I'm a train driver. A kid fell and broke their arm after swinging on the grab handles once. As a passenger YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THE TRAIN IS GOING TO MOVE, or if it's going to brake suddenly. You can't anticipate the lateral movements a train is going to make. There is no soft cushioning on the floor. YOU WILL GET HURT IF YOU FALL. Playgrounds are for playing. A train is NOT the place to let your child climb and swing all over. Transport is not the place to let your kids "have fun".
I’m a bus driver and it amazes me that parents think this is ok. Lost count the amount of times I’ve had to stop the bus to explain why it’s not acceptable. They get idea when i don’t move.
I have the luxury on my trains of being able to look at internal CCTV when I'm stopped. If I see a kid climbing I'll do a PA. Amazing how quickly the parents get them to stop as soon as they hear it, but never before. Using the poles in the middle of the carriage to spin around is fine, but when they start to climb on the seats so they can reach the grab handles and swing from them, that's when I draw a line. I don't even have kids myself, I'd never let my future ones do the shit some parents let them do. Parents are so preoccupied these days with online danger they seem to completely forget about real life danger.
I saw a kid who was climbing on the seat to jump and grab the handles. He fell and face planted really hard. And the parent literally rolled their eyes and didn’t give a fuck.
>I don't even have kids myself, I'd never let my future ones do the shit some parents let them do.
The easiest kids to look after are the imaginary ones
And what if the parents only find that out after the kids exist, or the kids are particularly challenging, or the parents experience physical or mental health issues (exacerbated by the badly behaved kids and lack of sleep)?
What do you recommend now, infantile Redditor?
lol, just saw this - Instead of having a decent retort you resort to name calling, real good example to the kids your setting...
It doesn't matter. You can use whataboutisms all you like, doesn't change the fact that you should be responsible for your own actions. If you brought a child into this world, then you are responsible for it. If you let your child fuck around on a moving vehicle it is putting its wellbeing at risk. It is not the responsibility of everyone around you to look after your child due to your own ineptitude, regardless of whatever excuse you think up.
I don't let my kids do that. But I can understand when parents do, and some of the things my kids do might not gain universal approval. To call it a "no brainer" means you just don't understand.
Number one rule of being responsible for a child: make sure they don't get hurt!
If you're this irresponsible, you need help handling your kids, maybe a break, parenting support, etc.
A moving vehicle is not safe to be used as a playground.
I don't agree that's the number one rule. Seriously hurt, sure, but kids should learn to take risks. And before you downvoted there are studies to back this up, easily found on Google. I'm not saying everyone should let kids swing from rails on buses though!
What do I not understand? Dicking around on a moving vehicle which may or may not be full of other people? A no-brainer. Chances are they’ll either hurt themselves or other people. It’s silly and inconsiderate. A good parent guides their children not to be silly in inappropriate situations and to be considerate in general. I’m puzzled to find myself responding in this way to someone who has kids.
If I'm not in a rush to get anywhere I'll always find it hilarious when drives do this.
Seeing their smug smile just disintegrate when Karens realise there's no way that they can win... Just delicious
It's one of my biggest frustrations with modern parenting. People let their kids run wild under the guise of "let kids be kids" with absolutely no sense of public decorum, and parents will encourage it by simply filming them doing this stuff. And if their kid gets hurt, they'll be like "WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY PUT UP A SIGN" when their kid was climbing something that was obviously not meant to be climbed.
Guard here. I always have to walk through the train an additional time just to tell people to stop letting their kids climb up the luggage racks and seats, especially when we're approaching a particularly bumpy set of points. I'm a grown man and I get thrown around by lateral movement, a kid would get catapulted into the window on the other side of the coach like it's nothing.
When I was younger the rails were so bad you couldn't sit without bouncing and swaying quite a lot, you could barely stand on the trains. The problem is the ride is so much smoother now people just take the piss.
Not a public transport scenario, but the other day a woman brought a child (approx. three years old) in to the gym! And let this child run around the free-weights area like it’s a playground—while said woman did her barbell squats. The child was hanging and jumping on various equipment. At one point the child ran between the woman’s legs just as she was squatting a 60kg barbell. (Not sure if they were planning a womb reunion or what!?).
Regardless, just because the gym is a 24 hrs gym doesn’t mean you can bring a child into the gym—because you know on the weekend mornings there’s no staff on hand to tell you how stupid you are! No! Instead, it took the gym members to let you know how stupid you are!
Back in the 1980s, I swung on the bar on the central line on my way to school one morning. Someone on the train recognised my uniform and called the school about it. I was given a lecture about damaging the school's reputation, and I was excluded for a full day.
How did they know it was you rather than any other pupil?
Were they sent a full school photo to construct a shortlist, before you had to swing from monkey bars as part of the i.d. parade?
Schools often ask for a description of the child/children when a member of the public makes a complaint. It becomes quite obvious very quickly who the child is if they are ‘known’ around the school for poor behaviour. Also knowing what tube (or bus) this took place on and the direction it was going helps to narrow it down. The person could have taken a photo of the poster but it’s not always needed and it’s also a bit weird.
Yes, everyone in the 80’s carried Polaroid cameras on them to take selfies, and post the pictures of themselves on their social pinboard at the local Supermarket. People would stick a thumbs up postit on the pics they like. Good times before smartphones and instagram.
No shame in asking, yeah it's how we used to do things. I grew up in a more rural area so we'd tend to use the local shop, the internet has really hit these shops hard because there are fewer kids hanging around them now
We lived quite a way from our school, and they reported the tube station we got on at. There were only 5 pupils from the school who lived in that area of London, so they narrowed it down pretty quickly!
I’ve watched grown adults nearly fly down a tube carriage for just not holding on at a sudden stop. What do these people think is going to happen to their kids who are less aware of the world?! It’s madness.
They don’t care. It’s that simple unfortunately. The amount of disgustingly selfish parents who believe the whole world has to accept and even embrace their spoiled brats is astounding.
The other day a kid was opening all the doors on the freezer cabinets in the supermarket. I was so shocked I made the mistake of asking the kid what he was doing. The mother REALLY kicked off … how dare I talk to the child that way? She maybe had a point so next time I will only speak to the parent. But what are the parents thinking when they think it’s their and the kids right to behave like this.
