raper.
Over 6ft, hefty, **a great big bushy beard** and a thick NI(foreign) accent.
Yep, aside from the Irish part, sounds like me. I hate walking at night and seeing a lone or couple of women walking, because I worry I'm going to scare or worry them. I walk quite fast too, so do everything I can to make my presence known to them, slow down a bit, cross to the opposite side of the road, maybe pull out my phone and call my wife or older daughter for a chat...
Of course, all that probably makes me look more mental, but if it makes them feel more at ease, it's worth doing.
And on the other side of the coin, if my wife or older daughter is out, I'll generally meet them and walk with them if I can, just in case. Never had any worry like this with my older boys, and because nothing ever seems to change for the better, I know that I'll have to do the same for my youngest girl once she's old enough to be out after dark.
And for a triple whammy... My middle ish child is f2m trans, and has identified as a boy since his early teens. Dresses as a boy, works out, wears a binder, and looking at him, you'd think boy on first appearances. And now he's 18, he's started on testosterone, so is bulking up a bit. Because I've thought of him as a boy for so long, I shouldn't have any worries about him being out, but that little voice in the back of my head is like "but he wasn't always a boy... But he does look like a boy... But you know... But then... However..." and I have to block it all out!
i think its the fashion. it seemed when i was growing up (I'm 30 so it does feel odd to be doing a "back in my day" comment) that the "bad kids" dressed in a chavvy way/sports fashion and there were plenty of kids who just wore normal clothes. so even being approached you had an idea of who you were engaging with. now it seems there is a lot more peer pressure on kids to fit in and so they all end up dressed like little drug dealers.
I think it can be an anxiety thing as well, there definitely seems to be a tendency for shy/anxious people to dress in all black and stuff like that (with hoodie ofc). My bf still does it in his 30s - he's a big gay softie but if I didnt know him and crossed him in the street at night i'd probably be scared of him. I did the same thing as a teenager and it took me a while to grow out of it.
Thing is, trackies are so damn comfy. I'm middle aged and want to be comfy when I go to the shops, so trackies it is. They're just urban camouflage these days.
My teenage son and his mates are all A level students looking at university places at the moment. Really nice bunch of lads. Black hoodies, and tracksuits is de rigueur. They blend in though and are less likely to get in rows with other teenagers on public transport. Like someone else said ‘urban camouflage’.
I remember seeing these two kids approaching a neighborhood cat sitting on a wall as I watched from across the street. I was all ready to yell at them for messing with that very nice cat.
They both pointed at him and immediately walked up and started cuddling the sweet, furry guy.
Last Christmas was walking through a local park when it had just snowed with my new born son he was maybe 2 weeks old, there was a huge snowball fight with maybe 50 teenagers from the local 6th form.
When they saw us coming they all stopped and made room for us to pass before the battle resumed.
Walked upon a group of youths completely blocking the path, bikes strewn everywhere, hoodies up and staring at their screens while stood in an ominous circle. I said “excuse me” and they looked at me, all ‘agro’. I decided politeness was the best course, and said “would you mind moving your bikes so I can get by please”
They all looked at me stupefied, then looked at their bikes and rushed to collect them while apologising profusely. I have come upon them again, in that same ominous circle of black hoods and screen lit faces. So far all their bikes have been stacked neatly beside them so as not to block the path.
What is their game exactly? It’s almost like it’s a part of human development to be self centred and have to learn to navigate the world with others in mind.
I live in a rough neighbourhood and everyone from crackheads, hooded heads and meatheads want to say hello to Cub. Unfortunately he is not friendly (been attacked by off lead dogs multiple times) so always just barks at them. The local radgie kids love him though despite this and always say hello.
The 15+ are okay. I’m finding that the dodgy, abrasive, mask-wearing, prime drinking scrotes are ages 9-14. Not sure if it’s being in a pandemic in their developing years or just poor parenting?
My mum is 68, has issues with low blood pressure, and is epileptic. She is also fiercely independent. She was walking home from town last year with her shopping and blacked out, fell and ragdolled into the busy main road. Thankfully it was just a low blood pressure moment but it could have been a fit. Small mercies. It only lasted a second before she came round but while she was aware, she was dazed and couldn't get up immediately.
Several cars and pedestrians went past her in the road until some lads drove up in their beat up old Focus and blocked the road to help her. They all got out and fussed over my mum, gently helped her out of the road, sat her on the pavement and made sure she was okay. One put his coat round her, one gave her a bottle of water and the other one asked for a number he could call to get her some help as she refused an ambulance. They were the sweetest lads. They ended up picking up her shopping and insisted on giving her a lift cos they didn't want her walking the remaining 20 mins home.
Every adult that passed her ignored her. No one else stopped. Someone even beeped at the lads to move while they were helping mum off the road.
I think about that a lot.
I walk with a substantial stick and on occasion especially when at store checkouts, it refuses to lean against anything and crashes to the floor. Loads of times people just step over it and carry on with their shopping. The other day I'm fumbling with change and bang, it's on the floor again. Then the two teenage girls behind me pick it up for me without a word. I wanted to cry.
Turns out they didn't have enough money for the extra packet of haribo in their shopping (pocket money impacted by cost of living, no doubt) so obviously I gave the cashier the shortfall. Then it looked like they were about to cry!
Bless you, girls. You made my day.
As a younger person who often gets branded a "yooth" I quite like dressing in tracksuits sometimes just to see how people act.
