# Doc Martin Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749 "2017-10-24T18:29:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/1 "2017-10-24T18:29:05Z")
I’m currently watching Series 7, and I like it just as much as ever. Question: Is it a “thing” in England for groups of teenagers to walk around town and yell random insults at random people? I should think not, but the villagers of Portwenn act like it’s no big deal that these obnoxious girls do this. And yes, I know that teenagers in America do obnoxious things, too, but the behavior as depicted on the show isn’t like what I see here. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/2 "2017-10-24T20:34:15Z")
It happens, sometimes. Not come across it in a while, but there was a bit of a fad for it in a town I used to live in while I was in my teens. A mate used to parody it, by shouting “ABUSE!” at random people. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/3 "2017-10-24T21:00:04Z")
Raise your hand if you thought this was going to be a fashion question. Only me then? Sorry, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/4 "2017-10-24T21:01:27Z")
Raises hand. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/5 "2017-10-24T21:25:06Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Question: Is it a “thing” in England for groups of teenagers to walk around town and yell random insults at random people? I should think not, but the villagers of Portwenn act like it’s no big deal that these obnoxious girls do this. No idea about the real world but a roaming group of snarky teenage girls seems common enough in English tv to be considered a trope. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/6 "2017-10-24T21:57:37Z")
_Doc Martin_ is one of my favorite shows, although I haven’t seen a lot of episodes since it’s not on regularly here. I find the gaggle of idiotic girls to be funny, even though it doesn’t seem very realistic. I’ve never lived anywhere where that behavior would be tolerated for long. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/7 "2017-10-24T22:34:16Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Raises hand. Me too, right! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/8 "2017-10-24T22:43:49Z")
Dr MartEns boots, folks. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/9 "2017-10-24T22:47:55Z")
If you lived in Portwenn, how would you spend your free time? That’s one small town; probably not much else to do if you’re a teenaged girl brimming with hormones. :o ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/10 "2017-10-24T23:10:41Z")
Dunno the show, but while groups of teenagers hung around in small towns and villages from the 1700s to date, they rarely bothered anyone nor raised their voices. In large cities they weren’t/aren’t a problem because no-one approaches strange gangs of youths. There really wasn’t a lot to do in the 1930s, even the studious got bored. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/11 "2017-10-24T23:44:28Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I should think not, but the villagers of Portwenn act like it’s no big deal that these obnoxious girls do this. I can’t answer your real world question, but since there isn’t enough Doc Martin discussion here, I’d just like to say that considering how actively stupid so many of the adult villagers are, I’ve always felt it fits in rather well that their children are obnoxious buttheads. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-martin-question/799749/12 "2017-10-25T00:22:32Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Raise your hand if you thought this was going to be a fashion question. Only me then? Sorry, carry on. raises hand