Kids in masks - threatening

[OutAndAbouting]

Just wondering here what anyone else would have done in these circumstances.

Today I was in town. It was chaos, given half term. There was a group, at least a dozen, of kids, perhaps 13-14, who were wearing gold masks. (Am I outing?).

I'm just wondering what anyone else would have done to react to this? I found it incredibly threatening. I did approach the kids and speak to them, querying whether or not their approach could be threatening or illegal. I later found a policeman who was patrolling. He went to investigate.

Would anyone else find this threatening or am i being over cautious?

I don’t think wearing masks is illegal? Were they being a nuisance?

Why did you approach and question them if you found it threatening?

There were many of them. I found it quite threatening. I approached one of the who wasn't wearing a mask at that time but holding one - he was very defensive, and I had a few of them (wearing masks) approach me to join in the discussion and challenge me.

I'm quite brave!

Brave? and reasonable.

I'm interested as to what anyone else would have done.

Mask as in covid type mouth mask or full face mask?

I would find that intimidating too.
I think all face coverings should be banned in public, like they are in other countries.
The only males I ever see wearing masks are always behaving like idiots and behaving in an anti social manner.
Shouting, sweating, spitting, riding bikes on pavements and in pedestrian areas.

Full face. metallic.

That sums it up.

I'd have found it weird more than threatening - unless they were doing something threatening of course.

I'm also struggling to understand why you went up to them if you felt threatened. I wouldn't have approached a group of young people I felt threatened by.

Anyone who denies this statement is an airhead. Unless you're 5 and it's Halloween, there is no reason to wear a full plastic mask entirely covering your face in public (there is rarely ever a good reason for it), but certainly not in a group of large numbers.

They probably did it with the intention of intimidating people, because that's what boys are raised to believe being a man is these days. Cutting about with 50 others causing trouble and terrorising people. Pathetic.

It is halloween this weekend kids wearing masks is standard where i am and dance groups wear the same costumes for routines so could have been them. I wouldnt have gone near them to be honest.

@

Probably given them a dirty look then gone about my day. If I had seen a PO on patrol that day would have also made them aware.

Addressing these sorts is futile as they haven't enough intellect to listen to reason. They've learnt their defensive script, they enjoy what they're doing, and nobody other than the police is going to stop them.

I've tried to post a pic of the masks from Amazon. They are full face, with nose, eyes, mouths. MN won't let me post them! I've tried for ages and got stuck!

I agree, threatening. Also, I perhaps was a little silly to approach them, but that's the way I am. And I'nm 5'1" and very tiny.

Like this?

I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Were they just hanging around chatting or going up to people? If the former I would have just ignored it, the latter shy group going up to people is intimidating, masked or not.

Yes, but perhaps not as shiny. Very intimidating in a large group. I'm not quite sure what they were trying to achieve, but they certainly did the intimidating thing. Loads of them.

Cobblers. Banning all of any dress is overreach. Everything from disease control to religion is suddenly illegal.

Airhead yourself.

Are you in Scotland by any chance"cutting about"
Police Scotland is mounting it's biggest op since Trumps visit.
All because little miscreants can't behave all balaclavad up terrorising people ie the elderly and vulnerable.

You saw some teenagers in masks, in Halloween break, in town. It's not really threatening, it's what I expect at this time of year.🤷‍♀️

What did they do and what did you say to them @OutAndAbouting?

How was it threatening?

OK. Am hoping not to be yelled at here!

I said to one of the boys that I thought that it might be illegal for them all to be running around in these masks. I told him that it was intimidating. He said 'I'm not, it's the others' whilst holding one. I told him I wasn't there to cause trouble. Then a few of them started coming towards me, with masks on, and I just said, look, I'm just trying to let them know that they might get into trouble, especially if they go into shops with them on. I then left. 10 minutes later i saw a patrol officer up the road and I stopped him to tell him what I'd seen. He was grateful.

These kids were trouble. They were looking for it.

However, I do of course recognise hijab, before anyone starts on me!

They were there to intimidate. However, they don't intimidate me.

I'm looking for other people's interpretations, of course, but also an idea as to what they would have done.

Intimidation is what it's all about these days.

I find a lot of young people very intimidating even without the masks.
Young people these days know there is very little adults can do to curb their behaviour in public.
I've talked to a few police over the past few years because of problems in my local area and some of them have expressed their exasperation at how powerless they feel when trying to deal with antisocial behaviour and vandalism committed by children and youths.

These kids were trouble. They were looking for it.

No they weren't. They were kids in masks at Halloween in a very public place. If they were looking for trouble they'd have found it and you wouldn't have went anywhere near them @OutAndAbouting.