Your opnion on living in Britain
- Thread starter jsmoke
- Start date
Permabanned
- Joined
- 15 Sep 2010
- Posts
- 2,691
Soldato
- Joined
- 3 Jan 2004
- Posts
- 3,489
- Location
- At Home
Again, I fail to see why the "Weekend Fights" is the main reason people say it's so bad.
To be honest - where I live - the weekend fights are pretty non-existent. But again, it is all to do with where you live in the UK and the sort of areas you decide to go out in. I really do like it here - but the weather is the biggest problem.
Having stayed in the USA for a total of 16 weeks, and travelled through Asia and Australia. I have to say Britain has so many good points that people just seem to quietly forget about.
And believe me - all those views you have change instantly once you have kids. Because the UK is definately one of the best places to bring children up. The 3 most important things to me are miles ahead of the USA or Australia.
1.) The Education system
2.) The NHS and the choice and availability of our health system.
3.) Varied selection of foods / nutrition on offer in shops / stores.
As for Australia - If you aren't in Sydney or Melbourne - try getting a decent dentist or a medical specialist quickly. Forget about getting decent specialist foods in Australia and forget about cool looking / proper fitting clothes at normal prices ? It's like Britain was 30 years ago.
As for American and Australian education systems - don't even start me
To be honest - where I live - the weekend fights are pretty non-existent. But again, it is all to do with where you live in the UK and the sort of areas you decide to go out in. I really do like it here - but the weather is the biggest problem.
Having stayed in the USA for a total of 16 weeks, and travelled through Asia and Australia. I have to say Britain has so many good points that people just seem to quietly forget about.
And believe me - all those views you have change instantly once you have kids. Because the UK is definately one of the best places to bring children up. The 3 most important things to me are miles ahead of the USA or Australia.
1.) The Education system
2.) The NHS and the choice and availability of our health system.
3.) Varied selection of foods / nutrition on offer in shops / stores.
As for Australia - If you aren't in Sydney or Melbourne - try getting a decent dentist or a medical specialist quickly. Forget about getting decent specialist foods in Australia and forget about cool looking / proper fitting clothes at normal prices ? It's like Britain was 30 years ago.
As for American and Australian education systems - don't even start me
Last edited:
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 27 Sep 2004
- Posts
- 25,821
- Location
- Glasgow
Well isn't that what this thread is about? Picking out what we don't like about living in the UK?and picking out what we do like.
and yes, the culture of pointless and random violence is the thing that I have singled out as being the worst part of living in the UK. As per this thread. I don't have rose tinted specs when i compare it to other places though..Just regular eyes.
Its not about the bars/pubs/clubs its the town centres in general.
I can't say it's anything I've noticed to any great extent and I used to go out quite a lot when I was at university, I could probably count on my fingers the number of times I've seen fights on nights out. Then again I've been completely oblivious to a fight kicking off behind me before so perhaps that says more about my lack of observation than about the incidence of fighting in town centres.
Either way it's not something I'd consider as a major issue but maybe that's also got a lot to do with me being lucky enough to avoid it mostly.
Yeah but i didn't just single that out did i..I explained what i meant, the culture of pointless and random violence. Not just drinking related.
and yes, there are plenty of places that dont have issues like ours when it comes to drinking.
I think that many people do not appreciate how good the UK is BUT it is somewhat of a rat race here. Everybody is out to screw you over and there is a real sense of "me, me, me". I think family values have been eroded here.
I would love to live in the US but only if I was rich to the point where I was a millionaire. I would not want to be poor in the USA.
The weather in the UK is grim and depressing and I do think this has a large negative influence on the quality of life here. The work life balance is also extremely poor. The flip side of that, as others have mentioned, is that the UK is a much less harsh country than say the USA, where poor people are left in the gutter. The infrastructure and welfare system here are good compared to a lot of other places. People are taken care of. I do honestly feel though that this country is a total rat race and nobody actually enjoys living here. It is just miserable.
I would love to live in the US but only if I was rich to the point where I was a millionaire. I would not want to be poor in the USA.
The weather in the UK is grim and depressing and I do think this has a large negative influence on the quality of life here. The work life balance is also extremely poor. The flip side of that, as others have mentioned, is that the UK is a much less harsh country than say the USA, where poor people are left in the gutter. The infrastructure and welfare system here are good compared to a lot of other places. People are taken care of. I do honestly feel though that this country is a total rat race and nobody actually enjoys living here. It is just miserable.
Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Malta etc.
Then again there's Canada
Satellite internet has been available for years virtually anywhere on the globe.
I will move from the UK at the earliest oppertunity, terrible weather, high taxes, bad medical treatment, draconian laws.
Last edited:
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
As always there are some hilarious reasons why apparently our country is so terrible in this thread. I particularly liked 'draconian laws' and 'poor medical treatment'.
I've been to quite a few other countries now and enjoyed them all in different ways but whilst each trip is enjoyable it also provides plenty of reasons why we shouldn't be quite so harsh on Britain.
Sadly the weather here does suck. It's always 'meh'. It's never interestingly cold, or really nice and warm - its just usually meh. But it's never hurricane force winds or wildfires either and you don't need to work in 45c heat every day so I guess you can't have it all.
