This is why we can't have nice things, and I'm tired of it

[faithinthesound]

Full disclosure: I don't actually think I'm being unreasonable. I know I'm angry and that is coloring some of my words and actions and responses, but I don't think I'm all that wrong. I'm here for a vent and some commiseration, really.

I've got this joke I make all the time when something goes wrong, like something gets knocked over or falls on the floor. I laugh and I say "and that is why we can't have nice things". But I'm sitting here today seething at just about everyone I've encountered today, because the truth is, we CAN'T have nice things. And I am so sick and tired of people who are the reason why.

Like, we can't have a nice sit out on the back porch because the neighbors are blasting rap.

Like, the timetable machine thing at this bus stop has been broken for months and will never be fixed because the second it's fixed, someone will be along to smash it up again.

Like, I can't get anywhere on time today because people want to stand and argue with the bus driver over whether or not they have to pay (spoiler: yes you bloody well do).

Like, I'm not particularly enjoying my dinner because the woman who served me at the fast food restaurant spoke to me like I am a moron (I'm not), and it has vexed me.

Like, we can't have threads like we used to like Sharon and the wasp, because there's a contingent of Reasons We Can't Have Nice Things who will be along before we're ten posts in, troll hunting and pooh-poohing and calling shenanigans, instead of getting into the spirit of the thing.

What about you guys? Want to share your "I can't have [nice thing] because [reason]"? I know I'm being very negative and ranty but sometimes it's nice just to be able to unload.

Who knows, RWCHNT (Reason We Can't Have Nice Things) might even catch on as a new MN acronym lol.

There are still communities out there. We know and like all our neighbours and we have community allotments where anyone can pick the fruit and veg. It's not the wealthiest area but it's full of kind people and a real community feel.
That's why we moved here, and why other neighbours did too.

Well, there you go. OP can't have a nice thread saying how shit everything is because someone else lives in a nice village where people are kind and there are regular buses.

Nice village poster can't have a nice village life because someone else insists that her nosy neighbours are probably timing how long it takes her to get her washing pegged out and taken down.

human nature, innit.

I live in a town in Kent. It's a commuter satellite of London. We moved from London - where i grew up, even one of the nicest parts of London (Chiswick) and it's amazing how this opinion of not having nice things is just accepted and standard. I didn't realise till we moved out how my negativity and expectations were so low. I found myself scoffing that the local unmanned station had an xmas tree and decorations up. I said to Dh 'well that's crazy, how long before someone smashes that up?' DH looked at me horrified and said 'why would anyone do that?' He has grown up in villages and he just couldn't comprehend what i was saying and i just accepted this as the norm.

I worked at a school in London and was chatting to some yr9s about a crime in a local park where a woman had been mugged by some teens and was in hospital. I was genuinely horrified that they shrugged and said 'what did she expect, she shouldn't have gone in the park alone'. WTF? Such a fucking depressing attitude.

I decided to read the world history to my
Kids last night

Years and years And years of war , famine , war , a few plagues , slavery , the feudal system , anyway you get the gist !

Whilst I worry about pollution and the destruction we reak in the
Planet it could be a hell of a lot worse

But living amongst scum is soul destroying and I can See why it gets you down

what did she expect

Koala that's one of my least favourite phrases ever. Whenever something ludicrously crap happens highlighting the nonsensical shitness of some human beings, someone will invariably bleat "well, what did you expect". I agree, depressing.

all the tuppences

What a miserable thread

I hear you - especially the bus timetable and general vandalism that goes on - graffiti isnt edgy or expressing an opinion, its just gross.
People not being polite, please and thank you cost nothing.
services so run down everywhere.
life can be pretty dire sometimes.

I can't have nice furniture things as my cat claws everything. Other than that life is good. I live in a capital city but don't recognize any of what the OP is saying.

We can't have nice things because everything seems to be a race to the bottom these days. Facebook groups full of illiterate idiots such as "Beat The Bailiffs and the Banks" trying to get debts written off or finding loopholes to claim all sorts of benefits by nefarious means.

I saw a restaurant recently do a "like and share" competition to win a meal for 2 on New Years Eve - the posts on it were all competitive sob stories or "give it to the homeless".

