London yoofs

Emp_Fab

I had the pleasure of visiting my old home of Londinium yesterday.  Last night I took the DLR from Royal Albert to Tower Gateway.  A couple of stops later, three teenagers get on, all braids and shaved patterned hair, about 13-15, two of them throw themselves onto the seats opposite me and the 'Alpha' yoof remains standing staring at me in silence with a look I can only describe as a mixture of utter contempt and disbelief.  I then realised I was manspreading a bit and my right leg was an inch over the dividing line between the seats.  I moved my leg and he sat down next to me.  The train was maybe 10% full so there were plenty of empty seats.

The two younger feral scumbags then started to play-wrestle up and down the train, limbs missing passengers by centimetres etc.  They didn't care - at all - about anyone other than themselves.  The train belonged to them as far as they were concerned.  Nobody challenged them.  I got the distinct feeling that had anyone done so, they would have been subjected to threats and demands for "respec".

I was with two colleagues so I didn't feel intimidated, but still felt uneasy as it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if these kids were caught up in the knife-carrying culture of inner cities these days.

It was the complete and total lack of consideration for anyone at all that shocked me more than anything.  The look this kid gave me spoke volumes - he was clearly aghast that I hadn't automatically acquiesced to his imagined "authoritah".  

His attitude annoyed me so much I wanted to smack him one but at the same time I didn't want to get charged with assaulting a yoof or end up getting stabbed.

Quite an unpleasant experience overall - not just because of how it made me feel but also because of the fact that these feral twats exist and their parents clearly either don't exist or don't give a fuck.

SPECTRUM001

@Emp_Fab - I feel your frustration as it is always horrible/uncomfortable when any rowdy and contemptuous person(s) take over public spaces.

And whether to challenge or not (999/1000 not).

Dare I say this is nothing new though - the Mods and Rockers were terrorising Londoners sixty years ago. 

I like to think I was a "respectful" punk back in the day, though I am sure I once overheard a pensioner mutter "filth" under his breath. I of course was made up !!

Kurtis

Could tell this would be a good one by the title 

Philly_Q

Sorry to hear that Emp.  It'll be no consolation but I think you were really unlucky, in 35 years living in London I've seen very few incidents like that on public transport.  That said, it certainly gets more intimidating later in the evenings, and I avoid obvious minefields like night buses, as much as possible.

thecolourbox

Gosh, a group of kids who are only thinking of themselves, who'd have thought it. World's gone mad

Offset

Emp_Fab said:

I had the pleasure of visiting my old home of Londinium yesterday.  Last night I took the DLR from Royal Albert to Tower Gateway.  A couple of stops later, three teenagers get on, all braids and shaved patterned hair, about 13-15, two of them throw themselves onto the seats opposite me and the 'Alpha' yoof remains standing staring at me in silence with a look I can only describe as a mixture of utter contempt and disbelief.  I then realised I was manspreading a bit and my right leg was an inch over the dividing line between the seats.  I moved my leg and he sat down next to me.  The train was maybe 10% full so there were plenty of empty seats.

The two younger feral scumbags then started to play-wrestle up and down the train, limbs missing passengers by centimetres etc.  They didn't care - at all - about anyone other than themselves.  The train belonged to them as far as they were concerned.  Nobody challenged them.  I got the distinct feeling that had anyone done so, they would have been subjected to threats and demands for "respec".

I was with two colleagues so I didn't feel intimidated, but still felt uneasy as it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if these kids were caught up in the knife-carrying culture of inner cities these days.

It was the complete and total lack of consideration for anyone at all that shocked me more than anything.  The look this kid gave me spoke volumes - he was clearly aghast that I hadn't automatically acquiesced to his imagined "authoritah".  

His attitude annoyed me so much I wanted to smack him one but at the same time I didn't want to get charged with assaulting a yoof or end up getting stabbed.

Quite an unpleasant experience overall - not just because of how it made me feel but also because of the fact that these feral twats exist and their parents clearly either don't exist or don't give a fuck.

Were you naked?

Emp_Fab

The other thing that bothered me was that I felt my age for once.  I was thinking to myself "If this kicks off, I can easily take the 'alpha' .". Then I realised I probably couldn't.  I'm weeks away from sixty, hugely unfit and overweight.  I felt vulnerable for once.  If it actually had kicked off, we'd have been ok because there was three of us adults against, at a physical level anyway, one adult and two young teenagers, unless, as previously mentioned, they had weapons.

I'm glad I don't live there anymore.

