If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Take a look around and enjoy reading the discussions. If you'd like to join in, it's really easy to register and then you'll be able to post. If you'd like to learn what this place is all about, head here.
Comments
There aren't more kidnappers than before, but the media love a good scare story. Cars never stopped us playing out ten years ago. Traffic hasn't gone up much since then. The council have sold off playing fields, but not all of them.
It's sad.
They say that though we're not consuming more cals than we were in the 50s, and that it's a more sedentary life that's leading to the nation's expanding waistlines. As well as health, street games are sooooo much cheaper than gameboys- even more incentive to get the kids playing outside more.
generally you develop a good street sense, which i think is vital! i suppose being brought up in a rougher area does have some benefits
how in gods name would anybody know if less kids play in the street? did someone go round asking?
We still go out mind, but tend to not hang about much. Usually some drunk twat will come and say "Eeh, yer shtaring somethings wiff me liek? i'll fucking kicks yer arshe!" smelling of cheap beer. Or you'll get run over.
But I appreciate that not everyone has that luxury. Being a father the greatest fear is abduction. When I was younger me and my brothers would dissapear into the woods with a stick for a gun and a jam sandwich in our pockets for hours and my Mum wouldn't worry. Now if I lose sight of mini-Ninj for 5mins from that window my stomach turns.
It doesn't help that he is quite young for his age either.
I know that. But with him it's a combination of this area (it's one of the very worst I've lived in, having lived all over the place, including Southampton, Newcastle and Bristol, not just Wiltshire villages) and the fact that he's just not that aware. In fact I'm setting out on the process of having him assessed to see if he has Asperger's as I suspect he might.
what have we built?
The Dystopia we always feared?
tax surveilance ...crime surveilance ...but no safety for kids ...
Exactally... the power they have, used in all the wrong ways.
Sad sad state to be in.
I don't think things have got more dangerous in terms of abduction, but they have certainly got worse with traffic. We live in a traffic calmed zone now we've moved, 20mph with humps, and you still get twats zooming down at 45 in their vans. I wouldn't let a child of mine play out there, in a so-called "safety zone".
I don't think generally traffic has got heavier or more dangerous, but berks in residential streets seem to be getting worse. And whilst its not really any more dangerous, as kids tend to be streetwise enough to get off the road, I don't trust other drivers.
I suppose that's the problem really. We've gone from trusting other people, not being able to.
And Traffic has actually increased dramatically in recent years. Plus, as you say, people don't drive carefully anymore. Some arses go up my road at 50+. Ffs.
parked cars were few and far between.
community?
again when i was a kid ...everyone was in and out of each others houses ...they all lived and worked together ...and owned nothing worth nicking.
now ...people don't even know their nieghbours names or occupations ...very sad state of affairs that can only be damaging to us all.
Also true when I was a kid. And almost every family that owned a car, the male took it to work in the daytime anyway.
I don't think it's safe to play out for most kids, not because of cars, adults or anything like that, but because of other kids.