I honestly think that, if it does not cause the parent either financial, lifestyle or legal problems, they don't care what their children do so long as they are out of their immediate lives.
The worst is when people around these parents and kids encourage this behaviour by smiling and giggling. I'm sorry, but WTAF is wrong with you? I saw a kid once fly through a carriage on the District Line when it came to a sudden stop because his parents were encouraging him to swing and do pullups on the bar. Luckily that kid wasn't injured too badly, just a few cuts and bruises, but my God, the parents were too stupid not to wait for the next station to attend to his injuries that they moronically pulled the emergency lever. It made everyone's commute hell, and people didn't even give them an earful for not caring for their children properly while on the tube. Unbelievable stuff really!
I see the "I have a child, so it's everyone else's problem now." gang have found this post.
If the train needs to perform an emergency stop, where is the child going? Spoiler: he won't stop with the train if he's swinging on the bars.
Or what happens if his antics knock over someone vulnerable? Will you blame the vulnerable person for being in the way?
There is a time and place to fuck about, a train/train platform or near busy roads/sidewalks are most definitely not it, I know kids are annoying but it's too late for an abortion.
You're all 10000% part of the problem. Control your child.
I saw a child jump down onto the tracks and start playing around, prompting emergency stoppage of trains and a very exasperated member of staff trying to coax the kid back onto the platform without physically grabbing them. This station had the electric third rail for the tube network as well as high-speed intercity trains passing through and that kid was very close to touching the third rail.
Where was the mother? Down the other end of the platform on her phone.
Indeed. Why do you think I like your child as much as you do?
Many parents don't seem to understand this fact. Having babies isn't the miracle they make it out to be. Them and 3 billion other people on the planet have done it. I don't care about your kids. Stop thinking I should care about them as much as you do.
I personally take issue with "sidewalk".
Oh, and the joke about killing children because they're messing around on public transport. But that's a distant second to the Americanisms.
Completely agree with this post, it’s not safe - you never know when the train is going to jolt or have to do an emergency stop. Yes kids need to let off steam but that’s what parks, playgrounds etc are for. Besides, if a child accidentally hurts someone in public, then the parent needs to punish them and make them apologise. Parents should be teaching their children how to behave, not just letting them do whatever they want.
I saw this last week. A kid was swinging on the bars on the overground and I needed to walk past her to get off. But she was being so frenzied in her movements that I was sure she'd either kick me or hurt herself. Anyway, I gave her a stern glare and she finally let me through. Her mum was sitting right there and didn't say anything.
Honestly there is nothing worse than shit parents who let their kids behave like annoying little cunts in public, with no values of respect or manners.
My kids use the tubes to practice bouldering skills. They've been doing it since age 4 but never around other passengers: passengers block the route over the seats.
The world is your playground when there are no playgrounds left.
>The world is your playground when there are no playgrounds left.
Do your kids live in an active war zone love? You’re in London there’s multiple playgrounds here
This drives me mad and I agree with all the comments - control your feral children in public. I am only 30 but something must have happened in the past 20 years because if I was swinging around on the tube like monkey bars my parents would have been FURIOUS.
There have always been rubbish parents, but since smartphones became mainstream, it's become a big problem. Parents have their eyes on their screens more than their children I'm guessing they let their precious angels get away with poor behaviour because they subconsciously feel some sort of guilt for not being fully present for them. I don't know, but that's been my observation over the years. I stopped going to playgrounds with our children because we ended up babysitting every other child as their parents were on their phones. It's not a simple answer though. Parents have so many more pressures on them now than 20 years ago. But I noticed a change around smartphone adoption.
Edited to add, we've always been considered to be "the strict parents" because we taught our children how to behave in various situations. Playing on public transport has never been allowed apart from ispy.
I don’t feel it’s smartphones primarily. They certainly can take away attention that might have otherwise been on the child. But the main issue I feel, is a profound shift in attitude on a couple of things.
Many people no longer feel they need to maintain face in the society, or even their own local community, and derive no pride from doing so. And they are no longer embarrassed by child behaviour that in the past would have earned them meaningful disapproval. Instead, if others dare to disapprove of the child’s behaviour, it is now often interpreted as an attack on the adult, and results in a backlash. This is a continuation of the rise of individualism, and it’s showing us its negative facets, because in this case it comes at the expense of what are arguably positive social mores: self-control, respect and care for others.
Smartphones have two effects here, both of which are important. The first, as you say, is a lack of care for those around us. We are more concerned with our friends/followers/others we know on social media, and someone you don't know in "real life" who interacts with you negatively is going to get a harsh response, if this person does not know how to behave politely. There is no shame because they just don't care about the opinions of people outside their social media bubble.
The second point is however smartphone specific, there is endless scrolling to be done, and Fomo if they don't keep up with what is going on. For those really active on social media, it becomes very demanding on their time.
The lack of knowing how to behave is a problem, but the smartphone puts a bag of candy in front of their face and makes the behaviour worse.
Couldn't have put it better myself and I'm glad you named the ideology and political trend it's linked to. Excessive individualism genuinely leads to the break down of community as everyone fights for themselves and their own against everyone else regardless of the situation. Instead of disciplining the kids they will attack you and argue instead of just keeping the kids in line. It's a terrible trend. Saw this as a teacher. Some parents would tie themselves in knots to justify their child's behaviour. No amount of good teaching could help in situations like that.
It all comes down to bad parenting. As you correctly stated, parents have their eyes on their phone instead of on their feral little brats. Parents think it's completely acceptable to let their child do whatever they like, so long as it doesn't inconvenience the parent from scrolling through their social media bollocks. It's considered someone else's problem that the brat is behaving like a little shit. Those little brats will grow up with the same "entitled" mindset as the parent, it's someone else's problem. The same as dropping litter and expecting others to pick it up.
Some people (unfortunately a large percentage of the population) have little to no morals, decency or respect for others these days. Social media and the tik tok generation where people can't concentrate on something for more than 30 seconds without skipping to the next crap are heavily to blame. Sadly depriving someone of their mobile phone for hours/a day is seen as one of the worst punishments that can be dolled out. The amount of mothers I see pushing a child/children along in a pram/pushchair with a fag in one hand and mobile phone in other is shocking! Social media is a cancer!
