The most violent country in Europe: Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S.

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
I'll bet you're a typical big fat twenty stone plus yank who sits and sweats through his couch every night listening to the sound of gunshots echoing from outside your front door while watching Oprah on the box.

Well I'll try and be as honest as possible, something that will be alien to you seeing how you're from Liverpool.

No idea what a "stone" is, but I'm 220# and 5' 10" so I am definitely in need of a work out, no sweating though, we have something called air conditioning here, another alien concept to the UK. My neighborhood is completely silent, no barking dogs, no gunshots, no neighbor noise - nothing. I have open desert to the rear of me for roughly 12 miles until you hit the base of the Sierra Estrella mountain range.

You will however be relieved to hear that I do have a sizeable firearms collection, with which I have more fun than a Brit in a Heineken factory.

On the table in front of you will be two half eaten pizza's and one mega burger. You'll be saving that for later when you're hungry again. You'll have a down stairs loo because you get out of breath when you take the stairs and in your front garden will be the good old stars and stripes flag. . .

Ok, you struck lucky with the food, we had fried chicken and salad for dinner last night, and there's left overs for tonight, so yes, got me there. No downstairs though, we live in a single level - more space over here buddy, not like those boxes you laughingly call houses. No flag of any kind outside the house, and a pool outside the back complete with palm trees - got any of those in Aigburth?

And by the way, anyone can bring up a map, select a few places and then google each one to get a description of it so that you can pretend you've been there!

I already pointed that out, it's impossible to prove I was there, but I was, and for several years.

I know you haven't visited Liverpool! "Why?" Because the town centre has a weight limit, especially around the Albert Dock. If you fell in the Mersey Formby and Crosby would be washed away!!!

I see that your weight fetish is never that far away, pretty disappointing, and Formby and Crosby should be washed away, although I do remember playing golf in Formby once.

Something else occurs to me, another cultural difference. An American will always try to insult your education, but not Brits. So it occurs to me that you don't have a degree, probably never did any college either.

If true, you wouldn't even get a job selling fries over here, you would truly be a second class citizen, but it does fit with your love of football. Tell me I'm wrong.

reply to post by Fang

He's not visited the Uk! Take no notice of him and he'll go away. The fast food joints are open soon. . .
It doesn't matter where you go you will always find a certain percentage who are morons and who want to make peoples lives hell. This growing violence is a result to the #ty socialogical climate that we are living in at the moment.

Originally posted by Fang
reply to post by Sam Vimes

 

Sam, maybe your right. Who knows? My beef with Retseh is that he is unsalvageably obnoxious, a bigot and misanthrope of the first order, both ill informed and delusional. He has had a go at the unemployed, immigrants, pregnant teenagers and religious minorities. If he ever has visited the UK, he was clearly subject to an experience, which has further heightened his incipient feelings of insecurity and inferiority. Hence the invective he spouts on threads such as these. I too visit the States regularly and have close friends there, so I know what an aberration this ranting moon-bat is

The above is little more than a personal attack, and nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of this thread.

You will notice that I have at least tried to focus at least some of my replies on social standards in the UK.

Did I rattle you?

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
reply to post by Fang

 

He's not visited the Uk! Take no notice of him and he'll go away. The fast food joints are open soon. . .
It doesn't matter where you go you will always find a certain percentage who are morons and who want to make peoples lives hell. This growing violence is a result to the #ty socialogical climate that we are living in at the moment.

To my point about poor educational standards in the UK, I would be interested to know what level you achieved.

Care to share?

reply to post by Retseh


I in turn am humbled by your kind response. Travel may change a person, for good or bad. The offer stands if you ever need a place to rest in Nederland, on your way to Sweden, which has great camping laws and is one of the great under explored places in Europe. Again, give me shout next time.

A note on GB

We are a proud people and country, and perhaps some ( read alot ) of that pride is misplaced. Our identity is being eroded. As is yours. Our pride is not not without reason, just misunderstood by its' people and those from outside its' borders.

I don't like to speak on behalf of an entire country, BUT we are not so bad and the roar of the Lion has and only will come from the peoples mouth. Woe be tide.

One day we will speak together in person, without using the word 'but'.

When friends and allies and people with feelings, wont stand shoulder to shoulder, we're fckd.

reply to post by Retseh


Listen pal, where do you get the "while london is fun the rest of the uk is a dark dismal place"?


Look up Cumbria, the lake district, that is where i am from, it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet (IMO). Lakes, forests, fells, mountains, loads of wildlife.

still prone to the thugs and crime though sadly, but then so is everywhere, not just the UK.

Dont feel like im having a pop at you, im not, just pointing the above out.

Peace

[edit on 6/7/09 by woogleuk]

reply to post by Sam Vimes


Sam - pity I didn't run into more like you, I only ever seem to interact with the mouth breathers such as the 2 pond dwellers above.

I'm guessing you're older, or at least more mature, I'm guessing that's the difference.

I'd love to be "re-educated" about the UK and its residents, you at least give me some hope.

reply to post by woogleuk


I'm thinking more of the cities, and towns. Only visited the Lake District once, and did no hiking or real ale drinking, and can't for the life of me remember where it was, but it rained, a lot.

I also seem to remember not being able to park anywhere, even at the hotel.

Too many people for such a small island, you need to thin the herd.

reply to post by Retseh


You know, i actually believe you have been here, thats quite an accurate description, remember though, its a popular tourist destination, overpopulation wont be the reason you couldn't park.

reply to post by woogleuk


Thanks - I only went the once though, I really don't recall much about it, but it was picturesque, in a low cloud sort of way.

Perhaps if the entire UK was like the Lake District..........

Originally posted by Fang
reply to post by Sam Vimes

 

Sam, maybe your right. Who knows?

