I'm out for my morning walk at work. I'm going down a wide street that has a sidewalk and bike lanes on both sides. As I'm walking I hear someone behind me say, "coming up on your right." So I move to my left to make way. It was two high school aged kids on their bikes riding on the sidewalk. So I say, "there is a bike lane." One of these kids gets pissed that I even suggested that he ride his bike in the bike lane. He starts with a F-U and says that the bike lane is going the wrong direction?

So I point out that there is a bike lane on both sides of the street. He replies with a number of F-U's and various threats like, "I will hit you with my bike. I am going to throw a rock at you" and others. So I called him a punk. I was walking this whole time and these kids slowed down on their bikes so they could curse at me. Well the loud mouthed kid gets off his bike and stands on the side walk ready to fight. I'm a bit amused that this kid is ready to start a fight over riding his bike on the sidewalk. So I put my pepper spray in my hand and walk past him making sure to look him dead in the eyes the whole way. He was a good 3-4" shorter than me. I guess he felt bigger being on his bike? I was hoping I didn't have to use the pepper spray but it would be better than the alternative of having to defend myself from two high school punks with my hands. After I walked past, Mr. Tough Guy gets back on his bike, rides by and the two of them ride off cursing at me and threatening me.

When I was a kid a couple of decades ago, I would have never dared raise my voice, threatened or even thought about picking a fight with an adult, especially when I knew I was in the wrong. What is wrong with kids today?


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Parens and teachers are no longer allowed to punish kids. So they never learn fear. Fear is the basis of teaching kids respect. If you can't make them fear for their lives, like our parents did us, you can't make them respect.

quote Originally posted by 8Ball: Parens and teachers are no longer allowed to punish kids. So they never learn fear. Fear is the basis of teaching kids respect. If you can't make them fear for their lives, like our parents did us, you can't make them respect.

This!

When I was growing up, if you didn't have respect, adults didn't mind substituting a healthy measure of fear.

Edit - I don't know that I would have turned my back on them after I walked past. I wouldn't put a "cheap shot" past them.
Maybe I misunderstood.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 08-05-2011).]

At least they told you they were coming up. I used to think it was hilarious to blaze past someone without them hearing me come up (young-young not recently). Now I know how idiotic I was.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum6/HTML/087182.html

Haven't you heard? They're special. FAR more intelligent than kids of previous generations. They won't make the usual mistakes, but will set the world right, and will change the world to be a much much better place, faster, easier, and more effeciently than anyone else---------- just like every other generation of kids were gonna do

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 08-05-2011).]

Whats wrong with kids today? Their parents!

Just last night I was watching my neighbors kids playing outside. On the parents Durango! Ages 9, 5 & 3.
The parents inside- the kids outside using the windshield as a slide, jumping up & down on the roof & hood. The parents never did come out.

I wonder if your location has anything to do with it too...

People just don't seem to have the MN Nice that I'm used to whenever I travel...

Kids not knowing "their place", and proper respect of their 'elders'


Be it due to their parents, their teachers, society, whatever...

ya only remember the idiots
there were plenty of good kids that DIDNT harass you
and there have ALWAYS been asswhole kids

I was driving down the road. passenger in back seat I see is about to flick his cigaette butt out the window. I tell him no, wait. lady in convertable drives by. she DIDNT get a cig butt flicked into her car. did she say "hey, people today are really great!"? nope. she didnt even know it happened. had she had the butt flicked in, it would have been "people today suck!" or the likes.

you only remember the idiots. I can line up a line of great kids that WAY outshines any line of idiots you can come up with.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: I wonder if your location has anything to do with it too... People just don't seem to have the MN Nice that I'm used to whenever I travel...

That 'Minnesota Nice' you speak of doesn't stretch down to the Twin Cities, unfortunately. Down here, at best, it's Minnesota Passive/Aggressive, especially on the freeways. I work in construction, so I'm all over the cities and I haven't found that 'Nice' yet!

Doesn't sound any different than 30 years ago. There were mouthy morons then as now. I run into tons of respectful kids all of the time and the occasion future prison system candidate.

Of course they were saying the same thing about us in the 60's. What wrong with kids today. Things aren't like they used to be (of course they never were different.) The world is going to hell in a hand-basket.

...just wait until these clowns are old enough to drive...