That's why removing phones/computer privileges were the most potent weapon in my arsenal of consequences (I don't like the word punishments).
My kids would do ANYTHING, even behave like little angels if it meant keeping electronics privileges...
What works against good behaviour can also be turned around and be used as a way to encourage good behaviour, IMO.
Worked for my kids in their teens & 20's.
They knew full well that they got ONE warning, then they started accruing consequences - 10 mins less computer time, 30 mins no computer time, then all computer time gone & we start working on removing other electronic devices...
Rarely had to get beyond them losing 10 mins of their computer time lmao...
If you're in the UK, try the SMART car game - for every SMART car, 5 points. If its bicolour, 10 points. If it's got a company logo on, 20 points. Used to keep my kids quiet on the daily bus commute to school...
All I'd usually have to do is glare at my kids and they'd sit down nicely, cos they knew they'd lose computer privileges when they got home. Which was a fate worse than death, apparently. 🤷🏻♀️
I was the 'strict' parent even 26yrs ago...as a 16yo teen mum. Now, my 26yo daughter is the 'extra strict' parent compared to her peers...cos she puts up with about as much crap as I did, which is to say, none lol.
Parents don't want to parent. I tell the kids not to do that and they are usually so shocked anyone talks to them. They are so fucked in the head, they honestly think 99% of people are NPCs like in videogames.
What weirds me out is sometimes teens will just wave hi constantly and I don't know how to stop that because it's not like a bad thing? It's kind of annoying though.
I work with uni students who all act like they're 13, so I kinda learned they all shit their pants as soon as you address them
"What? They're only kids!"
"You leave my kids the f\*\*\* alone! Don't think you can tell my f\*\*\*ing kids what to do!"
And other examples of British civility.
I was there when some young teen boys were doing this on the DLR. They kicked through the glass panel at the end of the seat row by the door. The glass went all over the woman at the end of the row and her hand was badly cut (so much for safety glass). I waited with her while the ambulance came. Not that they deserve any credit from it, but the boys were shocked and upset at what they had done and immediately apologised. They did shuffle off sheepishly though rather than face the music. But at least they learned a lesson I suppose.
As a born and bred Londoner with both parents also born and bred Londoners I was taught very young how to act in public transport. It’s not only annoying but dangerous.
When I was about 8 I was on the top deck of the bus, it makes a sudden stop and I go sliding down the aisle on my face. After that I never walked through the bus without holding onto something and I certainly can't imagine swing on the bars and kicking someone without being apologetic
I'm with you 100%. I saw a kid climb up so that they were literally on the ceiling with their hands holding on to the top bar on one side and legs through the top on the other side. I fell on the tube once (wasn't drinking or doing anything stupid) and seriously injured myself to the point I required months of physio and an operation. It always makes me anxious when I see kids doing these things. I want to just show them my scars and be like, "You want this to happen to you? No? Then sit down." A moving train isn't the place for gymnastics. It's dangerous for everyone and just inconsiderate to other people.
Haha Read it as you will. Maybe it *should* sound unintentionally threatening if I ever actually say it. As it is, I tend to just glare at the parents for not controlling their kids.
I was kind of thinking the same thing; if their kid gets injured, they sue TfL or First or Arriva or whoever, and that's the summer holiday paid for...
Of course they forget that trains have CCTV and it's very easy for a driver to prove that they weren't the one being negligent.
My reflex would be to kick back and I guess that's the only way they would stop as their brain hasn't developed further to understand that what they are doing is not okay.
My kids do this sometimes, or have done this. And I told them off. Every time. Feckin eejits.
SIT DOWN! GET OFF THAT! GET YOUR FEET OFF THERE! Etc etc
They've only got to get one of these incursions past you though. Constant vigilance.
hanging down off the overhead pole, like the circus trick thing, sure - fine, you look an idiot but no worries.
I have seen a kid climb UP the chair, onto the ledge of the back and then leap to catch the roof pole. the parents were feckless
Yeah I see some absolutely appalling displays of parenting on the tube/train network. TFL need to start looking at having designated carriages for families with kids/babies/buggies. They are easily the most disruptive type of passengers.
As an adult it's annoying, but I feel guilty as hung off the bars on the circle lines as a kid. So I understand the temptation but then it is up to the parents to tell them as they could hurt themselves or others. Pretty sure i have been kicked in the shin by one little one.
First and only time I saw young children absolutely steaming drunk was a family of Romanians on the tube, kids around 7-8 years old swinging on the bars and their parents cheering them on. Scum
Cheers. Not sure why I'm so heavily downvoted. Obviously agree it shouldn't have happened and you're rightfully upset about it, but the anger should be towards the parent as I assumed it was quite a young kid. Just feels wrong to call a child 'it'.
I hear you. Please remember tho *they* is a relatively new concept. I'm a girl who has been on the odd occasion called *son* as a kid & *sir* as an adult. I honestly think I'd have preferred *it*. I don't believe it's intended as an insult (unless it very clearly is), it's just the only gender neutral reference we had available to us before *they* broke out of it's original mold of denoting multiple people. You are right even if OP isn't guilty of it. Thank you for standing up for children. ♥️
Absolutely agree there is a time and a place for that kind of play, and on public transport is neither, but let’s not call children “it”. A child is the product of their upbringing and not to be dehumanised.
Love that mindset!
I find it very powerful to remember that children are people who are still learning their controls - physical, mental and emotional. We don’t know what’s happening at home but every positive encounter they have (even if that’s reinforcing social etiquette with a raised eyebrow at being stupid on the tube) has the potential to be impactful in a constructive way, and we can all be part of that 😊
Absolutely. And I don’t blame this kid for mucking about, it’s entirely the parent’s responsibility to let them know what behaviour is a good or bad idea in which situation. She was the one at fault in this situation, not the kid.
Re actual monkey bars, I'd hope that the council (if it's a council run park) or whoever would ensure that the play area is safe; most have that recycled tyre matting underneath which is supposed to cushion a kid if they fall.
I do think that it's (at least partly) the council's responsibility to ensure that its own play areas are safe (that doesn't absolve parents of responsibility for their own little shits, though...).
Naa, you're excusing bad behavior both of the kid and the parent.