Philly_Q

Emp_Fab said:

I was thinking to myself "If this kicks off, I can easily take the 'alpha' .". Then I realised I probably couldn't.  

Honestly, just keep that as nothing more than a thought.  Nothing good will come from getting involved in a physical altercation with anyone on London transport.

jonnyburgo

Emp_Fab said:

The other thing that bothered me was that I felt my age for once.  I was thinking to myself "If this kicks off, I can easily take the 'alpha' .". Then I realised I probably couldn't.  I'm weeks away from sixty, hugely unfit and overweight.  I felt vulnerable for once.  If it actually had kicked off, we'd have been ok because there was three of us adults against, at a physical level anyway, one adult and two young teenagers, unless, as previously mentioned, they had weapons.

I'm glad I don't live there anymore.

Believe me Emp, I'm nearly ten yrs younger than you are and when teenagers kick off at the kids home I work at they are not easy to subdue even with my 10+ experience of correct holds etc, they are strong and fast and in the moment don't give two fucks. 

theatreanchor

thecolourbox said:

Gosh, a group of kids who are only thinking of themselves, who'd have thought it. World's gone mad

This is true. I always try and remove myself from the boisterous. That way I don’t get wound up. 

darthed1981

As you said Emp - you never know these days who is carrying a knife - and while you have to be very unlucky to die from a punch, a knife is much more deadly - and people die from punches all the time.

Your best bet if you had felt genuinely threatened would have been to get off at the next station, tell staff to tell British Transport Police, and they might even have a rozzer get on at the next station.

Then get on the next train yourself...

You shouldn't have to, nobody should.  The only time to physically engage would be to help someone more vulnerable, like a young woman who was in danger of rape or sexual assault.  Even then - while noble - extremely dangerous.

Of course, the lads could have meant no real harm - just idiots - but the fact they were disrupting and intimidating people suggests they are just, to coin a phrase "little cunts".

rze99

Emp_Fab said:

I had the pleasure of visiting my old home of Londinium yesterday.  Last night I took the DLR from Royal Albert to Tower Gateway.  A couple of stops later, three teenagers get on, all braids and shaved patterned hair, about 13-15, two of them throw themselves onto the seats opposite me and the 'Alpha' yoof remains standing staring at me in silence with a look I can only describe as a mixture of utter contempt and disbelief.  I then realised I was manspreading a bit and my right leg was an inch over the dividing line between the seats.  I moved my leg and he sat down next to me.  The train was maybe 10% full so there were plenty of empty seats.

The two younger feral scumbags then started to play-wrestle up and down the train, limbs missing passengers by centimetres etc.  They didn't care - at all - about anyone other than themselves.  The train belonged to them as far as they were concerned.  Nobody challenged them.  I got the distinct feeling that had anyone done so, they would have been subjected to threats and demands for "respec".

I was with two colleagues so I didn't feel intimidated, but still felt uneasy as it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if these kids were caught up in the knife-carrying culture of inner cities these days.

It was the complete and total lack of consideration for anyone at all that shocked me more than anything.  The look this kid gave me spoke volumes - he was clearly aghast that I hadn't automatically acquiesced to his imagined "authoritah".  

His attitude annoyed me so much I wanted to smack him one but at the same time I didn't want to get charged with assaulting a yoof or end up getting stabbed.

Quite an unpleasant experience overall - not just because of how it made me feel but also because of the fact that these feral twats exist and their parents clearly either don't exist or don't give a fuck.

Sounds like the Sex Pistols in 1977

CHRISB50

It’s London yoots. 

Not yoofs.

Shrews

Yeah, the above posts are right, it's always gone on. The Nutty Boys of Madness were probably a bloody nightmare to bump into on the train (if their video 'Take It or Leave It' is anything to go by).

These lads on the train could well just grow up and become responsible adults in time. They might make the wrong choices in life and go the wrong way. Life is binary like that - saying yes or no to stuff determines your future.

And no different on the train, you made the decision not to get involved. The right one. Any escalation perhaps involving one of you, on either side, needing a hospital visit and the other person a prison sentence. No good for either party of course.

All you can hope is these lads just grow up and channel themselves into something that's good, as Madness did with their music.

Philly_Q

Shrews said:

These lads on the train could well just grow up and become responsible adults in time. They might make the wrong choices in life and go the wrong way. Life is binary like that - saying yes or no to stuff determines your future.

Sliding doors....