People on here whinged about the fireworks in London on New Years Eve costing money when there are people homeless. So virtue signalling - why can't we have nice things sometimes damnit?

Yes I give to homeless people and I've given up Facebook as a New Years resolution.

I can't have nice things this month as I have a massive tax and VAT bill t pay.

I always admired a beautiful plant pot on a neighbour's front step. Hard to describe but it was almost like a work of art. When I first saw it years ago I thought she was mad putting it out there because someone was bound to pinch it. But it stayed, which pleased me. Then last night I was walking home from work and saw it smashed to pieces on the pavement. I don't think it was an accident. I think someone stole it but dropped it.

That said, it's a very nice friendly neighbourhood. It's clean and tidy and we have hanging baskets from the lamp posts all year round and Christmas lights and a tree in the market all done by the council - with our council tax, of course but perhaps those things make people proud of their surroundings and generally behave well IYSWIM. But seeing the smashed pot reminded me that there are mean people about.

I've lived in a few different areas and it does vastly vary. Used to live in a dodgy bit of zone 2 London and that was like that. I could never understand why people wanted to destroy their own environments. Lived in a very poor bit of the North East for a while, that was the same. Cars would get their mirrors smashed, rubbish strewn about the streets, masses of shoplifting.

Now live in well to do commuterville and stuff stays nice. For me, it seems to be very strongly linked to poverty which is depressing.

I can't stand seeing shopping trollies abandoned, always seems to be in the dodgy areas though.

Toby Young though....

We can't have nice things because people persist in voting tory.

We can't have nice things because fuds who think it matters what colour our passport is but not what liberties we have, wanted Brexit.

to be fair vandalism of parks has always gone on - even in 'my day' its not right and sad to see, but this then leads to the slippery slope of other things being broken or destroyed - the police wont even deal with shop lifters if the goods are worth under 200 pounds. that is a lot of money. once you can get away with one thing, then it leads to other things surely? our politicans live in a bubble of wealth and armed guards etc etc ( not all of them, but the main ones do) so they dont see any of this.

In think I am very very fortunate to live where I do . It’s not chiswick by any stretch but it’s calm and thanks to the Decent homes initiative (and London ££) the council estates are now clean and pretty pleasant actually . It’s makes a massive massive difference actually . I do appreciate how fortunate we are that even in a poorer area it’s OK

People moan in the local Facebook page about antisocial behaviour but I can See that compared to some places we have it good

yy splend my old street was much nicer. Houses were tiny though.

People persist in voting Tory round here pictish. I've learned to live with them but in my heart I know we can never truly be friends. They did overwhelmingly vote to Remain though. I've got an old passport. It's my first one and is more black than blue and also large and inflexible...

The ridiculous obsession with this government and media grabbing hold of any 'good news' about Brexit like ridiculous Blue passports (which we could have kept regardless of being in EU) while the things that really drove the Brexit vote are ignored and the country slowly rots.

Allthetuppences That's truly awful. Have you been to the police? Dunno where the law stands but I'd consider that harassment or criminal damage, perhaps even a hate crime if it's driven by your having a disability as you mention. I wouldn't be standing for that.

Like speakout I also live somewhere where people are friendly and look out for each other. There was a fire locally near Christmas and everyone rallied around to help the family. You can leave your car unlocked and even your house, crime rate is low, vandalism is rare and people just tend to get along. Yes there’s some noise from neighbours ocationally in the summer but people do make noise when they are having fun and it’s not as though it’s every day.

I live in probably one of the safest Tory seats in the country (if all the people who voted for all the other parties joined together they would still be 20k shy of the Tory vote - which is depressing in itself) and it's lovely. So i feel guilty, as i'm a total sell out. I could have stayed in beloved Labour London and had the drug dealer upstairs stand on my car to smash his window into my front garden but I moved. I'm sure the people here would argue it's lovely because it's Tory!

And to thoughs who can’t have nice things due to cats, dogs or children, stop moaning, you chose to have pets and children, surely you knew cats scratch, dogs chew and kids just make a mess?