The teenagers are intimidating (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

The teenagers are intimidating

I KEEP reading over the last few weeks of how teenagers in Swindon feel persecuted because they are not allowed to hang around in big groups in public areas.

I am in my late 30s and I remember doing the same thing when I was in my teens.

At the time I used to say, well we're not doing anything to harm anyone else.

As I have grown older I am now on the other side of the fence in that I feel intimidated when faced with a wall of young people.

However the difference between now and then is that when I was younger we did not subject people to personal verbal abuse, spitting, swearing or general jeering.

The majority of teenagers that I came across before the ASBOs came into force would not move out of the way so that you could go about your daily business.

They make it their business to front up to you, before you even ask them politely to move.

I have a six-year-old daughter and she feels just as frightened or intimidated as I do.

I now do not take her to any of the parks in West Swindon because they are also full of drug taking verbally abusive teenagers who in my opinion do not know the meaning of the word respect. I know all teenagers are not the same but I as yet have not met any that have not fallen into this generally intimidating and abusive group.

I agree though that there should be more for them to do but it should be in a more structured environment than just letting them get on with it which they have suggested.

(Mrs) TEAGUE

Grange Park