| Miserable Britain 21:42 - Feb 14 with 10585 views | FearOfAJackPlanet |
One of the fondest memories I have of my late father is walking hand in hand around Brynmill with him as a kid, and, whilst the best thing was probably the way he'd hold his arm up high when a curb approached so I could swing like a monkey up onto the pavement, the next best thing was how he always greeted passers by with a nod or an 'evening', 'good morning', 'afternoon' etc. now, I wasn't only impressed by my dad's grasp of the time of day, it was the fact he'd greet random passers-by whether they were known to us or not...an open-hearted, decent way to travail the social landscape...
...it made the world seem such a collective, nice place.
Despite being a committed introvert (like my dad was), I have tried to keep up this ideal, but is it just me, or are we the most miserable, suspicious generation to have walked the earth? I'm not like a manic attention-seeker, but it seems a natural thing for me to give a basic greeting to to people I come across who make eye contact, a quick smile, a nod, a 'yep, lifes a f*cking sh*thole, but at least we're all still here' type of acknowledgement...but...most of the time, if you try to commit an act of basic communal courtesy you're greeted like someone suspicious of being...a rapist/paedo/homo/weirdo....
Maybe it's just London, but, f*cking hell people, nothing wrong with a 'good morning' to someone you cross paths with at a bus-stop. They're not here to kill you or enslave your kids.
[Post edited 14 Feb 2015 21:43]
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| Miserable Britain on 22:09 - Feb 14 with 6373 views | Wingstandwood |
Society has changed!........ I can remember times like The 1977 Silver Jubilee for example when the neighbours tied Union Jack flag buntings from one side of the street to the neighbours across the other side. Special events and occasions were celebrated with a street get-together. Nothing like that for many-a-year now!
I and many others used to know all their neighbours by name, there was community spirit in those days. People were more helpful, courteous, cooperative, and displayed trust for the other individual whilst being sociable! | |
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| Miserable Britain on 22:23 - Feb 14 with 6335 views | Darran |
I blame epaul for the lack of Union Jack bunting.  | |
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| Miserable Britain on 22:25 - Feb 14 with 6335 views | oh_tommy_tommy |
Your Op is absoluty spot on .
The world has changed for the worst , or maybe for the best .
What is sure about it , it's by far not as good as the times you wrote of .
There's nothing better than wishing an OAP a good afternoon , they love the interaction .
It seems only the extrovert which is not in my demeanour ,will keep basic well wishes alive . | |
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| Miserable Britain on 22:33 - Feb 14 with 6320 views | Swanjack10 |
It costs nothing to respect and and say hello,how are you?etc,time and humans will destruct the planet earth,sounds mad but its inenvetable,ignorance and hatred these days overcomes happyness and just being fuking civil. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 22:34 - Feb 14 with 6319 views | Wingstandwood |
God!..... Those were the days gone-by when you could actually display a Union Jack with zero personal paranoia/worries and without arousing any crazy suspicion that you wanted to start up a new Third Reich. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 22:36 - Feb 14 with 6310 views | Gretsch |
My god are you me .
I have been thinking the same things and you and your Dad seem like me. My father died 45 years ago last Thursday when I was 10 and tonight I have been re visiting my life in detail for some reason too. | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 22:42 - Feb 14 with 6293 views | monmouth |
Ah the wonderful friendly Smoke. When I decamped to London from Swansea to get a job in Thatcher's depression I was standing waiting for a bus and naturally offered the lass standing next to me a polo mint, as I was having one myself. From her reaction, you'd think I'd said 'sex'?
Grossly unfair as for once I thought 'sex'? and said 'polo'?
Having said that the people in work up there in Peckham DHSS were fantastic. Put me up, helped me find a flat, gave me pots and plates and bed linen and stuff. Wonderful, wonderful people. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 23:50 - Feb 14 with 6228 views | BobJack |
Buy a dog, walking good for you and many owners stop for a chat.
Wales - well Swansea, is a friendlier place than London. Sweeping generalisation I know.
The majority of folk are still decent. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 23:56 - Feb 14 with 6218 views | Kilkennyjack |
Well in part i suspect that the decline of all the british stuff that sort of made post war wales feel at ease in the rapidly changing world order. In no particular order - british coal, british steel, british airways, british gas, british telecomms, british rail, bp, royal mail, - all sold off for financial gain or closed down. Selfishness is now admired and greed now rewarded. People think about themselves more and others less. No such thing as society i believe that horrible old maggie thatcher once said. And then david cameron lectures wales on Big Society. You could not make it up. London much worse than any part of wales though. | |
| Beware of the Risen People
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| Miserable Britain on 00:00 - Feb 15 with 6200 views | oh_tommy_tommy |
You just have to agree with all that .
Fine post . | |
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| Miserable Britain on 00:06 - Feb 15 with 6186 views | swan65split |
yes sadly the world that the original poster expressed has gone, there is now a miss trust and caution with many people, I always great peeps with a good morning or get engaged in casual talk, but the "caution" is always present with the OP.