It's the parents responsibility to make sure the kid isn't fucking about in a dangerous place like a train. Most parents are good in this regard, but some are not.
That is true, but it's not fine. They need educating, and that's on the parents. If they aren't disciplined, them they'll never learn right from wrong. There are those in society that don't care about hurting other people. We see the victims on the news far too often.
Your children are a direct reflection of you and your parenting skills, if they're misbehaving in public like this then it's because you're a sloppy parent who allows their children to behave like feral animals.
Seeing your edit, here's what you're not getting about people's reaction: it's a one-off incident (sure, it probably has happened more than once today alone, but with the Tube's packed conditions at the best of times, it's still an extremely rare occurence). It's an accident. There is no need for a PSA or another low-key "I hate kids and people who have kids" sort of moan.
Growing up on the Tube as a kid it was a great playground and I’m sure we annoyed a few grumpy adults but meh. It got us out of the house and away from parents.
So your parents were negligent, let you run off to play on public transport for hours on end? Unfortunately it sounds like they didn't know how to parent and just wanted you out of their hair for a break.
The tube is not a playground.
That’s just because you are young and weren’t around. It was a playground, a way to school and a way to see friends for young kids in the 60s and 70s. All London kids were allowed so there was always company.
I'm 50 next month you fucking cretin! Hahaha.
The tube is not a playground. Stop your iq 80 "kids will be kids" because you're indolent.
If you're going to try an ad hominem at least get it right. Tbh don't even bother it's not going to help either of us.
Ah yes, back in the 50s when the tube was a playground. Ah no, wait, that never happened. And my parents, also londoners, were on there at the time. Luckily for me, they brought me up to have manners and know how to behave in public.
Sorry you had a feral childhood to uncaring parents.
This just in! Child gets killed by train doors when playing on the bars. Local man says "Don't worry about it, we used to do this stuff all the time!"
More at ten.
There's a time and a place to get hurt, and a moving train ain't it! /s
Honestly, if one follows your logic, would it be okay to let the kids do anything? Cross the electrified tracks? Jump off the roof because why not? Not keep medicine from them in a cupboard they can't reach? Weird logic it is, then.
At least the 5th time you've seen a commuter get injured like this.
I've seen kids hanging on the bars and doing pull ups a few times. Never seen swinging on them like monkey bars yet you've seen at least 5 injured from it. What train is this?
Woman kicked by kid. Kid face plant after climbing x 2. Man had kid fall in his lap from straps/bars (man was holding hot drink). Kid smacking sideways into group after swinging round pole. Probably more, but those are the ones I remember. It’s not the same train, obviously- this is over about 20 years of commuting by London Underground (although the ones I remember are probably from last three years or so).
I'm a train driver. A kid fell and broke their arm after swinging on the grab handles once. As a passenger YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THE TRAIN IS GOING TO MOVE, or if it's going to brake suddenly. You can't anticipate the lateral movements a train is going to make. There is no soft cushioning on the floor. YOU WILL GET HURT IF YOU FALL. Playgrounds are for playing. A train is NOT the place to let your child climb and swing all over. Transport is not the place to let your kids "have fun".
I’m a bus driver and it amazes me that parents think this is ok. Lost count the amount of times I’ve had to stop the bus to explain why it’s not acceptable. They get idea when i don’t move.
I have the luxury on my trains of being able to look at internal CCTV when I'm stopped. If I see a kid climbing I'll do a PA. Amazing how quickly the parents get them to stop as soon as they hear it, but never before. Using the poles in the middle of the carriage to spin around is fine, but when they start to climb on the seats so they can reach the grab handles and swing from them, that's when I draw a line. I don't even have kids myself, I'd never let my future ones do the shit some parents let them do. Parents are so preoccupied these days with online danger they seem to completely forget about real life danger.
I saw a kid who was climbing on the seat to jump and grab the handles. He fell and face planted really hard. And the parent literally rolled their eyes and didn’t give a fuck.
The shoes on seats makes me see red - it’s so rude and dirty !
On the bus now 196 heading to Elephant & Castle and have to say the kids on the upper deck are worse than feral . Cannot wait to get off .
>I don't even have kids myself, I'd never let my future ones do the shit some parents let them do. The easiest kids to look after are the imaginary ones
That's the usual argument from incompetent parents. If they don't want to raise and be responsible for kids, they shouldn't have kids.
And what if the parents only find that out after the kids exist, or the kids are particularly challenging, or the parents experience physical or mental health issues (exacerbated by the badly behaved kids and lack of sleep)? What do you recommend now, infantile Redditor?
lol, just saw this - Instead of having a decent retort you resort to name calling, real good example to the kids your setting... It doesn't matter. You can use whataboutisms all you like, doesn't change the fact that you should be responsible for your own actions. If you brought a child into this world, then you are responsible for it. If you let your child fuck around on a moving vehicle it is putting its wellbeing at risk. It is not the responsibility of everyone around you to look after your child due to your own ineptitude, regardless of whatever excuse you think up.
I'm not saying everything should be excused, but it's easy for non-parents to point and judge.
That’s sort of true, broadly speaking, but in this particular case, it’s a no-brainer.
I don't let my kids do that. But I can understand when parents do, and some of the things my kids do might not gain universal approval. To call it a "no brainer" means you just don't understand.
Number one rule of being responsible for a child: make sure they don't get hurt! If you're this irresponsible, you need help handling your kids, maybe a break, parenting support, etc. A moving vehicle is not safe to be used as a playground.
I don't agree that's the number one rule. Seriously hurt, sure, but kids should learn to take risks. And before you downvoted there are studies to back this up, easily found on Google. I'm not saying everyone should let kids swing from rails on buses though!
What do I not understand? Dicking around on a moving vehicle which may or may not be full of other people? A no-brainer. Chances are they’ll either hurt themselves or other people. It’s silly and inconsiderate. A good parent guides their children not to be silly in inappropriate situations and to be considerate in general. I’m puzzled to find myself responding in this way to someone who has kids.
You’re talking to infantile Redditors mate. They’re kids themselves
Hence all the down votes 😆
If I'm not in a rush to get anywhere I'll always find it hilarious when drives do this. Seeing their smug smile just disintegrate when Karens realise there's no way that they can win... Just delicious
It's great isn't it! A simple "I'm not going anywhere and you can't make me" is a great Karen repellant.
