Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Del Boy]

Now I was driving around for a good few hours (about 4 hours), I don't know what made me and my son think about it really, but it was odd that we said it at the same time, nearly everyone that we came across, be it people in the street, people we didn't know walking in the street, literally 95% of people looked miserable. I couldn't of imagined that say 20 years ago. It makes me kind of sad to be honest, it seems no one has anything to be happy about, or look forward too. What has this country come too   

[Omega_Dan]

Now I was driving around for a good few hours (about 4 hours), I don't know what made me and my son think about it really, but it was odd that we said it at the same time, nearly everyone that we came across, be it people in the street, people we didn't know walking in the street, literally 95% of people looked miserable. I couldn't of imagined that say 20 years ago. It makes me kind of sad to be honest, it seems no one has anything to be happy about, or look forward too. What has this country come too   

I people watch at times and i notice the same. obviously not much to look content about.

[rob in gib]

Thats one of the reasons i got out

but if you smile at somebody they will usually smile back then will smile at somebody else
and then look what you can start with just a smile

[Del Boy]

Thats one of the reasons i got out

but if you smile at somebody they will usually smile back then will smile at somebody else
and then look what you can start with just a smile

Seems this country has lost it's, can't think of a word to say, someone help me out here 

[aaronjb]

If you think this country is bad, don't go to Japan! Honestly everyone looks like they're about to top themselves on the underground.. Probably their incredibly messed up work/life balance over there.

Though weirdly, go to Taiwan and despite them working similar hours, everyone looks happy & smiling. That's probably something the Chinese are pumping into the water supply, though.. 

[Richie London]

its the same everywhere, shopping centres, public transport and even the pubs are like it until most people have a had a good skinful. nobody talks anymore, the social element has gone and people sit in silence on there own.

[Rods2]

Most small business owners / self employed people I know are struggling in the current financial crisis, people in regular jobs are worried over debts (including maxed out credit cards and overdrafts), inflation, falling spare income (if any), wage cuts and job security.

Most people I know don't want to live in a Brussels ruled socialist state and are very resentful of the free loaders and the mass migration which has changed the character of the country. Most things that Governments do are reversible, sometimes with a lot of pain, the mass migration allowed by the last Government isn't in any acceptable way

I think the poor summer weather we have had, has just added to the gloom.

It reminds me of films made showing the people of the USSR in the 1970's and 80's, not a smile on a face, all grimly going about there daily work and chores.

My wife is Ukrainian and she has often talked about how her mother worked at at their local collective farm. She wasn't paid (ie 100% taxation), just got a tick in the book each day, as it was illegal not to have a job (you got jailed). This is why there is still a culture of petty theft in all Eastern-block ex-communist countries as it was a way of life to survive. Where she has a small holding, she got taxed on this by having to provide, so many, eggs, chickens, fruit and other crops as tax, and she also had 5 children bring up on her own where her husband died in a road accident while she was 3 months pregnant with my wife and her sister. Needless to say, I've got a lot of time and respect for my mother-in-law, but it has been a very hard life for her.

In 1992 taxation in the UK was about 32% of GDP in 2010 it was 52%, on this current trajectory we will have 100% taxation by about 2050. It won't happen here is I'm sure your reaction, well it did under the Russian Politburo, so why not under the Brussel Politburo as the similarities are much more than their differences! Think tanks are already talking about further tax rises being needed due to an aging population. The current Government cuts are illusion, the amount the Government spends is due to go up every year between now and 2015, but the target is for this to be less than the growth of GDP, with growth targets being revised down... 

Sorry to be so gloomy, but you asked the question...

I still have a good laugh and joke with my friends, but don't generally have a lot to smile about as I walk down the street, I haven't got that happy, its good to be alive feeling at the moment.

On the bright side there is the OOFers great sense of humor with many posts bring a smile to my face and long may this continue. 

[tigers_gonads]

its the same everywhere, shopping centres, public transport and even the pubs are like it until most people have a had a good skinful. nobody talks anymore, the social element has gone and people sit in silence on there own.

Yeh, people sit on there arse infront of a computer or play with there mobile phone all day 

Sadly, the majority of people in this country tend to sit around feeling sorry for themselfs 

[Varche]

its the same everywhere, shopping centres, public transport and even the pubs are like it until most people have a had a good skinful. nobody talks anymore, the social element has gone and people sit in silence on there own.

Yeh, people sit on there arse infront of a computer or play with there mobile phone all day 

Sadly, the majority of people in this country tend to sit around feeling sorry for themselfs 

Don't you think that this is all a product of the modern society where people have been used to having everything with parents who never said NO to their children (mountain of Xmas presents appreciated for all of five seconds), new trainers every few weeks etc). If these glum folk spent just a week living somewhere like Ethiopia where the daily struggle just to stay alive would wear you down, maybe just maybe they would appreciate what a wonderful albeit taxed life they actually do have.

[johnnygo]

Thats one of the reasons i got out

but if you smile at somebody they will usually smile back then will smile at somebody else
and then look what you can start with just a smile

Somebody has to start the smiling! There is of course a lot to worry about at the moment, which is why it is important to remember the aspects of life that make you smile, one of which, for me, it smiling a other people, and getting a smile back;)

[tigers_gonads]

its the same everywhere, shopping centres, public transport and even the pubs are like it until most people have a had a good skinful. nobody talks anymore, the social element has gone and people sit in silence on there own.

Yeh, people sit on there arse infront of a computer or play with there mobile phone all day 

Sadly, the majority of people in this country tend to sit around feeling sorry for themselfs 

Don't you think that this is all a product of the modern society where people have been used to having everything with parents who never said NO to their children (mountain of Xmas presents appreciated for all of five seconds), new trainers every few weeks etc). If these glum folk spent just a week living somewhere like Ethiopia where the daily struggle just to stay alive would wear you down, maybe just maybe they would appreciate what a wonderful albeit taxed life they actually do have.

Exactly 

people / kids nowdays don't know they are born 

Both my lads got / get a fiver a week for pocket money.

My eldest lad ( 21 now ) used to get out of bed at 6 o'clock / 6 days a week to do a paper round to make more money 

My youngest ( 15 ) gets his fiver spent on a mobile phone contract ( that he wanted ) but point blank refuses to get his arse out of bed and get a partime job 
In a word, he is rather lazy 

Guess what, the eldest is doing a 4 year degree in maths at Sheffield Univestity and doing great 

The youngest would rather sit on his arse playing with his phone and moaning about how bad his life is.  The only time you can have a conversation with him is if it is about computers 

As for society, here is a example 

A friend of mine was walking through a shopping centre in Hull during the summer.
A young lass of around 14 was walking with her parents towards him.
My friend smiled as he passed because she smiled at him.
The bloke who was with the girl turned around and shouted ............... she is a kid you fu*king pedo 
Just as my friend was about to kick 10 barrels of sh*t out him, 2 coppers turned up and stopped him.
He had his name taken and warned about his actions.

I'm 45 years old and I feel like a stranger in my own country nowdays

[sticka_v8_init]

its the same everywhere, shopping centres, public transport and even the pubs are like it until most people have a had a good skinful. nobody talks anymore, the social element has gone and people sit in silence on there own.

Yeh, people sit on there arse infront of a computer or play with there mobile phone all day 

Sadly, the majority of people in this country tend to sit around feeling sorry for themselfs 

Think this is a by product of the last Government leading the country to its present state. Feeling sorry for their country & themselves.