Lorry1

Yeah you must be. A school stabbing every week!? I don't know where

Shard

So "almost" = "every" in your book. That's a bit Trumpian.

Here's a recent one...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...demy-willesden

There are many teenage stabbings reported, though I will concede that some of the kids may not be in high school. And of course, these are just the ones that make it to national media.

Lorry1

OK, so that's one in one London school.
I think it's a bit dramatic to say one every week.

There are regular downtown shootings in Halifax, NS which no-one reports on. It doesn't happen every week though.

What if I said there are shootings each week in the states....oh....wait....

Paul_Shepherd

Yes i think Brits in general are just more aggressive....i think its part of who they/we are, it shows in the humour, and at one time in the past having the most powerful navy in the world, its that natural built in aggression.

However in more modern times that seems to have spilled over into attacking your fellow countrymen in or outside the pub, its not just the pub scene its road rage too...its way worse in the UK than here in Canada, however the roads are more crowded.

The amount of times id get into near scuffles for nothing, bumping someone into a crowded pub, looking at someone for too long, or someone just takes a random dislike to you for no reason! I had a beer glass thrown at me once which smashed on my head! and i was minding my own business!

The last time i was in UK, I went out with some friends on a Saturday night into my local town centre, we visited some of my old haunts which are quite lively places....and i said to my friend, why is everyone so damn aggressive! hustling and jostling to get to the bar, barging their way through crowded areas....i felt like saying just calm down!!

Canada seems a lot more laid back in that respect, I dont miss the "dont look at anyone is a pub for too long" or the road rage thats for sure!

not2old

Isn't that the way that it always was, is & will be 'till the sun sets on the British Empire' - likely you just never noticed it living in the UK is my guess?

Or, could it be that you have softened up living in Canada?

old wanderer

The "aggressive Brit" is not something new, it's been there for a long time. Even the historian Michael Wood mentioned it when he did the programme "Domesday" back in the Eighties. As he said the British were known as the most polite nation but also the most violent. It's something I witnessed on many occasions back on the streets of my home town on Newcastle, even in the sixties. The sad thing is through the amount of alcohol consumed now this has increased as well.

not2old

The "aggressive Brit" comes true on the BE forums

Oink

That's bollox.

not2old

naff off oink

caretaker

Surely you're exaggerating....

Paul_Shepherd

Well thats more or less what i said in the earlier part of my post....the British Empire didnt become the biggest empire the world had ever seen by being nice and touchy feely.

I didnt notice so much living there i agree becauase i had nothing to compare it to, and it was my norm, but since i have lived here in Canada yes i notice it big time, and yes i have softened up somewhat in the time i have lived here, but im ok with that.

I will also add though that the Canadian friends i have, do have quite a hostile, insulting, sarcastic British-esque humour, so I feel like I have struck middle ground. lol

Paul_Shepherd

Yes....totally agree with that. I suppose its what makes Britain what it was and still is. Its very obvious to me now ive lived away for a number of years.

not2old

Paul you've seen it & witnessed it on BE, so it comes as no surprise that the cross section of Brits can be as nice as pie to the total wind-up's, or two faced, to those with their NPD

50 years on, I believe that I have a chip on my shoulder & just can't help myself at times with a sarcastic knee jerk reaction, like many on BE.

When I was last in the UK my sister, niece & nephew asked me 'what's with the attitude'? My response was its what Canada as well as all the other places that I'd been did this too me

I also found dealing with store keepers or asking for something that I wasn't as nice as the next person, often noticing myself barely saying the 'please, thank you' etc

old wanderer

Caretaker, must say the enclosed photo photo made me smile. Yes even police horses are not safe on the streets of Newcastle!!!

Paul_Shepherd

Yes there are nice as pie people and wind ups in every nationality, however i do think Brits in general are sarcastic hostile and more aggressive than your average Canadian. I think all nationalities have their generalised stereotype.