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Not as in Mike Skinner, but as in the streets that people walk every day. They always seems to be in the news, more so recently with journalists looking towards Gordon Brown to see how he will tackle anti-social behaviour, and how safe people feel as they walk down them. Statistics always get thrown around as this topic is discussed, but I was wondering how many of you on here actually feel safe as you take a stroll around your town or other places?
And if you believe anti-social behaviour to be a great problem how do you think it should be tackled? By preventing family breakdowns, often put down to the poverty trap? Or by giving offenders a short, sharp shock as used in Margaret Thatcher's premiership where joyriders for instance could be imprisoned for up to 15 years?
And if you believe anti-social behaviour to be a great problem how do you think it should be tackled? By preventing family breakdowns, often put down to the poverty trap? Or by giving offenders a short, sharp shock as used in Margaret Thatcher's premiership where joyriders for instance could be imprisoned for up to 15 years?
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I don't usually have a problem walking around town, but then I do live in a boring, quiet part of Surrey. I've had a few problems with the local neanderthals/chavs in the past, but they're no real problem - though I wouldn't reccomend walking around the park or council estates at night.
The Police? Their response varies from non-existant to very efficient, I guess it's the luck of the draw really.
America? Well, I was told by an American martial arts instructor (The son of the guy who taught Bruce Lee, incidentally) that the current situation with guns, gangs, knifings etc is almost like what it was in the States 15 or so years back - so maybe we're catching them up with this lunacy. Maybe people are ruder in the States as well? It wouldn't surprise me, but I've never been over there.
The Police? Their response varies from non-existant to very efficient, I guess it's the luck of the draw really.
America? Well, I was told by an American martial arts instructor (The son of the guy who taught Bruce Lee, incidentally) that the current situation with guns, gangs, knifings etc is almost like what it was in the States 15 or so years back - so maybe we're catching them up with this lunacy. Maybe people are ruder in the States as well? It wouldn't surprise me, but I've never been over there.
Well not really talking about tourists but people who come for work...so their destinations are pretty wide ranging.
Don't forget though that tourists are hardly likely to go to Mosside in Manchester or somewhere, are they.
Silent Thunder wrote:
> It's strange that, feeling safer in other countries. I know I do
> even though it's the first time I've been there, when really I
> should probably feel uneasy because it's a new place and I don't
> know what to expect, but it isn't the case. I don't know what it
> is, other countries, especially Belgium which I visited
> recently, just had a really good atmosphere and the people had a
> great attitude and were willing to help out as much as they
> could. Maybe that's the problem here, a not so positive
> attitude.
Fairly common attitude in my experience. Given I spend alot of time in the US when people hear my accent they're always eager to tell me about their UK visits. They all say the same thing, what a nice place and how friendly everybody is etc. and at the same time tell me how bad america is. Clearly this isnt our perception of the place though.
I've concluded that somehow people delude themselves and confuse different with better. :)
> It's strange that, feeling safer in other countries. I know I do
> even though it's the first time I've been there, when really I
> should probably feel uneasy because it's a new place and I don't
> know what to expect, but it isn't the case. I don't know what it
> is, other countries, especially Belgium which I visited
> recently, just had a really good atmosphere and the people had a
> great attitude and were willing to help out as much as they
> could. Maybe that's the problem here, a not so positive
> attitude.
Fairly common attitude in my experience. Given I spend alot of time in the US when people hear my accent they're always eager to tell me about their UK visits. They all say the same thing, what a nice place and how friendly everybody is etc. and at the same time tell me how bad america is. Clearly this isnt our perception of the place though.
I've concluded that somehow people delude themselves and confuse different with better. :)
Kawada wrote:
> Other than that nobody ventures outside after dark as on every
> street corner outside a shop you'll have gangs hanging around.
> Typical hoodie goons.
If more "normal" people were about, would that make you feel safer? I feel it's a chicken & egg situation. People don't feel safe so they don't go out after dark. Less people about, the less safe others feel and so they then stay indoors meaning there's even less people about, meaning....
It's kind of the same as letting your kids walk to school. A kid gets snatched, some parents feel worried for their kids safety and so drive their own child to work. Less kids walking to school may make other parents worry about the safety of their child so they then drive them to school etc etc.
End result is it takes everyone twice as long to get to school as there is a huge traffic jam.
> Other than that nobody ventures outside after dark as on every
> street corner outside a shop you'll have gangs hanging around.
> Typical hoodie goons.
If more "normal" people were about, would that make you feel safer? I feel it's a chicken & egg situation. People don't feel safe so they don't go out after dark. Less people about, the less safe others feel and so they then stay indoors meaning there's even less people about, meaning....
It's kind of the same as letting your kids walk to school. A kid gets snatched, some parents feel worried for their kids safety and so drive their own child to work. Less kids walking to school may make other parents worry about the safety of their child so they then drive them to school etc etc.
End result is it takes everyone twice as long to get to school as there is a huge traffic jam.