You should have pepper sprayed them. You were well within your rights to do so as they had already threatened you and outnumbered you. They also stopped to antagonize you, raising the threat level. Maybe then they would have learned their lesson.

quote Originally posted by TK: Doesn't sound any different than 30 years ago. There were mouthy morons then as now. I run into tons of respectful kids all of the time and the occasion future prison system candidate. Of course they were saying the same thing about us in the 60's. What wrong with kids today. Things aren't like they used to be (of course they never were different.) The world is going to hell in a hand-basket.

My point exactly. Nothing has really changed, except that the X/ME/Millenium generation truly believes things have changed (or very soon will because of them) simply because those who mentored them blew a bunch of rose colored smoke up their butts and that particular generation bought in to it.. They'll learn the truth soon enough tho, that life ain't easy and it's the same for them as it was for every single generation before them going all the way back to when G Washington cut down that cherry tree (supposedly).

quote Originally posted by avengador1: You should have pepper sprayed them. You were well within your rights to do so as they had already threatened you and outnumbered you. They also stopped to antagonize you, raising the threat level. Maybe then they would have learned their lesson.

Legal or not, he probably still would have gotten his ass sued.

Perhaps, but being sued, and losing the suit-- are 2 entirely different things.
One should always try to structure their lives, property, and assets to be as judgement proof as possible.

quote Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: ...just wait until these clowns are old enough to drive...

Lots of them already are, and they fail to follow the rules of the road and flip YOU off for having the audacity to point out the error of their ways. What were people thinking raising kids this way??

The problem with kids these days is the their parents. So, in reality, it's their parent's parents that are to fault.

Nobody likes being told they are wrong, especially teenagers. It does not excuse their behavior, but in America, it explains it pretty damn good. Good parenting, USA!

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: I'm out for my morning walk at work. I'm going down a wide street that has a sidewalk and bike lanes on both sides. As I'm walking I hear someone behind me say, "coming up on your right." So I move to my left to make way. It was two high school aged kids on their bikes riding on the sidewalk. So I say, "there is a bike lane." One of these kids gets pissed that I even suggested that he ride his bike in the bike lane. He starts with a F-U and says that the bike lane is going the wrong direction? So I point out that there is a bike lane on both sides of the street. He replies with a number of F-U's and various threats like, "I will hit you with my bike. I am going to throw a rock at you" and others. So I called him a punk. I was walking this whole time and these kids slowed down on their bikes so they could curse at me. Well the loud mouthed kid gets off his bike and stands on the side walk ready to fight. I'm a bit amused that this kid is ready to start a fight over riding his bike on the sidewalk. So I put my pepper spray in my hand and walk past him making sure to look him dead in the eyes the whole way. He was a good 3-4" shorter than me. I guess he felt bigger being on his bike? I was hoping I didn't have to use the pepper spray but it would be better than the alternative of having to defend myself from two high school punks with my hands. After I walked past, Mr. Tough Guy gets back on his bike, rides by and the two of them ride off cursing at me and threatening me. When I was a kid a couple of decades ago, I would have never dared raise my voice, threatened or even thought about picking a fight with an adult, especially when I knew I was in the wrong. What is wrong with kids today? .

So someone rode a bike by you on the sidewalk. Did they knock into you, or impede your progress? It doesn't appear so. It does appear that being right means a lot to you, enough to almost get your ass handed to you by a pack of juveniles. Sounds like a good way to wake up in a coma. Pepper spray won't do you much good when you are getting beaten on the ground. But at least you were right, huh?

Sounds like you need to pick your battles better. Seems like a petty thing to get your ass kicked over.

quote Originally posted by WhiteDevil88: So someone rode a bike by you on the sidewalk. Did they knock into you, or impede your progress? It doesn't appear so. It does appear that being right means a lot to you, enough to almost get your ass handed to you by a pack of juveniles. Sounds like a good way to wake up in a coma. Pepper spray won't do you much good when you are getting beaten on the ground. But at least you were right, huh? Sounds like you need to pick your battles better. Seems like a petty thing to get your ass kicked over.

Thanks for the good laugh.


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Can't we just blame the left wing media for this?
They are the ones that make parents fear disciplining their children.
They are the ones who over-dramatize a child getting punished in school.
They are the ones who tell us that welfare recipients need hand outs, not a hand up.
They are the ones who gave us MTV.
MTV tells the kids how difficult their lives are.
MTV tells the kids that 16 and pregnant isn't the end of the world.
MTV tells the kids (young voters) that Obama will fix all their problems.
MTV displays deviant behavior via rap and pop videos without disclaimers and warnings.