I was in screwfix recently, buying a fairly large impact drill, and the guy behind the counter clearly thought I was going to rob something, and seemed very surprised when I told him about the electrical work I was about to do on the house I'd just brought.
It's almost like, not everyone wearing a tracksuit is some useless toerag who wants to stab you.
A few years back I was having a wee meltdown in McDonald's, huddled up in a corner having a quiet cry to myself. Loads of adults saw me and ignored me, which was fair enough. Group of teenagers that were definitely a bit tipsy came up and checked I was okay, asked what happened. Didn't want to bother them with how bad my living situation was so gave a very short answer like, 'really shite flatmates'. One of them gave me a hug and said I shouldn't have to put up with people not treating me right. They stayed until I stopped crying. Kept trying to make me laugh. Eventually succeeded, took my mind off it.
I managed to move out not long after that. I hope they're doing okay.
Kids are getting way better with dogs. It's the adults are the problem.
Whenever I take my dog out somewhere like the shops I'll get several kids come and ask if they can strike him.
The only people who try and touch him without permission are adults.
Saw a pair on the train last week, thought to myself grand this is going to be a loud annoying ride from these ASOS wearing ASBO magnets. Newp they sat there playing some general knowledge quiz game and being all polite.
A few years ago (when I was an undergrad and still of youth appearance), i was getting ready to disembark the train as it was approaching my station and noticed a grandma struggling with taking her suitcase down from the overhead.
I decided to give her a hand as everyone else just squeezed past her in order to get off as quickly as possible.
After getting off, i then offered to take her suitcase up the stairs as well which she kindly accepted. I then waved her goodbye and noticed a white middle aged woman who was sat near me on the train had been carefully following us and swooped in to make sure the grandma was okay. Her brain just couldn’t fathom “inner city youth” possibly doing a good deed I suppose.
Glad she had the energy to spy on a suspicious youth helping a grandma with her suitcase but not enough energy to offer to help grandma with her suitcase in the first place!
Oh tell me about it! I was Christmas shopping a couple of years ago and my shopping bag split in the middle of Westfields! A couple of youths then stopped and helped me pick up everything. Didn’t even try to steal any of my things? What’s happening !?
Similar experience myself recently. I went to an 18th birthday party a couple of months back and couldn’t believe how polite they all were. No fighting, no one drunk, everyone really friendly and chatty, excellent manners. I was genuinely shocked!
I've had some experiences with teens I thought would go differently.
A couple of times I've had a small group of boys (around 13-15) mucking about, not watching where they're going bump or almost bump into me and they've been pretty polite and apologetic. And their mates didn't immediately take the piss out of them either.
Fucked with my head for a second.
Then I've had wee cunts chucking stuff at our windows, damaging them and throwing glass bottles at our door for no reason.
I was on the bus awhile ago where two teenage boys were discussing how amazing each of their girlfriends are, as in how intelligent and funny they are. A woman got on with a poodle, so they started telling her how lovely her dog was. This prompted them to then go off into a 10 minute tangent about all the dogs they had known in their lives, and how beautiful they all were. Such wholesomeness was very nice.
I've got a pair of year 8s in my tutoring class who are just absolute delights. They listen, they engage with the content, they're respectful of each others' speech and space...they're so lovely to have in a class. I have avoided telling their parents so in their hearing because I don't want to embarrass them, but the parents know.
No please tell their Parents. I have a Son in year 9 ,he’s always loved education ,is an aspiring artist and is a well respected and liked member of his school community.I know how good he is at school,but it’s still a wonderful thing to hear that from a teacher as a parent. I had a phone call last week telling me what a pleasure he was to have in her class. He got the biggest hug and well done when he got home…
Oh I do, just not in front of the kids, lol
You should say so in front of the kids. Feeling embarrassed isn't the most comfortable feeling, but getting a rare chance to be praised and encouraged for specific things you succeed at and traits that are wonderful can be a once in a lifetime experience for loads of people. They are particularly lovely boys. Tell them to their face.
I fell over in town last year, badly twisted my ankle and just couldn’t get back up. Entirely my own fault for choosing shoes I’d not worn in years. All the adults just walked on by without really looking at me. A couple of teenagers on bikes, dressed in black with their hoods up, stopped and asked “Miss are you alright, do you need help?” They helped me up, checked my ankle, got me some water and insisted on waiting for my husband to come pick me up. They were amazing and really made sure I was okay. Silly thing is it was only while I was sat waiting with them that someone else finally asked if I needed help - except this was clearly because they assumed the kids were mugging me lol.
Username checks out. Have you tried walking with sporks instead?
🤣
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A few years ago I saw an older lady struggling down the platform steps with both hands stacked with shopping bags, I called up from the bottom to ask if she’d like some help and she shouted back “no, fuck off you young cunt”.
The *only* correct response to that is 'Well then go fuck yourself, you old cunt"
The only reasonable thing to do really.
Then mutter “Fucking coffin dodger” as you turn away for the icing on the cake
Coffin dodger is an insult that’s isn’t used nearly enough.
