Just how big a problem are swimmers ? Kids

[Time Out]

Stopped two kids breaking into a boat at Tedd Harbour yesterday where I keep mine.

Pontoon has had about 50 kids on it daily this year and last. Swimming from the beach or bridge.

Frustrating but things have now turned. They are now jumping off moored boats and trying to enter cabins and remove covers.

Called police yesterday but they don’t do anything.

Things are desperate and I’ve been told it’s the length of the Thames.

It’s certainly taking it’s toll on the health of the moorings owners who are helpless.

Not just the ‘ruff’ crowd either. This girl was very well to do.

Even a polite request is often met with go fk your mother.

I’m not convinced a drowning will make any difference.

Thoughts ?

 

[Parabordi]

Call the police from a phone box and tell them you are going to shoot them...bet that gets a reaction

 

[Caraway]

I’m not convinced a drowning will make any difference.

Thoughts ?

Give it a whirl. It may frighten the rest away.

 

[Time Out]

Not quite a drowning but … also shows how far these kids are coming.

 

[penfold]

A number have drowned around the coast today; that said I will be surprised if the accidental death rate isn't quite average by year end. Each are individual tragedies but collectively statistically insignificant.

Not quite a drowning but … also shows how far these kids are coming.

Why would it infect the whole family unless they're minky gadges who don't wash their hands?

 

[Time Out]

A number have drowned around the coast today; that said I will be surprised if the accidental death rate isn't quite average by year end. Each are individual tragedies but collectively statistically insignificant.


Why would it infect the whole family unless they're minky gadges who don't wash their hands?

It was in the ‘Nextdoor’ app which is my new source of entertainment.

Utter nonsense in there ! I do not engage only view. In the same way I only visit the Thames forum here after being ‘cancelled’ in the mobo section nearly two years ago !

 

[Rappey]

Called police yesterday but they don’t do anything.

Same problem here in portsmouth harbour.. The multitude of police boats are only interested in motoring up and down the side of the aircraft carriers..
8 mopeds were doing moto x and wheelys on the memorial green that also has a pspo, right in front of the council cctv camera but as usual it was 3 days before i saw the first police turn up after reporting it all

 

[oldgit]

Some constructive suggestions as to how to solve the problem would be useful.
The current sounds of collective teeth sucking and head shaking at the follys of todays shallow youth, seems to have had very little effect so far.
My 2 pennies worth is a single word BOREDOM which has probably been rife even before the days of winkle pickers and pompadour hairstyles .
Its no worse now than before, its simply more visable.
From the Observer archive, 16 September 1956: Teddy boys run riot when the clock strikes one

It was not kids that broke into my boat on two ocassions and set it adrift a few years ago more probably responsible adults.
See you later Alligator ?

 

[ashtead]

Same problem here in portsmouth harbour.. The multitude of police boats are only interested in motoring up and down the side of the aircraft carriers..
8 mopeds were doing moto x and wheelys on the memorial green that also has a pspo, right in front of the council cctv camera but as usual it was 3 days before i saw the first police turn up after reporting it all

Surely a job for the QHM volunteers -they seem to do a good job of keeping the jetski crowd at bay and I’m sure a few of these CPO trained volunteers would relish the prospect of the memorial green. In Gosport it’s the disability scooter as opposed to mopeds though that seem to proliferate the high street .

 

[Time Out]

Some constructive suggestions as to how to solve the problem would be useful.
The current sounds of collective teeth sucking and head shaking at the follys of todays shallow youth, seems to have had very little effect so far.
My 2 pennies worth is a single word BOREDOM which has probably been rife even before the days of winkle pickers and pompadour hairstyles .
Its no worse now than before, its simply more visable.
From the Observer archive, 16 September 1956: Teddy boys run riot when the clock strikes one

It was not kids that broke into my boat on two ocassions and set it adrift a few years ago more probably responsible adults.
See you later Alligator ?

There are many ideas out there. All of which need money and resource.

Last year was bad as they had nowhere to go. This year they have many options but choose to still swim in the Thames.

Safety is one option and many people (me included) would like to see some sort of pontoon situated where there is a wide stretch, creating a lagoon for them to swim in with life guard. I believe this may actually happen.

