Oldies shock teens

[oggbashan]

Yesterday evening my wife and I were walking through a local town centre about 10pm.

We had been to a wedding reception but had to leave our car about half a mile from the hall. We walked back to the car...












...holding hands. Weddings affect my wife that way (OK, OK, me too)

The local youth seemed to find this threatening! The drunken yobs and girls moved out of our way without even a polite request from us. One youth even dragged his spewing (barfing for US readers) girlfriend around to clear the pavement for us.

I know I am fairly large but I'm not exactly threatening. I think the idea of aged people having the effrontery to walk through THEIR town centre holding hands as if we didn't have a care in the world was the perceived threat.

Any other explanations?

Og

PS. I wasn't wearing my hat or carrying WMDs.

 

[Guest]

Yesterday evening my wife and I were walking through a local town centre about 10pm.

We had been to a wedding reception but had to leave our car about half a mile from the hall. We walked back to the car...
...holding hands. Weddings affect my wife that way (OK, OK, me too)

The local youth seemed to find this threatening! The drunken yobs and girls moved out of our way without even a polite request from us. One youth even dragged his spewing (barfing for US readers) girlfriend around to clear the pavement for us.

I know I am fairly large but I'm not exactly threatening. I think the idea of aged people having the effrontery to walk through THEIR town centre holding hands as if we didn't have a care in the world was the perceived threat.

Any other explanations?

Og

PS. I wasn't wearing my hat or carrying WMDs.

You weren't carrying any blood sausage, were you?

 

[oggbashan]

Re: Re: Oldies shock teens

You weren't carrying any blood sausage, were you?

No. I eat that for breakfast (after the three Shredded Wheat).

We weren't carrying anything. My wife wasn't even carrying her bulging handbag.

Still puzzled Og

PS. Maybe it was my large feet in black polished shoes and the blue shirt?

 

[McKenna]

Pervert!















(Takes one to know one!)

 

[oggbashan]

Pervert!















(Takes one to know one!)

Curses! Fly! All is discovered!

 

[Guest]

Maybe they were just embarrassed to see adults still obviously in love.

Reminded them of their parents, perhaps? Ewwwwwww!

 

[gauchecritic]

I think you'll find Og that it was the teens that shocked your stereotyping.

Whether brought up to it or in spite of upbringing most teens, in my experience, are thoughtful and considerate when not obliged to be otherwise. (In a gang or with mates)

I hear "Sorry mate" or "watch out o' 'way" quite often when walking through the middle of a gang of youths, sans wife or otherwise (We always hold hands)

Look at a youth (bright eyes and a slight smile helps no end) and rather than "What you looking at?" I often get "Alright?"

Gauche

 

[McKenna]

ILook at a youth (bright eyes and a slight smile helps no end) and rather than "What you looking at?" I often get "Alright?"

Translation?

 

[oggbashan]

I think you'll find Og that it was the teens that shocked your stereotyping.

Whether brought up to it or in spite of upbringing most teens, in my experience, are thoughtful and considerate when not obliged to be otherwise. (In a gang or with mates)

Gauche

I hope that is the explanation.

I can still remember being a teenager (number-deleted years ago), hanging around with my friends on street corners. Oldies found us threatening then even though we had no aggressive intent. Just being there was perceived as a threat.

What was unusual was that they seemed to see us as a threat - not looking at us, moving or turning away, - even though most were very intoxicated.

Perhaps it was the size 13 black shoes and the blue shirt.

Og

 

[gauchecritic]

Translation?

Of what?

"Alright?" (pronounced "awrate") is a common greeting round these here parts, equivalent to "Good evening, how do you do. Are you well?"

"What you looking at?" is as it seems. A threat or offer of violence.



You could be right about the blue shirt and black shiny size 13s Og. If it looks and appears like a copper...

Gauche

 

[oggbashan]

Shoe sizes do not necessarily translate.

My size 13s equal European 49 and US 14.

Large enough to look like a old fashioned policeman in the days when you looked up at a policeman even without his helmet.

Og

 

[R. Richard]

Og:
I think you are on to something! I suspect that you could sell shoes similar to the ones you wre wearing as a sort of pre-self defense item. Think it over.

 

[Guest]

"Alright?" (pronounced "awrate") is a common greeting round these here parts, equivalent to "Good evening, how do you do. Are you well?"

Gauche

I thought that's what that meant, but I wasn't quite sure!




U.S. equivalent may be (aka Joey of Friends) "How you doin'?"

(or the ubiquitous smile and head bob.)

 

[Guest]

At the height of punk (in the states anyway) I found myself at a red traffic light next to two exemplary lads. Both sported the whole look with spiked hair, safety pins, studs, etc., and abysmal looks on their faces. I did not feel threatened at all as I had young sons who I knew others were frightened of merely by the looks of them, my sweet boys.

