Were you like this as a teenager?

[trayceeeee]

Been at the local skate park with my son tonight. It's his favourite place in the world. It's usually full of skaters, BMXers, scooter kids etc, but tonight it was overwhelmed with teenegers, probably age 14/15, vaping, shouting, swearing every other word, listening to ridiculously loud music, walking intentionally in front of my camera when I tried to take a photo, shouting 'oi little boy' at my 6yo. Was an absolute nightmare. I never remember being like this as a teen. Feeling really frustrated that we've had to leave as it just wasn't a suitable environment for my son.

I guess my question is whether anyone here was like this as a teen? Is it just kids who are generally normal showing off in front of their mates? Or are they likely just assholes?

Son now saying he's scared of the skate park!

I appreciate there are probably kids like this everyone but really needed to vent so thanks mn!

They also had a few kids with them that looked like younger siblings, around 8/9 years old. They also tried to smash up a beryl bike!

No. But I remember the skate park was exactly where this type hung out. It’s also where people did drugs and dealt drugs. Only time I went was with a boyfriend who went on to steal my money and spit on me. I shudder at the memories

Were the teenagers boys or girls, and are you male or female?

im guessing you’re female and that most of the offending teenagers were male.

Ive definitely seen and heard of that sort of teenage behaviour before both as a teenager and since, but I didn’t engage in it myself and nor did any of my (mostly female) friends. I bet my brother and his mates did though…

what sort of time of day was it?

We've been here almost every night for the last 6 months but I honestly think it's the clocks changing so less normal people here and more absolute yobs!

5pm, equal males and females but the girls kept themselves to themselves.

No.

but I did swear as a teenager and I did listen to loud music outside.

teenagers and small children not generally a good mix. Skate parks in evenings do tend to have an older crowd.

Honestly we've been here all summer. Usually full of stoners who are pretty chill! Tonight has been a totally stressful experience.

No I wasn’t. My kids love a skate park too and we never see that behaviour, generally just lots of really welcoming older teen boys/young adult men. Key thing is we go in daytime/mornings/weekends!

No but I do remember some teens being like that though.
My 14 year old DD and her friends would never behave like this but I’m sure plenty of kids in their school would

Other than vaping, the rest, while annoying & immature is relatively harmless.

He could be doing a lot worse...pick your battles.

No I wasn’t like that and neither is my teen ds, but I’ve never let him hang out at the skate park in the evenings because unfortunately that’s how it can be there. I’m sorry you and your ds experienced this, there are some real idiot teens out there.

Its probably one of the few places they can congregate on the darker evenings, and groups of teens can quickly get loud. Plus they probably didn't want a parent and child there..

Shouting 'oi little boy' over and over to an autistic 6 year old is horrible behaviour. It wasn't done to be nice. They were deliberately trying to make us leave.

Teens have very few options unlike smaller children who are very well provided for in terms of parks/soft play.

Youth clubs have been closed, youth workers have been lost.

I'd say you should keep to the daytime for visiting the skate park and allow teens some time without having to dodge small children, which would be annoying.

Our town has youth clubs every night of the week. Our council spent 20k+ last year building a hut for the teens to use in the park two years ago, do they use it? Course fucking not. Now they want to build another in our only other park 😂

Can quite imagine this happening in my town.