Man on crutches froze when ‘scary’ teens followed him in the street. Their kindness changed his perspective

Stereotypes about teenagers loitering in public spaces often lean toward suspicion. Large groups, loud conversations, and signs of rebellion tend to spark unease among adults who pass by. This cultural reflex, while common, can obscure what lies beneath the surface. For one man recovering from surgery, those assumptions were challenged in the most unexpected way.

Richard Munoz had broken his ankle during a casual basketball game. The injury required corrective surgery, and he would need crutches for several months, which made running errands and commuting difficult. Though he could order groceries online, some tasks had to be done in person. Sharing his experience with The Guardian, Munoz said, "Back then, I lived in a unit overlooking a park. Every day after school, a large group of teenagers from a few different schools would sit under the tree nearest to our block of units." The teens had a reputation in the area. "They were a bit troublesome sometimes. Usually, they would just smoke cigarettes... but other times they'd spray paint tags on our fence or yell smartarse comments at people walking through the park," Munoz said.

To get to the corner store for something as basic as milk, Munoz had to pass them, which made him uneasy. "I was a bit nervous the first time I had to do it on crutches." He remembered what happened clearly. "That first time I hobbled past, one of them called something out to me which I didn't quite catch. I assumed he was mocking me, so I kept limping on. But then he and a few others ran up to me. They offered to carry my bag to my door and I gratefully — if a little hesitantly — accepted." But it didn’t stop there. He shared, "For the next few months, those teenagers were such a great help to me. Anytime I crutch-walked past them, they would ask how I was and if I needed a hand with anything."

They took his bins out for him — at the store, they let him cut ahead in line so he wouldn’t have to stand and wait, and they never asked for anything in return. "The last time I saw the teenagers was in the final weeks of school — they were seniors and about to graduate," Munoz recalled. "At the end of my time on crutches I thanked them personally and wrote to their schools to say they deserved recognition (whether they received it or not, I don't know)." His experience reflects a broader shift in how adolescence can be understood. A 2023 study found that negative stereotypes about teens can influence both how they are treated and how they behave.

When adolescents are viewed as irresponsible or disruptive, they may internalize those expectations. But when seen as capable, they often rise to the occasion. The study emphasized adolescence as a "window of opportunity" rather than a period of risk, reinforcing the idea that social perception matters. Munoz's experience affirmed that belief. He said, "I'd been bullied a lot in high school and the experience helped me resolve a lot of the residual wariness I had about groups of teenagers." "It also showed me that we can't define strangers from the small glimpses we see of them, even if we see them every day. Those teens were more than their stereotype – and I'm grateful for it," he added.