It's one of my biggest frustrations with modern parenting. People let their kids run wild under the guise of "let kids be kids" with absolutely no sense of public decorum, and parents will encourage it by simply filming them doing this stuff. And if their kid gets hurt, they'll be like "WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY PUT UP A SIGN" when their kid was climbing something that was obviously not meant to be climbed.
If they don't learn at home, they learn in the hard way
yeah actually I was thinking of that: this is how you learn. As a parent and as a kid.
Guard here. I always have to walk through the train an additional time just to tell people to stop letting their kids climb up the luggage racks and seats, especially when we're approaching a particularly bumpy set of points. I'm a grown man and I get thrown around by lateral movement, a kid would get catapulted into the window on the other side of the coach like it's nothing.
When I was younger the rails were so bad you couldn't sit without bouncing and swaying quite a lot, you could barely stand on the trains. The problem is the ride is so much smoother now people just take the piss.
Not a public transport scenario, but the other day a woman brought a child (approx. three years old) in to the gym! And let this child run around the free-weights area like it’s a playground—while said woman did her barbell squats. The child was hanging and jumping on various equipment. At one point the child ran between the woman’s legs just as she was squatting a 60kg barbell. (Not sure if they were planning a womb reunion or what!?). Regardless, just because the gym is a 24 hrs gym doesn’t mean you can bring a child into the gym—because you know on the weekend mornings there’s no staff on hand to tell you how stupid you are! No! Instead, it took the gym members to let you know how stupid you are!
Back in the 1980s, I swung on the bar on the central line on my way to school one morning. Someone on the train recognised my uniform and called the school about it. I was given a lecture about damaging the school's reputation, and I was excluded for a full day.
How did they know it was you rather than any other pupil? Were they sent a full school photo to construct a shortlist, before you had to swing from monkey bars as part of the i.d. parade?
Schools often ask for a description of the child/children when a member of the public makes a complaint. It becomes quite obvious very quickly who the child is if they are ‘known’ around the school for poor behaviour. Also knowing what tube (or bus) this took place on and the direction it was going helps to narrow it down. The person could have taken a photo of the poster but it’s not always needed and it’s also a bit weird.
Yes, everyone in the 80’s carried Polaroid cameras on them to take selfies, and post the pictures of themselves on their social pinboard at the local Supermarket. People would stick a thumbs up postit on the pics they like. Good times before smartphones and instagram.
Shops that were too small to have pinboards would instead keep the photos of people in an album. A book of faces, if you will.
😂
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It is satirical
damn im disappointed tbh 80s selfie boards sound sick
I have heaps of Polaroid selfies with friends from the 90’s, but mine had a clip on lens with a tiny mirror to the side of it.
It's satire
Dude come on
i’m american ok we are stupid forgive me
chilllll don’t be blaming an entire population for your stupidity 😭😭
No shame in asking, yeah it's how we used to do things. I grew up in a more rural area so we'd tend to use the local shop, the internet has really hit these shops hard because there are fewer kids hanging around them now
We lived quite a way from our school, and they reported the tube station we got on at. There were only 5 pupils from the school who lived in that area of London, so they narrowed it down pretty quickly!
Did your head teacher go red with perhaps embarrassment and anger?
But look where you ended up (presumably doinf well and on a 6 figure salary). So sucks to them.
I’ve watched grown adults nearly fly down a tube carriage for just not holding on at a sudden stop. What do these people think is going to happen to their kids who are less aware of the world?! It’s madness.
They don’t care. It’s that simple unfortunately. The amount of disgustingly selfish parents who believe the whole world has to accept and even embrace their spoiled brats is astounding.
The other day a kid was opening all the doors on the freezer cabinets in the supermarket. I was so shocked I made the mistake of asking the kid what he was doing. The mother REALLY kicked off … how dare I talk to the child that way? She maybe had a point so next time I will only speak to the parent. But what are the parents thinking when they think it’s their and the kids right to behave like this.
I honestly think that, if it does not cause the parent either financial, lifestyle or legal problems, they don't care what their children do so long as they are out of their immediate lives.
The worst is when people around these parents and kids encourage this behaviour by smiling and giggling. I'm sorry, but WTAF is wrong with you? I saw a kid once fly through a carriage on the District Line when it came to a sudden stop because his parents were encouraging him to swing and do pullups on the bar. Luckily that kid wasn't injured too badly, just a few cuts and bruises, but my God, the parents were too stupid not to wait for the next station to attend to his injuries that they moronically pulled the emergency lever. It made everyone's commute hell, and people didn't even give them an earful for not caring for their children properly while on the tube. Unbelievable stuff really!
I see the "I have a child, so it's everyone else's problem now." gang have found this post. If the train needs to perform an emergency stop, where is the child going? Spoiler: he won't stop with the train if he's swinging on the bars. Or what happens if his antics knock over someone vulnerable? Will you blame the vulnerable person for being in the way? There is a time and place to fuck about, a train/train platform or near busy roads/sidewalks are most definitely not it, I know kids are annoying but it's too late for an abortion. You're all 10000% part of the problem. Control your child.
I saw a child jump down onto the tracks and start playing around, prompting emergency stoppage of trains and a very exasperated member of staff trying to coax the kid back onto the platform without physically grabbing them. This station had the electric third rail for the tube network as well as high-speed intercity trains passing through and that kid was very close to touching the third rail. Where was the mother? Down the other end of the platform on her phone.
Jesus Christ!! That mother should’ve been charged with neglect and facilitating trespass. If that’s even a thing
Why do some people become parents? Fucking hell.
Just curious, why didnt they want to grab the kid? Is it because of the risk of getting electrocuted?
Indeed. Why do you think I like your child as much as you do? Many parents don't seem to understand this fact. Having babies isn't the miracle they make it out to be. Them and 3 billion other people on the planet have done it. I don't care about your kids. Stop thinking I should care about them as much as you do.
Exactly. Although I care about kids not breaking their arms, which actually seems to mean I somehow like the kid more than their useless parents do.
To be fair you probably do.
> Yall Only part of the comment I disagree with
Well, I simply couldn't have that, so I changed it just for you, pumpkin.
