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Original poster

Oops, I think my teen is the subject of a moany thread on the local FB group

52 replies

Grottyfeet · 01/08/2020 14:46

It started with a complaint that a group of teens are out in the early hours, a couple of times a week, "talking loudly" and has escalated to:

  • my van got broken into, must be them
  • there's been a spate of burglaries (I don't think there has)
  • they must be responsible for all the litter
  • there's three of them with back packs and baseball caps, clearly up to no good
  • young people need to get out and earn some money rather than thinking they can take everyone else's
  • if they had jobs they wouldn't be out at night, spongers
  • have you seen all the graffiti?
  • we need the Bobby on his bike back

I think it may be my son and his colleagues walking home from their late shift at McDonalds. Blush I don't hear him come in anymore, but I'm aware that they've just finished work, this is their social time and it doesn't "feel" late to them. Before lockdown they often went to the gym at 2am, just for somewhere to hang out or they went to the 24hr Tescos and bought food to eat in the carpark while they chatted but those options are currently closed and they can't share a car. (Actually I'm not sure what the rule is there now?)

I've had words but the lack of understanding about why young people may be out at that time has made me laugh. Also the willingness to demonize them, these were the first to step up when volunteers were asked for to return from furlough and get the restaurants open. However, I understand it must be very annoying so he is going to ask his friends to pipe down.

Do I own up on the group?

OP posts:
SavoyCabbage · 01/08/2020 14:58

90% of those Facebook groups are people complaining about other people and general madness.

There is absolutely no point on arguing the point with people on Facebook. You will never get anywhere.

Tell your son and hopefully they will keep it down. There is no need for them to be talking to each other at a volume other people can hear in the middle of the night when it’s so quiet.

They will need some down time after work but there isn’t anywhere for them to go really at the moment but that’s been the exact same situation for people working day shifts for months now, he’s no worse off than anybody else.

Ernieshere · 01/08/2020 15:02

Delete F.B - end of Grin and wallow in not knowing anything else!

I did it 7 years ago, its a breath of fresh air not being on s.media.

I mumsnet too much though

(I love GOOD grafitti & think it should be everywhere) Blush

RonaldMcDonaldio · 01/08/2020 15:04

Haha, you must be on my local group - or they're all the same!

Ignore and rise above.

SnuggyBuggy · 01/08/2020 15:05

Surely burglars don't talk loudly Grin

Seriously I dread this happening when mine is older

Original poster
Grottyfeet · 01/08/2020 15:06

I wasn't complaining on his behalf and I certainly wasn't planning on trying to defend him but it's not exactly true of people working day shifts Savoy, we've long been able to go out for a walk, or chat in a garden at the end of our working day.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 01/08/2020 15:08

What makes you think it may be them?

And why would you 'own up' rather than them?

Original poster
Grottyfeet · 01/08/2020 15:11

Only because I have spoken to them in the past about being loud outside our house and they are three tall skinny lads, as described with back packs (they have to carry their uniform to work to comply with Covid precautions) and baseball caps (they do walk home in uniform).

They are young, they don't use FB Grin

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 01/08/2020 15:13

Well if they're not on FB then they can't own up.

It's not down to you to do it on their behalf.

You've done what you can by telling them to keep it down.

godsowncountry · 01/08/2020 15:20

I'd remove myself from the group. I've had to remove myself from ours as people constantly complained about my husband. My husband is a farmer, it's harvest time, tractors run late at night.
It's mostly people who moved to the country for lovely field views who moan about tractors in the field. None of them look hungry either...

Burnthurst187 · 01/08/2020 15:22

Don't say anything, you'll just get flamed by a bunch of faceless fools and wish you hadn't

Original poster
Grottyfeet · 01/08/2020 15:23

Oh but it's fun. The woman who complained about the litter lives a couple of doors down and believe me, it's not litter that makes her front garden look like a tip Grin

OP posts:
Deathraystare · 01/08/2020 15:25

It reminds me quite sadly of when I lived in Hastings. There was a language school. The young people used to congregate in town. I would imagine once they had finished their lessons there was not many places to go.