And the warnings demonstrate how far society has fallen in the past 70 years.

Sounds like that kid needed a good pop in the mouth for back-talking an adult. My son gets mouthy with me he gets hit in it. It's been a long time since he's back-talked me years even.

I heard this on the radio a few years ago almost wecked my car from laughing so hard. The methods work!

http://www.wmmr.com/shows/p...BlogEntryID=10092066

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ARCHIES JUNK IS FASTER THAN SHAUNNA'S JUNK
12.3 is faster than a 13.2

quote Legal or not, he probably still would have gotten his ass sued.

They have to know who you are before they can sue you. I don't recall him mentioning that he was wearing a name badge or making formal introductions to them.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 08-05-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Xyster: Can't we just blame the left wing media for this? They are the ones that make parents fear disciplining their children. They are the ones who over-dramatize a child getting punished in school. They are the ones who tell us that welfare recipients need hand outs, not a hand up. They are the ones who gave us MTV. MTV tells the kids how difficult their lives are. MTV tells the kids that 16 and pregnant isn't the end of the world. MTV tells the kids (young voters) that Obama will fix all their problems. MTV displays deviant behavior via rap and pop videos without disclaimers and warnings. And the warnings demonstrate how far society has fallen in the past 70 years.

No, we can blame the parents, who are responsible for raising their children right. You and others are too willing to lay blame at your pet "hate" project, the left. The truth is its your responsibilty ALONE to raise your child in a correct manner. I would hate to see what would happen if one of your kids got in trouble.. no responsibility would be taken for YOUR shortcomings when you can blame "the left wing media" instead. You would let them watch it, so who is responsible again?

quote Originally posted by nmw75: Whats wrong with kids today? Their parents! Just last night I was watching my neighbors kids playing outside. On the parents Durango! Ages 9, 5 & 3. The parents inside- the kids outside using the windshield as a slide, jumping up & down on the roof & hood. The parents never did come out.

And whats wrong with the parents today ??...THE GOVERNMENT/ THE COPS/ CHILD SERVICES/ THE COURTS--in other words THE LAW .....if the parents HAD come out and said so much as one word, they risked total destruction of their lives if so much as one passerby complained they were being mean to the kids...

quote Originally posted by nmw75: Whats wrong with kids today? Their parents!

I totally disagree with you. Parents aren't the problem. Mother and Father are to blame, and I make a distinction from Parents. Parents would have never raised their kids to disrespect adults in this manner or to use language of this nature against an adult. A liberal suit-happy society is the cause. OH, don't scold little Johnny! You'll hurt his self esteem. You'll cause him to cry. Now tell him you're sorry or I'll bring charges for child abuse.

Just last week when I sat down to have my first morning cup of coffee, I turned on the TV. Just caught a snippet of some state that had a bill in the legislature that would require anyone who wished to spank a child, to call the local Sheriff's office to have a Deputy dispatched to oversee the discipline.

quote Originally posted by BlackEmrald: The problem with kids these days is the their parents. So, in reality, it's their parent's parents that are to fault.

Then great grandparents, great great grandparents....

Ya know...it peoples fault---for not having thick enough skins and for thinking they run the planet.....

I can remember when I was about 10 or 12 going out and shooting slingshots and the school and the parents and the church and everybody in creation wanted to argue and make issues about why I was shooting slingshots.....I simply didnt care what they thought, liked or wanted...my life was about my own pleasure, not theirs.

Here I am 30 years later going out and working on cars and machines and drinking beer and smoking tobacco and the cops and the church and everybody in creation wants to argue and make issues about why I am living the way I choose.....I simply didnt care what they thinkt, like or want...my life is about my own pleasure, not theirs.

Until humanity understands the concept of the Individual will, AND respects it.....then this sheet will never end.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Thanks for the good laugh. .