Kurtis

rze99 said:

Emp_Fab said:

I had the pleasure of visiting my old home of Londinium yesterday.  Last night I took the DLR from Royal Albert to Tower Gateway.  A couple of stops later, three teenagers get on, all braids and shaved patterned hair, about 13-15, two of them throw themselves onto the seats opposite me and the 'Alpha' yoof remains standing staring at me in silence with a look I can only describe as a mixture of utter contempt and disbelief.  I then realised I was manspreading a bit and my right leg was an inch over the dividing line between the seats.  I moved my leg and he sat down next to me.  The train was maybe 10% full so there were plenty of empty seats.

The two younger feral scumbags then started to play-wrestle up and down the train, limbs missing passengers by centimetres etc.  They didn't care - at all - about anyone other than themselves.  The train belonged to them as far as they were concerned.  Nobody challenged them.  I got the distinct feeling that had anyone done so, they would have been subjected to threats and demands for "respec".

I was with two colleagues so I didn't feel intimidated, but still felt uneasy as it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if these kids were caught up in the knife-carrying culture of inner cities these days.

It was the complete and total lack of consideration for anyone at all that shocked me more than anything.  The look this kid gave me spoke volumes - he was clearly aghast that I hadn't automatically acquiesced to his imagined "authoritah".  

His attitude annoyed me so much I wanted to smack him one but at the same time I didn't want to get charged with assaulting a yoof or end up getting stabbed.

Quite an unpleasant experience overall - not just because of how it made me feel but also because of the fact that these feral twats exist and their parents clearly either don't exist or don't give a fuck.

Sounds like the Sex Pistols in 1977

Sounds like kids messing around. 

darthed1981

rze99 said:

Emp_Fab said:

I had the pleasure of visiting my old home of Londinium yesterday.  Last night I took the DLR from Royal Albert to Tower Gateway.  A couple of stops later, three teenagers get on, all braids and shaved patterned hair, about 13-15, two of them throw themselves onto the seats opposite me and the 'Alpha' yoof remains standing staring at me in silence with a look I can only describe as a mixture of utter contempt and disbelief.  I then realised I was manspreading a bit and my right leg was an inch over the dividing line between the seats.  I moved my leg and he sat down next to me.  The train was maybe 10% full so there were plenty of empty seats.

The two younger feral scumbags then started to play-wrestle up and down the train, limbs missing passengers by centimetres etc.  They didn't care - at all - about anyone other than themselves.  The train belonged to them as far as they were concerned.  Nobody challenged them.  I got the distinct feeling that had anyone done so, they would have been subjected to threats and demands for "respec".

I was with two colleagues so I didn't feel intimidated, but still felt uneasy as it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if these kids were caught up in the knife-carrying culture of inner cities these days.

It was the complete and total lack of consideration for anyone at all that shocked me more than anything.  The look this kid gave me spoke volumes - he was clearly aghast that I hadn't automatically acquiesced to his imagined "authoritah".  

His attitude annoyed me so much I wanted to smack him one but at the same time I didn't want to get charged with assaulting a yoof or end up getting stabbed.

Quite an unpleasant experience overall - not just because of how it made me feel but also because of the fact that these feral twats exist and their parents clearly either don't exist or don't give a fuck.

Sounds like the Sex Pistols in 1977

One of whom quite possibly murdered his girlfriend remember...

Emp_Fab

Well, thank you for your insight on what you imagine the scenario was.

LionAquaLooper

I'm surprised they weren't doing all that for a TikTok video. That's all these effing youths do nowadays. 

Offset

Where's Charles Bronson when you need him...

P0wderF1nger

Many moons ago (1988 I think, so I would have been 17) me and a mate got the train down to London to go and see Anthrax at Hammersmith Odeon. I remember very little about the actual gig, although they did film it that night and me and aforementioned mate watched the video many times pausing it on every crowd shot to see if we could see ourselves.

The main memory I have of that night is waiting at the tube station after the gig with a platform full of long haired, all dressed in black youths who had all been to the same gig. The next train pulls up half empty, and we all jostle to get on, full of youthful energy, bounding about, generally being loud and then finding ourselves delighted that many of the passengers (all "square" middle aged city folk in our opinion) then got off, obviously either intimidated or repulsed by our behaviour.
Of course we didn't think that our behaviour would have this effect on other normal people just trying to go about their business.
Now, 35 or so years later I find myself being one of those "square" types that would not necessarily approve of my own teenage behaviour.
I think it's more a lack of maturity and not having enough life experience at that age to be able to understand your own impact on your immediate environment and not necessarily anything sinister, although I do realise of course there are plenty of a-holes in the world, but that isn't necessarily age related.