Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu thinking teens should not do this

235 replies

Tiredmumno1 · 17/02/2010 17:15

Out with my two youngsters today and we were walking home from town down some back paths when i come across a massive group of teens, one says to me have you got 50p, i said no, as they walked off all i could hear was yeah i bet you havent. Why the hell cant they ask the parents i dont even know them. Its so intimidating.

OP posts:
rainbowinthesky · 17/02/2010 20:29

But they only asked you if you had 50p and then one of them said a very mild sarcastic comment. I doubt it would have occured to them that you would have found that intimidating - that doesnt make them bad...

pranma · 17/02/2010 20:35

Does anyone else ever have an almost uncontrollable urge to ask for a chip when walking past someone eating them in the street?

rainbowinthesky · 17/02/2010 20:37

We used to ask for fags - usually got them too (oooh we were naughty!)

AnyFucker · 17/02/2010 20:37

of course

Original poster
Tiredmumno1 · 17/02/2010 20:38

Sorry about that, dont know what happened, thanks to all that did show support

OP posts:
tethersend · 17/02/2010 20:39

In fairness to the OP, asking for a small amount of money is a well known mugging technique used by some of the kids I teach (don't ask )...

They ask for fifty pence, then your wallet, then your phone. They want to see what you have. By 'they' I mean some of the kids I teach, who have told me what they do/used to do.

The OP felt threatened. I don't blame her. And I like teenagers. I don't think they are too young to understand that approaching a woman on her own with children on a back path in a large group can and will be seen as intimidating.

rainbowinthesky · 17/02/2010 20:40

Ahhh, it's one of the aibu threads where you only want people to post if they agree with you...

rainbowinthesky · 17/02/2010 20:41

But they didnt approach her. They were walking down the same path and asked her a question.

tethersend · 17/02/2010 20:42

You approach someone to ask a question, rainbow.

Original poster
Tiredmumno1 · 17/02/2010 20:42

Look at the bigger picture 15-20 teens asking for 50p no shop nearby, so what the hell is that many youngsters wanting with just 50p. I certainly was not going to take money out of my pocket and put my kids and myself in danger, why should i?

OP posts:
janeite · 17/02/2010 20:44

You have never been asked for money before? Blimey - where do you live?

In the scale of things, it just sounds like they were being a bit daft and sarcastic - and you have over-reacted to be so sniffy about it imho. Yes, groups of teenagers can be intimidating but they didn't exactly do much, did they?

I agree with AnyFucker and LadyStardust.

rainbowinthesky · 17/02/2010 20:44

No one is saying you had to give them 50p. Maybe, just maybe, they wanted to buy a bag of chips when they got to the shops and were 50p short. I am sure had they been intent on mugging you they could have done so without you actually reaching into your purse.
I can understand your feelings but I disagree that they were bad kids.

janeite · 17/02/2010 20:45

And why do you need people on here to show 'support' over this? Nothing happened!

tethersend · 17/02/2010 20:49

I think teenagers should know not to approach strangers for money, especially in large groups- 'good' kids need to know this too, in case their actions are misconstrued.

Perhaps the boy who asked would be horrified to know that the OP felt intimidated- but I think he should know how his actions can make people feel.

hester · 17/02/2010 20:53

This thread is very, very strange...

MaureenMLove · 17/02/2010 21:03

Ah but every 50p gained soon adds up. How much is a bag of weed these days?

Kbear · 17/02/2010 21:07

ROFL at Mo!

OrmRenewed · 17/02/2010 21:09

I know a 13yr old who does this all the time!
Always asking for 50p to get a drink.

I usually say 'no, go and ask your father'.

Heated · 17/02/2010 21:20

Yes, imo it's intimidating to be approached by a large group and asked for money, especially if you are unprepared with a witty comeback - and I say this as someone who deals with large groups of teenage boys daily. They are relying on the pack vs the individual to intimidate ppl to give them money. The defiant comment afterwards was rude/intended to belittle.

Their age has nothing to do with it except that they really should have a roof over their heads at that age and no call for begging off strangers.

If they were doing this in a shopping centre they'd soon be moved on and my school or dh's would take a dim view if this happened in a school lunchtime and were reported.

Original poster
Tiredmumno1 · 17/02/2010 21:43

Well said heated makes alot of sense

OP posts:
Tortington · 17/02/2010 21:46

teenagers are intimidating and i would have been scared.

i was on a particularly weird and secret date when i was about 14, i kinda sneeked out the roller disco (shows age) and ran to bus stop as it all felt wrong and i asked a lady if she could give me 12p ( oh no age again) for bus fare and bless her, she did.

AnyFucker · 17/02/2010 22:01

gosh, am seriosuly surprised that all you bad-ass MN'ers are intimidated by a bunch of cocky teenagers

you need to practice your < hard stare > and your "you talkin' to me, sunshine ?" attitudes

come on ladies, you are the grown-ups here, get a grip

Tortington · 17/02/2010 22:04

think that very much depends where you live.

where i used to live if a gang of lads demanded 50p - i'd just hand it over ( unless i knew their mum)

down here i'd say no and say it with attitude - but deep down inside hope that i didn't get battered, knifed or raped. Highly unlikley but as has been mentioned thats the effect they are hoping for.

AnyFucker · 17/02/2010 22:07

some may be hoping for that effect custy

but I think even with the minimal info given in the OP, we are not talking about that scenario

one turned away, muttering a very, very mild comment

hardly Gangs Of New York, is it ?

Tortington · 17/02/2010 22:10

whilst i hear what you're saying. My personal feeling is one of intimidation in these situations. Whilst i recognise that the scenarios listed in my previous post are unlikely to happen, in a situation faced by a group of youths, i would be scared.

We are all made differently, i would be very scared and trying not to show it.

gangs of new york would be like where i used to live - seriously.