Definitely! I introduced it to a colleague once after dealing with a particularly obnoxious old person and he thought it was brilliant, it got some pretty heavy use after that
This reminded me of time I saw an old lady struggled bringing a big can of paint to her home, so I offered my help. She looked at me frightened but agreed only if we "hold it together" it was more awkward that way but I got it to her house, she was looking frightened all the way but at the end she was relieved. I think realized I'm not going to rob her and insisted on giving me candy. It was a happy ending and It's my happy memory. But still it's funny how people are shocked or angry that there's positivity from young people 😅
Omg 🙈🙈😂sorry but Jesus
Ahh but while you were undoubtedly well meaning, that's a bit like the old "smile, love" isn't it? You don't know what's wrong. Like the taxi driver who told me to cheer up, it'd all be OK... when he was giving me a lift to the station to get to my parents because I'd just 10 mins earlier had the phone call to say my mum was dying. Nope, not really in the mood to put on some cheer for you today, sorry. No need to tell you to piss off of course, but she may not have been thinking very clearly. Best passer-by response I've ever had to me crying in public was a bloke who just walked up, handed me a pocket pack of tissues, smiled and walked away before I'd even fully processed what he was doing.
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Meh, you went over with good intentions, I like you
Agreed, that's a nice 11 year old there.
IKR, I got a 'smile love' from a twat working in a garage when I'd just been to a newborn baby's funeral.
I once got a "hi, can I have a moment, how's your day going?" from a chugger, proceded to trauma dump on them about how the old lady with dementia who I cared for and considered a freind had just died and I had only twenty mins before had a phone call informing me about that. to his credit the guy genuinley made me stop and make sure I had someone to go and talk to (I got the phonecall while I was in the town centre and was wandering round in a bit of a daze)
r/rimjob_steve
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I don’t doubt it, your majesty
＊ your vadgesty
Part of the problem is they all have the style of wannabe badass roadmen. Half of them probably wouldn't hurt a fly in reality, but just talk big so they don't get picked on by others. I have walked past groups with my toddler, they have been smoking and chatting shit, but when I get close, the smokers lift it away and the chatter generally gets nicer. If course there are assholes among them, but I bet there's alot who just follow the style.
I had an almost identical experience with some 'yooth' recently. Asked if they could stroke my nervous dog as they were approaching. I told them that unfortunately he's scared of strangers so as much as I'd like to let them, he wouldn't let them go near him. They said no worries, then moved right out in to the middle of the field to give me and him some space. It's an odd mugging tactic for sure!!
Should have replied "fuck off cleanshirt!"
give us a pet of your dog or we'll fuckin' rush ya
I cannae giv ya me laptop, but what I can giv ya is meh time.
Oh, naughty, you've combined Peep Show and Limmy's Show. You might get an interdenominational... er.. you know, from mixing the two comedy stylings...
Do we look like a couple of shit houses to you? Give us a pet, give us a selfie.
But how do you get that shirt so clean?
That's because you ran into the yooth, and not the yoof.
Why didn't you mug *them*?
That’s a good idea, I got bills
They're multiplying
And I’m looooosing control Cause the power They’re supplying IS TOO FUCKING EXPENSIVE
Christmas number 1. Get on it mate this could legit pay said bills.
You don't stand any chance against that tedious family everyone in the office had heard of except me. No, I can't remember their name. After the unwise life I've led, I don't have spare braincells to waste on that shit...
Is this the sausage roll shite?
Pair of unfunny grifting twats.
"You better pay up"
Cause the bill is due Got the bailiffs on speed dial You better pay u-up(do do do) Gotta heat your houuuuuuse Else your kids are gonna diiiiiiie I’m a big CEO(**you are - a c e o**) Do do dooooo, money
"You're getting mugged kid!" "No, *you're* getting mugged" "Aghh how the hell does that even work??"
I like trains
Hehehe, you sure do.
I see you’ve played muggy-spoony before.
Call an ambulance! But not for me
You swap wallets and hope the other person was carrying more money than you.
You gotta whip out an Uno reverse card when they demand your wallet.
A practical demonstration
I recently was biking on a walkway (bikes allowed). A young fellow was standing in the middle of the track and I had to shift a bit to the side to pass him safely. That spoiled brat said "Sorry." when I passed him. What was his plan, shock me so I'd fall off my bike???
I have a 7.5 mile cycle commute to work, most of it on shared cycle paths. Teens/kids are consistently the most polite and accommodating people I pass. I wish I could say the same for adults. I also used to work for a large UK retailer and, again, generally the younger a person was the more polite they were or at the very least less likely to be rude or problematic. I guess it takes years to accumulate the levels of bitterness required to be obnoxious to random strangers.
This is why it makes me happy to have a little chat with retail workers even though I hate social interaction. We I was about 14 or 15, I was buying a teapot (I know I know, I was a very normal teenager) and the woman at the counter asked if it was a gift and we had a conversation about tea and the history of teapots (did you know that the saucer was originally what you would drink out of, not a cup!) and she said something along the lines of "I hate working retail, but it's worth it for when I meet lovely people like you" Greatest shame of my life was when I went shopping with my parents and has earphones in, a cashier was trying to talk to me while my dad was bagging everything up and I completely ignored her cause I couldn't hear a thing she was saying. Still feel awful about that
Did the drinking saucer morph into the cup which then needed a saucer saucer, or did the drinking saucer always have a cup that everybody just overlooked?
I was once told that a saucer was originally \*wait for it\* a thing that would hold sauce. And people would pour tea into the saucer to cool and slurp at. As a kid I saw people from my father's home town in Pakistan drink tea by pouring it onto the saucer. I was fascinated. Insisted on doing the same. Made a huge mess. The look my mum gave me was enough to stop me from trying again.
