Teenagers these days.

Teenagers these days seem to face a hostile environment, a bike ride in the park on a sunday afternoon, threats of being stabbed.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/79013/teenagers-threatened-and-had-their-bikes-and-phones-stolen

I remember being threatened by older kids with weapons when I was a lad in the early 70s. The only difference between then and now is that I never had any valuables to hand over.

It was just sticks and stones when I was a lad. That's made me feel old.

Sadly it is a minority of teenagers doing the nasty's which quite rightly needs to be in the news and hits the headlines, but sadly the good stories don't get told often enough or highlighted as they should and there really are some good ones out there regarding our youth and the work they do

You are correct Jeanie it is the minority who give the teenagers a bad name, but it was the same years ago. Though now some seem more savage with it these days.

There are a lot of good news stories out there about teenagers.

The armed robbers were described as two men aged 18 to 20, teenagers were the victims of the robbery. Yes, ok 18 is technically teenage, but only just.

As those of you who have read my books will know. Rochdale's streets were never 'safe' for the 'teenager'. In my day it was gangs of Teddy Boys whose choice of weapon was the knuckle duster and the bike chain (although I did know of one idiot who walked around with a machete). You learned to run fast and keep your wits about you - especially after a night at the Carlton if you left that place in one piece -. Thugs have always been with us. Nutters too. It was part of 'growing up' - if you made it that far. Keep smiling.

That, Atlas, makes it sound as if the people of Rochdale are their own worst enemy, and always have been.

Being a "mucky little scrote" in a 'hard' but colorful post-industrial society may make for an entertaining read and some nostalgia, but, it's not really a useful cultural tradition to carry forward for the future, or, is it?

An interesting, but slightly traumatic glimpse into your world of nightmares there Hinch.

cyfrifia wrote:Being a "mucky little scrote" in a 'hard' but colorful post-industrial society may make for an entertaining read and some nostalgia, but, it's not really a useful cultural tradition to carry forward for the future, or, is it?

Oh heck...here we go, in my day we always did the right thing, never gave cheek to neighbours or did knock-a-door-run.

This thread started with "Teenagers these days seem to face a hostile environment." That is, in defence of teenagers, sympathising with the hostile adult social environment they have to grow up in now. Are you reading it as critical of teenagers, Charly?

It is a long time snce Charly was a teenager.

No, I was going off your comment about Atlas' writings of his youth in Rochdale

"an entertaining read and some nostalgia, but, it's not really a useful cultural tradition to carry forward for the future, or, is it?"

It was his life he was writing about I dont think it was meant to be an example of what a role model should be.

teamplayer2 wrote:It is a long time snce Charly was a teenager.

Certainly was TP...but having children in my 30's and 40's kept me in the loop of teenagers lives so to speak, now I have an 18 year old grandson so I'm still around teenagers daily

Oh right. my comment "an entertaining read and some nostalgia, but, it's not really a useful cultural tradition to carry forward for the future, or, is it?" Isn't critical of teenagers, either, but it is critical of the that hostile culture of knuckledusters, bicycle chains, and now knives. That isn't useful.

Well we can have our moments when we are young. Never thought you would get up to tricks like that Hinch.

Anyone else want to confess?

We weren't angels (although I always looked like one). We did many bad and naughty things. Some criminal too. We fought amongst ourselves and rarely went beyond our own age groupings. We certainly didn't go around coshing old ladies - that was considered cowardly and pathetic. But we did rob and steal and do damage and break the 'laws' in many, many ways. Is that an example for today or tomorrow. No of course not. But I would never expect 'kids' to be anywhere near 'perfect' nor would I expect them not to get up to some 'bad' things. It's part of growing up - and always has been.
I don't blame the kids. I blame the 'state' first and foremost and the parents next. Insufficient 'sanctions' provide for insufficient control. End of. Sixteen year olds with cuboards full of guns - what were the parents doing? Inbuilt laws that say you can buy machine pistols over the supermarket counter - we were lucky to be able to buy catapults under 18? It's a lack of care and too much individual freedom without reference to the rest and a cosseted mindset that provides many of today's problems. Freedom is all very well - but it comes with responsibility. Somebody forgot to tell them/ and impose that.
By the way my books are nowhere near as serious or straight-laced as the above.

I was a blond blue-eyed boy and butter would not melt in my mouth. I was never in trouble but pigs might fly as well. Though Hinch has seen a pig and a pheasant run past him.

I suspect teamplayer you were somewhat akin to me. There are 'rules' to the 'game' - one is 'if you can't do the time, don't do the crime'. Another - and far more important is not to break the eleventh commandment - 'Thou shalt not get caught'. Fair fortune -