To be really shocked by this.

[ivfbabymomma1]

Today whilst in the park for a walk I saw 4 teenagers, 2 boys & 2 girls. And the boys were "walking" the girls by leads attached to studded collars around their necks.

Is this a thing teenagers do?! It just didn't sit well with me.....

Would have been more impressed if the boys were wearing the collars and leads. They need to up their game...

Honestly I did this when I was young and stupid but the boys had the collars and leads on. We just thought we were cool like most teens. We weren’t goths either.

That's been happening for years. Like twenty years at least. They're just sooooo kewl.

It has been a Goth thing, but I don't see how it fits into that worldview. Possibly just highlighting the dark side of life.

I think you should bother yourself with your own life and stop being bothered by other people’s.
They aren’t hurting anyone at the end of the day.

As for the disgusting poster who labelled them ‘weirdos’, you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself.

My friends growing up were all goths, ‘weirdos’ as you call them and the kindest, nicest people you could have met.
Many of them had very sad backgrounds too and were subjected to further (unprovoked) abuse on a regular basis for merely existing by people like you, that thought because they were different they were somehow deserving.

People should be allowed to dress however the fuck they want without narrow minded, nasty people calling them ‘weirdos’ and making nasty and most likely unfounded assumptions about their character.

I can't believe someone suggested contacting the police, mn is a totally different world sometimes... The embarrassing shit I wore as a goth teen makes me cringe. They're just trying stuff out, trying to shock (and succeeding, clearly).

@BigWolfLittleWolf I was infact a goth growing up 🙄🙄 no one had girls on leads.

Isn’t logging something with 101 given as the answer to most threads on MN 😂

Being a goth doesn't make you a weirdo. Letting a man walk you on a lead in public does. It's just embarrassing.

@BigWolfLittleWolf you would have probably assumed I was from a sad background and subjected to abuse if you saw me. Neither were true ☺️

@TheGumption

Being a goth doesn't make you a weirdo. Letting a man walk you on a lead in public does. It's just embarrassing.

Yup

No problem at all with wearing a dog collar, as has already been said that was a fashion/goth thing for years

But not when being walked about on a lead

i was infact a goth growing up 🙄🙄 no one had girls on leads
You’d think you’d be a bit less judgemental then!
I most definately remember studded dog collars (on both sexes) and leads.
It’s been a thing for quite some time.

But tbf, my comment was aimed more at the piece of work who called them weirdos.
Based purely on the fact they dress differently.

But I still stand by what I said, they aren’t harming anyone.
If people want to wear a dog collar and lead they can.

I was a goth back in the day and did wear a studded collar. I didn’t let anyone walk me though. But it’s teenagers trying to shock and they’ll grow out of it. Bit grim and I’d be upset if I had a daughter who allowed herself to be led around by a boy and be having a talk about things but hopefully a passing phase.

I'm not judging a trend. I didn't know it was a trend. I was just worried about the fact girls were being walked. I don't know what kind of message that gives to men to allow them to do that? I don't know, but yes if there happy then crack on. I only glanced over, I didn't whisper comments to anyone or make anyone feel uncomfortable.

you would have probably assumed I was from a sad background and subjected to abuse if you saw me. Neither were true
Good but that doesn’t change the fact the majority of goths I knew were very troubled young people, which makes the abuse other people felt compelled to dole out just because they were dressed differently even worse.
But as I said, people should have the freedom to wear whatever the hell they fancy.
These teenagers are not harming anyone.

Oh god I used to be part of the alt scene like 15 years ago and this was the stupid stuff we did... the boys would also take turns on the collars. We where so edgy and cool 🤣🙈

@BigWolfLittleWolf they aren't that's true. And I'm not trying to argue but if my son was walking a girl I'd have my concerns about how he thinks women should be treated?this girl might be ok to be walked but the next one might not? Maybe the girls walk the boys sometimes I don't know. I imagine a fair few people had something to say about my silver/purple lipstick 😂

@BigWolfLittleWolf one of the girls had like 50/50 split white/black hair which I actually thought looked quite cool 😂

I've never been a goth but know people who were. It's been a goth thing for ages

It's a bit odd but they're just kids - there won't be anything sinister in it. They'll look back and cringe in a couple of years time!

You definitely had good intentions OP and if you feel like something is off it’s always better to talk to someone to see if they think it’s off too. That’s why I do love MN as there are so many different types of people on here to give advice.

I was a teenage goth, can't say we ever did that but we are talking 20 years ago. Oh god I cringe at some of the things I wore, and the people I hung around with not that anyone should be ashamed of being goth but I'm ashamed of the try hard 15 year old me thinking I was so edgy and groundbreaking

I absolutely don't judge anyone for their choice of clothing or for following a "trend" like goth etc. Growing up me and my friends were a total mismatch of different trends (few goths, few Indy and I was a dancer and neither - probably what the Americans call preppy!)

I absolutely would have been shocked and judged this - for a start it sounds extremely dangerous

if you saw a fully grown man leading a fully grown woman around on a dog chain in a park what would you think?

is it "more" acceptable because the people doing it were teenagers?
i understand that teenagers aim to shock but is it just innocent?

was the chain "pulled tight" or dragging along the floor (ie no tension involved)

Oh and I do find the walking people around on leads quite shocking! If my children were doing this I would be RAGING!

@Bubblebu

if you saw a fully grown man leading a fully grown woman around on a dog chain in a park what would you think?

is it "more" acceptable because the people doing it were teenagers?
i understand that teenagers aim to shock but is it just innocent?

was the chain "pulled tight" or dragging along the floor (ie no tension involved)

I'd think they were doing it for sexual kicks and feel that I had been involved as some kind of unwilling spectator

Teenagers I would assume they just wanted to shock and I would just be glad it wasn't one of mine