Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Does your town/city have a problem with teens in bicycles?

96 replies

legofansmum · 27/08/2018 17:12

I live in a small city, would be a town if we didn't have a cathedral (size wise)

Over the past year or so there has been a lot of trouble with boys aged 11 ish-16 ish causing havoc on bikes. They mainly go around in large groups. They like to do wheelies, pull up in front of in coming traffic, circulate cars and buses. Swear and abuse the general public.

Today a group of them cycled up to a lady and for no reason at all knocked her phone out of her hand - smashing it in the process. They continued to be a nuisance, shouting and swearing abuse.

Last month a huge group of them had to be escorted by the police as they all rode their bikes dangerously down a dual carriageway. There were at least 60 of them!

They also like to ride their bikes and perform wheelies in the city centre in pedestrian only areas- really dangerous , especially for anyone infirm around them. They also cause havoc for local shopkeepers.

Is this a nationwide thing or a local phenomenon? Baffles me why they put their own and others lives at risk . I was on a bus earlier in year where they kept riding in front of it. The driver had to slam brakes due to it. Could've caused a nasty accident.

Worries me greatly as my son grows up, what society is becoming.

OP posts:
Original poster
legofansmum · 27/08/2018 17:12

Teens on bikes , sorry

OP posts:
Medea13 · 27/08/2018 17:17

No, the local blight here is children aged 2-10 on scooters. They are fucking maniacs.

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 27/08/2018 17:21

Yep! General topic on our towns spotted page. Which is divided between they need sorted and they're just bored! Problem is there's places for them to go... Not sure how boredom and driving towards traffic relates.

thanksamillion · 27/08/2018 17:30

Yes but from your description I live in the same city!

Tara336 · 27/08/2018 17:31

I have t witnessed it myself but have read and seen photos on our own and nearby towns spotted pages

Beeziekn33ze · 27/08/2018 17:32

Yes - I'm in a suburb of a city. We also have teenagers on motorised bicycles doing wheelies across busy junctions.
I asked a boy about 12 on a bike in the road to hurry up with his wheelies as I wanted to cross the road. He came onto the narrow path and rode straight at me. How he missed I don't know, a passer by said she thought I'd be killed.
While I was waiting for a bus two boys about 14 cycled up the road yelling abuse at each other. When the bus appeared one swerved across the road and forced the driver to make a stop, verbally abused the driver and rode off laughing.
Whole groups of boys ride across the road to slow down buses.

Then, of course, there are there are the hell for leather riders on the pavements delivering drugs and the wretched smaller kids delivering them on scooters.

StepBackNow · 27/08/2018 17:33

Problematic around here as well. Facebook community pages very worried, police can't be arsed.

runningkeenster · 27/08/2018 17:37

I'd agree the small kids on scooters are more of a blight.

But the bigger one is the adults who drive enormous cars for very short journeys. And park on pavements. And in front of driveways. And on grass verges. Etc.

Janleverton · 27/08/2018 17:40

Yes. Suburb of London. Recently it’s been kids riding the boris style bikes, nicking other kids bikes and cycling away. The big gangs have eased off, (the “road boys” 🤨) prob because lots of people still away on holiday/not got the numbers. But they’re idiots risking their lives with dodgy manoeuvres and no helmets, as well as potentially damaging cars and freaking out drivers and pedestrians.

CharltonLido73 · 27/08/2018 17:41

Yes, we have them around here. I was driving along a main road recently when about 8 teenage boys were coming towards me on the other side of the road, all doing wheelies and holding up the traffic behind them. One of them suddenly veered across the central chevron area, heading right into my path. I had no intention of stopping (I could see from the look on his face that his manoeuvre was deliberate) so I hit my horn, long and loud - which had the effect of shocking him out of his wheelie - the front wheel suddenly came to earth on the chevron area.

It's a power game, and one of intentional intimidation. There needs to be more police on their case.

foxtiger · 27/08/2018 17:46

In my town there was a craze for riding along the sea wall and then doing a bunny hop off it onto the pavement below - sometimes right in front of or almost on top of people walking. It seems to have died down again now, but I really thought someone was going to get hurt for a while.

gamerwidow · 27/08/2018 17:50

We did last year but it seems to have fizzled out.
This time last year everytime you went out there would be packs of youths on bikes doing wheelies down the middle of the road and deliberately blocking traffic.
Don’t know if the police got involved or they just got bored..

MidLifeCrisis2017 · 27/08/2018 17:52

Neighbouring village has a problem with them cycling around Tesco Express and swearing at everyone. They're not yet teenagers.

Leesa65 · 27/08/2018 18:02

Yes
Doing their wheelies in busy traffic mostly
Ignorant little turds

Original poster
legofansmum · 27/08/2018 22:35

Ah not just here then.
It's getting out of hand here, can't understand why unhelmeted teens would ride towards cars and buses causing them to have to do an emergency stop.

Hope it fizzles out soon. They're terrorising the area, when riding the bikes into shops and riding up and down the aisles.

OP posts:
serbska · 27/08/2018 22:38

Yup - London suburb. Wheelies in the traffic and circling in big groups around cars intimidating people.

I wouldn’t be especially upset if a few of them came a cropper.

Justgivemesomepeace · 27/08/2018 22:40

It's kids on moped type things that are causing havoc here. All over the roads and pavements at stupid speeds doing crazy manoeuvres. The secondary school sent out warnings to be careful on the way home as they were hanging around at home time riding into kids. One got his arm broken. Bloody idiots. Some of their parents are no better though.

Boofay · 27/08/2018 22:42

Yup. Here too. Unless it's the same small city we're talking about.

Muddlingalongalone · 27/08/2018 22:44

Yy - outer london borough. not sure about them actually causing trouble but i hate them riding just in front of me when I'm driving, on & off the pavement, wheelies etc.

caddywally · 27/08/2018 22:45

Same here! City in south Wales. I think there was talk of a heavier police presence in the areas they've been known to cause trouble, but I don't know if anything's come of it.

Original poster
legofansmum · 27/08/2018 22:46

Boofay it's in the South West if that narrows it a little

Serbska and Justgive, crikey that's awful. I just don't understand the mentality. We have a few kids in scramblers that ride pavements and alleys but that has died down a little. All you hear and see at the moment is people on a daily basis being terrorised by the feral bike kids.

OP posts:
JenBarber · 27/08/2018 22:46

Yes!

They call themselves the BA14 Boyz (or summat).

Police deny their existence.

ourkidmolly · 27/08/2018 22:49

Yes London suburb.

honeysucklejasmine · 27/08/2018 22:49

Yes, I live where you do, OP. Terrifying.

Beba11 · 27/08/2018 22:52

Massive problem in West London London where I am too! Wheelies, dangerous cycling, muggings, you name it