Kids in Cedar Park Throwing Rocks at Dock Street Customers

[schmoe]

Welp, ain't much more to it than the thread title but I'll give a few details.

Sidewalk tables were packed last night despite 4900 block of Baltimore being shut down. Something bounced off the awning onto and then under our table where it hit my foot. I picked it up, first thinking it was a piece of loose stonework from the facade of the firehouse. After looking more closely, I realized it was concrete just as I saw another piece hit the traffic triangle and a gaggle of kids, none older than about 12, laughing by the wall near the playground right next to SEPTA's dumpster full of busted concrete. I flexed my muscles and gave them the "WHAT?!" stance, which clearly rattled them. I can be intimidating to a 9-year-old.

We told our waitress, who said that this was a repeated problem. A staffmember called the cops and a cruiser showed up pretty quickly, but but they scattered while it was stuck at a red light. Another friend of mine told us he was involved in a similar incident a week or so ago and had chased some kids down Willows. He was there again last night and approached what appeared to be the very same kids, who once again ran west on Willows.

I don't know how this situation could be solved other than vigilance, but it's pretty sad that kids have nothing better to do than throw shards of concrete at people for fun. There was an infant at the table next to us, which makes me shudder to think of the potential consequences.

[darthsinatra]

Throwing the rocks back at them isn't an option? One solid hit and you're good.

[#1MetsFan]

Ah, the dangers of gentrification...

[seand]

I walked by during the dinner rush and didn't see anything like that going on. With SEPTA digging up Baltimore the pressence of a dumpster full of broken concrete and kids out of school it is probably a temptation that isn't always there. Recently a lot of boys in that age range have figured out they can shimmy the light post near the playground to get access to the electricty and plug in their radios/cell phones to have impromptu dance/crunk contests, so there has been a lot more boys in that age group at the playground than the usual mix of todlers and little kids that are there. I'll keep an eye out as I walk the dog past the playground basically daily. Usually around dinner time.

[Hal]

Welp, ain't much more to it than the thread title but I'll give a few details.

Ahh, brings back memories of a trek to the Art Museum about 20 years ago, Sunday afternoon,
brats throwing stones at cars heading into the Spring Garden tunnel under Eakins Oval...

Big mistake, hit a car of (what I guess) church pastor's wife
- car shudders to a stop, backs up, church lady runs after the kids in her Sunday best, [hat an all] ,
catches one kid by the ear,

Basically dragged the kid across Pennsy. Ave,
"Where do you live, Who are your parents, What is your name little boy, Do not lie to me..."


Hal

[schmoe]

Ah, the dangers of gentrification...

It's easy to read a lot into kids just being dumb.

[thoth]

I walked by during the dinner rush and didn't see anything like that going on. With SEPTA digging up Baltimore the pressence of a dumpster full of broken concrete and kids out of school it is probably a temptation that isn't always there. Recently a lot of boys in that age range have figured out they can shimmy the light post near the playground to get access to the electricty and plug in their radios/cell phones to have impromptu dance/crunk contests, so there has been a lot more boys in that age group at the playground than the usual mix of todlers and little kids that are there. I'll keep an eye out as I walk the dog past the playground basically daily. Usually around dinner time.

I noticed this recently, lots more older teens. There was a ~18 yr old dude doing pull ups on the purple slider jawn and a crowd of tons of other similarly aged kids. Where the hell did they materialize from? I feel like that park used to be mostly empty beyond families and tots in the playground and the drug gang at the war memorial.

[seand]

Its a range of boys from say 9 or 10 to 15 or 16 from what I see. School's out and they use the electricity from the light post to play radios and practice crunk moves. A different group of kids, but doing something similar have moved in over at the central picnic thing over at Malcolm X, too. Dance contests are pretty benign. Throwing rocks, not so much.

[the mule]

Kids these days, no respect. When I was their age I was happy just throwing rocks at vacant houses.

[seand]

Most of the same group of kids were out at the Jazz concert last night, but were not throwing rocks and barely noticeable with the big crowd for jazz. I think its a unique combination of boredom and access to rocks from the SEPTA construction.

[schmoe]

I don't want to make more out of it than it is, but this happened again Saturday night. I was not there, but heard that there were about twenty kids, some a bit older than the original group, closer to 15 say. Again, my friend happened to be there and approached them since he has a kid just about the younger kids' ages and his parent mode kicked into gear.

Words were exchanged, something amounting to "you disrespected my cousin" or some such nonsense. Um yeah, your cousin threw rocks at people sitting at dinner. I'd say he started the whole disrespect thing.

