Taunted by teens at New Cumberland Borough Park

[BruceC2C]

Just your average day on the water
at Yellow Breeches / New Cumberland Borough Park.

Suddenly on the Bridge Street bridge 3 teens walking by start delivering a 10 minute flurry of verbal profanity assaults.

" Get out of my river ...*****"
" Put that fish back...*****"

I grew up in a Locker Room, so the profanity itself didn't bother me.

At first, I said nothing and ignored them, figuring they would just keep walking out of sight.

When they relentlessly continued and walked from the bridge to above me on the elevated shoreline, I politely responded with
" I am not keeping any fish...I am releasing them all to the water"

My reply had ZERO effect.

They relentlessly continued as i slowly moved to the far shore, hearing them say "let's get some rocks"

I never made an additional reply and minimized any direct eye contact.

Although the likelihood of a direct confrontation was slim.
The current cultural climate makes anything possible as many people feel additionally empowered.

I was pissed and felt kind of helpless being below their elevated position with limited options.

I did have my cell.
But calling police would have been wasted effort. ...especially in current times.

Luckily the rocks never came.
The taunting stopped.
I exited the river just below the bridge.
Walked back to my vehicle.
Listening intently with my head on a swivel.

Words cannot describe how upset and pissed I am.

Will never go back there again.

Though surely an " isolated incident"
but
maybe not in the new world we live in.

All thoughts welcome

 

[foxfire]

Terrible, just terrible. Not that it would of helped this situation, but that's why I pack. What would you have done if the verbal assaults elevated to physical.... (a rhetorical question).

 

[Jaybird]

I wouldn't attribute this to some new social empowerment , Kids are dumb , some thing like that happened to me last January , and I've read about similar situations on another board . One a**h*** and some peer pressure is all it takes.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

There are people out there that are just looking for trouble, and sometimes you just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Times have definitely changed which is why I carry when I'm out and about. It can honestly happen anywhere these days. I'm not surprised this was New Cumberland as I'm very familiar with the area and it is changing. Its neighbors, Lemoyne and Steelton are not the best areas and haven't been for as long as I can remember (I worked there for several years many moons ago so I know them well). It's probably wise for you to steer clear of the area. Had you started filming them with your phone to eventually show the police when you made a report, they likely would've started throwing rocks. Not worth it. Plenty of other places to fish in the area where your chances of running into this sort of thing is much lower.

 

[Bamboozle]

I had a similar situation happen to me a few years back at Holeman Lake at Little Buffalo State Park, instigated by Harrisburg garbage on a field trip to the pool. It escalated to rock throwing which I ignored until they got bored.

Then I packed up and laid in wait for the punks on a trail in the woods. They about $#!+ their pants when I pooped out from behind a tree.

One of them got theirs... ;-)

I couldn't have done it there, but everywhere else wherever I can legally, I carry and I carry open. While I hope I will never have to use it or even draw it...

...at least I know if I go down, someone is going with me.

 

[coyoterahn]

I think you handled the situation with these punks properly. Especially since you were outnumbered and in a bad situation. Years ago most parents would have put the clamps on these kids and they would have learned respect from them via a good azz kicking. Not so these days.
New Cumberland used to be a really nice area. It’s a shame a few punks ruined your day. Like it was previous said, there are other places to fish were you won’t need to put up with these kind of punks.
Glad you’re safe.

 

[foxfire]

Bamboozle wrote:
I had a similar situation happen to me a few years back at Holeman Lake at Little Buffalo State Park, instigated by Harrisburg garbage on a field trip to the pool. It escalated to rock throwing which I ignored until they got bored.

Then I packed up and laid in wait for the punks on a trail in the woods. They about $#!+ their pants when I pooped out from behind a tree.

One of them got theirs... ;-)

I couldn't have done it there, but everywhere else wherever I can legally, I carry and I carry open. While I hope I will never have to use it or even draw it...

...at least I know if I go down, someone is going with me.

Yes, I always carry open in Field or Stream.

 

[troutbert]

Jaybird wrote:
I wouldn't attribute this to some new social empowerment , Kids are dumb , some thing like that happened to me last January , and I've read about similar situations on another board . One a**h*** and some peer pressure is all it takes.

