75ZT Community

... but an observation of possible future work as a Youth Court Magistrate

I went to the local convenience shop a few minutes ago and found a group of some half a dozen girls ranging in age from five to eleven at a guess, milling around the doorway, swearing like troopers and generally being a nuisance.

It was striking that they all seemed to be wearing quite professionally applied make-up and several had their long hair piled on top as a woman would to attend a formal evening function.

Anyway, one of them seemed reluctant to enter the shop without the permission of the shop-keeper, a very good friend of mine.

This particular youngster was banned from the shop apparently and when the shop-keeper reminded her of this fact she said:-

"Let me in or I'll say you tried to rape me, you paki bastard".

I was taken aback by this and the fact must have registered on my face as the shop-keeper looked at me and said:-

"Not bad for a six year old?"

While I was being served he told me that she was banned because she was an inveterate shop thief who, when challenged, would shrug her shoulders and say "so what, you can't do anything to me. I'm not ten yet."

I offer no judgement on their parents / guardians, other than to say, as I have done on many occasions before, that there are times in the Youth Court when I'd rather be sentencing the parents than the defendant.

Who'd be a small shop-keeper?

One of the local shops near me doesn't let any school kids in. He serves them through a window.
Some of my daughters friends are banned from the local supermarket after being caught shoplifting. The manager says the girls are worse than the boys.

Given the attitude of one so young and brazen, ie fully aware of the implications of a sex crime accusation and, I'm quite sure, aware of her own racism (although maybe not as venomous as in an adult), it would probably be reasonable to assume the sentiments are widespread among her 'peer group' (makes a change to be able to use an 'in' phrase accurately).

I think if I were the bedevilled shop-keeper/teacher/social worker I would be inclined to consider myself at risk and carry a discreet audio-only recording device.

One of the worst tragedies of modern community life is the dread fear of being an adult male, near a park or playground, alone or with company, and having to forego the delight of watching children playing and thereby recalling the glorious days of your own family growing up.

The age of criminal responsibility currently being 10 years of age, is IMO way too high, as clearly indicated by this incident.

I find this story so depressing, the degeneracy described by Paul is abroad everywhere. We have decided to try and find a spot not yet polluted by this decay. Perhaps a time-share, we're starting in a months time with the Orkneys, then probably France, where I lived with my late wife in the 90's.

This current time has been personally the most bleakly discouraging of my lifetime. With the 'slump' the chav is currently 'staycationing'. This means the beaches and town here is exposed to some of the vilest examples of humanity available in this country. I watched from the security of my 4th floor balcony last night, as two of them violently kicked a wooden bench on the Parade here into matchwood, their ages, probably no more than ten. This morning I rescued the brass plaque denoting it's donation in someone's memory and it now resides in my hallway. The language, demeanour and lardy ugliness of this scum repel me to the state where I don't want to go out beyond 7.30am and I'm completely serious.

We have agreed that as charming and private as this beachfront Penthouse is, we need to be somewhere else for the months of July to October at least, otherwise I'll be ill.

Through my education I was fully cognisant to this social deterioration, fuelled by over population and with the depreciation of human values as a corollary. The signs were all there, I just wasn't ready for the speed of regression to the standards I grew up with.

I'm 67 this year, so in the Autumn of my life at best and the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth...

As an employer of youngsters aged 13 plus I can thankfully report that there are some smashing, polite, sensible, honest, respectable and well behaved kids out there too. Having said that I share your concern and feel your fear

Tourerfogey wrote:As an employer of youngsters aged 13 plus I can thankfully report that there are some smashing, polite, sensible, honest, respectable and well behaved kids out there too. Having said that I share your concern and feel your fear

The exponential decline of manners and the cynical pursuit without shame or restraint of personal advantage, and of money characterises our times. Not without exceptions, of course as you mention, but more than we ought to be comfortable with.

Can you imagine what the six year old's offspring will be like?

I find it a chilling consideration, tempered by the fact that I won't be here to have it imposed upon me thankfully.

I believe the worst elements around us are in the minority and that here in the UK we remain one of the more pleasant places in which to live, although the minor shadow horrifies disproportionately. Obviously there are hot spots where daily life is a challenge but that is not always so recent a phenomenon.

Those who know me will rarely have seen me sans hat, especially in the summer months (for obvious reasons) but those that have may have noticed a four inch long scar across the top of my head. No, not the one where I have been generously credited with having only a partially successful lobotomy, rather a very close encounter with a bullet. I kid you not. Whilst working with a colleague in 1984, in the early evening in Stoke Newington, (those unfamiliar with London districts might consult police crime records) we stumbled into what was later euphemistically filed as a ‘local community-related incident‘. The stray bullet with someone else’s name on it, apparently incorrectly spelled (typical for the area), ricocheted off the delightful ethnic Victorian green glazed brick-faced wall of a tenement block. We declined to tarry.

Leaving aside the half of the world that is war torn, half of what is left I wouldn’t dream of visiting under any circumstances. Even my unquenched thirst for life experiences would not overrule my instinct for civilisation, whether or not that is what we enjoy here. The alternative to immersion in the mayonnaise of coarseness that tides around our ankles is to rise above it. So, I intend to keep to the high ground, seek out the green and pleasant in it and I’ll be damned if I’ll give in.

I know Stoke Newington fairly well and worked in Hackney. It is scary to have to visit those areas where these youngsters can say anything they want should you ever happen to cross their path and if you do and they are not hostile then it is a blessing. I am sorry to read you became a victim of a shooting incident. What an awful experience. The nearest I ever came to that was when two ex-offenders set about to kill me one evening. I wont go into details but I had to defend myself and both ended up in hospital, both were prosecuted and one was sent to Broadmoor.

Thanks for that. At the time I was employed as a trainer in financial sales and management and my colleague that evening was a relatively new recruit. I was more annoyed at my failure to achieve my target (rather than being one) and my young charge received no training other than an attempt at the land speed record. He resigned the following morning. On the evening of the second day (suitably bandaged, we were yeoman stock then) I accompanied another foolhardy adventurer. We were driving in my car down a one-way street (close to the pub owned by those cheeky chappies Chas & Dave). We had finished our work at 9.00pm and grateful for getting away with it. Emerging from the gloom ahead were about forty local youths coming towards us (as I said - one way street) at speed on roller blades. Rorke's Drift comes to mind. Screaming obscenities and bouncing off the car, again we declined to tarry. My young companion remained with the Company and went on to a successful career, so a productive evening after all. Nice to come out on top.

Chartermark wrote:

Tourerfogey wrote:As an employer of youngsters aged 13 plus I can thankfully report that there are some smashing, polite, sensible, honest, respectable and well behaved kids out there too. Having said that I share your concern and feel your fear

The exponential decline of manners and the cynical pursuit without shame or restraint of personal advantage, and of money characterises our times. Not without exceptions, of course as you mention, but more than we ought to be comfortable with.

Can you imagine what the six year old's offspring will be like?

I find it a chilling consideration, tempered by the fact that I won't be here to have it imposed upon me thankfully.

Unfortunately delinquent parents breed delinquent children.
I don't see why we should have to put up with this sort of behaviour from mere kids. Bring back Victorian times when they were seen and not heard!
After saying that there are some nice ones, it's a pity that the bad element give the good ones a bad name.

Having said all that... I wouldn't want to be a child growing up in todays world... We haven't done them any favours.......
...

Particularly by making so many of them...

Chartermark wrote:Particularly by making so many of them...

...illegitimately