Britain bashing

[snapdragon]

Ach tis all a big con - tell everyone its an awful place and they wont come over here filling our roads up and using the facilities. (bike fraternity and present company excepted )

They asked kids in playgrounds if their 'peers' were kind and helpful (house of lords?)
I'll bet the French/German kids were asked if their 'schoolmates' were kind and helpful - if the americans running the survey used the language that the kids understood they might have had correct answers instead of talking to them in american

[Tweaker]

FF. You're absolutely right, the rules are being broken and, whilst the legislation exists, everyone fights shy of using it.
The PC brigade have a lot to answer for in my view and must bear some responsibility for a lot of the social ill's that we have. We have a country which stands proud on the pedestal of free speech but, in reality, it's an illusion. People are unable to express an honest opinion because it may be perceived to be offensive to a particular group of society (and you can take your pick from almost any group) so, yes you can speak freely, so long as you don't criticize gays, religious groups, handicapped, short people, other races, women, men etc etc. Never mind whether your expressing an honest opinion about another human beings behavior or morals - if they belong to a readily identifiable group you'll be pilloried! Respect for each other should be the overriding consideration but, within that framework, no-one, regardless of race, religion or whatever else, should be immune from criticisms.
And why is it that, generally speaking, those who claim to be protecting the interests of these 'Vulnerable' groups are rarely from that group?

Anyway, when I rule the UK there's gonna be some changes but, the nurse says I need my medication now so me and teddy have to go.

[Tweaker]

Gio - just re-read my first post and it could be read like a personal attack on you - which was not my intention. Your post set me off on a train of thought, which I followed through, but I don't do personals - it's not my style. So my apologies if I caused any offence - non was meant.

[HowardQ]

I agree with much of what's been said already, but think the biggest problem is "NO parent families".
The cost of living in this country is so bloody high that people often have to work their bollocks off just so they can buy, what are usually the most expensive cars, bikes, booze, fags, jeans food etc. compared with the rest of Europe and America, but most of all, very expensive houses.
Emigrating Brits may have put house prices up all around Europe, but your average couple outside UK can still get a house much cheaper than here. The average earnings are also probably dropping in UK compared with other places, especially if you take out the overpaid tossers who seem to earn an absolute fortune for doing nothing other than gambling our money on the Stock Exchange and still get a 911 for a monthly bonus . (OK I'm jealous! But taking out this lot would be a good idea ).
Most couples haven't got a chance of paying the bloody mortgage, without both of them working, often needing more than one job each.
My daughter and her partner both do their day jobs and do other work at night to make ends meet, so they can pay for a modest house, they have recently bought. Even worse this year as they have decided to get married in August, and ended up sellin' the much loved CBR6 to pay for the honeymoon. (So I'm back riding on my own now, it was really great doin it as a family thing).
Trouble is in most cases, both parents usually have to keep working when kids come along so kids are often home alone after school, or during hols, or looked after by grandparents, who struggle to come to terms with kids so different from what they were used to.
In places like Spain, Italy and probably France, the mothers are much more likely to be at home to look after the family, it may be thought sexist, but it used to work here for many years. They also got decent food when they came home, rather than the convenience food they get when parents finally get home from work now.

[Gio]

Gio - just re-read my first post and it could be read like a personal attack on you - which was not my intention. Your post set me off on a train of thought, which I followed through, but I don't do personals - it's not my style. So my apologies if I caused any offence - non was meant.

None taken, I like others opinions as well

[Myrkk]

The cost of living in this country is so bloody high that people often have to work their bollocks off just so they can buy, what are usually the most expensive cars, bikes, booze, fags, jeans food etc. compared with the rest of Europe and America, but most of all, very expensive houses.

Erm, perhaps they shouldn't be so shallow then........ and have a modest/cheap car, bike, booze, jeans etc.

People want to keep up with the jones' whether they can afford it or not and that is no-ones fault but there own.

i.e. we only just got a decent telly 3 years ago, up until then we'd had a small 25yr old portable..... did us fine. When we had the money we bought a better telly. If I tried to keep up with some of my [titled] mates I'd be deep up the river without a paddle......

I do agree that the cost of living in this country is high but people don't seem to understand what is essential and what is 'nice to have'

[HowardQ]

Myrkk,
I do agree with you but I wasn't talking about things like designer jeans, (would never pay £250 for a pair with a funny name on!), I was just talkin about buying something like a pair of Wranglers or Lee jeans. Whatever you pay here you could probably get 3 pairs for that price in Yankeeland.
Then there's the cost of fuel, which most of us spend a lot on and foodstuff in general always seems to be more expensive here.
Then finally the biggest one of all, the cost of buying and running a house.
Some people do go way over the top and get in debt, but a lot struggle to keep afloat with just the basics.

[Tweaker]

I agree that house prices, in particular, are way to high but, I believe the greed of the lenders - Banks and Building Societies - are the root cause. Time was when you could only borrow 2 1/4 times your salary and, if your wife was working, you could get an extra 1/4 of her income. Just last month, my oldest son was offered a 125% mortgage based on 5 times his salary! (fortunately, he had more sense than to take it). However, the free supply of money has fuelled the boom in house prices, after all, if no-one could borrow exhorbitant sums then houses would sell at a realistic price. Most of it is a paper exercise anyway, unless you're selling up to emigrate, but the losers are those struggling to get on the property ladder.
There has also been a boom in buy to let properties and the ones that are bought are generally the very ones that first time buyers are after. However, once again, if the money wasn't made so readily available, the market wouldn't boom the way it has.
The lenders are never going to take the lead and show some restraint (after all, we live in a free market economy) so it may take legislation to force the issue - Harold Wilson did it when he restricted Hire Purchase agreements to 1/3 deposit and 2 years to pay - but, realistically, that's never going to happen.