My friend realized the conversation was going nowhere, so he turned to walk back to his table and was jumped. By all 20 kids. He is OK, just a little bruised but understandably shaken.

They arrested a few of the kids whom witnesses could identify. One of the diners was an off-duty cop who jumped in to help. Apparently, one of the kids had a cast, which he used as a bludgeoning device, and was connected to an earlier mugging. Another kid had a 2X4 and cracked a guy over the neck when he came to help pull kids off. The guy who was hit grabbed the 2X4 and threw it off to the side.

Ugh. It may sound trite, but "kids these days!" WTF?!?!?!

[seand]

Thats pretty serious.

If its the same group of kids, the ones hanging out by the playground, praticing their dance moves - I see them all the time. They all came to our block party last Saturday to que up for some water ice one of neighbors was graciously giving out. I waited in line behind them and they were fairly polite for teenagers. None of them had a cast.

It sucks that getting arrested is what it takes to convince some of these kids that the game has gone way, way too far but that behavior is ridiculous, totally unacceptable. For some people thats the only way they learn. I'm glad noone was seriously hurt.

[MariusPontmercy]

Thats pretty serious.

If its the same group of kids, the ones hanging out by the playground, praticing their dance moves - I see them all the time. They all came to our block party last Saturday to que up for some water ice one of neighbors was graciously giving out. I waited in line behind them and they were fairly polite for teenagers. None of them had a cast.

It sucks that getting arrested is what it takes to convince some of these kids that the game has gone way, way too far but that behavior is ridiculous, totally unacceptable. For some people thats the only way they learn. I'm glad noone was seriously hurt.

Getting arrested doesn't mean jack to these kids. Having a criminal record is unimportant if you're just planning on robbing people and selling drugs for a living. They'll be bragging about it more like, once they get back on the street. Honestly, once they reach a certain age you can't really save them, barring some kind of epiphany they reach on their own which is pretty rare. They're basically lost to society and you can either try and move them somewhere else where they're not bothering anyone except each other, or lock them up until they get old and mellow out.

[seand]

I'm a tad suspicious of lumping all of "these kids" together as "lost to society". A few of the kids sometimes with this group I recognize as immediate neighbors. Teenage boys in large groups, in general, are trouble and the only type of people I will go out of my way to avoid in a group, generally. Its all about the combination of testosterone, needing to test any and all authority figures and showing off for your friends that breeds stupidity.

[RainboTeabagger]

I don't want to make more out of it than it is, but this happened again Saturday night. I was not there, but heard that there were about twenty kids, some a bit older than the original group, closer to 15 say. Again, my friend happened to be there and approached them since he has a kid just about the younger kids' ages and his parent mode kicked into gear.

Words were exchanged, something amounting to "you disrespected my cousin" or some such nonsense. Um yeah, your cousin threw rocks at people sitting at dinner. I'd say he started the whole disrespect thing.

My friend realized the conversation was going nowhere, so he turned to walk back to his table and was jumped. By all 20 kids. He is OK, just a little bruised but understandably shaken.

They arrested a few of the kids whom witnesses could identify. One of the diners was an off-duty cop who jumped in to help. Apparently, one of the kids had a cast, which he used as a bludgeoning device, and was connected to an earlier mugging. Another kid had a 2X4 and cracked a guy over the neck when he came to help pull kids off. The guy who was hit grabbed the 2X4 and threw it off to the side.

Ugh. It may sound trite, but "kids these days!" WTF?!?!?!

Ahhh. Not the dangers of gentrification but when humans enter wild animal territory.

[loveisnoise]

Sounds like a flash mob.

[MariusPontmercy]

I'm a tad suspicious of lumping all of "these kids" together as "lost to society". A few of the kids sometimes with this group I recognize as immediate neighbors. Teenage boys in large groups, in general, are trouble and the only type of people I will go out of my way to avoid in a group, generally. Its all about the combination of testosterone, needing to test any and all authority figures and showing off for your friends that breeds stupidity.

Starting a melee and beating on a guy with rocks and boards goes way beyond average stupidity. These "kids" are cruel, vicious creatures that only understand interpersonal interaction on the level of posturing and violence. They can't comprehend anything else.

It was a flash mob. Since it wasn't in Center City you won't hear crap about it on the news though.

[boognish]

One of those kids is going to get shot by someone with an LTCF (license to carry) or stabbed by a victim.

And they'd deserve it.

[loveisnoise]

Shooting a kid for throwing rocks. Makes perfect sense. Hell, we might as well rename the popular kid's game "rock, paper, 9mm".

[boognish]

The kids attacked the victim with more than rocks.

Learn to read.