f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

BBC NEWS | UK | Latvian warning for British stags

Here we are covering ourselves in glory again.

What a pathetic nation we are becoming. Still if that sort of behaviour is condoned here then I guess it's hard for the morons to accept they can't behave like that elsewhere

Makes me embarrassed to be British.

SunnySideUp

I agree .... why do we export our scum to show us in a bad light?

Trouble is that scum have money now, benefits are so damned generous that travel is not out of their reach .....

Remember a few months ago that Cruise which was ruined by Manchester Chavs? They got half price tickets and wrecked other peoples dream holiday!

We need a good old fashioned war to get rid of this cannon fodder .... or an outbreak of swine flu which wipes out pond life!

Leslie

I find it disappointing and embarrassing to read about this sort of shameful behaviour.

Les

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Me too Les, thing is though if we don't clamp down on it here in the UK we can hardly be surprised that it is seen as acceptable to take it abroad. This country needs to stop being so tolerant and get tough on things like this.

cster

The sad fact of the matter is that it is socially acceptable to be completely pissed in this country.
Generally speaking, if you met someone who says they got completely written off the previous evening - you would not think any the worse of them.
While this remains the case, there is little hope of change.

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

Makes me embarrassed to admit I'm British when I'm abroad.

SunnySideUp

It's true ..... how many times have we seen posts on here declaring that someone got 'wasted' ...... and them thinking it's really clever to do it!

Until it is seen as unacceptable to the people witnessing it, it will not change.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

It's not altogether drink that is to blame, imo. That is only part of the problem.

I will admit I like a drink, and not so much now, but certainly in the past, I have got a bit tipsy. However, I have never to this day caused any trouble. I never thought it was really clever, but just what sometimes happened when having a good time.

I think alot of the time, people don't know how to behave respectfully in the first place, and getting wasted (here or abroad) only makes them worse.

It would be nice if we could get back to people having more respect for others, and knowing the right way to go on (drunk or not). That doesn't mean people can't have a 'good' time, but it is possible without causing trouble or making a complete show of yourself.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Thing is though I have done a fair amount of travelling abroad and as far as I can see we are the only culture that goes out with the intention of getting drunk in order to have a good time whereas every other culture seems to go out to have a good time and sometimes end up getting drunk because of it. It's a subtle difference, but an important one.

Also we seem to be the only culture where many go out to get drunk and then fight as if it is a matter of course.

All very sad really.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I agree with Lisawrx. Nothing wrong with getting wasted, that's a choice you can make, its how you behave when drunk that counts. If you are a complete tit then you cannot do that in a public place.

I too like a drink, but have never caused an issue. You can go out and drink quite a lot and not upset other people, so its no alcohol in itself that is the issue.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I would agree with parts of that, but I think it does depend where you have been. Different countries do have different cultures, but they also have a large spread of people (just as we do here). It all depends on who you mix with. If I was to generalise I would say that the hotter the climate the less likely people are to stay in a bar and just get drunk.

Not sure how true the above statement is, but its just something that I have noticed. In hotter climates the locals don't seem to drink as much.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Ahem ... the Aussies.

Hot climate, love a drink.... fighting every night in every town? Nope!

Face it, we're scum!

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

You may well have a point there....

I wonder what makes people want to fight once they have had a drink.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

I really don't know what it is about the UK. I really do not undertsand it.

Last March I went to watch the opening game of the Aussie Rules football season in Melbourne. Packed into the MCG were 86000 hard drinking Aussies, as fanatical about the AFL as this country is about 'soccer'. The two sides' supporters were mixed with no segregation and alcohol was freely available to purchase throughout the ground.

I saw no trouble whatsoever. I was truly stunned as I really thougt given the Aussies' reputation for liking a drink that mixing football and beer could only go one way. How pleasantly wrong was I and it was then I made up my mind and will eventually emigrate out there.*

*I had already been thinking about it for a long time before I get some wise guy saying you want to emigrate because of one footy match LOL

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I've been thinking the same way. There does not seem to be much to keep me in this country

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

And this further supports, that some of our people have a problem, probably more to do with not knowing the right way to behave, than drinking alone being the issue.

