I’m pretty sure I’m being paranoid, but kids seem to have become a lot more cocky, arrogant and disrespectful. I have noted here before how, these days, just the sight of a group of school children is enough to put my defences up: I worry that they will say something or start taking the piss.

It seems to be happening more and more regularly. Today, for instance, it happened twice when I was out on my trundle. I was passing a local school at about half past three earlier, when a group of boys on their way home decided it would be funny to start shouting things at me. I know I shouldn’t react as it just encourages them, but I really resent having to put up with being the butt of some school kid’s joke. Would anyone else just let them get away with it?

What, then, can I do about it. I thought about emailing the school headteacher, but given that I wouldn’t be able to identify the offending kids I doubt it would achieve anything. Besides, the bigger problem is that kids are becoming more brash and cocky in general as all their mass media rolemodels grow ever more headstrong, cocksure and arrogant. They think they have a right to bully and belittle people like me, who they seem to think are inferior to them and who can’t answer back. It’s a cultural issue; one which, unless we collectively do something about it, is only going to get worse and worse.