Malicious or Just Stupid

[DMT]

I love Halloween, I love going up to the bonfire to watch the the fireworks, I love having trick-or-treaters calling to my door and most of all I love getting together with my mates and watching a few horror movies. The only thing I don't like about halloween is the pranks, and I'm not talking about egging someone's gaff. The ones I am talking about are the ones involving fireworks. These include but aren't limited to launching bottle rockets at people, putting bangers in glass bottles, putting bangers through letter flaps, throwing bangers at cars, throwing bangers from car windows at pedestrians, and the latest one lighting a banger and dropping it as you walk so the person walking behind you steps on it (I've had the misfortune of falling victim to the last two)

I was no angel and I pulled a few pranks during my childhood and I still do so sometimes, but I never did anything that could potentially maim someone I can understand that a child may not know better, but even as a teen myself I could never understand the mentality of teens that go around doing this, do they not know or care about the harm they can cause or are they just too stupid to even think about it?

What are your thoughts on the matter and have you ever fallen victim to dangerous pranks around Halloween?

 

[tfinch]

I think it's a combination of malicious and stupid. I guess it's not a new thing, probably teenagers have been doing malicious things for centuries but it definitely seems like it's much worse these days. That or I'm just getting old so it feels that way. I know I'm not imagining the attitude getting worse though. Kids these days won't even move out of the roadway for a car, and I've had teenagers that I don't know say things to me in supermarket aisles etc. that the worst of hoodlums from my time wouldn't have dreamed of uttering to an adult. As far as pranks, I think any that do harm to someone's property are malicious and unacceptable - let alone something that risks injuring someone. I worry about the kind that would launch a bottle rocket at someone. That seems indicative of a truly warped and disturbed mind.

I haven't been the victim of any such prank at any time of year, but I remember my grandfather in his 'retirement' years was caretaker of the nearby cemetery. After one year that some vandalism took place on Halloween night he made the habit of sitting in his pickup on one of the paths on grounds every Halloween night going forward to deter any that had the same idea. It was sort of eerie to drive by the graveyard and glimpse him in the cabin of the pickup, face illuminated by the dash lights out there in the dark! I don't think he ever had to chase any other vandals off, but one year he caught someone about to dump their garbage - hard as it is to believe anybody would be low enough to dump trash there of all places.

 

[slugg77]

Well, I live in a pretty populated group of side streets, but oddly enough do not get a ton of trick or treaters. I have had a few of those things happen, in fact once was last year.

I took my kids to their Grandpas house to go begging, and was driving them home. We came to a stoplight and while waiting I noticed a group of teenagers walking towards my car and playing with a lighter. One of those geniuses shot a bottle rocket at my window. However, since my window was up it bounced right off of the glass and back into the group. I did get a large amount of joy watching them scatter.

 

[galopede]

Time to get making the chocolate covered sprouts methinks

Gareth

 

[Phog Allen]

I love Halloween, I love going up to the bonfire to watch the the fireworks, I love having trick-or-treaters calling to my door and most of all I love getting together with my mates and watching a few horror movies. The only thing I don't like about halloween is the pranks, and I'm not talking about egging someone's gaff. The ones I am talking about are the ones involving fireworks. These include but aren't limited to launching bottle rockets at people, putting bangers in glass bottles, putting bangers through letter flaps, throwing bangers at cars, throwing bangers from car windows at pedestrians, and the latest one lighting a banger and dropping it as you walk so the person walking behind you steps on it (I've had the misfortune of falling victim to the last two)

I was no angel and I pulled a few pranks during my childhood and I still do so sometimes, but I never did anything that could potentially maim someone I can understand that a child may not know better, but even as a teen myself I could never understand the mentality of teens that go around doing this, do they not know or care about the harm they can cause or are they just too stupid to even think about it?

What are your thoughts on the matter and have you ever fallen victim to dangerous pranks around Halloween?

It sort of depends on the generation. I didn't grow up around too many hellions but there was always the leader of the pack types who managed to lead kids right into what they wanted them to do and then skirted the whole issue by blaming them when the piper came calling. Egging someone's gaff was always on the list of things to do on Halloween but later you realise that dried egg can do some damage to house finishes.

As for launching fireworks at cars you have no monopoly in Ireland I am sad to say. Sometimes it is not even malicious. Idiotic parents are right there with their kids lighting off rockets and whatnot and they always manage to get them into car windows or someone's roof. And yes, the occasional arsehole drops them in someone's mailbox. Usually after the mail has been delivered just to see if they can start a fire. It is not super common but it does happen. And stepping on one would not be good either. Dumb kids. They do not realise they will do this to some slightly unhinged person who will beat hell out of them for it. I think the number one thing these little geniuses is the maiming that can come from burned faces and eyes. Sorry to hear it has been a bit of bad holiday memory for you.

Cheers, Todd

 

[Seraphim]

Contrary to popular belief, perhaps Halloween isn't such a happy-go-lucky celebration?

 

[Lion and the Fox]

I think it's ignorance and an under-developed sense of mortality. Teens think themselves immortal, and think that bad things won't happen to them, which means they don't think they will really hurt someone or that they'll get in serious trouble if they hurt or kill another.

 

[DMT]

After what happened this weekend I'm more inclined to think the balance is leaning more towards malicious. I was on my way to call into my friend's new apartment with a few beers. I was passing the courtyard of another apartment block and there were a few lads hanging around. I didn't pay them much heed as there was a fence between us. Next thing there was burst of stars, a taste of blood in my mouth and I was lying face down on the pavement. I don't remember being hit or even falling. One second I was walking along next I'm prone on the ground. There was a chunk of rock on the ground close to me so obviously one of them skulled me with it. I managed to get to my feet on my second attempt, and the whole time they were hanging out of the fence laughing and jeering. I'd say it was like the zoo but I'd expect better from animals. At the time I was pissed off not because of what they did but because they cowardly enough to do it from behind the protection of a fence and locked gate. But now looking back on it I'm more confused than ever. Seriously, why would anyone do something like that? Is this just a case of bad luck on my part or is it a taste of things to come down the line?

 

[sychodelix]

Lack of empathy seems to be getting more common lately for many people, especially kids. I know I sound like an old man, at only 34, but things are a lot different when I was younger. Sure there were always jerks and bullies, but they were generally the exception. Now it seems that more often than not, the kids that are respectful and decent to people are increasingly rare. Not sure what caused this change, but it stinks.

 

[tfinch]

Good grief DMT that's a frightening story. I do hope you're alright. A rock to the skull is a serious matter. If it's practical for you to do so you might should get that checked out. A thump on the head can be problematic even if it doesn't seem so immediately. I'm sure those coward hoodlums will get what they deserve soon. Living like that catches up, more often sooner than later.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Good grief DMT that's a frightening story. I do hope you're alright. A rock to the skull is a serious matter. If it's practical for you to do so you might should get that checked out. A thump on the head can be problematic even if it doesn't seem so immediately. I'm sure those coward hoodlums will get what they deserve soon. Living like that catches up, more often sooner than later.

One day they will do it to the wrong person and receive a good thumping.

 

[BallisticBurrito]

From hanging around the internet as long as I have...I've found these kind of REALLY violent 'pranks' tend to come from countries where people can get away with it without fear of getting shot in the face for doing it to the wrong person.
Or even in areas where the law would automatically side with the 'pranksters' if the 'prankee' decided to beat the living tar out of them.

Basically they do it because they know nobody would/could do anything back to them.

 

[GreekGuy]

I don't want this to get taken out of context, but I think kids were much better behaved in the days when a good flogging was socially acceptable