You don't believe that kids can be violent enough to sucker punch you, or are you just so bad ass that you can take on multiple aggressors? If you are, good for you. But why carry pepper spray if you are Chuck Norris? You know, my Grandfather lived to be quite old. Not by carrying pepper spray, but by minding his own g d business. You were absolutely right, and there have been many times where I have felt like saying the same thing to cyclist around here, but I don't know how to say it in Spanish. But calling someone a punk, no matter how good it feels, carries some risk that they might be violent little psychopaths. Just because someone is young is no reason to expect subservient behavior from them. I wonder if you would have expected a better reaction if you had spoken that way to an adult.

Anyway, just another viewpoint. I don't care for people who zoom up behind me without warning. At least this kid gave you a heads up. If you had said that to me, I probably would just say "Yes there is" and keep riding on the sidewalk. Anyway, have a good weekend, and keep laughing!

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stimpy

quote Originally posted by fierobear: Here's a hint for you...don't believe everything you THINK.

quote Originally posted by tbone42: No, we can blame the parents, who are responsible for raising their children right. You and others are too willing to lay blame at your pet "hate" project, the left. The truth is its your responsibilty ALONE to raise your child in a correct manner. I would hate to see what would happen if one of your kids got in trouble.. no responsibility would be taken for YOUR shortcomings when you can blame "the left wing media" instead. You would let them watch it, so who is responsible again?

IMHO people who buy into the left wing media are less likely to discipline their children. I have a very liberal uncle who won't even yell at his daughter. My right wing parents had no problem beating the tar out of me. Today my cousin lives at home and is unemployed while I am a sergeant in the AF. Perhaps I am basing my opinion off a sample that is too small but it is still just an opinion.

So, I agree the parents are a very large part of the child’s development; but I ask you, where did the parents get their morals from their parents or CNN?

quote Originally posted by maryjane: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum6/HTML/087182.html Haven't you heard? They're special. FAR more intelligent than kids of previous generations. They won't make the usual mistakes, but will set the world right, and will change the world to be a much much better place, faster, easier, and more effeciently than anyone else---------- just like every other generation of kids were gonna do

If it wasn't for the fact that the US suffers in whole by this stupid progressive mentality that kids shouldn't be punished, I would actually otherwise be thrilled that kids today are losers. It just means that my own daughter will be just that much more excellent in everything she does.

Spam. Kids don't eat Spam anymore. The governments method of mind control drug dispersal is not currently working, and before they can come up with an alternative to Spam, we are doomed.

Notice the date on the bottom of the can. My great Grandmother took that pic with the very first color camera! (They used to write the date on the bottom with an ink jar and quill. )



Tony

[This message has been edited by Tony Kania (edited 08-05-2011).]

even the punks had some respect in florida,,it has drastically changed ,, the democrats have brought political correctness,which has created lippy kids!
a 17 year old kid who had moved from new york to florida liped off to my father i was suprised how quickly he was on the ground,,his father looked my dad up at his part time job at a gulf gas station,
..fortunately he talk to another person before he spoke to my dad ,my dad layed him out any way for being a bad parent ,,The kids attitude got better
he had the attitude ajustment
I use to watch or baby sit young beligerent teen boys related to me,,I instill respect for family and thier parents..the problem with this was the parents did not act like the kids masters.. eventually this ended because the mothers did not want thier sons lusting to join Marines as soon as possible..

quote Originally posted by uhlanstan: I instill respect for family and thier parents..the problem with this was the parents did not act like the kids masters.. eventually this ended because the mothers did not want thier sons lusting to join Marines as soon as possible..

Hahaha....

quote Originally posted by WhiteDevil88: You don't believe that kids can be violent enough to sucker punch you, or are you just so bad ass that you can take on multiple aggressors? If you are, good for you. But why carry pepper spray if you are Chuck Norris? You know, my Grandfather lived to be quite old. Not by carrying pepper spray, but by minding his own g d business. You were absolutely right, and there have been many times where I have felt like saying the same thing to cyclist around here, but I don't know how to say it in Spanish. But calling someone a punk, no matter how good it feels, carries some risk that they might be violent little psychopaths. Just because someone is young is no reason to expect subservient behavior from them. I wonder if you would have expected a better reaction if you had spoken that way to an adult. Anyway, just another viewpoint. I don't care for people who zoom up behind me without warning. At least this kid gave you a heads up. If you had said that to me, I probably would just say "Yes there is" and keep riding on the sidewalk. Anyway, have a good weekend, and keep laughing!

I honestly thought your first post was a joke. It was just so far out in left field. But apparently you were serious.

