To find British nights out scary?

[Gimmeareason]

I've moved back to the UK after a few years working in different countries in Europe, my longest stint was in Barcelona.

There are loads of things im glad to have been reunited with, but now that I've experienced the social scene elsewhere I can't help but find the mainstream British night out slightly terrifying?

Things close here relatively early (compared to places on the continent where casual bars can stay open well into 6am).

This means you reach a point in the night where people are either baying in the street or are being funneled into a nightclub (aka tje only place open).

I feel like aggressive use of drugs and alcohol are more rife here - seems like people have their eye set on getting as fucked as possible rather than that just happening naturally.

Rather than seeing mixed groups of friends, ive noticed its much more gender segregated here, with "the girls" and "the lads" going out separately and aiming to hook up rather than just have a good time.

Weirdly, although the UK seems really progressive on gender equality, there seems this weird pressure that women have to go all out when going out (mainstream scene). So rather than just hanging out in late night bars in jeans and a cute top or whatever, you get these gangs of women who have really gone all out, hair, lashes, tan, heels, bodycon etc. Nothing wrong with it we're free to do what we want, but i guess the question is are we really? I dont see many who feel free to just go for a relaxed look.

Aggressive gangs of men who cant handle their drink - i see more british men kicking off in bars or the street whereas in spain for example it all.felt a bit more happy go lucky.

Its weird but it feels like in the UK past a certain hour people just go into this weird animalistic state where they kind of give up on being "civilised", heels come off, people just vomiting or screaming in the street. I saw lots of girls nearly passing out on the street, or girls completely out of it and crying as some man tried to "comfort" her (actually trying to take her home) - yes i did intervene and yes it happened several times.

I used to kind of think it was all a bit of a laugh but now having spent time abroad and having seen people going on long, casual, happy nights out i just wonder why that doesnt really happen in the UK.

It feels like UK nights out have something very hard and edgy about them if anyone sees what i mean

"Germany and France drink slightly more than us per head."

It's HOW people drink in France that's different.

There's no prevalent culture of racing each other to get legless by 11 PM. People may have wine at lunch as well as dinner, but these are slow sessions where maybe 1 or 2 (very small) glasses will be consumed.

I don't think it is at all acceptable for people, whatever their age, to throw up and get pathetic on the streets. If it happens, I've certainly never seen it.

People don't huddle up at home around a vodka bottle to get drunk in the early evening, before they even go out.

@CoteDAzur - France and Germany have always had a higher proportion of alcoholism than the UK. Check the most recent WHO data - the UK is well below both. Our drink problems are less hidden as we as a society are more open - in France and Germany people can still fall into the cracks of the system.

I live in a small town near to a small city. I usually socialise in my town, in restaurants, or at people's houses. Last weekend I went to the small city to see a band. The atmosphere on the streets was really threatening; I saw aggressive people squaring up to one another; lots of younger teens outside McDonalds, with those silver nitrous oxide canisters, with empty ones littering the pavement around them.

There were people who looked older than me (early 50s) smoking weed and talking utter shit outside pubs.

This is the city where my youngest (17) goes to school. I really don't want him to ever go out there at night.

@CoteDAzur

Agreed.

So many willfully blind deniers on this thread...

countries ranked by alcohol related deaths

Germany is 15th
U.K. 59th
Spain 98th

Estonia is 1st

According to WHO

The UK isn't even in the top 12 for binge drinking - Portugal is 11th

The UK isn't even in the top 12 for binge drinking - Portugal is 11th

Yes and a Portguese friend told me driving is perilous there as drink driving is the norm.

Drink driving is the norm in France too.

Nordic countries are insane with the drinking. Visited Iceland, Finland, etc lately. They invented binge drinking.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botell%C3%B3n

Take a look at the controversy section if you think irresponsible drinking is a uniquely British phenomenon

We have different cultural attitudes to alcohol. We believe alcohol makes people more aggressive. In some cultures they think alcohol makes people more laid back. And surprisingly, people's behavior follows those beliefs.

So, going by this thread:
-it's exclusive to English speaking nations (
-it's all the fault of the damn working classes
-women here don't wear enough clothes

Progressive, mumsnet, progressive

Exactly since how dare women go out dolled up? Get that dress off and go and put some trainers and jeans on immediately.

@sinceyouask

Oh yeah cuz its soooo progressive to forgo extra spending money and comfort to make yourself look like a male fantasy fuck doll, isnt it? Or are you a subscriber to the "hair extensions implants and fake tan and heels are feminist self expression" school of self deception?

I'm really on the fence. I haven't spent enough time in Europe to know what the various drinking cultures are like there. I live in a small city here which has the misfortune to have a racecourse, which is hell on earth when the races are on. In the 5 years I've lived here, options to stay out later, though still not late, without being in a club or 'hard drinking' pub have increased, although overwhelmingly the people out late at night tend to be smashed.

