I cant see me ever going back to this !!

Suenneil · #1 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 08:55 AM

I read this article today and it makes me so glad I dont live in the UK anymore - but it makes me sad at the same time as my kids are still living their lives there - and I wish it were better for them and all the other people just trying to get on with their lives ....No matter how bad things are in Spain at the moment, I cant see myself ever going back to this ! ... and I cant imagine it will get any better ..... only worse.

I genuinely used to love the UK, I grew up feeling proud of where I was from, who I was, and how the World viewed the UK ..... that hasnt been the case now for a long long time ..... very sad

The most violent country in Europe: Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S. | Mail Online

Sue x

jojo · #2 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 09:43 AM

I agree Sue, and there is a sense of menace when you walk around the towns in the evening/night etc. The UK has almost become a lawless society these days, cos the government is so soft. However, the media, as usual exaggerate cos its not like that everywhere, but the danger of the exaggeration is it becomes a reality... talk about anything enough and it spreads and becomes a reality!

I have been here in the UK for nearly a week and its not a very pleasant place to be. When I get back I'm gonna write about my observations fully on here I think!?!

Jo xx

Suenneil · #3 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojo

I agree Sue, and there is a sense of menace when you walk around the towns in the evening/night etc. The UK has almost become a lawless society these days, cos the government is so soft. However, the media, as usual exaggerate cos its not like that everywhere, but the danger of the exaggeration is it becomes a reality... talk about anything enough and it spreads and becomes a reality!

I have been here in the UK for nearly a week and its not a very pleasant place to be. When I get back I'm gonna write about my observations fully on here I think!?!

Jo xx

Hi Jo

I agree that the UK media has a nasty habit of exagerating! and looking at the bad - its rarely a balanced view! (look at the article yesterday about the heatwave for goodness sake!).....and sometimes this can lead to a self fulfilling prophecy !

I would be interested to read your first hand view of the UK as you saw it this past week ...... if you have the time I think many of us here would be interested!

Take care - Sue x

ChungyUK · #4 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 11:16 AM

Yeah very disturbing article Suenneil. Yeah its unfortunately the case that you get in the UK and nothing is ever done to curb this problem. I for one would like to leave the UK one day and hopefully spend sometime away in Canada.

The biggest proble we have in the UK is the god damn little chavs who seem to get away with everything. I hate them so much because they give a s**t and have no respect for anyone but themselves. Things here are simply too expensive....everyday things in general are expensive in comparison to other countries. Petrol is the MAIN one that stands out, train tickets etc. I could go on but ill leave that for another time lol!

Stravinsky · #5 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 11:36 AM

I think we may need to put things into a little perspective here

A violent crime in the UK generally may be getting the crap kicked out of you on a Saturday night when you've been down the pub and drunk too much (although of course there are more serious crimes).

A violent crime in South Africa is more likely to be having your head blown off on your drive outside your house all for the sake of a mobile phone, or having your house broken into and seeing your wife and daughter gang raped in front of you just before you are stabbed to death.

Having had a fair amount of exposure to stories of SA life in the past, although the figures may or may not be right, I dont think you can really compare crime in SA to crime in the UK

James3214 · #6 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 12:37 PM

Daily Mail eh?

Don't get too depressed. Most of us who have lived in different countries know that there are good and bad things in every country. We put up with the bad things to enjoy the good things. It just happens that one of the bad things about the UK is the deeply ingrained social problems. Saying that, it wouldn't stop me from going back to live in the UK again though.

I just surprised that all the 'Daily Mail' readers aren't locked in their bomb proof cellars with shot guns at the ready!

Suenneil · #7 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James3214

Daily Mail eh?

Don't get too depressed. Most of us who have lived in different countries know that there are good and bad things in every country. We put up with the bad things to enjoy the good things. It just happens that one of the bad things about the UK is the deeply ingrained social problems. Saying that, it wouldn't stop me from going back to live in the UK again though.

I just surprised that all the 'Daily Mail' readers aren't locked in their bomb proof cellars with shot guns at the ready!

Hi James --- I agree that the Daily Mail isnt the most fair and balanced newspaper on the market! It isnt my daily read of choice! lol .... I read most of the papers online each day when Im researching etc ... so I just regularly come across articles on different subjects ... this one caught my eye today.
I thought about SA (another poster mentioned SA) when I read this actually, given some of the news that comes out of SA Im sure they have a point with the severity of certain violent crimes. However, a violent crime is violent crime and from a statistical point of view Im assuming some perameters were put in place to obtain the figures .... although even these may not be strictly correct!

At the end of the day it is just another indication as to how the UK is perceived - and the reality of life for a lot of people living there .... which is the real shame.

SunnySpain · #8 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 01:32 PM

Strav made a good point

In Venezuela its almost common to have your child kidnapped for the ransom money and if you don't pay you literally don't ever see your child again

And believe me when I say this happens a lot and we know of a Spanish woman who's younger sister was kidnapped and they never saw her again

I also think that sometimes articles catch the eye of a certain type of person. For instance this article would appeal to an expat or someone wanting to be an expat

One could easily point to the example of the member of ETA who was convicted of murdering more than 20 people (with bombs mainly) and yet he was released within 2 years - a bad crime / criminal and a joke legal system to boot

Back to reality.

Dave

Suenneil · #9 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunnySpain

Strav made a good point

In Venezuela its almost common to have your child kidnapped for the ransom money and if you don't pay you literally don't ever see your child again

And believe me when I say this happens a lot and we know of a Spanish woman who's younger sister was kidnapped and they never saw her again

I also think that sometimes articles catch the eye of a certain type of person. For instance this article would appeal to an expat or someone wanting to be an expat

One could easily point to the example of the member of ETA who was convicted of murdering more than 20 people (with bombs mainly) and yet he was released within 2 years - a bad crime / criminal and a joke legal system to boot

Back to reality.

Dave

Hi Dave ... always good to see you.

I think it caught my eye not because Im an expat - but because I have an interest in crime (in the best possible sense!) I was a Probation Officer in my previous UK life and crime figures / punishment / rehabilitation are sadly an interest!
But I take your point that in general that it may normally appeal to those already leaving the UK , or considering doing so .... or just giving people something else to fret about or whinge about!

SunnySpain · #10 (**permalink**) 2nd July 2009, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suenneil

But I take your point that in general that it may normally appeal to those already leaving the UK , or considering doing so .... or just giving people something else to fret about or whinge about!

My point exactly and whats more it serves its purpose - to SELL newspapers

As does gossip about the Beckham's, Peter Andre or Susan Boyle

An interesting question however and one that I feel sure Sue will be interested in

might be - what do expats think about the reportedly large numbers of high profile criminals living on the Costa's ?

As apparently there is going to be another "most wanted" list published in the near future and I think they said it would actually be focusing on the CDS

Dave