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An American view.
I am an American, born and bred in New York, Boston and Washington, DC. I married a Brit and we relocated to the South West. Since moving to the UK two years ago, I have come to a sort of annoyed tolerance of the following issues, but no Briton should have to put up with these things:
Government *The benefit system has enabled people to abuse it. Why are benefits unending? *Education is inadequate for today's society. No child should be out on the street at age 15 or even 16. *20% VAT is absurdly high. There should be more of a sliding scale for different goods and services as well as geographic location. Obviously, people in the South West do not earn what those in London earn. *Too lenient punishment for crime. Everyone seems to get suspended sentences or insufficient prison terms, even for murder. *It seems to take forever for the police to respond to calls, especially to non-999 calls. And why do we, the public, have to pay to call the police for disturbance of the peace or ASBO situations? *The infrastructure is antiquated. Examples: pay as you go electric meters, not all properties have water meters. *Why do we have to pay for a license to watch TV? Society *Everything is so expensive, from energy/utilities and petrol to necessary commodities of groceries and clothing. *Morality seems to have gone to hell in a hand basket. People have children to be able to collect benefits (see above); no one seems to be aware of birth control; parental oversight is lacking. Where are all the fathers of the children of single mothers? *Alcohol consumption is out of control. The drinking age is too young and and they seem to apply no limits. *Why do renters have to buy their own appliances? They should be furnished by the landlord. *Everything takes longer than necessary. In the South West, there seems to be a 6 - 8 week wait for everything. *There is very little customer service in the country as a whole. Why do I have to pay to call a company whose services I have paid for and am unhappy with? Where are the toll-free numbers? And when you do actually call with a problem, they always talk over you to make you feel as though you are totally insignificant. *People are basically pigs here. They always seem to expect others to clean up their mess, whether it's at McDonald's or on the village green. *Anti-social behavior is rampant, whether it's spitting on the street, public urinating, or disturbing the peace. The positives *The weather is not as extreme as in the US Note: These are my wife's views and I fully concur. |
Re: An American view.
Oh dear ......you must live in an awful low life area.
Why not move somewhere nicer? |
Re: An American view.
Total nightmare eh.
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Re: An American view.
Let's be nice please. The OP didn't really want to open this thread because of flaming but several of us...myself included...ask him to.
I will be keeping a close eye on the responses...hopefully they will be civil. :fingerscrossed: |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
(Post 11406140)
Let's be nice please. The OP didn't really want to open this thread because of flaming but several of us...myself included...ask him to.
I will be keeping a close eye on the responses...hopefully they will be civil. :fingerscrossed: He has a history of this type of post |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Sally Redux
(Post 11406128)
Total nightmare eh.
|
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
(Post 11406140)
Let's be nice please. The OP didn't really want to open this thread because of flaming but several of us...myself included...ask him to.
I will be keeping a close eye on the responses...hopefully they will be civil. :fingerscrossed: |
Re: An American view.
He is now also a born and bred American but, not so long ago, he was a returning expat.
He is also now married but was divorced in previous posts? Something not quite right here |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Grayling
(Post 11406152)
He is now also a born and bred American but, not so long ago, he was a returning expat.
He is also now married but was divorced in previous posts? Something not quite right here |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
Government *The benefit system has enabled people to abuse it. Why are benefits unending?
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Education is inadequate for today's society. No child should be out on the street at age 15 or even 16.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*20% VAT is absurdly high. There should be more of a sliding scale for different goods and services as well as geographic location. Obviously, people in the South West do not earn what those in London earn.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Too lenient punishment for crime. Everyone seems to get suspended sentences or insufficient prison terms, even for murder.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*It seems to take forever for the police to respond to calls, especially to non-999 calls. And why do we, the public, have to pay to call the police for disturbance of the peace or ASBO situations?
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*The infrastructure is antiquated. Examples: pay as you go electric meters, not all properties have water meters.
