zzrmark

I have the misfortune to often work on the same construction sites as a chap who is best described as the real life 'Tim nice but dim', for those of you that remember Harry Enfield. To give you some idea of how intense it can be working with him, he wasn't on site with the rest of his crew today and when I asked their lead man where he was he said he's with another crew, apparently the company rotate him among crews on a two week basis because he's 'hard work', beats me how he copes with trim fitting!

He's quite the inquisitive type which means that whenever we are working the same room he bombards me with questions about life in Britain, yesterday was a doozy. 'We' were chatting all things military and then drifted towards politics, when he asked if all our elected officials were ex-military like they are in the US... ... he seemed quite surprised when I said no and I think it blew his tiny mind when I said that he only had to look at his favourite president to dispel that that myth. He seriously thought that Trump was ex-military and was quite disappointed when I told him that not only was he never military he went out of his way not to serve his country. Poor chap was in quite a quandry.

civilservant

They didn't call him 'Cadet Bone Spur' for nothing...

DaveLovesDee

Florida Bars State Professors From Testifying in Voting Rights Case

Lion in Winter

Just don't pull into anyone's driveway in Texas.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...box=1635507194

SultanOfSwing

That's beyond ****ed. I use driveways to turn around when I'm lost all the time, it never occurred to me that it's justifiable to lose my life over it

Giantaxe

Reminds me of this case where a Japanese exchange student was shot dead whilst trick or treating. Of course that was also in the south (Louisiana) and of course the homeowner was found not guilty:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooti...hihiro_Hattori

scrubbedexpat091

I really truly don't understand the mind set of those who pull guns and shoot out of fear over these sorts of things, never in my life when someone accidently came to my door lost, or pulled into my driveway thought oh crap I am in danger, I wish I had a gun, I just kept an eye out the window, car comes in, car leaves, people knocked, I look out, they realize wrong house and leave.

Never encountered anyone trying to cause harm, and sure some people are out to cause harm, but if a car pulls into your driveway or a person walks to your door, the chances are greater they are not there to do harm.

Unfortunantly it seems the most paranoid often have access to guns and use them without thinking and determinting if they truly are in danger.

kimilseung

This is the culture of violence, that exists in America, not everyone, not everywhere, but few places are so recently, so personally tied to what they have now, or maintained, being aquired through violence.by people who may be sitting on the mantle in a sepia photo.

Lion in Winter

Culture of violence, culture of fear. And permission to act on both. Two sides, one coin.

scrubbedexpat091

My perception could be skewed coming from a state with relatively strong gun laws for US standards.

Or I have just spent so much time in Canada now, these things seem more out of place than they did when I was younger.

spouse of scouse

I read that article to scouse as a salutary lesson of where driveway aggression can lead. We live on a busy road and at least a couple of times a day people pull into our driveway, usually to answer their mobiles. He can just about stomach that, but sees red when they sit there and chatter on and on.

His solution is to open the garage remote door, stand by the open door of the car and glare at them. Works every time, whether because they're polite enough to get out of his way or because his death stare frightens them. Of course he doesn't really need to get the car out, he's just being a grumpy old shit

Nutek

He should just shoot them.

spouse of scouse

The thought of a vehicle leaking oil on his pristine driveway doesn't make him angry enough to shoot anyone, just hopping mad. He hop hop hops all over the place.

In any event, Hoppy wouldn't be able to get a gun here. In most States you even need a licence to own a paintball gun, can only use it on designated paintballing premises, and have to keep it in a locked cabinet at home.

Nutek

Excuses, excuses…

spouse of scouse