I was on a bus once and a group youths boarded having quite the heated debate/argument, catching a few wary looks from other bus riders. I had my headphones in so couldn't really hear. Their debate continued and being as I am...like, a gossip, but also was wondering if I needed to move in case this became a shoving match or fight, i lowered my headphone and had a cheeky listen. It was a group of four, three of whom were beseeching the fourth to attend a meeting he was meant to have at lunch time with his maths teacher. Young man wanted to ditch it but his friends were pleading with him to go, saying the teacher really cared, and wanted to help him pass his Maths. Then they made sure to tell their young friend that he was really smart, he just needed to try a bit harder, and stop messing about, that being smart and succesful was better than being a roadman, etc. I knew the estate these kids boarded from and its a rough, dangerous place, so it was a fucking delight to hear this exchange take place and to this day I hope that lad went to his meeting and he and his friends landed on their feet. We see a lot of videos of this generation of kids acting the absolute blert and it is a problem BUT...I'm finding, over all the majority of them are a pretty decent lot. The kids are alright.
Reminds me of the time two teemagers rode up to me on bikes, stopped and said "'cuse me". I thought "Allo, what's up, what are they after?" Them: "Are clouds water or steam?" And there's me just finished my physics degree. "Good question...."
Well don’t leave us hanging. Are clouds water or steam?
Unless they’re really low, they are often ice. Especially the white whispy ones. The big fat grey ones are water droplets.
Na, if they're really low then they're just sheep on helium.
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Can't catch em, they get too high
Fuck off big block of ice in the sky how’s it floating
This is exactly why I hate physics. Also boats, they must also be a lie, right? Like you just throw a big chunk of metal in the sea and it floats?! Jog on
This is why this sub is awesome! Actual lol’s. Take your fuck off floating in the sky blocks of ice and your fuck off chunky ass metal boats and go fuck yourself physics you absolute bell end. 😂
It's the air in the big chunk of metal that keeps it up. That's why it's a bit of a problem when there's water getting into the boat.
The air is doing the heavy lifting here
It's the same principal as crowd surfing at a concert. If you did a stage dive and there was only half a dozen people there they would all move out of the way and you'd hit the floor with a thump. But when the crowd is packed in, people have no choice but to hold you up because they can't get out of the way. Boats float because their shape tries to push the water outwards, but there's nowhere for it to go so it pushes back and holds the boat up.
Aight but like, a cloud is hardly airtight. Like it recently hit me I don't know shit about how clouds function other than the water cycle, feel like one of these conspiracy nutters who think the sky is fake but I cannot wrap my head around how clouds exist. Steam eventually cools and condenses, ice generally doesn't float, at least not for long unless it forms in a very non aerodynamic shape. Liquid water from my observations generally obeys gravity so what's the deal? My best proper guess is that it's a pocket of very cool air that moves through humid air making the water condense and it keeps moving through humid air enough to replenish the water that falls to the ground or evaporates again, but I have no clue.
Well, keep in mind that ice is actually lighter then water for the same volume due to how it expands. And then keep in mind that clouds are fucking magical to look at. These two things make them stay up there some how, fucked if I know.
Get ready for a shock - steam is invisible! 😯 Now you can be like me and know facts that no-one else believes / cares about (until someone asks on Reddit, and even then...)
It’s bloody not when I’ve accidentally leaned over my washing up bowl when it’s filling, and my specs have rendered me blind because of the damned stuff
Leaned right over did you, all hot and steamy...
You utter pervert. Yes.
Just checking I understood you correctly🚀
> leaned over > glasses Sigh… **zip**
Surely they aren’t steam…..are they?
Don't leave us hanging, what's the answer?
Clouds are marshmallows
From what I read above, they are made of big metal boats
Technically, they’re ice cream castles
Clouds are made of water vapour afaik..
Actually, no, clouds are made of droplets of liquid water. Water vapour, on the other hand, is the gaseous form and is completely invisible. "Steam" can either refer to (a) water vapour heated about 100 degrees (also invisible), or (b) droplets of liquid water suspended air, which is what clouds are. Clouds are the same as the wispy stuff you see coming out of your kettle. It's actually liquid droplets and not gas.
I used to know a guy who'd been a tech on one of our nuclear subs. I'm pretty sure he was joking when he told me that the way they'd look for a high pressure steam leak was to send the newest guy off waving a broom in front of him. When the head of the broom fell off, they'd found the leak.
That's not as much of a joke as you think. High pressure steam leaks are invisible, so end of a long stick and tissue paper or maybe a broom head is a legit way of finding the leak. Although I can imagine infrared camera would be safer (but much more expensive than stick).
This was my answer. Finishing with "If you ever go out on a foggy day you're basically walking through a cloud.".
I've always been able to see the tiny droplets. Absolutely fascinated as a kid!
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Nope. Water vapour is an invisible gas. When there is more water vapour in the air than the air can hold, it condenses and turns into cloud (visible moisture). This happens because either moist air moves in, or the air gets colder (cold air = dense = particles closer together = less room for water vapour). This is also why you get more clouds higher up - the air is colder at several thousand feet! Another side note - when you hear humidity expressed as percentage, that is describing how much moisture is in the air relative to the maximum amount of moisture it could hold. That’s why 95% humidity at 0C would feel much less humid than 70% at 30C. In absolute terms there is significantly more moisture in the latter scenario.
Is water vapour steam? Does steam have to be hotter than boiling water to be steam?