Water meters are being introduced gradually.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Everything is so expensive, from energy/utilities and petrol to necessary commodities of groceries and clothing.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Morality seems to have gone to hell in a hand basket. People have children to be able to collect benefits (see above); no one seems to be aware of birth control; parental oversight is lacking. Where are all the fathers of the children of single mothers?
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Why do renters have to buy their own appliances? They should be furnished by the landlord.
===================== Don't take it personally, but you did post a rant so I have the right to post a reply :) I'm not going to answer the rest as I would have to ban myself :sneaky: |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Grayling
(Post 11406143)
So he is allowed to make ridiculous claims and we are not allowed to respond?
He has a history of this type of post |
Re: An American view.
Oink oink.
|
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Grayling
(Post 11406143)
So he is allowed to make ridiculous claims and we are not allowed to respond?
He has a history of this type of post
Originally Posted by Sally Redux
(Post 11406148)
Not quite understanding this. You asked him to open the thread?
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Re: An American view.
So OP...are these your views or your wifes?...if hers then they seem curiously similar to many of your previous rants
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Re: An American view.
Oh dear. If these are your wife's views I'd suggests she does a bit more research before sharing them.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Education is inadequate for today's society. No child should be out on the street at age 15 or even 16.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*It seems to take forever for the police to respond to calls, especially to non-999 calls. And why do we, the public, have to pay to call the police for disturbance of the peace or ASBO situations?
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Too lenient punishment for crime. Everyone seems to get suspended sentences or insufficient prison terms, even for murder.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*The infrastructure is antiquated. Examples: pay as you go electric meters, not all properties have water meters.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Why do we have to pay for a license to watch TV?
I can't even be bothered to comment on the rest. Suffice to say, you have my sympathy as it sounds like you're living somewhere awful if you're having to phone 101, and are surrounded by benefit claiming alcoholic single parents and murderers roaming the streets. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
(Post 11406172)
Can't remember the thread the posts are in...sorry. The search function is dysfunctional and I can't see posts made after 3 Sept. However, no big deal. British people can take criticism without starting a war. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Sally Redux
(Post 11406192)
It seems unusual to have an inflammatory thread opened with built-in moderator protection.
However, no big deal. British people can take criticism without starting a war. Yes we can. :thumbsup: |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
Government *The benefit system has enabled people to abuse it. Why are benefits unending?
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Education is inadequate for today's society. No child should be out on the street at age 15 or even 16.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*20% VAT is absurdly high. There should be more of a sliding scale for different goods and services as well as geographic location. Obviously, people in the South West do not earn what those in London earn.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Too lenient punishment for crime. Everyone seems to get suspended sentences or insufficient prison terms, even for murder.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*It seems to take forever for the police to respond to calls, especially to non-999 calls. And why do we, the public, have to pay to call the police for disturbance of the peace or ASBO situations?
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*The infrastructure is antiquated. Examples: pay as you go electric meters, not all properties have water meters.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Why do we have to pay for a license to watch TV?