How do you know me again? That's right, you don't know me and you were not there.

I had my eyes on the kid that wanted to fight the whole time. The other kid was still on his bike well in front of me. No chance of a sucker punch.

I had the pepper spray out because my days of trading blows is over. It doesn't look good for an adult to get into a fight with juveniles. I would be a fool to get into a fist fight with two kids when I have a can of pepper spray on me.

As far as speaking my mind, I do. So what? Maybe your grandfather as you put it, minded "his own g d business." When I feel like speaking I speak. When I don't, I don't. As a cyclist, I am offended when I see other cyclists on the sidewalk when there is a bicycle lane right next to it. When I see that happen, I say something. I say the same thing to adults and not surprisingly, they apologize or ignore me and ride on. They don't jump off their bikes and try to throw down. I called him a punk because he is a punk. Normal people don't start any conversation with F U and you don't start a conversation with threats.

I am not going to be silent because I'm afraid of some punk kids. If you want to live your life that way, that is your business. I choose not to live with that kind of fear.


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Fear? No, just law of averages. If you make a practice of trying to be the bike lane cop, sooner or later you will say something to the wrong group of people. Is being right that important to you?

I get the sense that you feel that I am condemning you. That isn't true. I see myself potentially acting in the same manner, and I have done some pretty crazy confrontational stuff in my younger days. But I recognize that it is high risk behavior. That kid on the bike could have been carrying a gun. You really never know.

I'm not afraid of the little punks, but in my town those are the ones who kill little kids in drive by shootings, and spray the mall with bullets at Christmas time. Im not afraid of them, I just know better to go looking for confrontations with them. Where they ride their bikes is a small thing. Don't sweat the small things. You'll be a happier person.

I blame thimerosal or maybe societal breakdown. I'm sure it's one or the other.

I would rather see kids riding in the wrong place on their bicycle basically hurting nothing, than destroy a parking lot with skateborads or vandalize someone's house or car. BFD, you know? If you want to be the bike lane enforcement patrol, thats your biz, but what they did was harmless and would have been no problem until doug decided to reprimand them for it.

At least they told him they were 'coming up on the right'... no idea how much more considerate teenagers nowadays can even be, you know?

I find telling people they are wrong usually invokes a bad reaction (especially teenagers) .. let the police do their job and ticket them when/if they get caught, or if they get hit by a car, too bad so sad... and call it a day.

[This message has been edited by tbone42 (edited 08-06-2011).]

quote Originally posted by tbone42: I would rather see kids riding in the wrong place on their bicycle basically hurting nothing, than destroy a parking lot with skateborads or vandalize someone's house or car. BFD, you know? If you want to be the bike lane enforcement patrol, thats your biz, but what they did was harmless and would have been no problem until doug decided to reprimand them for it. At least they told him they were 'coming up on the right'... no idea how much more considerate teenagers nowadays can even be, you know? I find telling people they are wrong usually invokes a bad reaction (especially teenagers) .. let the police do their job and ticket them when/if they get caught, or if they get hit by a car, too bad so sad... and call it a day.

The main issue is that this kid wanted to pick a fight because he was reprimanded. Is this how the kid reacts to his parents, teachers or anyone else in authority? How is he going to react to a boss that is yelling at him? I suspect that kid will spend some time in jail.

Now, if the standard is that they could be doing something worse, then that excuses a lot of bad behavior. Children should be told they are doing something wrong when they do it. I think this timidity of adults to reprimand children is part of the reason why kids misbehave so much today. They do something bad that they know they should not be doing but adults don't say jack to them because, "he could have been carrying a gun." How would children react if every time they stepped out of line, every adult around them reprimanded them? I know my grandfather's generation spoke up when kids misbehaved. My father's generation, the Baby Boomers, started this wimpy adult stuff and now we are stuck with it.

As far as riding on the sidewalk, there is a reason why bicycles should not be on the sidewalk. They are a danger to pedestrians. I don't know how many times I have told a pedestrian on the bike path that I was coming up on their left only to have them immediately move across the bike path to the left side and almost get run over. Also, drivers are not looking for bicycles on the sidewalk. They can easily be hit by a car while crossing a driveway, parking lot exit or intersection.

I care enough to tell them they are doing something wrong and potentially dangerous. That is better than being silent and thinking that they will learn after they are hit by a car.


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