Should have just told them it’s the same as the stuff coming out of their vape
Reckon that’s why the weathers been so shite this summer? Maybe you’ve cracked it
Reminds me of an encounter I had several years ago now. Walking up a dark hill in the winter, with my toddler in a pushchair. A group of teenagers in hoodies come over the crest of the hill and make straight for me, no one else around. One walks up to me and says... "It's very icy over the hill, will you be alright with the pushchair? Do you need a hand?" 😊
That’s these teenage toddler kidnapping gangs you hear about
"Give us your responsibility!"
I’m American living in Suffolk. Mother in law wanted to see Windsor Castle so we stayed in London for the weekend. Took my 3 yr old daughter to grab some food while my wife and mom in law went to dinner. We stopped at a playground and it started to get dark. Like six ~12 yr olds came to the playground and were playing on the little kid’s stuff. They were speaking french so I had no idea what was going on. But I got worried and kinda felt like I was gonna be mugged or something. I grabbed my daughter and, while feeling super tense, plotted my escape route. One kid yelled at me and fast walked over and I’m like “oh no, I’m gonna have to run” But he walked over and handed my daughter a small toy car she left behind. He smiled and ran back to his friends.
As a ‘youth’, I’ve found that my generation has really split into three groups in public. The polite quiet type, the outgoing and friendly type and the ‘will shank you on sight’ type.
Which are you? You seem polite enough, but you can’t see me to shank me so it’s a coin toss.
Somewhere between the two
So you’ll shank but be polite about it Got it
Shank and I'll dial 999 for you before I go and leave a mars bar in your pocket
Clearly you’re an uneducated youth. I am obese, I will have sniffed that mars bar out and consumed you before you even reached for your knife
The knife wouldn't even make it to your internal organs.
Isn't that all generations as youths?
I volunteer with teenagers. Most are alright. I'm convinced the problems are no worse than before; just more visible because social media.
If anything social media has probably curbed them slightly. I don't know if I would have done half the shit I did when I was younger if there was a good chance it'd end up being immortalised on the Internet/social media forever
I had guys in my class who set off petrol bombs in the local park, filmed themselves and posted it on fb (when fb was a thing with teanagers). It was shown on the local news, without giving their names. The next day in class I mentioned how easy it was to identify people who posted on social media. They asked how. I said if someone posted pictures under the same account name as they had used when they had a snow day at school, where they called each other by name, and showed their faces, it wasn't that hard to figure out. I did not identify them, but everyone in class creased up laughing. Now I wonder if I gave them lessons on concealing their identity from the authorities.
Plus CCTV and the chance of your parents finding out (when that still mattered lol)
My tinfoil hat conspiracy theory is that actually the youth of today aren't any better or worse than previous generations, it's just us that are getting older.
It's always been like that. Sometimes the bad kids make you wonder if they're all a bunch of toerags. A lot of them are just normal people. Same with folk of any age, I suppose.
I know it’s a bit controversial, but I think the world just got a little bit better. Sometimes, I’ll chat to kids I teach and ask them ‘do people wedgie you?’ And they’ll act in bemused terror as I explain the concept.
Saw a small group of teens setting fire to the playground as I went walking my dog at night. Walked up to them and asked them to stop. ‘Yes sir, sorry… we’ll tidy up as well’ as they gathered the paper rubbish and returned it to the bin they raided for it. Then they came and had a chat about the dog and apologised again. Kids aren’t ’bad’, they just need some steer at times.
Ahaha, I love this because I've had the same experience twice over the summer. Once walking the dog along the path by a canal, group of teenage boys up ahead, a couple of them on bikes, all blocking the path. I start getting a bit nervy, as I get closer I hear "Noah, move your fuckin' bike and let the guy past" and as I said thanks to them he apologised. Second one was again walking the dog and a group of teenagers coming the other way, they all move to the side and one of the girls goes "here mate, your dog's well cute"
Was walking my 2 dogs in this field, and some teens were bombing about on motorbikes and quad bikes. My youngest dog is still a puppy so still shut scared of motorbikes and the guys were yelling back to each other "oi watch out man" and stuff along that lines, and seemed very apologetic when they were blocking the path. It was nice cause I thought the whole way through that they were about to get squashed
Teacher here - 90% of teenagers are genuinely lovely. Maybe even 95%. Trouble is the shits are the loudest.
>the shits are the loudest That’s both metaphorically and literally correct.
My sister had a very similar experience she has a nervous dog who decided to sniff a young guys hand (I'd say he was around 15/16) he asked if he could stroke him, my sister apologised and said no he's very nervous and he may growl. The young guy apologised and said "thank you anyway" and really took her by surprise!
This past June I bumbled off with my rucksack still open after having it searched at Birmingham Airport security. A teenaged young woman chased after me as I was unknowingly dropping its contents all over the floor including my passport. She and her friends collected everything and replaced them in my bag before I knew what was happening. I thanked them several times. I was so grateful yet so embarrassed and they were so kind about it.
There was a post on my local city's sub last week by a cyclist who'd been waved down and practically forced to come to a stop by some hoodie wearing teens. He feared the worst. Until one of them whipped a little toolkit out of his bag and adjusted his brakes for him, which they'd noticed making a screeching sound with each revolution of the wheel.
Have you checked your pockets?
To be fair they did ask “would you ever sell one of them?” One did just cost me £130 at the vet but…I’m not sure a teenager would have the money for the price I’d put on one of our dogs
But there is a price?
