Why do so many young people look like gang members?

[Melensdad]

After Melen's fencing tournament we stopped off at the big shopping mall in our area. We don't get there often and the lovely Mrs_B needed some shoes so we swung in to pick some things up.

While my wife was shoe shopping Melen and I decided to get a snack (actually a whole box of CINNABUNS). I'd say that at least 50% of the young people we saw looked like some combination of criminal, gang banger, or wanna-be hood. WTF??? This observation applied to the black, hispanic and white youths. Many of the teen girls looked like young hookers. Most of the boys had baggy pants, or baggy 'designer' sweat tops, hats that were sideways or backwards, BIG earrings that appeared to be fake gold and rhinestones. Seriously these kids looked like they came from all walks of life but all looked like 'gangstas'

And they all traveled in small to medium sized packs and they traveled the mall. Typically 4 to 10 of these ne're-do-e'll looking youths would walk together. I didn't see them in Macy's or Carson Pirie Scott, but did see them roaming the main areas of the mall.

Honestly I was waiting for the Jets to start in against the Sharks, just like West Side Story . . . only probably not by singing

 

[BoneheadNW]

This last week was the week the fire department gives CPR training to the freshman (9th grade) at the high school. I always enjoy visiting the high school as, I believe, teenagers generally get a bad rap and they are, for the most part, good people. Also, I am the one in charge of our department's cadet program (for high school students between the ages of 14-18). Anyway, my observations this time:

• Boys this age are. fopr the most part, much more immature than the girls, especially in thier behavior.
• Many of the boys wear their pants hanging down so low that they need to walk funny to keep their pants from falling down
• Some of these kids like to pretend that they are something they are not (gansters, rock stars, pro atheletes, etc)
• Even though many of these kids are from families that are "well off". they like to dress like they are from "the hood"

Bonehead

 

[pirate_girl]

Honestly I was waiting for the Jets to start in against the Sharks, just like West Side Story . . . only probably not by singing

That's funny Bob.
Umm yeah.. my niece's boyfriend cops that gangsta thing.. he's white, this is a small town... don't ask me where he got his inspiration.
I told him to tie his damn shoes and to pull his pants up one day, even fixed his hat for him and said "there, that's better".. rumour has it he doesn't like me much. lol

 

[The Tourist]

Why do so many 50 year old dentists and insurance salesmen get fresh ink and black Sportsters?

And why, oh why, do they block the free hotdogs and coffee and then sit in my chair...!

 

[OhioTC18]

Bob,
I see the same thing here in a couple of the malls. The upscale malls seem to be able to keep them out, but not all. Two of the malls closed down due to lack of money wielding patrons. People were not comfortable shopping there anymore. It seemed like the teens went there just to hang out and socialize but intimidated others.

One young fellow I know wears his pants down around his ass, a sweatshirt jacket thing that goes down to his knees, a fake diamond ear ring as big as a dime, grabs his crotch as he walks (probably trying to keep his pants from falling all the way down). My brothers son

But he is a good kid deep down. He works, begs for more hours and is #2 in his ROTC class.

 

[thcri]

I seem to notice them more in the malls than any other place. The Mall of America in the Twin Cities has had serious problems. In our local mall you see a lot of them too. If you get out of the mall environment you don't see them as much. Just my observation that is all.

 

[American Woman]

One young fellow I know wears his pants down around his ass, a sweatshirt jacket thing that goes down to his knees, a fake diamond ear ring as big as a dime, grabs his crotch as he walks (probably trying to keep his pants from falling all the way down). My brothers son

But he is a good kid deep down. He works, begs for more hours and is #2 in his ROTC class.

I always said these have to be good kids because they can't run from trouble

 

[Trakternut]

Y'might have a point there, AW.

 

[rc2james]

I suppose that the general appearance of gang members has changed a lot over the years. Many specialists in law enforcement can give a knowledgeable explanation of the tattoos, style of dress and the logic (or lack there of) behind it all, but I still cannot comprehend why someone would want to walk around looking like they had twenty pounds of shit in their pants

 

[American Woman]

but I still cannot comprehend why someone would want to walk around looking like they had twenty pounds of shit in their pants

 

[pirate_girl]

I suppose that the general appearance of gang members has changed a lot over the years. Many specialists in law enforcement can give a knowledgeable explanation of the tattoos, style of dress and the logic (or lack there of) behind it all, but I still cannot comprehend why someone would want to walk around looking like they had twenty pounds of shit in their pants

Did you say shit?
Oh... nevermind.. hehe

 

[The Tourist]

why someone would want to walk around looking like they had twenty pounds of shit in their pants

My wrongly incarcerated brethen who were unfortunate victims of an overworked legal system and society's Hollywood-style beliefs in stereotyping, inform me that 'bangers want people to believe their pockets are full of weapons--even when they're not.

This can be a benefit to our deteriorating urban areas.

While a fashion conscious 'banger might not be carrying any weapons, it's a very good possibility that my misguided brethem probably are...

Woe, justice gone wrong. It saddens me, really.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Tight jeans, pointed (winklepicker) shoes, leather jacket and long hair ... my father didn't think much of my outfit either. I looked as if I was an extra for the movie "Grease". Luckily I grew out of it but those were less violent times. I hope most of todays kids make it.