We have a fantastic healthcare system - yes, thats right Energize. It is one of the best in the world *and* its free at the point of delivery. And if you hate it that much you don't need to use it and are entitled to go private - at least you have the choice. Which you don't have in the USA, for example.
Our transport networks are generally excellent. No, stop laughing. I actually mean this. The British perception of the British road network is that it's terrible and most of the roads are, I keep hearing, 'third world standard'. Having driven thousands of miles in North America, Central and Western Europe and Australasia I am now strongly of the opinion that we have one of the worlds best road networks.
Everything is properly and uniformally signposted in a clear, decent typeface. You need to be a proper airhead to get lost. It's all done so well. It's a complete mess in somewhere like the USA, frankly. Signs everywhere. No order to things.
Our Motorway network is excellent. Really, it is. The roads are of excellent quality in comparison to other countries, they are well designed, the junctions are sensible and safe and properly grade seperate, we don't have ridiculously pathetic 270 degree offramps on most highway exits (I'm looking at you Germany for that one), we don't have crazy junctions where traffic joining the Motorway joins 50 yards before the exiting traffic leaves (Yes, you again Germany), we have mostly 3 lanes on all of our Motorways whereas in much of Europe 2 is more common (And in Australia a Motorway is a luxury - and again, its 2 lanes).
The road surface quality on our Motorways is excellent, too. Yea its bumpy in places but NOTHING compared to countries you'd expect to have high standards - hello again Germany. There are some truely WOEFUL Motorway surfaces elsewhere - so bad you honestly think your car will fall to bits and they are not limited only to the less affluent countries. I've no idea how anyone in the USA can own a car with lowered suspension as they'd smash it to bits within 30 seconds of joining a Los Angeles Freeway, for example.
We have a decent rail network. No, again, stop laughing. In isolation it might suck but comparable speaking I have never travelled by train anywhere and found the experience to be even on a par with doing so in the UK. Punctuality can be better elsewhere but the actual trains themselves are usually (exceptions to every rule) of better quality and finished to a higher standard in the UK. Get a non ICE train in Germany or a regional train in Belgium and First Class looks no better than Standard is here!
Our laws are generally sensible and well thought out. I say generally - there are a few howlers in there and there are a few that make little sense but nobody is going to sentance you to death for anything, let alone saying the wrong thing about the wrong persons religion, and you've more chance of a fair hearing than anywhere else in the world.
Our police do not rule with fear and do not carry guns - because 99% of the time they don't find a gunfight going down when they are called out, unlike some parts of the world.
We don't have a huge plethora of wildlife looking for interesting new ways to kill you.
We have ridiculously tight consumer protection laws (Perhaps too tight in some regards)
We have sensible laws around pricing - none of this rubbish of quoting the price of EVERYTHING excluding tax so you don't really know what you are paying until you reach the tillpoint.
We just love to whinge. We love to find somebody else to blame for whatever is wrong in our lives and its far better to think our country sucks and we'll move to America where nobody pays tax or Australia where you just chill on the beach all day than it is to look at the real cause of whatever it is that makes you unsatisfied.
There is much that sucks about life in the UK. But don't let that make you forget that there is equally if not more stuff that sucks about life elsewhere in the world.
Oh, btw. Our scenery is fairly crap. Other than Scotland its pretty boring.
I've been to quite a few other countries now and enjoyed them all in different ways but whilst each trip is enjoyable it also provides plenty of reasons why we shouldn't be quite so harsh on Britain.
Sadly the weather here does suck. It's always 'meh'. It's never interestingly cold, or really nice and warm - its just usually meh. But it's never hurricane force winds or wildfires either and you don't need to work in 45c heat every day so I guess you can't have it all.
We have a fantastic healthcare system - yes, thats right Energize. It is one of the best in the world *and* its free at the point of delivery. And if you hate it that much you don't need to use it and are entitled to go private - at least you have the choice. Which you don't have in the USA, for example.
Our transport networks are generally excellent. No, stop laughing. I actually mean this. The British perception of the British road network is that it's terrible and most of the roads are, I keep hearing, 'third world standard'. Having driven thousands of miles in North America, Central and Western Europe and Australasia I am now strongly of the opinion that we have one of the worlds best road networks.
Everything is properly and uniformally signposted in a clear, decent typeface. You need to be a proper airhead to get lost. It's all done so well. It's a complete mess in somewhere like the USA, frankly. Signs everywhere. No order to things.
Our Motorway network is excellent. Really, it is. The roads are of excellent quality in comparison to other countries, they are well designed, the junctions are sensible and safe and properly grade seperate, we don't have ridiculously pathetic 270 degree offramps on most highway exits (I'm looking at you Germany for that one), we don't have crazy junctions where traffic joining the Motorway joins 50 yards before the exiting traffic leaves (Yes, you again Germany), we have mostly 3 lanes on all of our Motorways whereas in much of Europe 2 is more common (And in Australia a Motorway is a luxury - and again, its 2 lanes).