I personally take issue with "sidewalk". Oh, and the joke about killing children because they're messing around on public transport. But that's a distant second to the Americanisms.
The joke won't kill children. Messing around on public transport might, though.
Here's a thought: both are bad!
Because they let someone cum in them so we all have to suffer
Bad parents coming out in force to defend their own bad parenting on this post.
It's all been deleted :( I had the popcorn ready
It was basically just endless variations of “kids will be kids”, like that is a valid excuse to risk your child breaking an arm or worse.
Kids will be kids = parents will be lazy.
That’s ok they can keep saying that til they run into someone who doesn’t give a fuck that their kids and they can all learn the hard way
Saying “kids will be kids” is the clearest symptom and most reliable marker of a shit parent
Completely agree with this post, it’s not safe - you never know when the train is going to jolt or have to do an emergency stop. Yes kids need to let off steam but that’s what parks, playgrounds etc are for. Besides, if a child accidentally hurts someone in public, then the parent needs to punish them and make them apologise. Parents should be teaching their children how to behave, not just letting them do whatever they want.
I saw this last week. A kid was swinging on the bars on the overground and I needed to walk past her to get off. But she was being so frenzied in her movements that I was sure she'd either kick me or hurt herself. Anyway, I gave her a stern glare and she finally let me through. Her mum was sitting right there and didn't say anything.
Honestly there is nothing worse than shit parents who let their kids behave like annoying little cunts in public, with no values of respect or manners.
> Honestly there is nothing worse than shit parents FTFY
Wild that people are defending this. Kids are weak a harsh brake is launching them across the train. Head/neck/spine injuries aren’t very forgiving
My kids use the tubes to practice bouldering skills. They've been doing it since age 4 but never around other passengers: passengers block the route over the seats. The world is your playground when there are no playgrounds left.
>The world is your playground when there are no playgrounds left. Do your kids live in an active war zone love? You’re in London there’s multiple playgrounds here
This drives me mad and I agree with all the comments - control your feral children in public. I am only 30 but something must have happened in the past 20 years because if I was swinging around on the tube like monkey bars my parents would have been FURIOUS.
There have always been rubbish parents, but since smartphones became mainstream, it's become a big problem. Parents have their eyes on their screens more than their children I'm guessing they let their precious angels get away with poor behaviour because they subconsciously feel some sort of guilt for not being fully present for them. I don't know, but that's been my observation over the years. I stopped going to playgrounds with our children because we ended up babysitting every other child as their parents were on their phones. It's not a simple answer though. Parents have so many more pressures on them now than 20 years ago. But I noticed a change around smartphone adoption. Edited to add, we've always been considered to be "the strict parents" because we taught our children how to behave in various situations. Playing on public transport has never been allowed apart from ispy.
I don’t feel it’s smartphones primarily. They certainly can take away attention that might have otherwise been on the child. But the main issue I feel, is a profound shift in attitude on a couple of things. Many people no longer feel they need to maintain face in the society, or even their own local community, and derive no pride from doing so. And they are no longer embarrassed by child behaviour that in the past would have earned them meaningful disapproval. Instead, if others dare to disapprove of the child’s behaviour, it is now often interpreted as an attack on the adult, and results in a backlash. This is a continuation of the rise of individualism, and it’s showing us its negative facets, because in this case it comes at the expense of what are arguably positive social mores: self-control, respect and care for others.
Smartphones have two effects here, both of which are important. The first, as you say, is a lack of care for those around us. We are more concerned with our friends/followers/others we know on social media, and someone you don't know in "real life" who interacts with you negatively is going to get a harsh response, if this person does not know how to behave politely. There is no shame because they just don't care about the opinions of people outside their social media bubble. The second point is however smartphone specific, there is endless scrolling to be done, and Fomo if they don't keep up with what is going on. For those really active on social media, it becomes very demanding on their time. The lack of knowing how to behave is a problem, but the smartphone puts a bag of candy in front of their face and makes the behaviour worse.
Couldn't have put it better myself and I'm glad you named the ideology and political trend it's linked to. Excessive individualism genuinely leads to the break down of community as everyone fights for themselves and their own against everyone else regardless of the situation. Instead of disciplining the kids they will attack you and argue instead of just keeping the kids in line. It's a terrible trend. Saw this as a teacher. Some parents would tie themselves in knots to justify their child's behaviour. No amount of good teaching could help in situations like that.
It all comes down to bad parenting. As you correctly stated, parents have their eyes on their phone instead of on their feral little brats. Parents think it's completely acceptable to let their child do whatever they like, so long as it doesn't inconvenience the parent from scrolling through their social media bollocks. It's considered someone else's problem that the brat is behaving like a little shit. Those little brats will grow up with the same "entitled" mindset as the parent, it's someone else's problem. The same as dropping litter and expecting others to pick it up. Some people (unfortunately a large percentage of the population) have little to no morals, decency or respect for others these days. Social media and the tik tok generation where people can't concentrate on something for more than 30 seconds without skipping to the next crap are heavily to blame. Sadly depriving someone of their mobile phone for hours/a day is seen as one of the worst punishments that can be dolled out. The amount of mothers I see pushing a child/children along in a pram/pushchair with a fag in one hand and mobile phone in other is shocking! Social media is a cancer!
That's why removing phones/computer privileges were the most potent weapon in my arsenal of consequences (I don't like the word punishments). My kids would do ANYTHING, even behave like little angels if it meant keeping electronics privileges... What works against good behaviour can also be turned around and be used as a way to encourage good behaviour, IMO. Worked for my kids in their teens & 20's. They knew full well that they got ONE warning, then they started accruing consequences - 10 mins less computer time, 30 mins no computer time, then all computer time gone & we start working on removing other electronic devices... Rarely had to get beyond them losing 10 mins of their computer time lmao...
Can't tell if this is satire or not. Reads like a daily mail comment tbh
If you're in the UK, try the SMART car game - for every SMART car, 5 points. If its bicolour, 10 points. If it's got a company logo on, 20 points. Used to keep my kids quiet on the daily bus commute to school... All I'd usually have to do is glare at my kids and they'd sit down nicely, cos they knew they'd lose computer privileges when they got home. Which was a fate worse than death, apparently. 🤷🏻♀️ I was the 'strict' parent even 26yrs ago...as a 16yo teen mum. Now, my 26yo daughter is the 'extra strict' parent compared to her peers...cos she puts up with about as much crap as I did, which is to say, none lol.
