You better gird your loins, then, for the introduction of E-Scooters, which have been legalised since July as part of emergency measures to help people get around re Covid as public transport has been reduced. It's also an effort to reduce toxic vehicle fumes. These E-scooters are limited to 15.5mph ,low speed roads and only in cycle lanes and the rider must be 16 and over and the hire must be from licensed companies. The Swedish makers Voi are amongst a few companies who run the hire- schemes and they have said that anti-social behaviour re their scooters is worse in England than anywhere-else in Europe. No surprise there ,then. So much so that they are fitting them with registration plates front and rear even though it isn't required by law so that offenders can be traced. They are also employing a one-strike and you're out policy for those who misuse them and have hired extra staff to monitor the schemes. They have decided to suspend their service in Coventry after reports of users riding on pavements and in pedestrian areas and riding down one-way streets the wrong way and discarding them all over the city instead of taking them to designated locations. Not only Coventry but Middlesborough where another company was running a scheme and also suspended it after under-age users caused havoc in shopping centres and two teenagers were using one on the 70mph A19 and a shopping centre had to put up signs warning customers after reports of youngsters riding the scooters, some two-up and who were terrorising customers.
Two years ago Dockless electric bikers were withdrawn from Manchester and other cities in England after concern over vandalism and the bikes being thrown into canals.
The obvious question is why do we (in England specifically, according to the above) have a generation of kids that indulge in such anti-social behaviour...in general ? Of course, we don''t get to hear of the many youngsters who don't indulge in such anti-social activity. Anticipating any responses regarding lack of facilities for youth I'm well aware of the fact that activities that youngsters would usually get involved in are no longer available due to government cuts. I recall when the Blair government came to power they publically announced that they would stop the sale of school playing fields and council playing fields but they did. I've dug it out
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/mar/30/schools.uk
2019 report re youth clubs
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/07/youth-club-closures-young-people-risk-violence-mps
A fairly short read
https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/25631-uk-tops-eu-league-of-antisocial-behaviour
A completely different attitude in Germany and it's been like this for years.
View attachment 294651
Benchmarking German Report
Document produced by
Sport Structures Ltd
The headline paragraph from the 2011 report
It has been recognised that sport can contribute to social policy in Germany. Historically the German Sports Federation (Deutscher SportBund DSB) managed several sports development campaigns to increase mass participation under the brand Sport for all (Sport für alle). This started in the 1970s with keep-fit trails in parks and woods (Trimm-dich-Pfade). More recent campaigns have include Sport is the most fun in a club. Other health based campaigns have been undertaken by the DOSB and the Federal Ministry of Health. These have highlighted the connection between sport, physical activity and health, for example Sport For Health (Sport Pro Gesundheit) and Properly Fit (Richtig Fit), both of which offered courses and information on how to use sport to stay fit and healthy. The national action plan for a healthy diet and more exercise In Form intends to achieve a closer working relationship between health and sport. At present children and young people are a major target group for sports programmes incorporating health and fitness.
This extract from a long report re the Nordic countries has summed up my thoughts on the problem.
Institutional quality
Quality of government is another key explanation often provided for the high life satisfaction of Nordic countries, because in comparisons of institutional quality, the Nordic countries occupy the top spots along with countries such as New Zealand and Switzerland.[27] Indeed, several studies have shown that people are more satisfied with their lives in countries that have better institutional quality.[28] While most of the evidence is cross-sectional, Helliwell et al. examined changes in government quality in 157 countries over the years 2005-2012, finding that improvements in quality tend to lead to improvements in well-being.[29] Moreover, as regards changes in well-being, changes in government quality explained as much as changes in GDP.
Margaret Thatcher famously or infamously according to ones's view on these matters said..'there is no such thing as society"
“I think we have been through a period when too many people have been given to understand that when they have a problem it is government’s job to cope with it. ‘I have a problem, I’ll get a grant. I’m homeless, the government must house me.’ They are casting their problems on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. And no governments can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbours. People have got their entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There is no such thing as an entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation.”
Aspects of that statement are true but I believe government should be funding, at least in part if not in full, activities that improve the well-being of it's citizens ,especially the young. It's well known that a healthy life-style contributes to a healthy mind too.
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