Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

Some of the PBS documentaries are good saw some of the prohibition one recently, civil war is a good series. The national parks one is interesting but rather self congratulatory. PBS content includes old BBC stuff doesn't it - Midsomer Murders, Keeping Up Appearances etc?

On the whole though BBC content is much more reliable though than anything in north america but that should be no suprise though as it's well funded and has a public service rather than ratings target.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

Actually PBS has a lot of newer BBC stuff too.

I really like PBS :thumbup: Knowledge here in BC has interesting docs too.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I'd have to agree with the OP about his London experience. I lived in East Dulwich between 1998 and 2004, and had 1 burglary, two attempted burglaries, one peeping tom and one stalker. Someone once stole my spade and hose from the garden shed. My Dad had his passenger window broken and car broken into when my parents came to stay.

East Dulwich was by no means a bad area to live. In contrast, up to a couple of weeks ago when my car was keyed in the Costco car park, I've never really had to think about crime. This is despite the fact that I live in downtown Toronto and work in Parkdale. I'm happy not to lock the doors when I'm at home, and even have the front door open in the Summer.

When I came here on my reccy trip, I stayed with FOF in Burlington who left the front door open when they took the dog for an hour long walk. I nearly had heart failure, but they didn't give it a second thought. When I lived in Oakville, I hardly ever locked the front door, and never locked my patio doors.

There's absolutely no comparison with the levels of petty (and more serious) crime around the part of Canada I live to London.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

On the other hand thinking you are going to be knifed if you make eye contact with strangers doesnt tie in with experience in most of the UK surely?

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

.... but comparing the most similar areas - middle class downtown Toronto, with middle class central London shows that there are significantly different levels of criminality. And yes, I would have been scared to look a number of bus passengers on the bus from Victoria through the Elephant and Castle and Camberwell in the eye.

When I first moved to East Dulwich I made the mistake of finding myself at Peckham bus station in a suit with a briefcase around midnight. I've never been so scared in my life, and I'm not someone who is unreasonably scared of violent crime. I would never for example, have thought twice about walking about on my own at night back in Leeds.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I must be the only one that can't stand the over sentimentalized, wistfully nostalgic bollox of American exceptionalism that Burns peddles. And as for his narration, it either puts you to sleep or makes you vomit.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

Braver than me then, there were some malevolent bits of Leeds that I would have thought twice about wandering about in alone after dark back in my day... chapeltown for one. Maybe its changed though, I hope so.

The point is though that there are plenty of bits of the UK that are not cursed with antisocial behaviour, so to paint the whole of the UK as terrible and use it as a reason to go live in Vancouver really doesnt withstand any sort of critical analysis.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I thought Steve_ was being ironic:confused: He wasn't seriously suggesting that they really were superior was he?

Of course he's welcome to his opinion of Canadian TV because ultimately it doesn't matter. Complaints about shitty TV might have been valid 10 years ago, but what with the internet, decent TV is only a few clicks away. There is no need to put up with the local shite if you don't want to.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I know, I watched 8 out of 10 cats last night on the internet and it was free.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I lived in Dulwich Village for a while. It's surrounded by turds but never once did i feel unsafe travelling around anywhere. Didn't have any issues at all other than a bus took off my wing mirror once :thumbdown:

I imagine most people choose to move to a nicer area so obviously comparisons are going to be skewed.

You can't judge a country by one area within it.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I've never seen that; mainly cos I used to think that jimmy carr was a bit of a twat. Lately though I've kind of warmed to his style of comedy so I might check it out.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I'm with Pretty Flowers here. I'm sure the stats for Canada are higher on homicides than for the UK (not sure about other violent crime) but the accessibility of guns contributes to that. For street crime, don't know stats but I'm guessing that the UK's worse. I been all over Canada in the past year and I can say for certain that I've personally felt safer and witnessed less crime than I did in the UK. I lived in Oxford and London the past 20 years and thought there was little difference in either city (we were burgled and had our car broken into in both cities).

On the TV subject, there is no way on earth that North American TV can stack up to UK TV. It isn't just the BBC, but ITV dramas and C4 documentaries. I think Steve's being ironic ...

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

Jimmy Carr's such a twat. He freaks me out too. Can't watch him ...

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

He's definitely a twat, with an annoying laugh, but he can be funny. Although he's no Rick Mercer.

Re: Your observations when visiting UK from Canada !
 

I was talking specifically about London though. Not Oxshott or Maidenhead...