As the light turned to green a blind very old lady came to the curb and the two 'demons' immediately spoke softly to her and helped her across. Gave me such a grin I kept from spouting, "You big phoneys!"

Perdita

 

[cloudy]

I thought that's what that meant, but I wasn't quite sure!




U.S. equivalent may be (aka Joey of Friends) "How you doin'?"

(or the ubiquitous smile and head bob.)

In the Southeast it's "hey!" Took forever for me to get used to it.

 

[Remec]

In the Southeast it's "hey!" Took forever for me to get used to it.

When I was in school in Hickory, NC, the neighbor of one of my offcampus friends was from the Village in New York and couldn't get over how almost everyone he'd come into any contact of more than a few moments while working in Charlotte would smile and give him a bright, beaming "Hey!" <g>

And the way everyone tended to meet his eyes straight on, and walked about town actually focussed on the people instead of buildings, traffic, or sidewalk.

 

[pop_54]

Yesterday evening my wife and I were walking through a local town centre about 10pm.

We had been to a wedding reception but had to leave our car about half a mile from the hall. We walked back to the car...












...holding hands. Weddings affect my wife that way (OK, OK, me too)

The local youth seemed to find this threatening! The drunken yobs and girls moved out of our way without even a polite request from us. One youth even dragged his spewing (barfing for US readers) girlfriend around to clear the pavement for us.

I know I am fairly large but I'm not exactly threatening. I think the idea of aged people having the effrontery to walk through THEIR town centre holding hands as if we didn't have a care in the world was the perceived threat.

Any other explanations?

Og

PS. I wasn't wearing my hat or carrying WMDs.

Could have been the way you noisily primed the sawn of Winchester you were carrying just before you got to them.

I must admit though, menacing as they appear to some people, most youths are reasonably polite and civilised... until they sniff the barmaids apron anyway.

 

[Liar]

At the height of punk (in the states anyway) I found myself at a red traffic light next to two exemplary lads. Both sported the whole look with spiked hair, safety pins, studs, etc., and abysmal looks on their faces. I did not feel threatened at all as I had young sons who I knew others were frightened of merely by the looks of them, my sweet boys.

As the light turned to green a blind very old lady came to the curb and the two 'demons' immediately spoke softly to her and helped her across. Gave me such a grin I kept from spouting, "You big phoneys!"

Perdita

I have always found that then it comes to youths it is those that look like bloody murder and as if they would rip your guts out at the drop of a hat, that are the kindest, most respectful and considerate people.

Punkers with the full attire of spikes, piercing and clothing. Gloomy goth death metal-heads with the whole dark occult thing going on. Street thug gangstas. Those are the ones that seems morelikely to help that old lady over the street, to give up their seat on the bus, to hold up doors, and so on.

It seems like they actually go out of their way to prove that what they look like is a fashion statement, and not something that makes them bad people.

I've noted the same attitude among many immigrants here where I live. They are often unjustly stereotyped and precieved as thugs, criminals, potentional robbers and rapists. So whenever given the chance many are are hell-bent on proving the public eye wrong.

#L

 

[Guest]

I have always found that then it comes to youths it is those that look like bloody murder and as if they would rip your guts out at the drop of a hat, that are the kindest, most respectful and considerate people.

Punkers with the full attire of spikes, piercing and clothing. Gloomy goth death metal-heads with the whole dark occult thing going on. Street thug gangstas. Those are the ones that seems morelikely to help that old lady over the street, to give up their seat on the bus, to hold up doors, and so on.

It seems like they actually go out of their way to prove that what they look like is a fashion statement, and not something that makes them bad people.

I've noted the same attitude among many immigrants here where I live. They are often unjustly stereotyped and precieved as thugs, criminals, potentional robbers and rapists. So whenever given the chance many are are hell-bent on proving the public eye wrong.

#L

i have to agree with you Liar. going back to college at my age, really opened my eyes to the younger generation. besides having my own teenager, it was really something to witness the kindness of kids i would have normally been a bit wary of.

they welcomed me as part of the group instead of making me feel an outsider. i was and still am impressed.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

. .. We walked . . . holding hands.

... drunken yobs and girls moved out of our way ... One youth even dragged his spewing (barfing for US readers) girlfriend ... to clear the pavement for us.

... the idea of aged people having the effrontery. .. holding hands...was the perceived threat.
Any other explanations? Og

Dear Og,

You have received many suggestions, and all quite probable. May I add another?

I believe you might have misread the situation.

To put it in oriental terms, for most young people (especially teenager) not losing “face” is very important, and their ability to maintain that face is often very fragile.

That you caught them while one of their number was being sick in public — especially if it was from drink — quite possibly embarrassed them tremendously.

It is just as likely that they were cringing from embarrassment, and not from any reaction to your conduct.

And you seem to harbor a sensitivity to being caught holding hand in public — and at your age! Heavens!

Just my view on human nature, but when apprehended in any random moment, a person’s attention is most likely to be found centered upon themself and their own emotions.