 

[pirate_girl]

Tight jeans, pointed (winklepicker) shoes, leather jacket and long hair ... my father didn't think much of my outfit either. I looked as if I was an extra for the movie "Grease". Luckily I grew out of it but those were less violent times. I hope most of todays kids make it.

Mom has pictures of Dad looking like that when he was 16 or so.
.. only he wore a flat top

 

[The Tourist]

Well, my neighborhood is a real hoot.

We have a lot of rich suburban white kids who drive around in the WRX STi their parents bought them for their 16th birthday, bass speakers as big as wash tubs, blasting out ghetto rap music which complains about injustice in the 'hood.

Most of my neighbors' kids can't even find a "hood" without a GPS, or have suffered injustice (unless waiting a really long time at Taco Bell counts), or know a black guy, or even understand ghetto slang.

I once asked a 'dental biker' on why he chose a "gay tattoo" when he bought fresh ink. He had a flaming skull with the initials "FTW" emblazened on it.

To mess with his head, I told him the initials meant "Faggots Trolling for White guys."

If they don't know what the tats really mean they shouldn't get them. If you can't understand what rap music is saying the entire subdivision knows your mom bought you the car...

 

[RNE228]

I do not have an answer. On a similar vein though, I hate what happened to the Raiders when they went to LA. I have always been a Raider fan(Stabler, Guy, Casper etc). They have always been a rowdy team. But, when Al moved them to LA, they got the gang element in the crowd. Some on the team reflected it.

Now, they sell the "Raider Image". Unfortunately it is too much gang image...

It is bad enough to still have Al Davis ruining the team worse and worse. To have that gang image just makes it worse...

 

[BoneheadNW]

I do not have an answer. On a similar vein though, I hate what happened to the Raiders when they went to LA. I have always been a Raider fan(Stabler, Guy, Casper etc). They have always been a rowdy team. But, when Al moved them to LA, they got the gang element in the crowd. Some on the team reflected it.

Now, they sell the "Raider Image". Unfortunately it is too much gang image...

It is bad enough to still have Al Davis ruining the team worse and worse. To have that gang image just makes it worse...

Have you ever been to Oakland? I used to live close by. There are parts of Oakland that would rival those gang neighborhoods in L.A. anyday.
Bone

 

[rc2james]

My wrongly incarcerated brethen who were unfortunate victims of an overworked legal system and society's Hollywood-style beliefs in stereotyping, inform me that 'bangers want people to believe their pockets are full of weapons--even when they're not.

This can be a benefit to our deteriorating urban areas.

While a fashion conscious 'banger might not be carrying any weapons, it's a very good possibility that my misguided brethem probably are...

Woe, justice gone wrong. It saddens me, really.

I can understand young people wanting to emulate people who appear to be tough and in control of their surroundings by the use of force. Hell, we all used to play cowboys or gangsters when we were younger.
The baggy pants style gives them look of a short-legged Umpa-Lumpa gang that escaped the chocolate factory when Willy Wonka wasn’t looking.
I’m surprised the Plumbers and Cement Finishers unions haven’t filled complains with the justice department about unlicensed people displaying more ass crack then they do.

 

[Trakternut]

I can understand young people wanting to emulate people who appear to be tough and in control of their surroundings by the use of force. Hell, we all used to play cowboys or gangsters when we were younger.
The baggy pants style gives them look of a short-legged Umpa-Lumpa gang that escaped the chocolate factory when Willy Wonka wasn’t looking.
I’m surprised the Plumbers and Cement Finishers unions haven’t filled complains with the justice department about unlicensed people displaying more ass crack then they do.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

I can understand young people wanting to emulate people who appear to be tough and in control of their surroundings by the use of force. Hell, we all used to play cowboys or gangsters when we were younger.
The baggy pants style gives them look of a short-legged Umpa-Lumpa gang that escaped the chocolate factory when Willy Wonka wasn’t looking.
I’m surprised the Plumbers and Cement Finishers unions haven’t filled complains with the justice department about unlicensed people displaying more ass crack then they do.

Dude - you are on a role today!

 

[RNE228]

Have you ever been to Oakland? I used to live close by. There are parts of Oakland that would rival those gang neighborhoods in L.A. anyday.
Bone

I totally agree. But, the team, did not reflect that in the 60's and 70's before the LA move. It was always a team with a tough reputation, but not a gang like reputation, or the fans/image reflecting it.

Before the LA move, they were more working class, dock worker kinda team. Kinda like the Steelers were a working class, steel work, forge operator kinda team atmosphere.

Funny, I have lived here(east of Sacramento) all my life, been a Bay area team fan(mostly Raiders), yet never been to a Raider game. Don't care to go now.

Been to a few 49er games, a few Giants games at Candlestick, and A's games. Been to Oakland for concerts. Seen the Raiders at 49ers. But not a Raider game at Oakland.

It is funny, all those tough gang people wearing Raider clothing/accessories. The Raiders have been a losing team for a few years now(and will continue with Al Davis at lead).