Whistling the Teens Away

When I was young, my dad could call us home by whistling very loudly. He could walk outside, stick his fingers in his mouth and we would come running from inside anyone's house in the neighborhood. For us, it was a great attractant. Of course, we knew that if we didn't come we would get it when we decided to finally come to the house.

I've inherited a bit of his mighty whistle. I've used it to get the attention of kids, and it works. I wrote before that I'm not gifted as a leader. My own kids listen to me and are obedient, but when I've had to command the attention of a room full of kids in the past, the scenario has been quite different.

As I enter the room the little angels ignore my presence continue their reign of terror against each other. I may smile and say, "Please sit down and be quiet. We have work to do."

The little angels continue their reign of terror.

I'll say a little louder, "Stop what you're doing and sit down. It's time to begin."

The little angels continue their reign of terror.

I'll speak a third time exclaiming, "Excuse me!"

The little angels continue their reign of terror.

I'll rare back and let out an ear-piercing whistle.

Silence... at last.

Then, I'll smile and say, "Please sit down and be quiet. We have work to do. If you don't, I'll whistle again."

The Brits must've heard me from across the pond. They've invented a device that emits a tone that is pitched too high for most adults to hear, but is audible to most children between 12 and 22. However, instead of attracting kids or getting their attention so that you can work with them, they are using it to repel them. Shop owners are using it to prevent teens from loitering in front of their establishments. Apparently it has met with great success.

You can find this item on the "What's New" page of Grumpy Old Men Quarterly.