UK teens among the most badly behaved in Europe

[WhizzBangCaligula]

Oh God.

report here

This is so depressing. I want to move.

custardo - I guess the Mac. comment was aimed at me.

No I am sorry, a beautiful black boy called Kiyan was knived to death right in front of his school a few months ago not very far from where this Mac. is located.

I have a toddler who is 2.4. I would never ever risk his life and tell off a bunch of ill-mannered f*ers who are OLD ENOUGH (they were about 16) to know better that you shouldn't walk into a public eating establishment and throw stuff around and act as though are a meance to society.

I agree about football and other sports in public. Not a problem. But these guys didn't come in there to play soccer ! They came in to piss people off.

Sorry, I used to tell kids off when I was single. Now I fear for my child's safety and just shut my mouth.

it was a general comment about how society should speak up in those situations - and i did state state in certain areas of the uk you would get knived for doing that didn't i.

Yes custardo you did. Just wanted to point out why I didn't say anything in that particular situation. I have a responsibilty to my own child first.

yes custy! but is beast really best?

that would depend on the beast.

if young children arent allowed to play outside because parents are so paranoid about perverts etc thanks to the media,then how are they going to learn to be sociable?

having read that macd's thing-are there more knives/guns around these days than 20 years ago?i think back then if teenagers were being anti social then other adults were more willing to get involved and tell them to scatter.there seems to be alot more fear now,especially in cities.rowdy kids cause havoc in my local mcd's sometimes,but the staff kick them out.but you dont hear of many people carrying weapons where i live.

In this case not even the manager who came to look dared open his mouth. There must have been 50 of them. It would have been mad to react.

there were always knives. people carried knives - metal combes were sharpened at the end to act as knives ( police couldnt do you for carrying one)

but guns ... now theres a new thing ( out of Major cities) there is a deffo new gun culture going on IMO.

i wouldnt be afraid to speak up in most places i know.

There's honestly no safe place for my kids to play outside w/o me there right next to them.

We live on a busy road in a flat w/no garden.

Can't afford anything else.

Building loads of flats and Thatcher's war on affordable housing to rent has a lot to answer for.

expat - you are right - now there is real thug for you: Maggie Thatcher

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1938423,00.html
this made me think

aRTICLE INT HE TIMES ABOTU THIS TODAY
I FOUDN TI NICELY POSITIVE

OH bum

here

I remember once reading a quote about 'What will the world come to with the dreadful state of young people today'...

Plato - about 3000BC

Thanks for posting that COD. As you say - nicely positive.

OK, last week we have the worst behaved most antisocial teens in Europe - this week they're not allowed to hug each other. Can't win, can they?

however, I would like to say that cappuccino is never ever drunk after 3 pm

Can I tell my tale in defence of teenagers? I do not have a mobile phone (yep, I'm one of the 5% of the population who does not have one). I had to call my husband to pick me up due to issues involving trains - it was evening, cold and dark. The BT phone booth would only accept a minimum of 50p. I did have 50p but in 5ps and 10ps - none of which the phone would accept. I went over to the ticket desk, but they refused to give me a 50p coin in return for 50p worth of change. I asked several people - mostly over 40s - none could or would help me. At the far end of the platform were a group of loud, boisterous teenagers messing around. I approached them with dread, expecting my request to be laughed at and ridiculed. To my utter astonishment, before I had even the chance to finish explaining my situation/problem, these teenagers were offering me their mobile phones and 50p coins - and not expecting anything in return. Since then, my opinion of teenagers has completely changed. Yes, they may be loud and obnoxious, but when I was in trouble, they were the only ones willing to help.

I find the article (of course it is The Times, owned by that moron Murdoch, isn't it ?) stereotypical trash of the highest order.

Agreed Franca. It's only us Brits. who go to Rome and ask for a cappuccino after 11 am, which I am told is never ever done in Italy. Anyway, we prefer drinking crap tea with milk over here, thanks very much !

Must admit that I found it vaguely insulting. Never mind. I love a nice cup of tea.

Our local policeman says he's always getting calls about teenagers 'hanging around', which people find threatening.

I think it's good that they're out in the fresh air and not sitting indoors in front of the Playstation.

It's the usual scenario - the tiny minority cause trouble and all teenagers are given the same label.

Most of the ones I know are charming, polite and very concerned about global issues - they just LOOK like a bunch of scruffy slobs!