I'll have a go at responding to the rest of your post later. Thanks for posting. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
I am an American, born and bred in New York, Boston and Washington, DC. I married a Brit and we relocated to the South West. Since moving to the UK two years ago, I have come to a sort of annoyed tolerance of the following issues, but no Briton should have to put up with these things:
Government *The benefit system has enabled people to abuse it. Why are benefits unending? I would rather have the benefits system and have a minority abuse it than a government that does not look after it's country.....and it is a minority. You obviously poor quality newspapers. *Education is inadequate for today's society. No child should be out on the street at age 15 or even 16. Factually wrong! *20% VAT is absurdly high. There should be more of a sliding scale for different goods and services as well as geographic location. Obviously, people in the South West do not earn what those in London earn. Why? *Too lenient punishment for crime. Everyone seems to get suspended sentences or insufficient prison terms, even for murder. Evidence? *It seems to take forever for the police to respond to calls, especially to non-999 calls. And why do we, the public, have to pay to call the police for disturbance of the peace or ASBO situations? Where on earth do you live? I have no experience of either myself, family or friends needing to do this. *The infrastructure is antiquated. Examples: pay as you go electric meters, not all properties have water meters. For bigger families, it's better not to have a water meter- cheaper. If you're not a bigger family, ring the water board and they will fit it. No exoerience of pay as you go electric meters ever. *Why do we have to pay for a license to watch TV? Because I would much prefer to watch a well made hr long programme without adverts. I think the license fee is cheap actually for what you get. Society *Everything is so expensive, from energy/utilities and petrol to necessary commodities of groceries and clothing. No different to any first world country. *Morality seems to have gone to hell in a hand basket. People have children to be able to collect benefits (see above); no one seems to be aware of birth control; parental oversight is lacking. Where are all the fathers of the children of single mothers? Daily Fail again, or Jeremy Kyle. Pointless answering. Read better quality newspapers. *Alcohol consumption is out of control. The drinking age is too young and and they seem to apply no limits. I would argue that alcohol consumption is out of control in lots of country. You only need to compare diseases related to alcohol consumption. France, Germany, Italy, America, Canada....shall I go on? *Why do renters have to buy their own appliances? They should be furnished by the landlord. Err why? *Everything takes longer than necessary. In the South West, there seems to be a 6 - 8 week wait for everything. For what? *There is very little customer service in the country as a whole. Why do I have to pay to call a company whose services I have paid for and am unhappy with? Where are the toll-free numbers? And when you do actually call with a problem, they always talk over you to make you feel as though you are totally insignificant. *People are basically pigs here. They always seem to expect others to clean up their mess, whether it's at McDonald's or on the village green. *Anti-social behavior is rampant, whether it's spitting on the street, public urinating, or disturbing the peace. Answered these two together. Again, I would move cause it's sounds like you're living in squallor. These areas are not unique to the UK. They can be found in any country around the world. The positives *The weather is not as extreme as in the US Note: These are my wife's views and I fully concur. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by London1947
(Post 11406120)
*Everything takes longer than necessary. In the South West, there seems to be a 6 - 8 week wait for everything. Sometimes moving counties (or states) makes a big difference to how things are done on many levels. |
Re: An American view.
By reading their earlier posts, the poster returned to the UK after nearly 30 years away. As they said "it is not the same country they left in 1982"
I still have family in the UK and they do not seem to be affected or disturbed by what apparently is happening to the UK if you read any newspaper or watch TV news. I think there have been more severe changes to the country in the main cities and towns rather than in rural areas - my family lives in Norfolk. To comment on one issue: Why do we have to pay for a licence to watch TV? The licence is around 125 GBP per annum I believe and that's it apart from if you want premium sports channels. I'm paying nearly a $100 per month for cable - try not paying for cable or Dish or Direct TV and see what you get. Why do some Brits think that they should not pay for the programs they watch? |
Re: An American view.
Just to give a bit of background (and following on from SanDiegogirl's post) here is where the OP was asked to share his experiences:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/back-.../#post11404392 |
Re: An American view.
I think his wife typed the message-which is why you guys are thinking OP is American after saying he is British before. He is the British one, his wife is US. (reading and inferring from the thread Sue linked).
I agree with those saying that he must live in squalor. That doesn't sound typical of UK. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Grayling
(Post 11406152)
He is now also a born and bred American but, not so long ago, he was a returning expat.
He is also now married but was divorced in previous posts? Something not quite right here |
Re: An American view.
I think that London1947 are posting as a husband and wife team.
So. The opening post is from the wife. Other posts may have been from the husband. From what I can make out. The husband is British, maybe not from the South West of England. He moved to the US 30 yrs ago, perhaps with a British first wife. He divorced and re-married an American. They moved recently from the USA to SW England and one or both are finding it extremely hard to settle. London1947 - If you are posting as a husband and wife team, it may be better for you to have two individual accounts. It would avoid confusion and it would also give some context to certain statements and content of your posts. I will alert BE admin to this suggestion should you wish to go ahead. Thank you. ps: I'm from the South West of England. Born and bred. Many of my family and friends live there still. |
Re: An American view.
