children in trouble for playing hopscotch

steeljack · 01-08-2006, 00:19

anyone want to comment on this .............I suppose skipping (rope jumping) is now verboten on health and saftey grounds

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...ds/5233262.stm

SPUGGIE J · 01-08-2006, 00:32

Its blumming daft! Chalk can be removed easy enough so why the fuss. Its not as though they had used spray paint. All this crud flying around about kids not getting enough exercise yet something that does that is a crime.
Its better than them breaking into cars.

jaysay · 01-08-2006, 03:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

Its blumming daft! Chalk can be removed easy enough so why the fuss. Its not as though they had used spray paint. All this crud flying around about kids not getting enough exercise yet something that does that is a crime.
Its better than them breaking into cars.

Totally agree Spuggie, It seems that the police have plenty of time to deal with things like this, but no time to catch real criminals, its rather like the old song which goes something like "If we meet a helpless woman or little kids who do no wrong, we run them in". One also has to wonder who on earth made the complaint in the first place, seems they were never young themselves.

mez · 01-08-2006, 06:53

they moan when kids arn't being kids playing happy out side what are they supposed to do ....that is b****y stupid to say its anti social behavour i say carry on its great to see them playing a proper game instead of breaking windows, boozing on a corner, smashing cars up etc..etc..etc...............?

Debbie J · 01-08-2006, 07:38

Isn't it ridiculous! What sad lives some people must lead to have the time to complain about chalk. Would these people be happier if the same kids were breaking their windows or damaging their cars?
We have a similar problem round here though, the kids are moaned at for playing football because the balls do occasionally hit parked cars, but if they play chase games or army games, which involves running round making a lot of noise, they are moaned at for that as well. Even though the kids have all gone in by 9pm. The general concensus seems to be 'children should be seen and not heard' which I thought had gone out with the ark!!!!
Roll on winter when its too dark and cold for kids to play out

cashman · 01-08-2006, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

anyone want to comment on this .............I suppose skipping (rope jumping) is now verboten on health and saftey grounds

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...ds/5233262.stm

to me thats just children being children, not being yobs/antisocial little gits these people that bitch about such things make me ******* sick.

noseforastory · 01-08-2006, 12:53

just as silly as blackburn kids being banned from copying footballer's celebrations in case of injury. It has goota be the most politically correct and misguided thing I heard of. What will schools think of next?

SPUGGIE J · 01-08-2006, 13:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

to me thats just children being children, not being yobs/antisocial little gits these people that bitch about such things make me ******* sick.

Maybe these prigs would like to put their hand in their pockets to fund a play area for them? Oops sorry that is not their resposibility that belongs with the local authority! They condem and ostricise but dont help one bit.

buttonsmum · 01-08-2006, 17:55

Thats just silly. How can you tell them off for playing hopscotch, its better than causing havoc on the streets, damaging cars and breaking windows and hanging about on street corners.

Why can't they let children be children, its not as if they are causing any harm, chalk washes away easy enough.

harwood red · 01-08-2006, 18:37

Some things we will never understand!!!!!!!!!! For goodness sake anyone would think they had painted the lines with gloss paint!!

CASPER · 01-08-2006, 18:54

Help!!!! The world has gone mad
I really cannot understand ANYONE complaining about chalk on the pavement. As for hopscotch, well I am speechless..........

madmal_1 · 01-08-2006, 23:17

let them play hopscoch let them take them to court it will be laughed out of court make shure papers are there

jambutty · 02-08-2006, 12:48

When I heard this on the news I couldn’t believe my ears.

If anything demonstrates that the law is an ass then this episode certainly does.

Chalk, as has already been pointed out, will wash off with the next shower of rain and even if it didn’t it wouldn’t even come close to being an eyesore, compared to empty cans and crisp packets etc.

Quote:

They (West Midlands Police) said the feedback from residents has been good and in dealing with what the force called "low-level crime", they could prevent more serious problems developing.

Low level crime??? They can’t be serious? Are they trying to suggest that playing Hop Scotch will lead to drug trafficking, burglary, mugging etc?

The people who complained need to get a life.

Shady McGough · 02-08-2006, 13:57

I have to say that this sort of thing really gets my goat (he's called Gerald, my goat). I played similar games when I was small(er) such as kick the can, spiders and flys etc and not once were we told off for being anti social because we weren't being anti social.............just like these kids we were being KIDS.............oooooh it makes me mad that these idiots are allowed to stop children being children. Grrrrrr

Madhatter · 02-08-2006, 19:10

It can't make you mad, me and harwood red are mad.
Yes it's low level crime, the hopscoth pebble could be used to break a window.
I have got a feeling though that the police responded to complaints about noise rather than the chalk. You know how things get twisted.
I've had my nan on at me all day moaning cos the kids either side make so much noise in the back graden. I just keep thinking, shut up moaning will you, if they were out in the street running around the cars and vans you wouldn't like it, and can't you remember how much noise we made when we were kids, football, pedal cars, war games, hide and seek, if we weren't doing that we were on the back yard drawing chalk roads for the matchbox cars. Then when I was older I used to invite my cousins over for my birthday and have a party outback with a disco.