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Original poster

To love 'the Romanians are coming' on channel 4

56 replies

OhFlippityBolax · 24/02/2015 21:55

I love their optimism and work ethic. Why must us Brits be such cunts to them on their arrival? Would you uproot, go to a country you don't have any connection to sleep in a cardboard box and still turn up for work every morning? I know I couldn't do it!

OP posts:
mommy2ash · 24/02/2015 22:05

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MagpieCursedTea · 24/02/2015 22:07

It was surprisingly emotional viewing!

Alisvolatpropiis · 24/02/2015 22:12

Are most Brits "cunts to them"?

Bit of a broad brush generalisation, perhaps.

Original poster
OhFlippityBolax · 24/02/2015 22:14

I didn't say most

I said why MUST Grin

And yes I know it's telly and easily edited etc. but already on this thread shows what they're up against when they move over

OP posts:
ChoochiWoo · 24/02/2015 22:17

Mommy2ash whats tge questionable practice with the babies I'm intrigued? .are you implying they drug them?

ChoochiWoo · 24/02/2015 22:18

*the

HelenaDove · 24/02/2015 22:19

OP Should everybody be aspiring to sleep in cardboard boxes then?

Why the race to the bottom?

Alisvolatpropiis · 24/02/2015 22:19

Sorry, misread! Blush

I've been vaguely aware of Romanians arriving in the area I live in. They all seem to bloody love dogs (I have two) and have had a fair few friendly encounters as they like to socialise together in the local parks in fairer weather than we currently have. So my own personal experience of them is - friendly dog lovers.

hesterton · 24/02/2015 22:23

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HelenaDove · 24/02/2015 22:24

And women are expected to turn up to work well groomed. Please tell me how that could be acheived living in a box in a field OP Im all ears.

And at least if someone from another country is doing this there is an end goal in sight.

SlaggyIsland · 24/02/2015 22:29

Mommy2ash the programme is about Romanians not Roma gypsies.

mommy2ash · 24/02/2015 22:30

yes that has been suggested quite a lot over here. its not a very nice suggestion no but its one that always springs to mind whenever a pass a romanian lady begging the baby or small child always seems to be asleep which is quite a strange coincidence.

i would like to point out i would never treat any person in a negative way. i personally believe you should treat every person based off their own stereotypes.

things may be different in britain but here in ireland there just aren't real opportunities for a Romanian gypsy with no qualifications and no english. people don't trust them so it isn't as if they can set up their own companies. it is unfortunate but im not sure what can done to change their situations.

mommy2ash · 24/02/2015 22:37

slaggy the show does feature roma gypsies. that is my first issue with the show its misleading by titleing it here comes the romanians when in fact the people featured aren't necessarily a portrayal of romanian people as a whole at all.

its a bit like having a show called here comes the irish and then feature irish travellers its not the same at all and the two wouldn't face the same challenges when moving abroad to start a new life.

HelenaDove · 24/02/2015 22:43

I remember the reports about Cardboard City in London in the 80s and journos saying how scandalous it was.

Now its become something to aspire to??????

We have gone round in a full circle then.

snowglobemouse · 24/02/2015 23:14

I live near belfast so I'm afraid I don't have much good to say about Romanians. Flame me if you want

PrincessLilou · 25/02/2015 01:44

I haven't watched the show but I see here that a lot of people mention 'romanians' but they talk more about gypsies. Still, a lot of 'romanians' go overseas with little English just like a lot of Italians come to Australia and they only know to say hello. You don't brand people for where they come from. Just wait and see who they are.

VeryStressedMum · 25/02/2015 01:58

Snowglobemouse what are the Romanians doing in Northern Ireland that make you dislike them so much?

EstRusMum · 25/02/2015 02:22

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CaoNiMa · 25/02/2015 02:22

I really can't get my head around the generalisations here.

SnowglobeMouse, surely it's just the Romanians you've come into contact with in Belfast that you've got beef with, not ALL Romanians. You don't know ALL Romanians.

Likewise it would be unfair for, say, a Spanish person to make a sweeping judgement about ALL Brits due to the behaviour of a small group in a holiday resort.

Mumbehavingbadly · 25/02/2015 06:12

Watch it and teach your young people about the resilience and tenacity that is borne of love for your family, poverty, starvation and the basic survival instinct.
In my life time I expect British young people to have to make the same choices as the Romanian lad from that decimated mining town who cried when he left his family for another year ..to come back here to his seven days a week job working at a carwash and living under a bridge by the river Trent in burton. That is not something to aspire to as a nation but we are slowly and mean spiritedly building this legacy for our children and their children to come.
I hope that the people whose countries they travel to in their desperation are more welcoming than we have often been. Sadly though we are writing our own stereotypes - british people are lazy they don't like to work hard, they expect to scrounge off benefits- how many times did we hear that said in the programme? How many times do our politicians use this stereotype to pit us one against the other for their own ends? The world is watching and listening and when our time comes to be the world's economic migrants - and it is coming - God help us.

ineedabodytransplant · 25/02/2015 16:43

I admit I had a very poor opinion on Romanians (mainly based on the bloody taxi drivers we have around here). That changed big time when I spent a week over New Year in Transylvania and had time to talk to lots of different people while there.

The average wage is approximately 250 euros a month. Even though to me the cost of things were incredibly cheap, they feel a high cost of living. A couple of them said they were much better off under communism as everyone worked and never went without. I had a trip on a cable car up to an ice hotel (only way as road blocked by snow) and it cost the equivelant of £5 each way. The average Romanian couldn't justify that but I thought it was very cheap considering the ride you had. Having a coffee in a diner was equal to £1 and a basic plate meal was about £2. That's like saying a small meal would be over £20 here (nothing fancy)

They come here, earn as in the case of the carwash guy £180 per week, and sleep rough so they can send most of it home. Brits wouldn't do it.

Only sour point last night was the one who seemed really reasonable but got fired for drinking at work. He turned into a 'stereotypical eastern european' intent on doing wrong. Even his friends despaired of him.

limitedperiodonly · 25/02/2015 18:34

I haven't seen it. I have no wish to. I'm sure the people featured are very nice but it would enrage me.

In that cliched way, I'll say some of my best friends are immigrants. Some of them from eastern Europe.

However, I do have a problem with people describing people who are scared and resentful about other people driving down wages and working conditions as cunts.

That's what you said, OP, but you've changed your tune a bit.

There is a vast difference between having a committed life and family ties to a country or planning one and being a young single person who is prepared to put up with any old shit because economic conditions in their home country are rubbish and they plan to go home after a few years with a nest egg.

That doesn't help anyone except for the rich who benefit from cheap labour.

Channel 4 are always trotting out this kind of documentary.

It's because they are the cunts.

limitedperiodonly · 25/02/2015 18:54

And if you are the working poor, who also face having the benefits that supplement your low wages in insecure jobs withdrawn, why shouldn't you feel resentful?

Or like a cunt, as you charmingly put it?

I don't know why you've posted this OP - naivety, goadiness or greed because you benefit from cheap work from people racing to the bottom - but it's really angered me.

snowglobemouse · 25/02/2015 19:25

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Weebirdie · 25/02/2015 20:14

Both of my Romanian daughters in law are lovely, highly educated young women who are a credit to their parents and their country. In fact all of the Romanians I know are very decent people who go through life being confused with the Roma by people like snowglobe who take pride in wearing their ignorance for all to see.

shrug