[BikerGran]

As to both parents working - I don't see that as the cause of the problems. I quote my daughter and son inlaw only because they are a couple I know well, not because they're my folks.

He's a welder/fabricator and did a full apprenticeship (when there were such things). She's now a computer programmer but only because she worked hard and looked for opportunities, she started her working life at 16 as a gofer in an office (called a shipping clerk but part of her job was making the teat) and trained up for the better job in her own time.

They chose not to have children until they could afford to do so and were established in their jobs etc. But they still can't afford for her to be a full time mum, so their children have gone to nurseries and child-minders. But the chilkdren are growing up knowing how to behave and with proper manners, and they get lots of time with their parents at weekends etc because the parents know how important it is (apart from the fact that they enjoy the company of their children!) Her bike prolly hasn't been out of the shed for 2 years cos time with the children is more important and they don't begrudge it, which is a big problem with many families.



On the other subject of immigrants - most of the trouble with attitudes to immigrants (mine included) is created by the ridiculous way this government treats many of them better than our own people - paying for houses and cars and televisions for people who have never contributed anything in taxes or NI. And NOT helping people who have lived here and paid taxes and given part of their lives to our Armed Forces - yes, this IS personal, when Mike had cancer he had 2 jobs and a business and had been paying NI on all of them and couldn't even get any sick pay!

It's no wonder people say 'bloody immigrants! " and lump them all in together!

[lazarus]

I agree that house prices, in particular, are way to high but, I believe the greed of the lenders - Banks and Building Societies - are the root cause. Time was when you could only borrow 2 1/4 times your salary and, if your wife was working, you could get an extra 1/4 of her income. Just last month, my oldest son was offered a 125% mortgage based on 5 times his salary! (fortunately, he had more sense than to take it). However, the free supply of money has fuelled the boom in house prices, after all, if no-one could borrow exhorbitant sums then houses would sell at a realistic price. Most of it is a paper exercise anyway, unless you're selling up to emigrate, but the losers are those struggling to get on the property ladder.
There has also been a boom in buy to let properties and the ones that are bought are generally the very ones that first time buyers are after. However, once again, if the money wasn't made so readily available, the market wouldn't boom the way it has.
The lenders are never going to take the lead and show some restraint (after all, we live in a free market economy) so it may take legislation to force the issue - Harold Wilson did it when he restricted Hire Purchase agreements to 1/3 deposit and 2 years to pay - but, realistically, that's never going to happen.

You have to wonder about the 5 times salary mortgages, though salary multiples are a crude measure at best since most of your repayments in the early years are interest. So you can pay off a loan twice as big if the interest rate is half what it was - and interest rates are relatively low at the moment. And dont forget - for every borrower, there is someone who lends to the building society and who is dependant on the interest received. Like me!

But house prices have nothing much to do with the lenders. Its supply and demand really. If there are only sufficient houses for 90 % of the pop, then prices rise to the point where only 90% of the pop can afford them. And the answer to house prices is to free up the planning system, perhaps combined with action to make plots available in small numbers rather than selling off huge tracts to mass builders who have an interest in keeping prices high. And no interest in building well designed and very varied housing.

[Myrkk]

On the other subject of immigrants - most of the trouble with attitudes to immigrants (mine included) is created by the ridiculous way this government treats many of them better than our own people - paying for houses and cars and televisions for people who have never contributed anything in taxes or NI. And NOT helping people who have lived here and paid taxes and given part of their lives to our Armed Forces - yes, this IS personal, when Mike had cancer he had 2 jobs and a business and had been paying NI on all of them and couldn't even get any sick pay!

It's no wonder people say 'bloody immigrants! " and lump them all in together!

I agree with this wholeheartedly. After the financial side of IT took a downturn my hubbie had the misfortune of having on e company be bought out and then go bust and then be made redundant twice in a row...... we moved around the country to accomodate job changes. However, while we were in a pickle he got 6mths dole and no other help. I earned the princely sum of £12k a year and this stopped us getting any help. After the 6mths his dole was stopped. We used up all our savings and then had to surrender our endowment policies which were for retirement. Result we now have not savings......... then when you read about money being spent on translating road signes into Polish and the Government paying immigrants who have been refused entry to Britain thousands of pounds to go back to their own countries........... I'm not so much racist as governmentist........ they are [all of them] completely a waste of space.

[fastasfcuk]

racist is a tag we get labled with if we dare have any thing to say about the subject.

[Gio]

Just wondering, for those mathmaticians on this site, My 1st place cost me £19,950, I put down a £4500 deposit and borrowed the rest, I was earning £3250 a year before tax, what is that as a percentage of earnings?

[D-Rider]

Just wondering, for those mathmaticians on this site, My 1st place cost me £19,950, I put down a £4500 deposit and borrowed the rest, I was earning £3250 a year before tax, what is that as a percentage of earnings?

I presume you're asking for the borrowing (£15,450) as a % of your gross annual earnings (£3250)?

If so ..... 475%

[Gio]

Just wondering, for those mathmaticians on this site, My 1st place cost me £19,950, I put down a £4500 deposit and borrowed the rest, I was earning £3250 a year before tax, what is that as a percentage of earnings?

I presume you're asking for the borrowing (£15,450) as a % of your gross annual earnings (£3250)?

If so ..... 475%

Yep, I got it as well, meant I didn't go out much tho.