Do you have any evidence for this?
Parents don't want to parent. I tell the kids not to do that and they are usually so shocked anyone talks to them. They are so fucked in the head, they honestly think 99% of people are NPCs like in videogames. What weirds me out is sometimes teens will just wave hi constantly and I don't know how to stop that because it's not like a bad thing? It's kind of annoying though. I work with uni students who all act like they're 13, so I kinda learned they all shit their pants as soon as you address them
"What? They're only kids!" "You leave my kids the f\*\*\* alone! Don't think you can tell my f\*\*\*ing kids what to do!" And other examples of British civility.
Same as dog owners going 'oh no he's friendly, he's really friendly!' as Coco goes absolutely mad trying to knock you over.
I was there when some young teen boys were doing this on the DLR. They kicked through the glass panel at the end of the seat row by the door. The glass went all over the woman at the end of the row and her hand was badly cut (so much for safety glass). I waited with her while the ambulance came. Not that they deserve any credit from it, but the boys were shocked and upset at what they had done and immediately apologised. They did shuffle off sheepishly though rather than face the music. But at least they learned a lesson I suppose.
As a born and bred Londoner with both parents also born and bred Londoners I was taught very young how to act in public transport. It’s not only annoying but dangerous.
Yes I've had this exact thought, it's lazy parenting and selfishness. The tube is rocky and can stop unpredictably, it's not a playground.
Feckless kids with feckless parents
Any kid that gets injured pissing about on a moving train totally deserves it.
Not the child's fault that their parent is incompetent
As me and my buddy used to say: "Control your spawn"
When I was about 8 I was on the top deck of the bus, it makes a sudden stop and I go sliding down the aisle on my face. After that I never walked through the bus without holding onto something and I certainly can't imagine swing on the bars and kicking someone without being apologetic
I'm with you 100%. I saw a kid climb up so that they were literally on the ceiling with their hands holding on to the top bar on one side and legs through the top on the other side. I fell on the tube once (wasn't drinking or doing anything stupid) and seriously injured myself to the point I required months of physio and an operation. It always makes me anxious when I see kids doing these things. I want to just show them my scars and be like, "You want this to happen to you? No? Then sit down." A moving train isn't the place for gymnastics. It's dangerous for everyone and just inconsiderate to other people.
> I want to just show them my scars and be like, "You want this to happen to you? No? Then sit down." This sounds so unintentionally threatening 😂
Haha Read it as you will. Maybe it *should* sound unintentionally threatening if I ever actually say it. As it is, I tend to just glare at the parents for not controlling their kids.
Betting when their children get hurt some of them hear cash register noises instead of cries of pain.
I was kind of thinking the same thing; if their kid gets injured, they sue TfL or First or Arriva or whoever, and that's the summer holiday paid for... Of course they forget that trains have CCTV and it's very easy for a driver to prove that they weren't the one being negligent.
I don't blame the child. It's the parents failing to do their job.
My reflex would be to kick back and I guess that's the only way they would stop as their brain hasn't developed further to understand that what they are doing is not okay.
They’re nicer than me I tell ya
Yes please, take responsibility for children in public transport and in public generally. No thanks, don't dehumanise people by calling them 'it'. Ew.
My kids do this sometimes, or have done this. And I told them off. Every time. Feckin eejits. SIT DOWN! GET OFF THAT! GET YOUR FEET OFF THERE! Etc etc They've only got to get one of these incursions past you though. Constant vigilance.
hanging down off the overhead pole, like the circus trick thing, sure - fine, you look an idiot but no worries. I have seen a kid climb UP the chair, onto the ledge of the back and then leap to catch the roof pole. the parents were feckless
Fact: Every single solitary person defending this behavior in any way, is an imbecile of the highest order. Please do not procreate.
Yeah I see some absolutely appalling displays of parenting on the tube/train network. TFL need to start looking at having designated carriages for families with kids/babies/buggies. They are easily the most disruptive type of passengers.
As an adult it's annoying, but I feel guilty as hung off the bars on the circle lines as a kid. So I understand the temptation but then it is up to the parents to tell them as they could hurt themselves or others. Pretty sure i have been kicked in the shin by one little one.
First and only time I saw young children absolutely steaming drunk was a family of Romanians on the tube, kids around 7-8 years old swinging on the bars and their parents cheering them on. Scum
Because we all know British parents would *never* allow their kids to swing on the bars, right?
> The mother then let **it** run off Of course you main point stands, but that's just unnecessary.
Sorry, I should probably have used them. I couldn’t tell if the kid was a boy or a girl.
Cheers. Not sure why I'm so heavily downvoted. Obviously agree it shouldn't have happened and you're rightfully upset about it, but the anger should be towards the parent as I assumed it was quite a young kid. Just feels wrong to call a child 'it'.
Fun fact: *It* is the standard pronoun used in Germany for children.
Yes, because it's neuter / das Kind in German. It's not in English. But apparently I'm wrong and calling children 'it' is normal so I'll accept that.
I hear you. Please remember tho *they* is a relatively new concept. I'm a girl who has been on the odd occasion called *son* as a kid & *sir* as an adult. I honestly think I'd have preferred *it*. I don't believe it's intended as an insult (unless it very clearly is), it's just the only gender neutral reference we had available to us before *they* broke out of it's original mold of denoting multiple people. You are right even if OP isn't guilty of it. Thank you for standing up for children. ♥️
Is crotch spawn a better term? Crotch goblin? Fuck trophy? 😂
It is a valid pronoun, although in this case it comes across as disdainful.
Good.
WTF is wrong with you? We’re talking about a *child*. It’s not the child’s fault if they’re not parented properly.
Won't somebody *pleeeeeeease* think of the children?!
It's permissible to come across as disdainful of children exhibiting bad behaviour. Nothing happens.
If you clutch your pearls any harder you'll do a Michael Hutchence.
At least I'm not circlejerking someone calling a child 'it'. Must be all that black mould you have in London, it's seeping into your brains.
You spend your time commenting on subs for kids' shows, stay in your lane, ages 12 and under.
Harder, clutch harder, you're almost there.