But society is broken. Large groups of out of control kids are now the norm. River or high street, ask them to move out the way (politely) and you will regret it.

That I don’t have the answer for.

 

[Rappey]

Surely a job for the QHM volunteers

The kids would die laughing if they turned up.
The police told me I should be ringing the coastguard when the kids are climbing on moored boats.

 

[oldgit]

There are many ideas out there. All of which need money and resource.

Last year was bad as they had nowhere to go. This year they have many options but choose to still swim in the Thames.

Safety is one option and many people (me included) would like to see some sort of pontoon situated where there is a wide stretch, creating a lagoon for them to swim in with life guard. I believe this may actually happen.

But society is broken. Large groups of out of control kids are now the norm. River or high street, ask them to move out the way (politely) and you will regret it.

That I don’t have the answer for.

.................suspect if this forum was going in the 1950s very similar posts and responses would have appeared.

A least a few of them might have been diverted from the river/streets had not the local government cuts been quite so ruthless.
" Spending is at its lowest point in a generation, according to the YMCA, and cuts have been so severe that youth services in some areas, including Trafford, Medway, Luton and Slough, have completely lost their funding. ...19 Jan 2020"
All my grankids are learning to swim , the pools they use will begin to open at the end of this month.

......but all poss a tiny bit political for this forum.
My first adventures on the water were in a canoe in the early 1960s , the scheme was actually funded by Kent County Council

 

[Time Out]

.................suspect if this forum was going in the 1950s very similar posts and responses would have appeared.

A least a few of them might have been diverted from the river/streets had not the local government cuts been quite so ruthless.
" Spending is at its lowest point in a generation, according to the YMCA, and cuts have been so severe that youth services in some areas, including Trafford, Medway, Luton and Slough, have completely lost their funding. ...19 Jan 2020"
All my grankids are learning to swim , the pools they use will begin to open at the end of this month.

......but all poss a tiny bit political for this forum.
My first adventures on the water were in a canoe in the early 1960s , the scheme was actually funded by Kent County Council

I agree with all of that but I can’t help thinking the pandemic/ lockdown has had a big part to play.

For better and for worse.

I don’t recall seeing as many floating things (boats etc) since I was a kid in the 80’s however even then I didn’t see as many swimmers.

Pools seem to be a huge issue. Starting with the demise of Twickenham many years ago and then the no so far back Upper Deck in Molesey and the other outdoor pool in Lower Sunbury.

That’s three large outdoor pools. Gone.

The Kingfisher in Kingston is about to be bulldozed too.

That’s before you even get to the other activities lined up for kids as you mention.

But to circle back to the current issue. Hundreds of kids (and adults) swimming in heavily congested waters is only going to end in tears.

We are already seeing record levels of drownings on what is the newly formed drowning prevention week or whatever it’s called.

If they are going to swim in the river then you may as well make it as safe as you can. That will involve lifeguards etc.

I don’t know why the RNLI can’t offer than in the same way the do with beaches. The celebrate the three Thames stations then surely this is an extension to that.

 

[penfold]

No idea about the other drownings but the ones in Loch Lomond are likely because it's bloody cold and people not used to cold water get lulled by the warm(er) shallow water by the shore, swim a short distance and find themselves in much colder, deeper water and get rapidly into trouble, cramps etc. Then good samaritans often follow and end up drowning too.

 

[oldgit]

If they are going to swim in the river then you may as well make it as safe as you can. That will involve lifeguards etc.

I don’t know why the RNLI can’t offer than in the same way the do with beaches. The celebrate the three Thames stations then surely this is an extension to that.

