To be fuming about this!

The older generation (us) always think that young people's behaviour is going downhill. Our parents said the same about us. I agree that groups of young people seem intimidating but a lot of it is bravado, not wanting to lose face in front of their peers. I worked as a secondary comprehensive school teacher for nearly 40 years and I think most kids are decent and caring. Some kids are brats but that is the fault of their parents, our children's generation. If there is more litter about its because there is more to litter with. We are awash with packaging, fast food containers, plastic bottles, things that didn't exist when we were young.

I'm going to stick my neck out, and say it seems as if some young people today literally have no idea what was once considered anti social behaviour. They are genuinely surprised when someone points it out.

Good post Magsymoo.
I was thinking about this earlier, and teenagers have to have something to rebel against. so many topics are 'verboten' nowadays, so who/what can they aim at?
If it's us oldies we need to show that we're not all doddering idiots.
Sorry, I don't mean to demean those of us who have dementia or Altzheimers.
Almost 20 years ago now I told some children cycling on the pavement that they ought to have a bicycle bell. Nearly knocked me over. Their reply "silly old Bat".

I dont think its just 'old' people. I have opened many a door for people older than myself who never say thank you or even notice my existence.

I remember once, i was struggling with a trolley trying to exit the supermarket, lots of people walked by and there was a little boy riding on his bike, id say about 10, he saw me, got off his bike and held the door open for me.

Some people are just plain rude!

If you feel confident say something, if you don't, don't. If you're verbally abused try to get over it, that's probably how those young people have been spoken to themselves.
Most schools will take phone calls about pupils' poor behaviour seriously. On the other hand they're delighted if they get a phone call about positive behaviour as few people bother to let them know!
After witnessing an especially nasty (girls) bullying incident I made two calls. The senior stalk member of the two bullies' school was receptive and knew exactly who I was describing. The person who took the call at the school the scared girl was from gave me the 'We can't do anything if you don't know who she was' line in a tone indicating complete lack of interest.

I think I am withMagsymoo - ''twas ever thus!

I find it best not to be confrontational but rather to say "I think you've dropped something". No-one has ever replied that they deliberately littered.

What surprises me is that, I have heard, that in school they are told about "protecting our world" re litter etc.

I remember being given reading books re dropping banana skins (people can slip on them) etc. in the 1940's. We are supposed to protect their word for their future but if they aren't prepared to do their bit, why should be worry.

I remember a pupil being asked to pick up litter on the playground and him replying "I will be putting the Caretaker out of a job".

Hi Linda. Well done you for speaking up.I know some people think it's a risky thing to do ,never knowing what response you'll get,but I find it impossible to keep quiet when I see littering.In the past I have even passed litter back through an open car window,as it's been thrown out as I've walked past.Saying politely.I'm sorry I think you've dropped this.And groups of lads used to congregate in the wood behind our house on a summers evening and throw fast food wrappers and beer cans all over.I would go out the next day with a bin bags and clear up ,until I reached boiling point and had had enough.I went out and asked if I could talk to them, then calmly but firmly asked who they thought kept clearing up the rubbish -me -and if they were able to carry bags of full cans to the wood,could they please put the empties in the bag and dump them in the bin right by the entrance to the wood on the way home.Much to my surprise they were very sheepish, said they would,and they did after that.
I just find it impossible to turn a blind eye to littering.And yes at times I've been told where to go in unsavoury language, but I'm pretty thick skinned.And it's not all young people,I'm sure we've all seen suited and booted businessmen driving very smart cars wind the window down and jettison their rubbish.Drives me mad !And if it's a group in an identifiable uniform and they jeered at me and didn't pick up the litter I would contact the school.Most young people are wonderful,lots of older people can be rude and antisocial too.But I wish right from primary age there was more education about care and consideration for the environment, problems of littering,fly tipping etc so the message got through to the minority that spoil our surroundings for the majority.

This is such a big subject.
When we first came to live in France, 16 years ago, one of the things I noticed was the absence of litter in road verges. But now you can see more and more of it. As the French are becoming converted to convenience food. And 'Macdo's'.