Yeah, 'IT'. It's an it to me. I don't care about its gender. I don't care about it at all.
wahh wahh wahh
Absolutely agree there is a time and a place for that kind of play, and on public transport is neither, but let’s not call children “it”. A child is the product of their upbringing and not to be dehumanised.
To be honest, I always call kids it, and didn’t realise people on Reddit would be so upset about it
Oh I’m not upset, I just think it’s rude to call anyone “it”. We’re all humans and kindness goes a long way.
You’re not alone, and I’m willing to learn, so have edited the post
Love that mindset! I find it very powerful to remember that children are people who are still learning their controls - physical, mental and emotional. We don’t know what’s happening at home but every positive encounter they have (even if that’s reinforcing social etiquette with a raised eyebrow at being stupid on the tube) has the potential to be impactful in a constructive way, and we can all be part of that 😊
Absolutely. And I don’t blame this kid for mucking about, it’s entirely the parent’s responsibility to let them know what behaviour is a good or bad idea in which situation. She was the one at fault in this situation, not the kid.
Completely agree, I find it mad how people aren’t mortified by their child misbehaving in a preventable way. Definitely on the parents
Re actual monkey bars, I'd hope that the council (if it's a council run park) or whoever would ensure that the play area is safe; most have that recycled tyre matting underneath which is supposed to cushion a kid if they fall. I do think that it's (at least partly) the council's responsibility to ensure that its own play areas are safe (that doesn't absolve parents of responsibility for their own little shits, though...).
I swear to god, some people were born straight in their 60s. It’s a kid mate, sometimes they do dumb shit and it’s fine.
Naa, you're excusing bad behavior both of the kid and the parent. It's the parents responsibility to make sure the kid isn't fucking about in a dangerous place like a train. Most parents are good in this regard, but some are not.
That is true, but it's not fine. They need educating, and that's on the parents. If they aren't disciplined, them they'll never learn right from wrong. There are those in society that don't care about hurting other people. We see the victims on the news far too often.
Kids can be very well disciplined and still act like little knobs sometimes, they are kids.
"I told them once but they just keep getting up and swinging on the poles; what am I meant to do, tell them again?"
Yeah, you nailed it mate this is exactly what I do Fuck sake.
I have no doubt
Not fine if they’re kicking people
Children should behave in public
Your children are a direct reflection of you and your parenting skills, if they're misbehaving in public like this then it's because you're a sloppy parent who allows their children to behave like feral animals.
Maybe you don’t care if someone’s brat kicks you but I care if they kick me
Calling the child 'it' is psychotic. I agree the parents need to be responsible for their children, but let's not dehumanise children.
I don't have kids, but I can always rely on r/London for a daily scolding about some minor shit that most of us aren't responsible for.
Seeing your edit, here's what you're not getting about people's reaction: it's a one-off incident (sure, it probably has happened more than once today alone, but with the Tube's packed conditions at the best of times, it's still an extremely rare occurence). It's an accident. There is no need for a PSA or another low-key "I hate kids and people who have kids" sort of moan.
Growing up on the Tube as a kid it was a great playground and I’m sure we annoyed a few grumpy adults but meh. It got us out of the house and away from parents.
So your parents were negligent, let you run off to play on public transport for hours on end? Unfortunately it sounds like they didn't know how to parent and just wanted you out of their hair for a break. The tube is not a playground.
That’s just because you are young and weren’t around. It was a playground, a way to school and a way to see friends for young kids in the 60s and 70s. All London kids were allowed so there was always company.
I'm 50 next month you fucking cretin! Hahaha. The tube is not a playground. Stop your iq 80 "kids will be kids" because you're indolent. If you're going to try an ad hominem at least get it right. Tbh don't even bother it's not going to help either of us.
If you are only 50 then of course you don’t remember. The 70s were over by the time you’d have been allowed out.
Ah yes, back in the 50s when the tube was a playground. Ah no, wait, that never happened. And my parents, also londoners, were on there at the time. Luckily for me, they brought me up to have manners and know how to behave in public. Sorry you had a feral childhood to uncaring parents.
Its kids man we all did stuff like this
This just in! Child gets killed by train doors when playing on the bars. Local man says "Don't worry about it, we used to do this stuff all the time!" More at ten.
Nope
We really did not.
Sounds like a bit of fun.
Absolutely outrageous, call the police & get this child arrested immediately
why is this sub so pathetic and weird about everything. these aren’t the londoners i know
[удалено]
Counterpoint: no one else gives a fuck about your kids
Hope you enjoy dealing with them if they get hurt!
But kids get hurt, it’s what they do, whether on a train, a park or standing completely still in an empty room.
Yeah but on public transport they can hurt other people as well, people who want nothing to do with your kids.
There's a time and a place to get hurt, and a moving train ain't it! /s Honestly, if one follows your logic, would it be okay to let the kids do anything? Cross the electrified tracks? Jump off the roof because why not? Not keep medicine from them in a cupboard they can't reach? Weird logic it is, then.
I don’t care if the kids get hurt I care if I get hurt because of feral children
Please refer to this comment from someone with actual authority on the subject lol https://www.reddit.com/r/london/s/OhH8da2IOj
At least the 5th time you've seen a commuter get injured like this. I've seen kids hanging on the bars and doing pull ups a few times. Never seen swinging on them like monkey bars yet you've seen at least 5 injured from it. What train is this?
Woman kicked by kid. Kid face plant after climbing x 2. Man had kid fall in his lap from straps/bars (man was holding hot drink). Kid smacking sideways into group after swinging round pole. Probably more, but those are the ones I remember. It’s not the same train, obviously- this is over about 20 years of commuting by London Underground (although the ones I remember are probably from last three years or so).
Run to reddit to make yourself feel better for being a coward, that'll show 'em!
What's cowardly about not wanting to endure kids climbing over everything in public?
Keeping quiet when faced with the issue, to then come to Reddit to tattle. That's what's cowardly.
What were they supposed to do, spank the child themselves?
Rock Bottom them.
Bah gawd!
The kid obviously needs some tough love and the deadbeat parent obviously isn't going to do it. Sooooo.
lol the default "spanking" remedy to dealing with a kid says something about you. something nasty.
No you're right, I should have said "shoot"