Dick Dasterdly

Seems you just blew your own arguement out of the water, unless of course you blame Maggie for Football riots, Religious marching riots in N.Ireland, Racist riots, Prison riots and riots that barely deserve the description of riots.

Well why not, she carries the blame for just about everything else thats wrong with the World.

Also on that same link a clip from Fox news claiming that the present troubles all stem from Socialist, Liberal type policies.
Suppose it helps balance the crap that comes with the Guardian.

The Yanks are fine ones to preach anyway.
Things are so bad in one town that they've imposed a permanent curfew barring all young ppl.from the streets after 9 pm.

fionamw

Sorry but in my opinion young people out WITHOUT THEIR FAMILIES after 9pm used not to be acceptable behaviour - we're probably talking only town centres, I suppose - not that many generations ago in the UK so why is it bad to frown on it now?

Dick Dasterdly

By young ppl. I believe it applies to under 18 yr olds, though I think the times vary with days of the week.

I don't think 17 yr olds would take very kindly to being lead around the streets by their parents hands after dark.

johnnyone

I am with you on this. Although I have quite liberal attitudes, to allow your young children out at night on their own is madness whether they are angels or not. Either way it's not wise.
Many parents believe that just because their child has a mobile 'phone they are somehow safe/not causing trouble and can be contacted to come home if called.

cricketman

In Barcelona, kids from around 12 upwards were out playing with their friends until the early hours of the morning, on their own in the summer. Skateboarding, playing guitar, footy, bouncing on that ball on the beach.

Its what children in civilised societies do!

fionamw

But when? you talking now? 2011? My 9yo has encountered (seemingly racially orientated) unpleasantness during this year's feria - nothing major, but enough to have us considering his wellbeing - in (extremely) rural Axarquia. Hallowe'en last year I didn't know where he was for about 45 mins, and call me cr*p but that was just fine. He was with loads of other equally freerange kids. I'd love to have him out in the streets, 10pm-11/12 at every fiesta/whatever reason... really would. Just to prove the difference from here/UK if it's all I achieved. but when we start to have reason to *worry* ... well....
never forget, though, I wouldn't countenance this in ANY village/town in the Forest of Dean which was our last base. Nor rural Suffolk, the previous base. Nor probably even S Somerset, the one before!

Rosemary

I am 66 but I do not ever remember that being the case as long as I was in before 10-30 it was ok. I played in a band from the age of 14 so spent many hours in pubs and clubs, (they closed at 10 then), I never caused anyone any problems but then my music was my life.

Graham

Europe

What is going on in the UK its quite interesting.....


The sociologists for instance they have not still found a solid argument to justify those riots.

As I like to do...I am going to present what I have been reading.. hence I have this opinion. So, the articles say that the phone hacking scandal and the riots are due to a decline of the society to egocentrism and to ultra-materialism.

Before depicting the ''world'' I currently live.I want to ask people of British origin if that is true. When I ask '' What is your goal, till when you are going to heavily work ?'' Is there enough....or the materialism is going rampant ?

I say that cause I come from a South European country....where latest 30 years life was everything about acquisition....!!


Here are the two articles;

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...n-s-riots.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/op...rssnyt&emc=rss


So I am currently in Germany and what I am seeing all around me is so strange and noble. Germans do not really concentrate on their appearance...they save heavily....the do not use credit cards....and they generally have a frugal way of living.

It does seems noble..... but a bit harsh also....

cricketman

2009, so not so long ago

Parents have to do what they feel is right, but imo children are better off playing with their friends in the park, beach or town squares than sat at home on Facebook.

I should add that I'm talking about what I've seen and experienced in Spain

I wouldnt have stayed out late as a 14 year old in the town I grew up in, in the UK, all the kids who stayed out were taking drugs or robbing cars. That may be the case in some dodgy areas in Spain, but certainly not in the niceer bits of Barcelona I stayed in

I must add that the teenagers I see in Arroyo de la Miel look like complete pikeys. But the ones I've seen in the centre of Malaga or on the beaches hanging out look harmless enough

HBG

I would agree that Spanish children, for lots of reasons, are much safer late at night than children in the UK. But the reasons have nothing to do with society, it's purely the climate.

You couldn't take your children out late at night in the UK because it would be too cold.

cricketman

I dont know about that, my OH is from Asturias which can rival UK weather and she would be out with her friends in the bars and squares in the middle of winter until 2am with her friends - and at 14 years old.

All perfectly acceptable and neither her or her friends would wake up in a pool of vomit

jackytoo

What a load of rubbish. Kids get abused in spain too...or do you put on the blinkers when things like that in the papers in Spain. As for malaga, ever heard of the botellón. Medical teams are out every night taking kids to be dried out (or whatever it is they do)..I wouldn't have let my kids out in any country although I never lived in an area where drugs and carjacking was a way of life.

Some of you need a reality check

steviedeluxe

It must be nerve-wracking having teenage kids today. I don't even think the time of day makes a lot of difference. The papers in London today covered a school kid of 14 who was stabbed to death on playing fields in Enflield, at 5 in the afternoon.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...ed-to-death.do

What a waste of a life. But what do you do as parents? Prevent your child from playing sport in the afternoon? I don't have this dilemma, but I feel for those who do.

HBG

I don't know about the Asturias, it seems like a remote place in the middle of nowhere, something like Ross-Shire in the UK.

A beautiful place, freezing cold for most of the year, and no people vomiting in the street. The vomiting is probably a Spanish trait.

jackytoo

Black on black crime, all involved in gangs and drugs. No-one cares, least of all the parents.