Ok, I've read the link. Context is everything. I apologise for my sarcastic comments at the end. Although your points still come across as the worst Daily Fail articles honestly. I think maybe you have moved to a bad area? Perhaps moving would help. I can't honestly say I related to any of your comments so maybe I lived somewhere nice... The general governmental comments- well who doesn't have a gripe about the politics in their country...
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Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by christmasoompa
(Post 11406180)
Because most of us would rather pay a small amount for quality programming without adverts every five minutes. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by moneypenny20
(Post 11406380)
Sorry but that bit made me chuckle. The days of quality programming anywhere in the world are long gone. Imo obviously.
|
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by BEVS
(Post 11406381)
Ad free Dr Who . :sneaky:
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Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by moneypenny20
(Post 11406383)
Ok so apart from Doctor Who, what 'quality' have the BBC given us (recently) :lol:
You know I can't do recently, living the past decade in New Zealand. :p *fumbles around BBC iplayer* Peaky Blinders? No spoilers please. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
(Post 11406304)
By reading their earlier posts, the poster returned to the UK after nearly 30 years away. As they said "it is not the same country they left in 1982"
Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
(Post 11406304)
To comment on one issue: Why do we have to pay for a licence to watch TV?
The licence is around 125 GBP per annum I believe and that's it apart from if you want premium sports channels. I'm paying nearly a $100 per month for cable - try not paying for cable or Dish or Direct TV and see what you get. Why do some Brits think that they should not pay for the programs they watch? http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24528383 As to the OP, when I see a laundry list of negatives followed by a token positive - about any place - I smell an agenda rather than an attempt to have a rational discussion. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Giantaxe
(Post 11406461)
As to the OP, when I see a laundry list of negatives followed by a token positive - about any place - I smell an agenda rather than an attempt to have a rational discussion. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by moneypenny20
(Post 11406383)
Ok so apart from Doctor Who, what 'quality' have the BBC given us (recently) :lol:
|
Re: An American view.
I have come to realise nothing the OP posts should be taken very seriously. Some (most) of the points made in the opening post are just nonsense and dont stand up to even basic scrutiny.
Lenient on crime, just literally read about an a bloke in America out on bail for murder then murdered his ex and ate her heart and lungs. Everything takes 6-8 weeks, how absurd. Quite frankly it is a waste of energy dissecting this kind of post, it is so inaccurate in so many ways. |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Pollyana
(Post 11406540)
My weekly fix of Casualty :thumbsup:
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Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by moneypenny20
(Post 11406383)
Ok so apart from Doctor Who, what 'quality' have the BBC given us (recently) :lol:
|
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by moneypenny20
(Post 11406380)
Sorry but that bit made me chuckle. The days of quality programming anywhere in the world are long gone. Imo obviously.
|
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by christmasoompa
(Post 11406572)
Really? I happily pay the licence fee for an uninterrupted hour of what I consider quality programming - for me that's usually dramas like The Fall, the White Queen, Luther, Line of Duty, Sherlock, Happy Valley, the Honourable Woman, and then lighter stuff like The Great British Bake Off, Top Gear, Have I Got News For You, etc. Not to mention the 24 news, great documentaries and stunning wildlife documentaries.
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Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by Pollyana
(Post 11406569)
I'm only an ordinary poster now, I might start telling it as it is, and be inflammatory threads shortly. :sneaky:
Ok, this kind of Mod then ;) |
Re: An American view.
Originally Posted by chris955
(Post 11406558)
I have come to realise nothing the OP posts should be taken very seriously. Some (most) of the points made in the opening post are just nonsense and dont stand up to even basic scrutiny.
Lenient on crime, just literally read about an a bloke in America out on bail for murder then murdered his ex and ate her heart and lungs. Everything takes 6-8 weeks, how absurd. Quite frankly it is a waste of energy dissecting this kind of post, it is so inaccurate in so many ways. Also agree with Giantaxe, the country has got miles better since 1982. |
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