One of my things on a match day at the Vetch was talking to away supporters at the players entrance, and exchanging footy talk , rather than abuse.................it makes life pleasanter, | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 00:08 - Feb 15 with 6180 views | DJack |
Normally I laugh at your posts...tonight, well, I just feel miserable. | |
| It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. - Carl Sagan |
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| Miserable Britain on 02:29 - Feb 15 with 6113 views | NeiltheTaylor |
Well it's a lovely memory regardless. | |
| Joe_bradshaw -I thought the cryochamber was the new name for Cardiff's stadium.
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| Miserable Britain on 02:51 - Feb 15 with 6106 views | dameedna |
It is alive and kicking in british speaking cultures in Africa
Resounding Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, How Was Your Night, How Was Work? Regularly until you get used to it and always aware of the time of day, kid you not. It takes some getting used to as it sort of jolts your system, getting over 50 greetings a day according to the time of day, feels strange but is a good thing, mostly. I use it but not many fold respond in western culture. There is a lot to learn from poverty in society imo.
edit : folk not fold [Post edited 15 Feb 2015 2:53]
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| Miserable Britain on 06:59 - Feb 15 with 6073 views | Dr_Winston |
I was wondering who the first person to blame Thatcher would be. You beat epaul to it. Good effort. | |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Miserable Britain on 08:43 - Feb 15 with 6036 views | Lord_Bony |
We are miserable and suspicious its true.
When I ve been to America and Canada my experience is people go out of their way to be friendly and greet with hello or good morning...even in the lift people make nice conversation...it's great.
In this country you say good morning and it's met with silence a grunt or maybe a nice response....so like everyone else I don t bother really.having said that there have been occasions I think when people have said good morning or something to me and by the time I look around to see if they was talking to me the moment has gone and they probably thought I was being ignorant when I did nt realise they were talking to me type thing....just not used to it.
I agree growing up as a kid in the 70s was fun in a terraced street...lots of kids and a great community spirit. Something sadly lacking these days especially in detatched house estates.... [Post edited 15 Feb 2015 8:44]
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| Miserable Britain on 08:54 - Feb 15 with 6025 views | Phil_S |
Common courtesy costs nothing, always look behind me and ahead of me when going through a door to hold it open if need be and always apologise if I don't see someone and let it shut on them. Very few people say thankyou
As for the OP, exactly the same view, my dad was an introvert as well (much like me) but would say hello to anyone, always like to think I do the same when walking down a quiet street
As for London, I am sure there are some very decent people living there but very few of them have any concept of basic manners in my experience
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| Miserable Britain on 09:06 - Feb 15 with 6007 views | Neath_Jack |
You all need to move to Neath, i'm about to go out with my dog, i'll speak to countless people that i don't know on my stroll around the place and they'll all answer in kind too. All the shops i go into, people are pleasant enough and will have no problem in chatting to you. Maybe it's just the aura you lot are giving off to people, so with that in mind, stay the f*ck away from Neath with your bad vibes, man. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 09:20 - Feb 15 with 5987 views | exiledclaseboy |
People these days are generally c*nts, that's just about the size of it. It's not about to change any time soon because c*nts breed c*nts. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 09:59 - Feb 15 with 5944 views | navyjack |
As will all become apparent when some idiot 'internet warrior' derails this thoroghly decent and thought provoking thread!...welcome to modern Britain!... | | | |
| Miserable Britain on 09:59 - Feb 15 with 5941 views | Andy1300 |
I used to get a train every weekday from Richmond upon Thames to Kentish town.
It was like the UN and a lack of British people was obvious.
god forbid making eye contact or saying good morning etc as the OP says, you get looked at as though you have 2 heads.
I moved back to Swansea with my wife who has lived up there for over 20 years, she says she would never move back there and can't believe how friendly we are down here and how much more relaxed it is here. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 10:11 - Feb 15 with 5922 views | exiledclaseboy |
That wasn't my intention and I apologise if it came across that way. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 10:45 - Feb 15 with 5882 views | Lord_Bony |
Sigh...it was so good I have to say it again im afraid.....
It s a pleasant morning ...a man walks down the street and approaches Parlay.
"Good Morning" says the chap..."what ?"says Parlay...
"I said good morning!"..... "what do you mean good morning"? asks Parlay. I was just trying to be pleasant says the chap..."Well dont " says Parlay.."Its not a good morning is it".
What do you mean"? asks the gent..."Well look its a bit cloudy is nt it?See up there clouds and over there...also there may be a chance of some light drizzle later on"... replies Parlay "So therefore its not a good morning at all is it? It s all subjective...so there" says our hero...at this point the man walks away silently slightly confused by it all...Parlay leaves with a smile on his face knowing full well he was right to say such things and with the warm glow of satisfaction.... he had the last word on the matter.
It is now indeed going to be a beautiful morning. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 10:46 - Feb 15 with 5877 views | perchrockjack |
Some areas in Swansea aren't friendly at all.
my mum reckons people up here, even on snooty parts of Wirral are much friendlier.
There again, she s lived in Killay for 50 years.
Manselton was friendlier.
Personally,I never speak strangers or even acknowledge the when out walking mainly because Im a bit fussy and a bit of a cxnt. | |
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| Miserable Britain on 12:24 - Feb 15 with 5797 views | Phil_S |
I gave you an up arrow as enjoyed it | | | |
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