Offensive actions

SIR, — Am I alone in finding the behaviour of some St Albans residents offensive? I was walking back from Sainsbury s on the old railway track when a cyclist suddenly appeared. I was not blocking the path but the youth on the bike decided I was and subjec

SIR, - Am I alone in finding the behaviour of some St Albans residents offensive?

I was walking back from Sainsbury's on the old railway track when a cyclist suddenly appeared. I was not blocking the path but the youth on the bike decided I was and subjected me to a long tirade of filthy language. I did not respond fearing he might be armed with a knife. When I phoned the police, the response was unhelpful.

On another occasion I was crossing the bridge at St Albans City Station at 6 am. Three youths approached. One commented: "Saddo to the left". Again, I ignored it. They were stoned clubbers.

On a third occasion I was carrying home bags of shopping from Iceland. I passed three youths and they started a dialogue in which the word Iceland was repeatedly included. These were very well-dressed youths, evidently from wealthy families .

A young man accused me of being racist because I turned around when he ran up behind me. He happened to be black but I was just curious.

I was walking on the Alban Way track when an Asian cyclist tried to cycle past four youths who were presumably on study leave. They thought it very amusing when he cycled away quickly because they were all laughing at his difficulty getting past them.

My point is that some parents clearly fail to bring up their children properly in St Albans so that the children are socially very unskilled, abusive to passing strangers for no reason or for some sort of obscure pleasure at enraging a passer-by, or just nasty snobs

ANDREW INGLIS,

Sadleir Road, St Albans.