paul1968mcr

Just got back from a week of visiting all our friends and family - which was great apart from the having to leave them all behind.

But the visit has just made us wanna stay in the US forever, even more.

The roads were so busy, I actually forgot people park on the street! EVERYTHING is so expensive 1.36 GBP/litre for Diesel - WTF! Our nanny (usc) could not believe we were spending $120 on one course in a pub restaurant.
An Indian curry (had to do it) for 4 with a round of drinks - $150!

It was great to see all our family and friends, great to visit our old village (Lymm - where we had fish chips peas and curry sauce), but I really can't see us going back - especially after a 5.5hr delay at newark due to the storms yesterday.

nice place to visit, but fook me, wouldn't wanna live there!

Jaxbar

But you didnt pay 120 dollars did you? you paid in pounds, thats just the same as people coming to the US and believing its cheap cos they are thinking in pounds, the comparison does not work you were there as a visitor if you lived there you would not be thinking in dollars. Glad you had a good time.

basementwaj

i said the same thing last time i visited, i expressed that the UK was not the place that people that have been in the US for 2 or more years left behind.... Its really gone to the dogs and quick....

I got slammed.

So im pleased you felt the same way

elfman

You've been in Indiana a bit too long

elfman

perhaps you got "slammed" for making blanket statements like the one above, which are always going to get some people's backs up.

I was last in the UK in six months ago and didn't think the UK had noticeably "gobe to the dogs". Yes things are often more expensive over there (the dollar in the toilet isn't helping) but we found a fair few things to be actually cheaper.

basementwaj

i wasnt talking about how much things cost.

I was talking congestion, attitude, non-english speaking immigrants, teens with the 'you cant touch me' attitude and the recent increase in crime.....especially knife crime.

As i said the last time, its my opinion...... like it, dont like it, its your choice

bevinva

Imagine how depressing it can be for those of us that came over in 1981.

elfman

OK, no you weren't, but that seemed to be the OP's main complaint.

the public perception is that knife crime is out of control, yet this is not borne out by the statistics.

According to the British Crime Survey, knife-enabled crime (any crime involving a knife) over the past decade has remained stable at around 6-7% of all crime, comprising 30% of all homicides.

In fact, the most recent crime survey by the Metropolitan police showed that knife crime has actually dropped by 15.7% over the past two years, from 12,122 to 10,220 incidents.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/ma...d=networkfront

The only thing about knife crime which has really increased recently has been hysterical press coverage of it.

paul1968mcr

Taking into account the exchange rate

I got a job in the USA that pays the same as my old job in the UK, so the amount that goes into my account each month is the same.

when I am in the UK, the amount leaving my account is more then when I am in the USA.

paul1968mcr

Another interesting point - In our week in Altrincham, we only saw 1 Police car (apart from the airport).

Our nanny was really suprised at how little Police presence there was, considering the 5 "scrotes" who were shouting and swearing (in their lovely manc gangster drawl) in Altrincham town centre last saturday afternoon hangin' round the betting shop thats opened.

basementwaj

they are busy filling out paper work for 3 hours for the dog poop fines they hand out

ugacrew

BradfordLass, they recently did a comparison among top metropolitan cities in the world AND they ranked London as number 1 for the cost of living and eating out. They took into account the exchange rate as well. They even compared it to New York and Tokyo which are notorious for being expensive places to eat out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6990689.stm

paul1968mcr

LMAO - As I was leaving my mums to go to the airport, I trod in a cat turd and got it all over the floor of the hire car. My mum wiped it out using neat pine fresh disinfectant - don't know what stunk worse!!

BritishGuy36

I'm in agreement mate, I can't wait to get out of Blighty. Sure the US isn't perfect either, but at least in the US there's a less tolerant attitude towards the toerags from the authorities.

basementwaj

absolutely, i think thats the worst part... the shitty kids and toerags now get away with loads.....

i know of a story (cant find the link) of a 17 year old kid who tried to rob a store with a baseball bat (in UK). the 2 owners overpowered him and locked him in the store room, called the police.

The rozzers took 3 hours to arrive and when they spoke with the 17YO, he claimed he was kidnapped and held against his will, and infringement of his human rights.

The police then arrested the shop owners and dusted the kid off and drove him home!

This went to court, and the judge laughed at the police and threw the case out.

At least in the US you can shoot people that try to rob you! lol