How about all the local councils getting together ( I know I know) and deciding to dedicate a short section of suitable river bank with suitable easy pedestrian access , ie. small beach with shallow incline to river bed and car parking available nearbye for swimmers/ paddlers/ mud pie makers etc. Encourage the inflatable crowd as well.
Allow a few burger bars/ice cream vans to turn up and make the place a bit of a honeypot.
Keep all the suspects in one place and then keep and eye on them , rather than playing Whack- a- mole over 20 miles of river.
All you would need to overcome would be , Thames boaters whinging about having to negociate that stretch of river, the well heeled with time on thier hands locals quickly organising a NIOBOR
(not on our bit of river thank you) petition and ???????????
Our beach at Minster of the Isle of Sheppey is good example. In High summer the area does have RNLI lifeguards on location but the rest of the year it is open to all and used mainly by worryingly fit people / fishermen/ horse riders and those weirdos merely wishing to freeze their bits off in a bracing Easterly wind while gazing at Essex in the distance, safe in the knowlege they do not have to live there.
Can actually think of the exact spot on the Thames that would do nicely.
However , in order not to start a riot and to ensure we do not have to make sudden exit from the Thames, am going to refrain from saying where.

 

[Time Out]

How about all the local councils getting together ( I know I know) and deciding to dedicate a short section of suitable river bank with suitable easy pedestrian access , ie. small beach with shallow incline to river bed and car parking available nearbye for swimmers/ paddlers/ mud pie makers etc. Encourage the inflatable crowd as well.
Allow a few burger bars/ice cream vans to turn up and make the place a bit of a honeypot.
Keep all the suspects in one place and then keep and eye on them , rather than playing Whack- a- mole over 20 miles of river.
All you would need to overcome would be , Thames boaters whinging about having to negociate that stretch of river, the well heeled with time on thier hands locals quickly organising a NIOBOR
(not on our bit of river thank you) petition and ???????????
Our beach at Minster of the Isle of Sheppey is good example. In High summer the area does have RNLI lifeguards on location but the rest of the year it is open to all and used mainly by worryingly fit people / fishermen/ horse riders and those weirdos merely wishing to freeze their bits off in a bracing Easterly wind while gazing at Essex in the distance, safe in the knowlege they do not have to live there.
Can actually think of the exact spot on the Thames that would do nicely.
However , in order not to start a riot and to ensure we do not have to make sudden exit from the Thames, am going to refrain from saying where.

That’s exactly what I’m suggesting! As I understand it this is being looked at and is at an advanced stage.

That does not however stop the many hundreds of kids coming to Teddington from far away and causing havoc including breaking into boats and being nuisance.

This is the behaviour that needs to stop.

In fact the island has been blocked / fenced off this weekend spoiling it for the many others that do behave.

That’s coming from a boat owner and resident and paddle boarder and occasional paddler !

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Used to live in Hampton Wick as a kid and both HW and Tedd stations were barrier free as were most of the stations on the shepperton line.

I suppose they probably now have barriers but people have travel cards anyway I think for school age it is free.

As for dedicated swimming areas my old 1940s Stanford map shows the "corporation bathing places" but this was in the days when people were all coming by train. Hoardes of people a large proportion of whom have cars these days will cause parking problems very quickly.

Bourne end the beach opposite the sailing club was an official bathing area for example and there is a large car park beside the station so that could work again.

 

[Time Out]

Used to live in Hampton Wick as a kid and both HW and Tedd stations were barrier free as were most of the stations on the shepperton line.

I suppose they probably now have barriers but people have travel cards anyway I think for school age it is free.

As for dedicated swimming areas my old 1940s Stanford map shows the "corporation bathing places" but this was in the days when people were all coming by train. Hoardes of people a large proportion of whom have cars these days will cause parking problems very quickly.

Bourne end the beach opposite the sailing club was an official bathing area for example and there is a large car park beside the station so that could work again.

They still are although you have to tap in and out.

One area they are looking at is the Park next to Teddington School.

The beach area and lock cut still remain the biggest cause for concern.

They have also added the moored boats to their list of diving boards in addition to the two bridges. The higher the better.

 

[Caraway]

Perhaps all these 'reality' shows in which people cliff-dive and generally muck about in water as though they own the place are giving youths ideas.
The concept of property has by-passed the last couple of generations.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

They still are although you have to tap in and out.

One area they are looking at is the Park next to Teddington School.

The beach area and lock cut still remain the biggest cause for concern.

They have also added the moored boats to their list of diving boards in addition to the two bridges. The higher the better.

Oh the rec yes that would be an interesting place. Modify the piled edge to provide steps and things like that.

The only problem is it is on the inside of a slight bend so sight lines for boat skippers could be awkward there.

You really want it somewhere with a natural beach boats keep away from.