Topic: gardening gangstas?????

[EmmaLou]

Gangs can be full of surprises - I was walking my daughter home in the buggy and saw a group of lads looking threatening and swearing loads - I had no choice but to walk past them and was feeling rather nervous. Although I needent have been...as soon as I got closer one of the lads said "Stop swearing the little girl might hear!" - and they proceded to let me past and apologised for the swearing!

Bless them! I am now not so quick to judge them on appearances.

[reedos]

Sounds to me like you handled things very well, sometimes just being nice to kids is what they need.
I chased some kids a little while ago after they'd nicked stuff from next doors lottie and used it to build a (very good) den. To my astonishment I caught them - not sure who was most surprised. Anyway after giving them a telling off for stealing, I told them that if they wanted stuff for a den why not ask, there's always lots of junk around. Anyway 10 minutes later they came back and apologised and took (with permission) some wood, plastic sheet and carpet. They've never been any bother since, and when I'm down there nearly always greet me with a "Hello mister" (which makes me fell very old). Maybe the carrot is better than the stick

[ipt8]

They are bound to be internet savvy so get em interested in that way as well. Just a thought for the future. Its best to point them in the right direction rather than alienate them.
I like your aproach.

[windygale]

Hi Lisa, well done, try to encourage them with a comptetion and prize,
the sooner we can get the younger one off the streets the better for us,
try having a word with the other plot holders, asking them to find the lads work to do and pay them, then in time the lads will look after the plots as they will not want to distroy thier own master pieces
hope things go well
windy

[organicartist]

Unfortunately, about a week after my first encounter with the group of lads, they returned just as I was locking up. Literally as soon as my back was turned, they started trying to smash the lock on the gate. As I had my young son with me I decided confronting them was not wise, and phoned the police instead, who didn't bother to attend. The allotment sec discovered the damaged lock the next day & fortunately the council replaced it same day. They left one person's shed open, but did no damage at all. Sadly this means that there is no prospect of any of them ever being allowed on the plots again. Its a pity really, I think they were just curious & bored.

[Nathan]

What a kind and liberal bunch we all are.   As if some interest shown on the allotment can undo years of bad parenting, bad TV, bad role models, bad advertising.

Well done for trying.   Don't waste an ounce of emotional energy over the outcome.  It was not your failure, but that of (in order) the boys themselves, their parents, their relatives and grandparents, their class culture, the editors and proprietors of the rubbishy newspapers their families read, TV executives, video game producers, fearful adults who don't stand up to bad behaviour, a self-serving and inefficient police force... I could go on.                                                   

I have also wondered whether to invite local bored youngsters onto the allotment, but I have decided NO WAY.   The outcome will be to spoil the place for my own children and other well brought up kids.  Its bad enough that they have to put up with the yobs at school without encountering them on the allotment as well.

[Ed^Chigliak]

I'm glad my video games are towards the bottom of that list  :)

With each new video game console release there has been a reduction in youth crime. The fact that they are getting up to mischief in a safe virtual environment and can make friends and have fun in an online game world is fine by me.

I suggest we keep our video games developers. Games can be exciting and are affordable to everyone. Bored kids are unpredictable and games make their lives less boring.

[Simon05]

They may have been interested in gardening, but they could also have been wanting to cage the place ready for vandalising or thieving something at night.