pejpm1

Most of my English mates here (NYC) dont have degrees and we are all between the age of 26-32. Vast majority of us work in finance on the L1, a few have green cards. I'm 27 and have a good job here and am paid well, but I'd be screwed if I got my green card and tried to move company. E.g. we are looking to hire a basic level tech support guy, and one of the requirements is a bachelors in computer science! Its absolutely crazy. Basically if I were to apply for my own job I dont think I'd get an interview. Obviously you can argue for and against this, but from the 25+ people I interviewed for an open position last year the calibre was shockingly bad, yet they all had a degree. Although I'm thinking about starting an OU course just so that on my CV I can say I'm working towards it, and hopefully will finish it one day. If I'm going to stay here for a few years, it makes sense.

Agreed with all those that thought the OP was talking complete and utter bollocks. The UK isnt a dump by any stetch of the imagination. I pay slightly more tax here than I did at home, yet public services here seem to be thought of as evil and socialist. I wonder how the OP would feel if he were to come out here, lose his job, and then break an arm or leg. Seriously mate, maybe things are bad up north, but you really sound like you are talking complete bullshit and that’s why everyone got so defensive. You forget that spending a decent amount of time here is NOT the same as living here. The fact that pretty much everyone disagreed with you should really tell you something. I go back home to London several times per year and it is still a fantastic place.

dbj1000

Seriously?

fatbrit

You'll never live that one down. You'll be that guy that designed the Dyson from here on in!

dbj1000

Ian's the sanctimonious prick around here. I'm just an obnoxious arsehole.

dbj1000

If you opened up one of my vacuums to do the carpets, they would be sucked into the machine, along with half the room's contents, and most of the air. And your eardrums would burst in the process as the hypersonic vacuum pumps crashed.

Trust me. I've done it a few times!

caleyjag

Sorry to drag this up, but it's a misconception I get here in the US often that the 'rivalries' are significant.

The fact of the matter is that the US is pretty poor when it comes to sports passion. It's much more of a chilled out, take-the-whole-family enterprise. That's fine if you want a relaxing and enjoyable Sunday afternoon, but 'passion' or 'rivalry' are not really appropriate words in the global scheme of things.

To use Glasgow as an example again, pretty much every time the 'Old Firm' (Rangers and Celtic) play soccer, someone gets murdered. Often more than one person (incidentally, the loss of an OF fan is arguably not a bad thing). And a good few permanent disfigurements are always guaranteed. Now that's a proper rivalry! You can't honestly say America has anything like that!

The only thing here that slightly resembles decent passion and rivalry is college football. Of course this is totally down to alcohol, just like in the UK.

Sometimes the NHL crowds can get a bit rowdy, I suppose.

But again, comparing anything in the US to an average boxing session at Millwall is ridiculous.

Again, the OP has a point.

dbj1000

So you're claiming that the Rangers/Celtic "rivalry" is about sport then, and not murderous religious bigotry?

dbj1000

No, you're right. They're not equivalent. O1's are vastly inferior, and mostly reserved for sportsmen whose presence in the US is not necessarily in the national interest.

caleyjag

It's 100% bigotry, which is why I have no problem with them knocking each other off!

All I am saying is that you have the OF on one end of the scale, and characterless MLS crowds on the other, and I kind of like something inbetween, where the crowds are kind of 'up for it', but stop short of bringing knives to the game.

A bit of 'argy bargy', as Bill Mclaren would say.

dbj1000

Fair enough. That'll teach me to skim-read your post.

Sally Redux

So, what about your h index?

scrubbedexpat099

I have been to only one MLS game, average spectator was 12 and female, Not a lot of ultra violence.

Footie is now pretty tame, nastiness in UK has moved elsewhere.

caleyjag

It's tamer than it used to be in the UK, but you still get some banter.

I got kicked out of a Seattle Sounders game for calling the ref a *****. Apparently too many little girls within earshot. Unbelievable!

So basically, I now disagree with the OP. I've now convinced myself that the bit of aggro that remains at UK football grounds is a good thing, and a reason not to come to the US!

scrubbedexpat099

Your even worse than the Villa

Can we play you every week

Who eat all the pies

All very confusing to Yanks, especially at U8's games.

another bloody yank