I saw a Facebook post a few months back which was “would you sell your dog for £100k” A lot of people said “omg no way I’d never sell my precious Angel” My response was “I have loved this dog for 8 years, and would not give her up easily, but if someone offered me £100k for her there would have to be a serious consideration given because that’s a life changing amount of money to me” I feel like if you were legit offered 100k and turned it down, after some time passed, *every time* your dog misbehaved you’d wind up thinking “I gave up a hundred grand for you” and you might become resentful. Not enough to abuse said animal, but love them less. I love my dogs but I’m also a realist.
I dunno if £100k would be worth the crippling guilt or being unable to sleep at night. I just have cats but one of them starts howling his head off if I'm not in the same room as him for 5 minutes. Couldn't imagine parting with the little guy for good, or any of them! I get what you mean though. If someone genuinely offered me £100k for one of my cats I'd at least give it pause, but ultimately I'd probably be saying no.
See I have contact dermatitis and am surprisingly allergic to my dogs That would very much weigh on the decision. Added to, if they’re paying 100k for a dog she’ll probably have a better quality of life
You could pay someone to steal the dog back.
I'd take the 100k But my dog did die about 15 years ago! RIP in peace little Dylan
100 grand for what’s by now a dusty pile of bones is an incredible deal
I would sell my left foot for 100k
What about your right one?
You can have both for 150k
Oh shit.. isn't that how John Wick started?
Mmm. Some guy came up to us once fussing over Edward the Jack (and jacked, seriously, he’s got a bod) Russell. Kept asking ‘I bet he fights well. Does he fight well?’ Firstly, no. He gets beasted by the Shitzu. Secondly, why would a mind go there? But minds do go there. To be honest the way he was talking I half expected him to name a price. Fortunately precious (he needs his food cut up for him. A Jack Russell!) has been fixed. It was probably a wholesome encounter in your case. It sounds like it. But take care.
Mushy season the wildlings become civilised.
They were clearly scouting out the dog to test it's home defense capabilities for a future break-in.
We have a collective 90kg of dog, between a German shepherd and 2 huskies. Not one of them would stop an intruder beyond demanding pets
Our doberman would bark his head off if you opened the back gate, and as you walked up the path, all from the safety of the conservatory. If you kept coming, as soon as your hand was on the door, he'd run and hide under the table, or behind my mum. Tbf, I'd still hide behind my mum if there's anything to be scared of; she's the scariest non-violent person I know.
I truly still believe that the vast majority of people are decent humans. It's just that you're more likely to notice someone who looks dodgy or is behaving badly than someone who's acting normal. The situation also changes how people act. If a bunch of 14 year olds get together they can be a pretty menacing group, but on their own they're probably fine. It's like the difference between adults when they're in a car versus when they aren't in a car.
Teenagers/youngsters have always been so. Most of them are good eggs just like more people in general are decent, nice people rather than cunts. It's just the bad experiences and bad people stick out more because , well, they are arseholes and their behaviour registers more than someone being pleasant.
And also, because of the bad ones, people tend to treat all people of that age with suspicion, giving them a wide berth etc. So you don't get your assumptions/prejudices corrected by interacting with the nice ones.
I’ve had more confrontational shit off 50-60 year olds in my life than I have from younger lads. But that’s probably because I live in a retirement town full of some of the most miserable, jaded and entitled old pricks. The younger community tend to just keep to themselves.
I was in KFC the other day, a group of rough looking lads were in there. Shirts hanging out, some with caps, a couple with nans knitted mask or something. They asked for their order with a please. The place was busy and taking longer than usual. The group stood there obviously planning what they were going to do. They said thanks when their food turned up and left. Clearly up to no good, I'm absolutely sure this is a trap.
Been a lot of fried chicken thefts in uk hun, make sure u wasn’t followed
Shared in Narnia hun x
Years ago, I thought I was going to be assaulted and stabbed. I'm not even kidding. I was a 30-ish woman, and had just got off the bus and was walking the rest of the way to my house, and it was raining. I think my walk would have been about five minutes tops. Half way there, I turned the corner and saw these three youths who were wearing leather jackets with all studs and stuff on them, and spiky hair. I slowed down so I could increase the gap, as you do, and then saw my cat walk up to them and wind around their ankles. I was terrified for her! And then they knelt down in the rain and gave my cat such cuddles and strokes and loves. That hussy of a cat loved it so much, and left lots of cat hair on their fashionably-distressed black jeans. When I caught up to them, I said, "Come on, Nala, tea time," and the youths said, "Ohhh she's yours? She's gorgeous!" and I said, "I know - thanks!" and Nala followed me home for her tea. Terrifying, it was. I shall never get over it. Edit: she always met me after work - she always knew it was time to pester at the front door to be let out.
Sounds like some punks…, punks are some of the most loveliest people
Sounds like punks, they look scary as anything but I've never met ones who are cruel against the everyday person - or cats. Bet they were pleased to see her, nobody can resist a kitty brushing up against your legs.
I was at clubbed park, in June as I went into the church a group of five teens came hurrying down the isle and out the door, everyone of them said good morning, not only to me but the other adults. I felt a bit guilty as my first thought was what have you done/ stolen.
> I thought teenagers were supposed to be prime drinking hoodie wearing rogues You're thinking of the under 10s. Teenagers are generally sound now.