The road surface quality on our Motorways is excellent, too. Yea its bumpy in places but NOTHING compared to countries you'd expect to have high standards - hello again Germany. There are some truely WOEFUL Motorway surfaces elsewhere - so bad you honestly think your car will fall to bits and they are not limited only to the less affluent countries. I've no idea how anyone in the USA can own a car with lowered suspension as they'd smash it to bits within 30 seconds of joining a Los Angeles Freeway, for example.
We have a decent rail network. No, again, stop laughing. In isolation it might suck but comparable speaking I have never travelled by train anywhere and found the experience to be even on a par with doing so in the UK. Punctuality can be better elsewhere but the actual trains themselves are usually (exceptions to every rule) of better quality and finished to a higher standard in the UK. Get a non ICE train in Germany or a regional train in Belgium and First Class looks no better than Standard is here!
Our laws are generally sensible and well thought out. I say generally - there are a few howlers in there and there are a few that make little sense but nobody is going to sentance you to death for anything, let alone saying the wrong thing about the wrong persons religion, and you've more chance of a fair hearing than anywhere else in the world.
Our police do not rule with fear and do not carry guns - because 99% of the time they don't find a gunfight going down when they are called out, unlike some parts of the world.
We don't have a huge plethora of wildlife looking for interesting new ways to kill you.
We have ridiculously tight consumer protection laws (Perhaps too tight in some regards)
We have sensible laws around pricing - none of this rubbish of quoting the price of EVERYTHING excluding tax so you don't really know what you are paying until you reach the tillpoint.
We just love to whinge. We love to find somebody else to blame for whatever is wrong in our lives and its far better to think our country sucks and we'll move to America where nobody pays tax or Australia where you just chill on the beach all day than it is to look at the real cause of whatever it is that makes you unsatisfied.
There is much that sucks about life in the UK. But don't let that make you forget that there is equally if not more stuff that sucks about life elsewhere in the world.
Oh, btw. Our scenery is fairly crap. Other than Scotland its pretty boring.
No, Scotland's scenery is stunning - hence 'other than Scotland...'.
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Feb 2007
- Posts
- 13,746
- Location
- London
I agree with most of this and seems to be full of a lot of low-life scum who damage other peoples property.
Today out car was marked with a permanent marker as was another car all down the side , its not even a flashy car that some w***** would be jealous of.
I really hate living in the UK sometimes knowing that such scum lives on our streets , I guess it happens everywhere though!
I love the scenery where I am, on a nice day I think the drive round the Antrim coast is fantastic. Couple of hours takes me to west coast Ireland which is outstanding, ok, I know west coast Ireland isn't UK but it's close enough to my doorstep to make me enjoy where I live.
Think the health service is great as well, still can't get my head round free prescriptions. Phoned the doctors last week and came away with 6 asthma inhalers and a dispenser of moistuiser, why would I want to move country, lol.
Happy with my lot here, compared to a right few folks in the world I think we live like kings.
Think the health service is great as well, still can't get my head round free prescriptions. Phoned the doctors last week and came away with 6 asthma inhalers and a dispenser of moistuiser, why would I want to move country, lol.
Happy with my lot here, compared to a right few folks in the world I think we live like kings.
It doesn't though, thats the thing :/
I love the wildnerness in Canada.
It's like the Highlands except better in impression, especially the Rockies.
Has a very similar feel to both places, just different scales.
I love the roads in Scotland though. Get out of the city and up and it's liberating.
As for my opinion on living in Britain, meh.
It doesn't even happen everywhere in the UK. Thats another bizarre one.
'I once went to Mosside in Manchester and somebody broke into my car, the UK sucks'
There isn't a single country in the world with nil crime rate and no vehicle crime. There are many with higher rates than us, though.
The weather in the UK is great.
I'm serious. It's quite mild all year round in most of the country and it very rarely kills people. It's only the more northern parts that get properly harsh winters and even those are mild compared to many places.
I realise that's a minority view, though. The oldest extant writing in the UK (Roman letters preserved by unusual conditions) includes complaints about the weather!
It's not perfect here, but it's a good place to live and far better than most places.
I'm serious. It's quite mild all year round in most of the country and it very rarely kills people. It's only the more northern parts that get properly harsh winters and even those are mild compared to many places.
I realise that's a minority view, though. The oldest extant writing in the UK (Roman letters preserved by unusual conditions) includes complaints about the weather!
It's not perfect here, but it's a good place to live and far better than most places.
[TW]Fox;22872944 said:
Agree with everything you said apart from this bit. There's nothing wrong with rolling hills, forests and countryside. I don't really want to live in the jungle or next to an active volcano!
The Friday night complainers should try going to better pubs. There's trouble in every city around the world. If you think we drink lots in the UK (we do compared to the UAE for example), take a look at Northern and Central Europe. Even in Southern Europe where people aren't out to get rat arsed, whilst you won't get assaulted on a night out, you'll get pickpocketed.
Oh, and for the person who said it's a bit of a rat race and everyone is out to get you, try living in Italy. People there are far more dishonest in business.
Sweeping generalisations aside, I stand by my earlier point that the UK is the most civilised place in the world and I wouldn't want to settle anywhere else. I certainly do want to live abroad for a year or two though.