I sometimes wonder about the Borough in which I am living and bringing up my children.
The picture shows the state of my car following a bout of vandalism in Berrylands. Two doors, the back and two rear wings are ruined and it appears an almost total re-spray is required. 25 cars in my road were daubed with paint stripper. The damage is not just financial but includes a stream of residents who now worry about this Borough and whether this is the same place they moved to. But maybe the concern is wider than just this Borough? Should we be worried about the growing lack of regard, by some individuals, for their fellow man. We all put up with low level anti social behaviour because many people recognise that they often did similar things when they were kids. But I do not believe that the type of vandalism I have witnessed is anything like that which we did. Or maybe I am just getting older; maybe I am becoming the proverbial “grumpy old man” before my time? Maybe the problem is me and not those who cause distress and expense to others? What do you feel about it?
The picture shows the state of my car following a bout of vandalism in Berrylands. Two doors, the back and two rear wings are ruined and it appears an almost total re-spray is required. 25 cars in my road were daubed with paint stripper. The damage is not just financial but includes a stream of residents who now worry about this Borough and whether this is the same place they moved to. But maybe the concern is wider than just this Borough? Should we be worried about the growing lack of regard, by some individuals, for their fellow man. We all put up with low level anti social behaviour because many people recognise that they often did similar things when they were kids. But I do not believe that the type of vandalism I have witnessed is anything like that which we did. Or maybe I am just getting older; maybe I am becoming the proverbial “grumpy old man” before my time? Maybe the problem is me and not those who cause distress and expense to others? What do you feel about it?
6 comments:
Hi Kevin,
I am very sorry about your car but this demonstrates the underlying problems that there are in society today. There are three problems as I see them.
1) A lack of youth facilities meaning some individuals hang round on park benches getting drunk and causing disorder. There are different answers for different groups. Youth Clubs for some, sports facilities and entertainment facilities for others.
2) A complete lack of respect by some young people for society. It has become 'cool' and 'acceptable' to do this sort of hideous ASB. We should be teaching young people from a very young age social, moral and political responsibility.
3) Young people think they can get away with it: Lets face it they can. These people needed to be caught and imprisoned with harsher sentences to put off others.
This is a problem not just in Kingston but across the entire country. Something has to be done. Whenever I talk to people about the problems in Kingston a lot bring up ASB and lack of youth facilities. It has to be recognised that this is a major issue. Whoever wins in May I hope they recognise just how important this issue is and do something about it.
Michael Joslin,
Why do you only talk about this problem in terms of young people? It is clear from your post that you assume this vandalism was perpetrated by young people. How do you feel able to assume this? Do you think all crimes are caused by young people? For all you know, the vandal was an older person, yet you harp on about young people as if they are the only possible cause of crime.
As a member of Kingston Youth Parliament, you should be standing up for young people. Instead, you seem to think they are guilty until proven innocent.
Sadly almost all mindless vandalism is caused by low life scum,many are young 15/35 some are older but one does not see too many "bovver grannies" these days.
What on earth is the Kingston Yoof Parliament?
I do hope my council tax does not support this.
Until the PC handwringers are rightly discredited and we get back to some tough love and parental responsibilities being enforced with an iron hand,the feckless will prosper.
Not where we are headed but where we already are.
IMO the removal of powers for parents and schools to disipline children has led to this. I am not talking beating them senseless, I'm talking disipline.
Lets face it even if they did the damage right in front of you, you are powerless and likely to be had for assault if you so much as touched a hair on their heads and they know it.
Legislation needs to change and these criminals (and yes they are mainly kids/youths doing this - the police probably even know who)need to actually be afraid of the consequences of their actions.
Today sadly the most they will get
is a slap on the wrist or their parents told. I dare say that the parents either don't care, are in denial or are unable to control their child any longer and need support.
Hello all
Yes sadly my car was also vandalised with paint stripper to the same extent in Westfield Road, Surbiton.
I agree entirely with Anonymous, chances are good this was done by youths because they know they can get away with it, adults would probably not risk the prison sentence.
And on that topic, the government made a huge mistake by taking away the power from schools and parents to discipline children! Every day we see youth harassing bus drivers and citizens, getting up to all sorts of mischief, and nobody can lift a finger to stop them. They have no boundaries because there are no consequences for their actions. In my day we were too scared to get a good hiding and that's what kept us in check.
I cannot urge the government and lobyists enough to bring back corporal punishment in schools. These youngsters will soon be adults, take up work in society, and eventually rule this country...quite honestly is that what we want?
Don't expect the police to care about the vandalism to your car.
When I lived in Lambeth, under the police inspector who practically legalised drugs in Brixton, I did get a visit from the police after my car had been smashed in twice in the space of one week, but only to tell me that it was not the business of the police to investigate such low level crime.
Of course, they also informed me that the reason people smashed into cars was to rob anything which they could then sell for £10 (to buy for their drug habit). Never mind that the damage to the car reached into hundreds of pounds.
Of course, I did get the obligatory letter from the do-gooders in the social services or whatever, asking me whether I was traumatised as a result of the crime. I replied back in writing that I was traumatised, but not because of the crime, but because of the police's failure to react to the crime. Not surprisingly they didn't reply to my letter.
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