If other people of different origins, can have a good drink, yet not go out and be a disgrace, then there is more to our problems than drink alone, or the love of it. And this is what needs to be tackled.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

I find that really sad.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Oh I agree that drink is not the problem, but it is a catalyst.

Australia isn't perfect btw and they do have a few drink related issues here and there, but it is a country mile better than here on the whole.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I think part of our problem is that our criminal justice system seems to be run more for profit than it is for being actually useful. You will face a stiffer penalty for putting too much rubbish into your rubbish bin, than you will for shop lifting just being one example.

This country needs to start an punish the people that are a problem more effectively. Rather than concentrating on endless "human rights issues", or just being too soft. Something has to change before its too late. Once there are more of "them" than there are of us, there will be no hope of voting in a party that can do something about it. We need a part with some ***** to stand up at the next general election and tackle the things that people care about....

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Exactly and if you knew me you would know I am one of the least likely people to up sticks and emigrate, but I feel driven to it. I can't ignore it and almost hate to say it, but Aus has so much more going for it.

oldsplice

This is exactly what I think. Back in the day...........we went out to have a good time and maybe ended up drunk, as you said, but we didn't go out with the sole intention of getting absolutely legless everytime we went out. It's horrible.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Have to agree here. We need not only to punish though, but tackle our social issues from the root. We need to make cerain things unacceptable, make people take responsibility, so on.

At work we have now been told by the police, that 'first' time offenders of shoplifting will no longer be arrested, but (on their agreement), just have to go back in the store and say sorry. WTF?? You might as well put a sign up saying 'help yourselves'.

cster

Let me put my cards on the table.
I am an Australian (sounds like an Australians Anonymous meeting).
I would say that when it comes to the subject of binge drinking we have a lot in common with our British antecedants.
Mind you, a lot of Australians are of German/Scottish/Irish/fill in any other pisshead steriotype - extraction.

SRSport

Its an utter embarrassment to be English out here (Ibiza). You can only imagine what goes on. We have the police constantly running around battering people (they're less tolerant here).

The Spanish have massive respect for the Guardia Civil (police) and you get no nonsense because they give no nonsense, you do as your told. They know they cant push the boundaries so they wont and it works. Don't we get a shock when we come over and assume the Spanish police will be the same soft bunch of fairies.

Funkii Munkii

LOL I was about to same the same thing, you can add aboriginies to the list, mind you, and I dont want to stereotype, they'll indulge in all sorts of solvents, drugs and petrol, and yeah they blame the settlers for their predicament, cant't be bothered getting into the argument about that.

The young lads I work with joyfully declare how they're going to get as drunk as possible at the weekend, I asked one once why would you want to do that, sod the hangover, because I love he says, it's youth culture all around the globe im affraid.

Then again drinking is a way of life over here

Funkii Munkii

I'd concur with csters comments As above ,

But Aus does have more going for it in respect to the lifestyle, weather, cost of living slightly lower than the UK, house prices much lower, people are friendlier imo. If you could take the best bits of the UK and blend them with the best bits of Aus you'd have one hell of a country

jasey

Funkii Munkii

PMSL CFH

yoza

They dont like our lads going over there and spending big money boosting their sad third world economy.......cheeky ba5tards.

At least we go over there spending money, they come over here in there thousands and scav our handouts, at least we go back home.

If they dont want us pi55in on their monument, then supply some public toilets, oh no they wont do that as it costs money.

Send every Latvian back home who hasnt go a job, then they can clean their own precious monument, instead of cleaning my car.

I am proud to be British, and all you spinless ***** who keep knocking it, **** awf.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

It's not the drinking I have an issue with, it's what seems to go with it in the UK that upsets me.

Yeah the Aussies love a drink or three but from what I have seen they don't end up being generally obnoxious, fighting etc. as a matter of course.