Lots of "What are they doing, they must be up to no good" never saw signs of bad behaviour.

Dogsaresomucheasier · 01/08/2020 15:33

Lol! My Ds has just joined the boards of marauding, litter dropping, car scratching, plant trampling, pavement chalking, water bomb throwing delinquents on our estate. There is a complaint about them at least once a week on FB. (It’s the pissed, post pub adults who do any damage on their way home, but no, it must be a bunch of 8-10 year olds!)

Dogsaresomucheasier · 01/08/2020 15:34

Ignore!

Progress2019 · 01/08/2020 15:36

I think my daughter and her colleagues have been the subject of the same type of post, walking home from their jobs at Wetherspoons. People will always complain, and young people will always behave like this.

I was a student nurse in the early 90s, and used to get dropped back at my flat share by a colleague after late shifts. We’d buy food from the all night garage and sit in the car and chat for a bit. Once a man banged on her window and said prostitutes like us were disgusting. Nowadays we would probably cause a social media outcry!

fuckinghellapeacock · 01/08/2020 15:38

Report the post to the moderators.
The local children’s home has 5 residents and some utter cunt photographs them playing on the park at 7pm and starts a ‘teenager hate’ thread about how they must be selling drugs etc etc.
It’s the last acceptable form of bigotry. Angry

Maoams · 01/08/2020 15:41

People on our local FB group have got absolutely obsessed about a group of teenagers that hang around at the local park. Every bloody thread is about the teenagers and complaining about them in some capacity. One of the teenagers actually joined the group and replied on loads of the thread. It was actually quite funny but everyone else was horrified and he was banned from the group.

Alexandernevermind · 01/08/2020 15:44

If they are being identified by photos, names or descriptions then this could be classed as slander or harassment and if the administrator won't take action you can go to the police. If they aren't identified then ignore.

bigbluebus · 01/08/2020 15:46

@SnuggyBuggy Surely burglars don't talk loudly Grin
Apparently in our village they wear hi-viz jackets Hmm

SmudgeButt · 01/08/2020 15:53

Surely if they are loud there's nothing to stop someone calling out the window to them "Oi! Quiet please!! We're trying to sleep!!!" I would expect that might get a shout back of "sorry!" and they would trot along.

SmudgeButt · 01/08/2020 15:53

Surely if they are loud there's nothing to stop someone calling out the window to them "Oi! Quiet please!! We're trying to sleep!!!" I would expect that might get a shout back of "sorry!" and they would trot along.

LillianBland · 01/08/2020 16:13

@Progress2019

I think my daughter and her colleagues have been the subject of the same type of post, walking home from their jobs at Wetherspoons. People will always complain, and young people will always behave like this.

I was a student nurse in the early 90s, and used to get dropped back at my flat share by a colleague after late shifts. We’d buy food from the all night garage and sit in the car and chat for a bit. Once a man banged on her window and said prostitutes like us were disgusting. Nowadays we would probably cause a social media outcry!

Ohh. You just reminded me of when I was out with two friends, many moons ago. We’d had a meal and stopped into a posh hotel for a few drinks. A man we had been chatting to, offered to buy us a drink each. At this stage the bar man asked us to leave. We couldn’t understand why, until the penny dropped. He thought we were trying to pick up punters. We, being the well socialised females, left feeling embarrassed. We were three nurses!

I’m pissed off thinking about how soft we were. Of course I’d verbally rip anyone’s head off, that treated me like that now, but we were young.

VinylDetective · 01/08/2020 16:24

Our local FB group is just a succession of whinges. It’s being miserable that keeps them so cheerful. The latest whine was about riders not clearing up after their horses! Just ignore them, they need to get lives.

BlueJava · 01/08/2020 16:50

Of course you don't out your own son and his mates to a group of curtain twitchers on facebook. You definitely ignore it! It may not even be your son they are referring to anyway.

ThatLibraryMiss · 01/08/2020 17:10

Rather than "own up" I'd post something like "I'll ask my son to keep an eye out for anyone up to no good. He and his mates come home from work at about that time."

See if they realise who they're complaining about, and if they stop if/when they do.