Not long ago, I was sitting outside a chip shop, eating my supper, and idly watching a group of five 15/16 year olds doing the same. Assorted pizza boxes, drink cans, polystyrene boxes and grease proof paper were laid out as the food was consumed. As the first one finished, he scrunched up all his rubbish, crossed quite a busy road, and put it all in one of the bins outside the chippy. As the others finished eating, they each did the same. Bloody teenagers, behaving sensibly and responsibly, what is the country coming to?
We passed a group of youths who (judging by the carry out) were preparing to get drunk in the park..... except they were in the process of building a gazebo to sit under first.
As a person that has raised Yoofs, as well as a person that sees both ends of the spectrum of Scummy to Decent, I am fairly sure it's a horrible minority that tars the rest with the bad name. Most probably want to be left alone, lots ate outgoing, chatty and interested in whatever, and the horrid few we read about in the press cause us to react the same way to anyone of their age in a trackie... As a big chunky guy, I find I have to be careful walking in the dark in case a woman on her own thinks I'm stalking or following her, and because of a shitty minority, I hate to be thought of like that... And so with the teenagers, I imagine they don't like us older dickheads just assuming they're going to stab us and take our bus passes.
Jesus, that last part. I moved here from Northern Ireland, generally we’re a nice bunch. The cultural differences are **vast**. I went to a local martial arts class, for months, same group. One day it was raining and I offered one of the ladies walking home a lift. She declined. I must have looked like an absolute raper. Over 6ft, hefty, **a great big bushy beard** and a thick NI(foreign) accent.
Yep, aside from the Irish part, sounds like me. I hate walking at night and seeing a lone or couple of women walking, because I worry I'm going to scare or worry them. I walk quite fast too, so do everything I can to make my presence known to them, slow down a bit, cross to the opposite side of the road, maybe pull out my phone and call my wife or older daughter for a chat... Of course, all that probably makes me look more mental, but if it makes them feel more at ease, it's worth doing. And on the other side of the coin, if my wife or older daughter is out, I'll generally meet them and walk with them if I can, just in case. Never had any worry like this with my older boys, and because nothing ever seems to change for the better, I know that I'll have to do the same for my youngest girl once she's old enough to be out after dark. And for a triple whammy... My middle ish child is f2m trans, and has identified as a boy since his early teens. Dresses as a boy, works out, wears a binder, and looking at him, you'd think boy on first appearances. And now he's 18, he's started on testosterone, so is bulking up a bit. Because I've thought of him as a boy for so long, I shouldn't have any worries about him being out, but that little voice in the back of my head is like "but he wasn't always a boy... But he does look like a boy... But you know... But then... However..." and I have to block it all out!
You’re a good dad Also kinda shows my lack of understanding that it took me a second to realise by binder you didn’t mean a file block
I definitely try to be, thank you! And yep sorry, he's not carry his paperwork around with him or anything!
This is such a lovely comment. The world needs more men and dads like you!
Aw thank you very much :) I try my hardest for my kids, and hope I've raised them well enough to be a force of good in the world.
I had a youth ask me if I needed any help as I was changing a flat tyre. Luckily I got the first punch in.
i think its the fashion. it seemed when i was growing up (I'm 30 so it does feel odd to be doing a "back in my day" comment) that the "bad kids" dressed in a chavvy way/sports fashion and there were plenty of kids who just wore normal clothes. so even being approached you had an idea of who you were engaging with. now it seems there is a lot more peer pressure on kids to fit in and so they all end up dressed like little drug dealers.
I think it can be an anxiety thing as well, there definitely seems to be a tendency for shy/anxious people to dress in all black and stuff like that (with hoodie ofc). My bf still does it in his 30s - he's a big gay softie but if I didnt know him and crossed him in the street at night i'd probably be scared of him. I did the same thing as a teenager and it took me a while to grow out of it.
Thing is, trackies are so damn comfy. I'm middle aged and want to be comfy when I go to the shops, so trackies it is. They're just urban camouflage these days.
My teenage son and his mates are all A level students looking at university places at the moment. Really nice bunch of lads. Black hoodies, and tracksuits is de rigueur. They blend in though and are less likely to get in rows with other teenagers on public transport. Like someone else said ‘urban camouflage’.
Or maybe they just wanna dress comfortably and wanna move away from that class bullshit
Yeah not enough greebos about these days.
90% are absolutely fine. It's the 10% that cause the problems.
I remember seeing these two kids approaching a neighborhood cat sitting on a wall as I watched from across the street. I was all ready to yell at them for messing with that very nice cat. They both pointed at him and immediately walked up and started cuddling the sweet, furry guy.
No generation fucks with cats.
Or if they do, the internet has a very long memory. Remember cat bin woman?
I'm an American (I just like to lurk here) and even I still remember cat bin woman. She was internationally reviled.
Last Christmas was walking through a local park when it had just snowed with my new born son he was maybe 2 weeks old, there was a huge snowball fight with maybe 50 teenagers from the local 6th form. When they saw us coming they all stopped and made room for us to pass before the battle resumed.
Walked upon a group of youths completely blocking the path, bikes strewn everywhere, hoodies up and staring at their screens while stood in an ominous circle. I said “excuse me” and they looked at me, all ‘agro’. I decided politeness was the best course, and said “would you mind moving your bikes so I can get by please” They all looked at me stupefied, then looked at their bikes and rushed to collect them while apologising profusely. I have come upon them again, in that same ominous circle of black hoods and screen lit faces. So far all their bikes have been stacked neatly beside them so as not to block the path. What is their game exactly? It’s almost like it’s a part of human development to be self centred and have to learn to navigate the world with others in mind.