My 'cycling city' is plagued by pavement cyclists of all ages and classes, in the suburbs and in the city centre pedestrian zones. Every time I go out cyclists come up at speed behind me and narrowly miss me. Three times I have almost been hit by a speeding cyclist as I moved across the pavement at the bus stop when I saw the bus coming. A friend of mine suffered a broken leg when a cyclist ploughed into her when she was crossing with the green man in the city centre. This week a cyclist, young man probably in his 20s, overtook me from behind at speed and then cycled into Waitrose. He was parking his bike when I collected my trolley so I decided to speak to him to bring home to him the consequences had he hit me. I'm an unofficial care for DH and if I were to be out of action it would have a major impact on us, it could be life-changing. But I was a wimp . I simply didn't dare to speak to him. I chickened out. I once reprimanded a young man for parking in a disabled space at Sainsbury's and was subjected to rudeness as I went round the shop much to DD1's embarrassment.

Maybe you should have picked it up and said 'You dropped this, dear, I wouldn't like you to lose simething important!'

I was with my Grandson in the park a few weeks ago. It's a lovely new play area designed for the under 10s, full of huts/houses to crawl in and climb, and rope walk-ways and little wooden castles to hide in.

A group of about ten teens decided to sit in two of the huts to smoke...a few climbed the roof outside, trying to look hard, others loitered outside, cigarettes in hand.

I went over, peered in the hut and told them the park was for young children, they shouldn't be there and they certainly shouldn't be smoking. (Notices dotted round to that effect.) I tried the 'be reasonable/play fair' approach, and wasn't shouty or nasty.

I held my ground despite the hard stares and muttering. A few realised I was in a sort of strict teacher mode, and got up and moved, the others sat there 'giving me evils' and muttering. I mentioned the notices outside and said they weren't being fair to the children and they could go and sit on benches in the park, etc.

I went to play with Grandson but kept an eye on them. They were glaring at me too, I could feel it, but slowly they moved off. All the time I was in the play area I could feel this group looking at me. Even when we'd finished this group were eyeing me up and a couple of the lads were gesturing and jeering at me.

I must say, I felt quite threatened but right was on my side and I wasn't going to run away. I ignored them as I walked past them on the path to the car park. I was glad to get back to the safety of my car with the little one though.

What surprised and hurt me most of all was that not one of the other parents in the park backed me up.

If we all succumb to wrong-doers and don't make a stand, what will the world be like in the future for our grandchildren?

I watched a case in a magistrates court some years ago when a young girl was being prosecuted for dropping a cigarette end as she entered a shopping precinct some 15 miles away. She had to make a journey of some 40 miles each way to attend court and probably had to take a day off work. Apparently, there was a rubbish receptacle nearby.

As she pled guilty, the fine was reduced to about £120. With the fine, costs, victim premium, travel expenses and time off work, it was a very expensive cigarette butt!

Agree with Lilyflower in every respect.Well done LyndaW and everyone of us who has the guts to stand up for good behaviour and consideration for other people.

Well done LyndaW (and others who have taken up a stance) if more people did this then it would send out a message. Too many are just frightened to say anything and these types know that.

Well done Lynda. A few weeks ago I was on the bus coming home from a morning out. While the bus was waiting to start it's journey, a young mum, I suppose in her 20's, was standing in the aisle, holding a scooter and it's new box. Her young son was seated beside her. An older woman boarded the bus and squeezed past to get to her seat. She was shouted and gestured at by the young 'woman', swearing and generally using very bad language, saying "how rude". This went on and in the end I stood up and asked the bus driver if we had to put up with her bad behaviour and language. I had thought he would ask the young woman and her son to leave the bus, but he just asked that they calm down, and he started his bus. The rude woman continued, on and off, making comments all through her journey, about my looks, my age etc, finishing off with "I hope you don't get off at my stop". I was also hoping the same thing! She stood in the aisle for the whole of her journey, when she could have been seated, and when she did get off, there was a sigh of relief. Her son said nothing at all, but she and her language/ attitude certainly wasn't a good role model for her son.

Stop putting the youngsters down, the generations before us fought two world wars and older people didn't say anything about dropping litter then. If you're that worried about it then you pick it up.

You did the right thing but can understand how upset you feel about it. Well done for involving yourself. Not to do so is to condone the behaviour.

Well done you! I'm not sure I would have had the courage to say quite so much so gold stars to you. I might just have picked it up and said "would you like me to dispose of this for you?"