I feel pretty safe walking the streets nearby and towards the town. Like most places though there are streets that I just wouldn't walk at certain times of the day.
It's a tricky problem - there are people out there who will randomly attack people in the street for the fun of it - use violence to mug folk or just fight with other folk due to where they live.
Saying they should get tough on this is another problem - prisons are over crowded and as a result some criminals who maybe should face jail will get tagged or do some form of community service which is a bit of a joke.
Could maybe say that more police in these areas would help - but they can't be everywhere at the same time.
It's going to be a tough problem to try and tackle.
It's a tricky problem - there are people out there who will randomly attack people in the street for the fun of it - use violence to mug folk or just fight with other folk due to where they live.
Saying they should get tough on this is another problem - prisons are over crowded and as a result some criminals who maybe should face jail will get tagged or do some form of community service which is a bit of a joke.
Could maybe say that more police in these areas would help - but they can't be everywhere at the same time.
It's going to be a tough problem to try and tackle.
Just came across this on the BBC: Click here
Interesting, what would you do in that situation do you think?
Interesting, what would you do in that situation do you think?
It's strange that, feeling safer in other countries. I know I do even though it's the first time I've been there, when really I should probably feel uneasy because it's a new place and I don't know what to expect, but it isn't the case. I don't know what it is, other countries, especially Belgium which I visited recently, just had a really good atmosphere and the people had a great attitude and were willing to help out as much as they could. Maybe that's the problem here, a not so positive attitude.
I wouldn't say I feel particularly unsafe where I live, but that's because it's a quiet place. Even though it is a relatively safe place to walk around, as are the neighbouring towns I still do keep my eyes on those around me, not to extent of keeping a hand on the wallet but just to see what they're up to. Just seems natural, maybe to some extent it is a feeling of being unsafe because of the stereotype of teenagers/'yobs' on the streets portrayed by the media is always at the back of my mind.
I suppose when me and my mates go around town we generate the same kind of feelings in other people though. Maybe we're not trusting enough.
I wouldn't say I feel particularly unsafe where I live, but that's because it's a quiet place. Even though it is a relatively safe place to walk around, as are the neighbouring towns I still do keep my eyes on those around me, not to extent of keeping a hand on the wallet but just to see what they're up to. Just seems natural, maybe to some extent it is a feeling of being unsafe because of the stereotype of teenagers/'yobs' on the streets portrayed by the media is always at the back of my mind.
I suppose when me and my mates go around town we generate the same kind of feelings in other people though. Maybe we're not trusting enough.
Not at all, i live in one of those areas the cops have seemingly given up on/are too afraid to come down to. If you do actually manage to get them to come down it's a good 3 hours after the event has happened so they're sure it's pretty safe to come down as they won't actually have to do anything. The other month we had some guy booting the door of the neighbours in trying to get to his ex, 2 hours after she called the police they eventually turned up. Course we're still waiting for them to come down to investigate my mom's car having the plastic on the soft top slashed and the car stereo nicked 4 months later.
Other than that nobody ventures outside after dark as on every street corner outside a shop you'll have gangs hanging around. Typical hoodie goons.
Huge difference compared to China and Canada where i could walk around without having to have my hands on my wallet in my pocket to make sure it's still there, i could change a song on my iPod in plain view and i just felt safe without thinking i could be mugged at any moment.
Other than that nobody ventures outside after dark as on every street corner outside a shop you'll have gangs hanging around. Typical hoodie goons.
Huge difference compared to China and Canada where i could walk around without having to have my hands on my wallet in my pocket to make sure it's still there, i could change a song on my iPod in plain view and i just felt safe without thinking i could be mugged at any moment.
I feel pretty safe walking the streets of Norwich, even when I pass the HMV where a security guard was killed for the sake of a £20 CD. I pass that whenever I go to college, which I obviously haven't been doing during the hols.
But there are things in my pockets which I carry just in case. I don't feel afraid on the streets though. I just carry them because they're useful. I actually have no intention of using them for self defence, but that's not to say that I wouldn't if I needed to. These items consist of a mobile phone and a small pen knife. The pen knife is actually just for opening things or whatever else I might need it for. I very rarely use it.
But although I feel safe on the streets and all that, I don't trust anyone. Not even my friends, when out on the streets. I don't ever lend things out or show things off, just in case anyone has any thieving ideas or doesn't show the care and respect I expect from them for my stuff.
But there are things in my pockets which I carry just in case. I don't feel afraid on the streets though. I just carry them because they're useful. I actually have no intention of using them for self defence, but that's not to say that I wouldn't if I needed to. These items consist of a mobile phone and a small pen knife. The pen knife is actually just for opening things or whatever else I might need it for. I very rarely use it.
But although I feel safe on the streets and all that, I don't trust anyone. Not even my friends, when out on the streets. I don't ever lend things out or show things off, just in case anyone has any thieving ideas or doesn't show the care and respect I expect from them for my stuff.
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