In other countries I've lived there are more options for being out late at night, but they were massive cities, so not comparable in many ways. I do think when you've got people out late at night shopping, going to theatre/comedy/art venues, meeting friends at a chocolate bar or coffee shop or table top games meet up it tempers the drinking culture, although perhaps it just dilutes it rather than tempering it. I don't know. Climate undeniably helped in both those cities too.

I work shifts and used to live in the very centre of my small city (and hopefully will again very shortly). I walked to work at all hours of the day and night and never actually felt in danger - I feel more at risk walking to/from work in the early hours now I live in the suburbs - but I would choose my route to avoid walking past the really big pubs and clubs.

I do find the drinking culture unpleasant at times and I see a lot of it at work which does nothing to improve my opinion of it.

Some people just feel nice in heels and with false tan ones backoff but you're rather judgey aren't you?

You have seen nothing until you go to the seaside towns in Denmark during the summer and see the Norwegians drink. Denmark is cheap for them and by 11pm it's miserable for people like me who don't like to get drunk.

DH is Danish and he has a drinking problem. He won't admit it but he does. I think it steams from growing up in a repressed society. You must conform in Denmark and never be or think yourself better than anyone else. A lot of people are extremely frustrated and their escape is drinking.

The last time I went out "clubbing" was about 5 years ago, and I ended up quietly sitting in a corner nursing a lime and soda. I know I'm a lightweight and that if I drink by that time of night, it's not going to be pretty. I had enough wits left about me to think that cramming onto the packed dance floor, being trampled by sweaty sozzled drunks and fending off lascivious drunks was not high on my list for a good night out. I have definitely lost patience for it since being about 24. I love dancing, just not that kind of setting for it.

My city has a large student population, but I see little of it at night, more 35+. Maybe I just retire home too early before the students come out.

My last city experience was a nice meal out then wondering what to do before going home after the effort to arrange a baby sitter, and then having a lovely cup of fruit tea in a cafe/ bar with a live singer. There are some nice venues, it's just a shame that the anti-social, inebriated behaviour is very obvious in the streets.

Im pretty sure a lot of people on this thread have either teen or mid-20s DC who aren't vomiting all over the road, getting seriously drunk, fighting etc. Yet they're here criticising young people en masse

British crave of self-criticism and jostling for "we're the worst" title in pretty much everything really
Envy of young people and lost youth
Women who hate other women in general

Sitting here in 2017 fgs scorning women wearing high heels and fake tan fgs. Including misandry/sexism even calling them "fuck dolls" as I I've seen somewhere upthread

You'd all screech if a man came along and said this about women

Pearl clutching curtain twitchers convention

As others have said, binge drinking has been a thing ever since humans learned how to brew alcohol and other countries are just as bad as us. Why the rush to agree that we're all going to hell in a hand cart?

Or maybe the other countries (and our boozy ancestors) get a pass because the girls there don't wear so much fake tan or wear heels? Because that's what this thread is really about. I'm with MistressDeeCee , Sinceyouask and Dippingmytoesin.

I'm a 46 year old, happily married chartered accountant. I wear heels and fake tan on nights out. SHOCK!

“binge drinking has been a thing ever since humans learned how to brew alcohol and other countries are just as bad as us.”

No, most are really not.

But the French, the Germans the Spanish and the Scandinavians are, aren't they? So you can't really single out the British.

I have to see the OPs viewpoint. It has got progressively worse over the last 30 or so years. Cheap supermarket alcohol does not help, as people drink before going out as well as when out.

What is worn is not really much of the problem in my opinion, as it does not take a night out for most people in the UK to have no style.

And Cardiff on a Friday or Saturday night is worse then central London. Hate it with a vengeance.

Going out now consists of finding a seat in a pub, restaurant, bar or club and NOT LEAVING THAT SEAT FOR ANY REASON other than to go home at closing time in a taxi that picks you up from outside.

I am in my 50's and have a wide group of friends who all like a good night out. Clubs - ska northern soul et, pubs, seeing bands. We travel to other towns and cities regularly including London....i must live in a different world. I have never felt scared and walk home on my own at least part of the way on a weekly basis.

I do see the kind of behaviour you describe but it is isolated cases and VERY easily avoided.

I remember when I went out as a youngster and seeing 10 fights a night was not unusual - i see about 1 a year now.

People see what they want to see I guess.

I honestly can’t remember the last tine I was anywhere near one of those dressed up to the nines standing room only bars.
There are literally thousands and thousands of pubs in the U.K. where women wear jeans and maybe a touch of lippy and mixed sex groups sit and chat the night away without falling over or puking.
Maybe the loud bars are more obvious but all the pubs are there (just without the massive smoking areas and with smaller windows).