Rant #12984: Unruly Children

I was walking into work this morning, just turning around the corner of the street where I live and there were three kids fiddling with something behind a green electric box against a wall. This is nothing new as there is a bus stop at the bottom of this street and they gather there every morning to shout at each other and get in their morning cigarette. I imagine they are little shits mainly because they look and act like little shits. This morning was no different. As I was about the overtake them from the side they launched a half-full drinks container of the kind you get at the cinema at a woman crossing the street. Luckily it landed between her legs and I turned the corner and was down the street before I could see if she retaliated or resigned herself to the fact that unfortunately you can't give an unruly kid a smack around the head without reprisal from their illiterate benefit-using parents.

I'm not the biggest fan of children mainly because in this day in age they don't respect anyone nevermind their elders. I believe it's mainly a result of upbringing and their parents not raising them properly. I'm not saying this is anything new - children have been annoying the public at large for many generations even with a proper upbringing. However, parents these days seem to think children can supervise each other and throw them out on the street for some peace and quiet where they inevitably get up to no good. The only comeback is when they get lifted for petty crime but by then it's too late and the parents give up on them like a black sheep. A study has shown that "there is a strong relationship between the level of child neglect in a postcode area and the level of juvenile participation in crime in that area".

It would be great if you could make a citizens arrest but of course this only refers to a "serious crime" and the child is of course a minor. This makes it a difficult area of the law to cover and these little shits know they can get away with it. The only comforting factor is that they will grow up to be benefit-using degenerates with poor health and die of a heart attack from too many turkey twizzlers while you're away to Barbados on your second holiday thinking about retiring to Madrid. Until then it seems we will just have to accept a corrupt youth and hope that things change.