It's no wonder people are so judgemental about today's youth, despite trying their hardest to give them the benefit of the doubt, or trying not to label them all.
I was walking my mum's dog over the football pitch area. I noticed 2 cars parked at the barricaded area, that leads a track right up to the skate park. One, the pale car, stayed there while the driver walked over to the park. The other, a dark one felt he couldn't bear to walk that far and leave his precious chariot unattended some 300 yards away from him, so, finding the barricades locked, simply went to the wooden bollards near the garages and lifted one out of the way and drove his car over to the park.
On our way back from the walk, said vehicle was there again ( it came and went ) so I asked the young males there whose it was. I mentioned the bollards were there for a reason, the ones across the track being locked for a reason: to prevent access. I took a photo of the registration, and instantly got ( another unjustified ) mouthful from a blond haired kid calling me a 'peado' and that 'there could be children in that car you peado'.
Other words were hurled, mainly gibberish, demonstrating their immaturity and the adage of the best line of defence is offence.
Halfway across the track,the driver and blond kid drove past quickly, stopped at the stump they'd moved to get there, moved the car forward, replaced the stump and parked the car in front of the locked bollards. The blond kid started fiddling with the combination lock and after a considerable struggle,
opened the lock and the dark car drove through the gap, back towards the skate park ! I'd asked the driver if he was from Whaley. He said he was from Chapel.
He wasn't happy when I said if the stump was seen or heard to be removed and damaged again I'd pass his registration details to the police.
I know whose the blond kid is. I'm disappointed that he felt responsible enough for the skate park and the combination lock access, but saw nothing wrong in letting his friend simply uproot a barrier post, several times ( and not just today I believe).
Plus- they're not happy with ALL that area given to them at incredible expense, they have built themselves a mud curved ramp at the edge of the slope down to the park. I believe another member of the public has been watching them build it recently, cutting down trees, and digging a ditch, and has mentioned it to the council.
... and don't get me started on the drugs I know are peddled there.
At least at the youth clubs there is adult supervision - at the MUGA it's like Lord of the Flies.
