Kids here are just brought up to be and expected to be polite.

I was in Ikea last week and a little chap (aged about 2?) was pushing a small chair with appropriate car sound effects up a rather narrow aisle and blocking the way for me with my big trolley ..... so I tootled up behind him and went "beep-beep" in my best "noddy's little car" imitation. He looked up at me and his mum prompted him to move aside and let me by, which he did.

I thanked him, and his mum said to him "what do you say when somebody says thankyou?"

"yoo 'elcum!" was the cute reply

My lad has just turned 15 and if I see any of his friends they always say "hello, how are you?", or "pleased to meet you" etc and are smiley and friendly, polite and respectful. I think the kids here are great (mostly! )

I met a whole bunch of them in the U16's field hockey I helped out at from time to time this year. I found them enthusiastic and eager, and so NICE to eachother. We had this little girl who played in goal. Goal after goal flew by her one game, but all anyone said was "good try!" and "bad luck" and "never mind,eh!" In our teams in the UK there might have been at least a heavy sigh!!

Hi

I admire your restraint, I don't know what I'd do if someone attacked my son or daughter. Sadly it happens here big time also, I can only speak for Montreal quebec.

An 18 year old girl was stabbed to death last night, as many nights someone is shot or stabbed, I have seen some nasty assaults with my own eyes here, and if you think sentences are bad in the UK, Canada is a running joke.

FOr example back in May a man was sentenced to serve 10 years for attempting to murder his girlfriend, He'd been released after just 8 years for murdering his wife.

I think crime appears lower in Canada, because there is more space, so the rich and the poor areas are far more separated, also the British expats tend to be loaded up with pounds in their pockets so they can afford to live in the better areas.

I think rising crime is the wrong reason to leave the UK as it is happening all over the world, It's a sad state of affairs but its human nature.

Jonathan

Yes you are understandably p*ssed off.

But the sad fact is that there is crime all over the place. No one is really 100& immune.

I recall a while back reading about a Montreal cab driver from Iran who worked double shifts to make ends meet, He was murdered for a few dollars. Ironcally he had come to this land for a better life.

Plus there is the incident that was related above by Jonfrank, a fellow Montrealer. Another senseless murder.

It is a fallacy to believe that living in a posh neighbourhood will somehow protect from crime. It might minimise it but it is still there potentially.

For example, about 20 years ago in my neck the woods there was a murder. The house was some five blocks from where I lived. The children had come home after school to find the mother dead. It was a robbery which went wrong as there was no evidence of sexual assault. But stuff was missing.

What a shock for the kids.

My complacency vanished. We realised way back then that crime can happen literally on one's doorstep.

Recently in Montreal there has been a rash of 'home invasions'. They are still looking for the culprit(s). In one incident a man was actually murdered right in his own home.

Plus crime is not just confined to big cities. Some ghastly horror stories are to be found in quiet country neighbourhoods.

Anyways let's hope you don't have to go through anything like this again once you come over here.

No problem I often type fast and often fix it later. I only learnt to type in 1985 when computers came along. Before that I used to dicate and leave it all to the secretaries.

That's what I do ..... but if I remember, I preview it and make the corrections then. I often have all the right letters but in completely the wrong places!

Sometimes I do what you did, and sometimes I have the most appalling typos even after "checking it twice"!

Both yourself and Mike are correct about crime being an International problem but I should point out that the sheer fact you can remember individual instances suggests that things ain't as bad as you think
The problem in the UK now is the mindless nature of violent crime and vandalism and the failure of the system (and society) to protect the victim. If I had dared to seek retribution myself, on their parents I may add, then the full force of the law would have been brought tumbling down on me as is frequently seen. I still find it refreshing that my friends in Westlock Alberta know about every wee crime that is commited in their area whereas we wouldn't have a hope in hell of keeping up with all the crime here never mind the minor stuff. Serious violent crime wll probably be no better/worse in rural Canada as it is in rural Scotland but its the mindless petty stuff that gets you down and evidence from relatives in New Brunswick and numerous friends in rural Alberta suggests that you guys still have a lid on it.
Can't speak on what its like in the cities though but I have never heard anyone enthuse about Manchester/Glasgow/London etc the way I see people talk about Vancouver/Calgary etc.
Stuarty

Stuarty,
I am so sorry to hear about your son! How is he today?
I admire your restraint, I bet you wanted to kill the swines. But as you said, you would have been the one who would have been arrested. As hard as it is, it is better to turn the other cheek.

Hang tight, knowing that you and you family will soon be away from all this.

Thinking about you and yours.

recovering physically now but otherwise he needs time.
Thanks for the kind words
Stuarty

Im so sorry to hear about your son. Hope he recovers soon both physically and mentally. Please keep us updated on his progress.

Karma for your son sent!

Thanks Willmore much appreciated sentiments
Stuarty

wasn't sure what this thread was or if it was appropriate to me, but saw your name mate so had a look. disgusted, and all the best to your lad.
pains me to advise parents virtually daily as i am sure you did, to not take action, when you know full well its the only sort of punishment these halfwits will ever face.
having said that, rightly or wrongly, i take great solice in knowing it deffinately comes around, and with a bit of luck when they are full of drugs in a few years someone will shoot them. hows that for a fed up rant and sent before i could amend it

I know what you are saying but sadly perception is far from reality. You always need to compare like with like. Sadly in MOntreal shootings and stabbings are of nearly an everyday occurence, I would say on a slightly higher scale than London.

I have lived in London for most of my life until a year ago and can say for the size of city it is, it's still relatively safe, in fact I feel no more danger there than I do in Montreal.

As i said before the law is a total ass here, its a slap on the wrist for serious crimes, much lighter than the UK, it is something of a national joke. Graffiti , broken glass etc is all here, just the same as UK, lots of junkies needels too in certain areas

I reckon if your out in Red Deer or in the middle of alberta , its a lot safer but then again so is living in st Andrews compared with Dumfries.

If you have other reasons for moving here then you are doing the right thing, but if it's the crime issue you will be dissapointed.

Jonathan

Rural areas of the North American west have problems that I don't think Scotland does. Is crystal meth an issue in Scotland?

No, but jellies are, old folks sell them (amongst other things) to afford tins of baked beans and warm slippers.

Plagues and general types of social nastiness are interchangeable. Who'd have thought rural Canada would be plagued by a vile infestation of fake Burberry sunglasses cases ?

Nothing is sacred, no boundaries unbendable.

Rich.

Dumfries IS the small quiet rural town, that's why I'm so pissed off. It was statistically the best place to bring up kids?! St Andrews is much bigger and a City and is worse!
Having spent 20 years as a policeman crime, in its various guises, does not surprise me in the least, what has changed is society's acceptance of loutish behaviour despite the vast majority of people being abhorred by it. I spent my entire career in and around Dumfries and believe me when I say there has been a slow eroding of values and standards and this is what you get as a result.
Anyway, arguing about what's worse is pointless, if you can find a place to live, wherever that may be, that still retains a feeling of community then hold on to it with both hands. Scotland has unfortunately lost its shine over the last few years and for me this was the last straw.
Stuarty