Abusive kids who won't buy tickets- what can be done?

[whole diary]

[WashuChan]

I've had to intercept against abusive kids on the trains who refuse to pay for tickets or treat the guards like a joke. The running practice is now to ignore the guard and wait for him to go away.

Sadly it works well because the guard doesn't always have time to deal with this "kids". Sometimes its gotten to the point where the guards been attacked, to which I've had to intercept because I can't stand to see someone who's doing his job be attacked.

There's nothing more satifising then throwing a kid off a train at Hilsea, knowing the next train isnt for another 30 minutes 

[zebedee]

You just have to accept we live in a country that has lost it's self-respect - or at least, if Newton Abbot is anything to go by anyway.  The parents don't care, the kids don't care, no-one cares anymore.

Personally, I'd like to see this government grow a spine and start doing something about the very sad disintergration of families but I suspect things will get worse before they get better.

[WashuChan]

You just have to accept we live in a country that has lost it's self-respect - or at least, if Newton Abbot is anything to go by anyway.  The parents don't care, the kids don't care, no-one cares anymore.

Personally, I'd like to see this government grow a spine and start doing something about the very sad disintergration of families but I suspect things will get worse before they get better.

Why does the government have to grow a spine in order to deal with this? Shouldn't the parents be doing more to sort this out, smacking their kids and teaching them right from wrong, why don't they spend more time with them rather then stuffing them in front of a TV?

Surely people will start bleeting the moment the government steps in and starts making sure these little thugs don't have little little thugs at 14 or so? Seems like a no win scenario to me 

[zebedee]

I agree that the parents are ultimately responsible for a child's behaviour and well being but (and this is all my opinion before anyone gets upset) I believe that years of ridiculous decisions by government have eroded any sense of family in this country.  I live on a council estate and I see first hand the sorts of families who don't work, don't care and still manage to have everything under the sun - cars, holidays and televisions.  There are plenty of people who have genuinely fallen on bad times and they need help, but there are lots and lots of people who need a shake up and realise that life doesn't owe them anything.

You are right in that one of the missing parts is the parents interacting with their children - we regularly have 2-3 extra 6/7 year olds round our house who call to see our children - they are just kicked out of their house on a Saturday morning and that's their lives.  We let them play in our garden as it seems better they are there then out on the streets.  The crazy thing is, the parents just don't know where they are.  The poor children have no boundaries so you imagine what they are going to grow up into - yes, the sort of young adults who have no sense of society or respect.

However, I don't agree with your comment about smacking children - in my experience, smacking children achieves very little.

[devon_metro]

Having been to Trowbridge a number of time i'd say there were many places within Torbay which should first be taken off the map.

It didn't look a particularly rich area but whats the need when you have a massive Asda 

[Jim]

Having been to Trowbridge a number of time i'd say there were many places within Torbay which should first be taken off the map.

It didn't look a particularly rich area but whats the need when you have a massive Asda 

Blimey! Well, I haven't really been round Torbay, so couldn't comment.


Really, you wanna see our Tesco - you supermarket 'ned'

[Graz]

I got a call from the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) chief from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) today - will report directly to him if I see those brats - or as he called them 'spotty little herberts' again!

[vacman]

I got a call from the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) chief from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) today - will report directly to him if I see those brats - or as he called them 'spotty little herberts' again!

I wish more people were like you Graz! a conductor got assaulted recently in Cornwall on a busy commuter train, OK, it wasn't serious, and not particularly physical, but it's still totally unacceptable, funny thing was, out of a full and standing 150 nobody saw a thing! The guard went sick, and the rest of the trains for the day on that branch were cancelled and i'll bet the people who didn't see anything were the first to moan about the train being canned!

[Jim]

I have on more than 1 time seen a bunch of 'undesirables' get in a unit, and see the guard go to ching them. On more than 1 time if they have been up there a while I quickly nip up the coach to check there not getting any problems.

[WashuChan]

However, I don't agree with your comment about smacking children - in my experience, smacking children achieves very little.

Smacking children instills that the actions they've just taken were wrong. It worked well for myself and my sibling, neither of us have broken the law.

But anyway, point being people need to stop being abusive to each other and start being decent.

[Graz]

I got a call from the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) chief from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) today - will report directly to him if I see those brats - or as he called them 'spotty little herberts' again!

I wish more people were like you Graz! a conductor got assaulted recently in Cornwall on a busy commuter train, OK, it wasn't serious, and not particularly physical, but it's still totally unacceptable, funny thing was, out of a full and standing 150 nobody saw a thing! The guard went sick, and the rest of the trains for the day on that branch were cancelled and i'll bet the people who didn't see anything were the first to moan about the train being canned!

Aw thanks vacman It's so unfourtunate there are people like that around- rightfully labelled scum of the earth, in my opinion. They have no right to be going on the trains if they have no intention of paying and abuse the conductor verbally or otherwise. I can't comprehend why someone didn't report anything about the incident in Cornwall- I'm sure any one of us here at the Coffeeshop would have reported it without a second thought.
Jim- have you ever reported anything to the BTP?

[Jim]

Jim- have you ever reported anything to the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)?

No. I have given 2 witness statments though.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Jim, well done, and thanks!

It's good to see such positive action being taken, by some of the younger members of society. 

The local plods take too long to reply to some calls as well!

Part of the problem there, Jim, is that the 'local' plods have limited powers on railway property: that's why you need BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officers on the ground.

I have reported certain issues to uniformed BTP officers at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) over the years - and they've been suitably grateful for the info, and they have promptly gone off to 'deal with it'!

[Jim]

Thats the problem. Our nearest BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) plods are Bristol! No use calling them for an emergancy incident on a train is it!

[WashuChan]

Thats the problem. Our nearest BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) plods are Bristol! No use calling them for an emergancy incident on a train is it!

The ones in Pompey were fast asleep when I called them about a "nice" bloke who was beating up his missus x.x