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AIBU?

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Original poster

London bashing

390 replies

CruCru · 02/05/2012 19:51

Recently there seems to have been a spate of London bashing from friends and acquaintances who live elsewhere. I'm surprised that people think it is okay to totally slate the place that someone else lives just because it happens to be the capital.

I think London is awesome, possibly the bright centre of the universe but wouldn't dream of telling someone how ghastly, say, Lancashire is (I have never been to Lancashire, I am sure it is very nice, it is just an example).

AIBU?

OP posts:
PooPooInMyToes · 04/05/2012 14:46

Crime TO population!

Bunbaker · 04/05/2012 15:11

This is interesting

margoandjerry · 04/05/2012 15:11

I don't think it does, does it, Barrymenlove? I would not have thought so on a per capita basis but in all honesty I don't know.

PooPooInMyToes · 04/05/2012 15:18

Wow lots of people get murdered in cumbria!

InnitDoh · 04/05/2012 15:21

'London's reputation for crime and violence'

Yes, reputation.

For a city of its size, it is the safest in the world.

Kewcumber · 04/05/2012 15:26

crimes per head of population is a bit misleading for anywhere with big tourist and visitor populations - unfortunately some of the crime is against tourists and other visitors. Not sure if it makes any difference. I'm sure if you looked at a crime map of London it would vary quite a bit.

Kewcumber · 04/05/2012 15:31

YEs - Westminster has a crime rate of over 300 per 1000 population, richmond about 60 per 1000 which would put richmond at around the average for the UK.

JosephineCD · 04/05/2012 15:32

"For a city of its size, it is the safest in the world."?

Really? I find that very hard to believe.

InnitDoh · 04/05/2012 15:34

Josephine, do your research then. What other city of almost 10 million citizens is as safe and civilised as London? NYC, possibly, but I think the crime rate is lower here, certainly with regards to serious crime.

MrsShortfuse · 04/05/2012 15:36

I'll tell you why I'd like to live in London, so that I'm near places like Borough Market. Really pees me off when I read a recipe with some obscure ingredient written by one of the top chefs and I think, 'yeah right, like I'm gonna be able to get THAT in fecking Tesco's in OutintheSticksLand!!' and where purchase of a jar of olives is viewed with the height of suspicion by some but seen as the height of sophistication by others.

Oh yeah wouldn't mind being able to go to Covent Garden more often too.

London is the business!

DawnOfTheDee · 04/05/2012 15:36

It's not just London that gets bashed (although I appreciate it seems to be a 'favourite' for a lot of people to be down on).

I'm from Blackpool and people never hesitate to tell me how ugly, horrible, ghastly, etc, etc it is...

YonWhaleFish · 04/05/2012 15:38

where purchase of a jar of olives is viewed with the height of suspicion by some but seen as the height of sophistication by others.

Wonders, by 'eckers, what an "olive" may be? Confused [suspicious]

Labradorlover · 04/05/2012 15:46

Wood Green.......not really on the tourist trail.....unless they do riot tours....

Pendeen · 04/05/2012 15:48

YonWhaleFish

Yes you are right, almost all are second homes owned by English people and few, if any of us could afford to buy one of those houses'.

I'm lucky that I was brought up in an un-touristy' part of Cornwall where properties (whilst still expensive) haven't reached the ridiculous 'second London' prices in places like Padstow and St Ives.

BerryMenlove · 04/05/2012 16:09

margo I love that you called me BarryMenLove. It's like Barry Manilo gone wrong. Or Barry Manilo turned(?) gay. Grin I might just namechange.

What I mean by the crime in London is:

-5 year old girl shot in corner shop recently.

-This below (sorry DM link)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139461/Judge-unmasks-leader-teen-gang-raped-girl-11-boy-16-jailed-rape-McDonalds.html

-the guy that threatened to blow up office building recently

This sort of shit just doesn't happen in my boring little town and I find it terrifying quite honestly.

Maybe it's more the intensity of crime I'm talking about rather than crime per population.

PooPooInMyToes · 04/05/2012 16:44

Labradorlover. My guesses were palmers green, wood green, Edmonton or tottenham.

PooPooInMyToes · 04/05/2012 16:50

Barrymenlove. (see its stuck!) you have to remember that London is a big place so yes bad things might happen but most of the time you are absolutely no where near it or even aware of it.

I have a relation who will not visit us in London because he is convinced he'll get blown up here. Since the last time anyone got blown up in London millions (perhaps billions) of people have passed through just fine. Statistically the chances are minuscule. Its like a fear of anything, we fear the worst that could happen even thought is statistically very unlikely, like a serious plane crash.

AmberLeaf · 04/05/2012 16:52

I could find you examples of horrible crimes in other (quiet) places too BerryMenlove.

I am surprised Londoners on this thread are defensive about London's reputation for crime and violence

Reputation being the operative word here. reputation doesnt always reflect the reality. My son was asked when visiting relatives in a smallish village in the country if hed ever stabbed anyone, they asked him that when he said he lived in London. so im aware of what the reputation of London is but no its not a true reflection.

Come on, it does have a massively higher level than any other part of the country including other cities. You can't deny that

I think its fairly typical of any major city/capital.

I looked on that police data website on crime at crime rates in my area, its actually fairly low despite what we are led to believe- so that data not anecdotal.

AmberLeaf · 04/05/2012 17:01

To add, my son was asked by some other teens not by my family!

gafhyb · 04/05/2012 17:10

I don't care about anyone criticising London/ London can take it.

To me, London is a bunch of towns or (arf) even villages, which happen to have great public transport and near some of the best entertainments in the country. Having a small (or no) garden is the price I pay for that.

And if I want fresh air, I can visit it

valiumredhead · 04/05/2012 17:10

Apart from housing, crime was the reason we moved - after years and years of living in London I just didn't feel safe anymore especially when it took the police over 3 hours to respond to my 999 call. In the last 5 years of living in London things were definitely getting worse imo. I was definitely more aware of things happening.

Saying that, I'm visiting London at the weekend Grin

valiumredhead · 04/05/2012 17:11

I REALLY miss the PT though and being able to get anywhere without the need for a car.

gafhyb · 04/05/2012 17:20

I don't care about anyone criticising London. London can take it.

To me, London is a bunch of towns or (arf) even villages, which happen to have great public transport and near some of the best entertainments in the country. Having a small (or no) garden is the price I pay for that.

And if I want fresh air, I can visit it

gafhyb · 04/05/2012 17:20

Oops sorry about double post

FunSizedMum · 04/05/2012 17:22

"I think London is awesome, possibly the bright centre of the universe"

Erm... that's probably the reason for the bashing, London or otherwise. Wink

If I described say Cardiff, Dundee or Bradford as "possibly the bright centre of the universe" I'd expect a bit of a bashing too! Grin

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