Agreed. Same as it ever was.

Regarding what to do:

Report it to the police: When, where, with descriptions of the offenders.

And maybe report it to whoever manages the park for the municipality.

Miscreants usually follow patterns, i.e. they do similar things at similar times at the same places.

When you report them, the authorities can keep an eye out for them.

As for the idea that it doesn't do any good to report such things. That's not true. I know from actual experience that it often does work.

 

[Chaz]

It is unlawful to harass fishermen and hunters, should have made the call. The current environment has enabled ssaholes to come out of the holes they live in and when they aren’t turned in they don’t know the consequences of their actions. When they are let go they keep escalating the bad behavior.

 

[jeffroey]

I tend to agree with Troutbert. Best to not engage and report.

I haven't had any trouble on the stream but my residence is located on a cul de sac adjacent to one of our township's biggest parks. We see a lot of teen toolbags that think they're earning street cred by being disrespectful. We've had many conversations with our PD on how to handle the situation.

Police departments consider 911 calls for situations like this as valuable documentation to justify resources and address kids they're seeing trends develop with. Most of the PD feedback I've taken over the years is 911 calls like this or more welcome than they're considered a nuisance.

Engaging is the worst thing you can do. Here's a good example: several years back there was a large congregation of kids tearing up the park one night. We called the police and they made a push to flush the kids out in a way that flushed the kids up our street from the park. My wife and I were standing at the foot of the driveway watching the 'parade' when one of the passers-by arbitrarily told my wife to go f*** herself. Without thinking, I walked out into the street, ripped the kid off his bike by his neck, and right before I lost what little control I had left, guess what his buddies did. They ran down into the park and informed the police officers we called to push them out that they witnessed me assaulting a minor. Police were now involved and diffused the situation but not before statements were taken and reports generated. The kid was a known bad actor and after they documented and sent them on their way, we had a very frank conversation about how things could've gone legally if an entitled parent of one of the kids became involved. Valuable lesson learned for me. Those problems are behind us but now if there's ever an issue, I just pick up the phone.

 

[Swattie87]

It’s good to see today’s young people so into FFing, and with such a strong C&R/conservation minded outlook on top of it. Good thing you put that fish back, *****.

All joking aside, there’s no good to come from escalating that situation in any way. The margin of error for minors of what is tolerated in terms of behavior (right or wrong) is much greater than for adults. You would have been held to a much higher standard by the police and under the law. The right thing to do was give them as little rise from their antics as possible, which it sounds like you did, and they’ll quickly lose interest and move on. Then report it to the authorities when the situation has passed. Given the threat of throwing rocks from a bridge, I’m certain it would have been taken seriously, and patrols upped for that park, at the very least. Kids have been charged with murder, as adults, for similar behavior before.

If they continue down a behavior path like this into adulthood, the world has a way of quickly straightening that out. One way or the other.

 

[larkmark]

"It’s good to see today’s young people so into FFing, and with such a strong C&R/conservation minded outlook on top of it. Good thing you put that fish back, *****."

HA haha! Now that is funny!

This stuff is nothing new. Kids have been doing this crap since I was a kid.

 

[allthingsfishing]

I'm sure drugs or alcohol had a part in this.

 

[CRB]

And.....lets de-fund the police

 

[nymphingmaniac]

peaceful protest. Just take it or you will be raising the temperature

 

[moon1284]

Thank's for not shooting the kids. I'm sure it was frustrating and annoying.

 

[PennKev]

allthingsfishing wrote:
I'm sure drugs or alcohol had a part in this.

Most kids aren't on drugs.... ....they're just assholes all on their own.

 

[larkmark]

And moon hits it out of the park

 

[jifigz]

I'm a calm and peaceful person but I can't stand people being disrespectful and mean to others, especially people that they don't know. It is certainly a dog eat dog world out there and one must learn how to conduct themselves to get by and thrive. Maybe in these kids environment that's it. But, if they ever want to grow into anything more than petty thugs they better change their ways.

Good handling of the situation. Ignore, ignore, ignore until you can't as you are in a threatening situation.

 

[foxfire]

and your vow to "never to go back again"??? Guess who won...and thus emboldened??