RICH

My vote is for American Ex-Spouse. Best of both worlds

Pulaski

I was looking at police per capita figures a few days ago, and in fact there are substantially more police in the UK than the US. In the US there are about 245 police per 100,000 people, whereas in the UK there are about 307/100,000.

But to your point about freedoms, I agree, generally I think the UK is a much freer country, for individuals, than the US.

robin1234

I'm not surprised about the numbers of police. Just drove across MA, NH, VT, and NY today. Troopers hiding everywhere, also not hiding, just sitting. Me, I'm studiously avoiding eye contact, then tracking them in the rear view mirror. In the UK I rarely see them, but I'm sure they are there, behind the scenes.

robin1234

Well, American lovers, too. In addition to the spouse, ex spouse etc.

Hotscot

Freedoms? When you can hardly function on a day to day basis without being required to show a picture ID?

And how often in the UK do you have to give up your National Insurance Number to private companies?

Pulaski

They're probably doing an Easter clampdown on speeding, .... they are down here in NC.

hungryhorace

What I have learnt about 'freedom' in the United States is that the effect is essentially sensible laws are unable to be inacted due to the fact it might infringe on someones (apparent) rights formed 200+ years ago.

I don't want to bring up the 2nd Amendment, as that's just a whole other argument, but take up in New Hampshire where - of all places - the 'Live Free or Die' state is a couple of votes away from banning cell phone use when driving a motor vehicle! Some idiot politicians say implementing such a ban infringes on a persons 'freedom' to talk on the phone. The morons don't seem to mention the 'freedom' to not be hit or injured by a distracted driver.

Another 'freedom' which gets me here; the total inability of local police to pursue an allegation of dangerous or aggressive driving unless THEY witness it. Despite my car having back and front video recording equipment (MA drivers are aggressive wankers at the best of time for those who aren't aware). In England a s172 would be sent out with an intention to interview the person named as driving the vehicle. Here in America, nothing is (can?) be done about it. Utterly crazy.

There is one 'freedom' I do like here though, and that is the freedom to speak my mind, regardless of how rude, offensive, or otherwise. The UK has no concept of freedom of speech now. I feel safe in the US that if I write something that someone finds offensive on twitter I won't get the old bill knocking at my door.

hungryhorace

It's the major irony that no American i've ever met gets. I do take solace in the fact there are a LOT of other Americans out there that hate to show ID and see it as an infringement of their right to be 'free'. I commend them.

My wife, for example, feels 'lost' without her ID. I just can't understand it. I only carry my driving licence with me because apparently I can be arrested without it if stopped (I don't need that kind of heat to be frank). In the UK my driving licence was kept in my safe and there it stayed until I got a 7 day wonder or what not.

Sally Redux

A lot of places want to see ID with a credit card, yet I have lost count of the number of times our card has been compromised now.

hungryhorace

Given how insecure the signature system is, I don't have a massive problem with showing ID. I used to when i first moved over, but I feel slightly different now. God, i'm going native :/

RICH

Papiere, Bitte.

Yorkieabroad

Certainly feels like there are a hell of a lot more police here than the UK, although the perception is probably distorted by the fact that really, the only law enforcement you see over there are the police, whereas here there are sheriffs, state troopers, school district police () etc etc . From reading that list, it looks like the 245 in the US are the actual police, and it excludes the other branches?

Sally Redux

Yorkieabroad

It's funny, I read somewhere that it is actually in contravention of the retailers agreement with the card company to ask for supplementary ID( or maybe that it was in contravention to deny payment based on lack of ID) and recommending folk to decline to provide ID when requested. My only thought was ......."why"?

I also don't have a real problem with proving I am who I say I am. I quite like that a couple of our cards have photo ID on them, though it has never stopped me from using my wife's card or vice versa, so not really achieving it's purpose there.....

kimilseung

In a world history class this week in HS, the teacher was talking about the British being happier than the Americans to sacrifice freedoms for security. Apparently we can blame WW2 and its "walls have ears" campaigns, it put our culture in the right frame for this it seems.
I bit my lip.