Well, not me for sure. And as for "unsalvadgessness"

In a time where we can communicate, in this manner, with this speed and before our minds can stop our fingers from typing hurtfulness, perhaps gentleness and understanding can prevail.

All too often, these boards turn into a US vs UK firefight. And for what? Defense of what. We are all people. Live and let live.

Britain can be violent. It can also be sublime, inventive, refreshing and, one would hope, compassionate.

Our ability to be good extends to the written word. (It seems to hang around longer than most things)

Peace, love happiness.

** ATTENTION **

STOP THE OFF TOPIC NAME CALLING>

reply to post by Retseh


I gotta say most of your post are over the top generalising, not all british people are loud, violent, rude, and crazy football fans etc.

Yes they exist, but UK, especially London has a huge variety of people from all over the world, the group you describe is only one of MANY different type of people in the uk.

And the jealous women? Well yeah they exist in every country including the usa, they pick on pretty women etc. There are plenty of beautiful women here in London I assure you, especially considering you can see any kind of woman from all over the world here.

The women who picked on the so called pretty american women are simply a typical example of "some" women's attitude because of self concious problems that does not just happen in the uk but all over the world.

I don't even care for football. But playing it at a nice park on a sunny day is great fun.

We are not all the same, I also never even said the word "yank" in my life haha, not once, I say americans, I'm gonna say Yank to myself now for the first time just for the hell of it haha.

I don't know what your experience was, but you gotta remember when travelling each person experiences something different, and that all depends on WHERE they go, who they meet etc. Some people are unfortunate to go to the wrong places or meet the wrong people.

Which is why depending where you go in the uk you can have the most amazing experience or the worst possible. My point is, the uk is not all the same place, which means it's IMPOSSIBLE to generalise like you did , it's a place full of variety, it's like the whole world put into a small space.

The UK is full of individuals and so is The USA, which makes any kind of generalising either way useless and silly.

[edit on 6-7-2009 by _Phoenix_]

reply to post by Retseh


Mate, I'm 36, a sprog. You have point about the way you perceive Blighty.
That point is recognized by many Britons.

We are the product of thousands of years of invasion and breeding warriors-

SO..... -There is always going to be some attitude- ......

As for re-education, I feel that you have a spot in your heart for GB. It can't all have been bad. My father's father came from Romania before the war, my mother is an Irish tinker, my sister is english, I was born in wales to english/irish parents. Not so different to you maybe? We all have our roots.

I care not what insults you receive from my countrymen, nor care I about the insults you throw at them. I care that we have chosen civilized discourse, and, in my heart as do you in yours, I know could show you a Britain you thought never existed.

( Be prepared for the odd ruck down the local on account of you being a Yank.)

Originally posted by woogleuk
For those who say dont trust the daily mail, i agree, but this story has been in several more reputable papers, so its true.

anyway, here is some links to crime from my local paper, i live at the very far north west of england, not far from the scottish border. Feel free to read them if you want, just thought it may give you more insight into crime in another part of the uk.

Teens crash stolen car

newsandstar.co.uk...


Man admits raping 7 year old girl

newsandstar.co.uk...


Knife yob jailed for four years

newsandstar.co.uk...


Man struck fiance and broke eye socket

newsandstar.co.uk...


police release cctv footage of carlisle tesco armed raid

newsandstar.co.uk...


Police hunting serial hairy flasher (lololol, this is for amusment)

newsandstar.co.uk...



and finaly, a ufo one with video from our paper, know its not the right thread, but im not starting a thread for what is more than likely a chinese lantern (dont comment on this one here, if someone wants to start a thread then by all means)

newsandstar.co.uk...



[edit on 6/7/09 by woogleuk]

[edit on 6/7/09 by woogleuk]

I've done this as there was a bit of an argument going on and i know a lot of people tend to read the first couple of pages then skip to the last page, hope im not doing anything wrong by doing this

Retseh, I am puzzled by your dig at the UK education system, especially considering it is one of the better one's out there! At lest ID/Creationism isn't taught as fact here, we have a National Curriculum (unlike the USA) and we have a wider variety of qualifications to do other than all go to Uni and rack up £20,000 worth of debt for a mickey mouse degree.

Just to counter your statement about if we didn't have a degree we wouldn't even get a job in the USA serving fries, well, let me tell you a little about myself.

I left school at 16 with 10 GCSE's, went into a Modern Aprenticeship with Nortel and worked towards an HND in Telecoms Engineering. An HND is roughly equivalent to a degree level vocational qualification.

Now, I didn't even complete my apprenticeship due to the dot-com bubble bursting and Nortel needing to shed jobs, so I am still stuck with my 10 GCSE's. I went on to work in a variety of technical roles for a few of the telco's in the UK before joining my current employer.

I do a job now (I am 27) that pays in excess of £40K/annum and I do liase with fellows from the good Ol' USA who are degree educated and work in telecoms for your comms companies.

They have great difficulty in understanding anything I tell them, due to not really knowing much beyond what they were instructed in the classroom, whereas I have experience and training in the field, in front of the kit and had a hands on learning approach.

A degree means bugger all, matey. Experience counts a damn site more than a piece of paper. It seems to me that going to Uni/College is more of gaining social status rather than actually being qualified to do anything, unless you do something like Science or Maths.

One of my mates went to Uni, studied for 3 years and passed with honours in his History degree, racking up debt in the process. I met him at a work doo recently, serving me drinks from behind the bar as he lamented his situation.... How I laughed..

What's the point in going to Uni when you don't have any clearly defined goals? Just going for the sake of it, for the kudos, it really isn't worth it and means fudge all in the UK when you go for a job. Employers here are far more concerned with your ability to do the job, not what pieces of paper you've accumulated at Uni about the History of the Sassanid Empire.....

[edit on 6/7/09 by stumason]