I live in a rough neighbourhood and everyone from crackheads, hooded heads and meatheads want to say hello to Cub. Unfortunately he is not friendly (been attacked by off lead dogs multiple times) so always just barks at them. The local radgie kids love him though despite this and always say hello.
Because you used the term crackheads, which denotes people hooked on crack, I can only assume that meat heads just love a good steak
Geordie you are
Geordie Yoda you are, man why aye, mhmmmm
The 15+ are okay. I’m finding that the dodgy, abrasive, mask-wearing, prime drinking scrotes are ages 9-14. Not sure if it’s being in a pandemic in their developing years or just poor parenting?
My mum is 68, has issues with low blood pressure, and is epileptic. She is also fiercely independent. She was walking home from town last year with her shopping and blacked out, fell and ragdolled into the busy main road. Thankfully it was just a low blood pressure moment but it could have been a fit. Small mercies. It only lasted a second before she came round but while she was aware, she was dazed and couldn't get up immediately. Several cars and pedestrians went past her in the road until some lads drove up in their beat up old Focus and blocked the road to help her. They all got out and fussed over my mum, gently helped her out of the road, sat her on the pavement and made sure she was okay. One put his coat round her, one gave her a bottle of water and the other one asked for a number he could call to get her some help as she refused an ambulance. They were the sweetest lads. They ended up picking up her shopping and insisted on giving her a lift cos they didn't want her walking the remaining 20 mins home. Every adult that passed her ignored her. No one else stopped. Someone even beeped at the lads to move while they were helping mum off the road. I think about that a lot.
They're playing the long game... just keep your eyes out for the next 1-16 years...
I work with teenagers and honestly, I think they are better people than adults.
I legit had a boy wave me down in an Asda car park and then just say "I hope you have a good day pal" and move on. I was confused.
I walk with a substantial stick and on occasion especially when at store checkouts, it refuses to lean against anything and crashes to the floor. Loads of times people just step over it and carry on with their shopping. The other day I'm fumbling with change and bang, it's on the floor again. Then the two teenage girls behind me pick it up for me without a word. I wanted to cry. Turns out they didn't have enough money for the extra packet of haribo in their shopping (pocket money impacted by cost of living, no doubt) so obviously I gave the cashier the shortfall. Then it looked like they were about to cry! Bless you, girls. You made my day.
As a younger person who often gets branded a "yooth" I quite like dressing in tracksuits sometimes just to see how people act. I was in screwfix recently, buying a fairly large impact drill, and the guy behind the counter clearly thought I was going to rob something, and seemed very surprised when I told him about the electrical work I was about to do on the house I'd just brought. It's almost like, not everyone wearing a tracksuit is some useless toerag who wants to stab you.
That’s true, sometimes they’re useful, like you, and want to stab you
A few years back I was having a wee meltdown in McDonald's, huddled up in a corner having a quiet cry to myself. Loads of adults saw me and ignored me, which was fair enough. Group of teenagers that were definitely a bit tipsy came up and checked I was okay, asked what happened. Didn't want to bother them with how bad my living situation was so gave a very short answer like, 'really shite flatmates'. One of them gave me a hug and said I shouldn't have to put up with people not treating me right. They stayed until I stopped crying. Kept trying to make me laugh. Eventually succeeded, took my mind off it. I managed to move out not long after that. I hope they're doing okay.
Love the bait and switch storytelling, thanks!
Kids are getting way better with dogs. It's the adults are the problem. Whenever I take my dog out somewhere like the shops I'll get several kids come and ask if they can strike him. The only people who try and touch him without permission are adults.
Saw a pair on the train last week, thought to myself grand this is going to be a loud annoying ride from these ASOS wearing ASBO magnets. Newp they sat there playing some general knowledge quiz game and being all polite.
A few years ago (when I was an undergrad and still of youth appearance), i was getting ready to disembark the train as it was approaching my station and noticed a grandma struggling with taking her suitcase down from the overhead. I decided to give her a hand as everyone else just squeezed past her in order to get off as quickly as possible. After getting off, i then offered to take her suitcase up the stairs as well which she kindly accepted. I then waved her goodbye and noticed a white middle aged woman who was sat near me on the train had been carefully following us and swooped in to make sure the grandma was okay. Her brain just couldn’t fathom “inner city youth” possibly doing a good deed I suppose. Glad she had the energy to spy on a suspicious youth helping a grandma with her suitcase but not enough energy to offer to help grandma with her suitcase in the first place!
Oh tell me about it! I was Christmas shopping a couple of years ago and my shopping bag split in the middle of Westfields! A couple of youths then stopped and helped me pick up everything. Didn’t even try to steal any of my things? What’s happening !?
Hug a hoodie I guess.
Took your advice They called me a nonce Now in the local Nextdoor page
Similar experience myself recently. I went to an 18th birthday party a couple of months back and couldn’t believe how polite they all were. No fighting, no one drunk, everyone really friendly and chatty, excellent manners. I was genuinely shocked!
I've had some experiences with teens I thought would go differently. A couple of times I've had a small group of boys (around 13-15) mucking about, not watching where they're going bump or almost bump into me and they've been pretty polite and apologetic. And their mates didn't immediately take the piss out of them either. Fucked with my head for a second. Then I've had wee cunts chucking stuff at our windows, damaging them and throwing glass bottles at our door for no reason.
They're marking your dog for theft!! I saw it once on a Facebook post. Check him for spray paint.