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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is there one rule for the rich and another for the poor

151 replies

Therichhavenorules · 04/04/2020 18:24

I know I'm not BU, but I have to rant and hopefully get some replies. Maybe I am?

We live as 'staff' on a rural estate in Norfolk where the owners are multi-millionaires with houses all over the world. We look after their country retreat all year round. We live in a cottage in the grounds. Not a bad situation, but it has its drawbacks. One is, when they are here they have loud parties that take over and zero consideration for us. There are several cottages in the grounds, mostly empty most of the year except for these parties.

They have three children (30s) who live in London. TODAY, middle of lockdown their three adult children decide to arrive with their partners, six adults in total. They've moved into the cottages in the grounds. Its a private estate so no Police to tell them to go indoors. Apparently they'll quarantine, but already they're drinking and starting to party.

They've driven down from London and are blatantly flaunting the rules. The rich are immune to rules. The poor stick to them. If the examples are to be believed and one infected person could infect up to almost 500 people eventually, that means they've potentially brought the virus and could infect up to 3000 people.

I hate them all, they're rude, entitled, snobby, unpleasant cruel people most of the time. We have no choice at the moment, but I for one will be looking to move on as soon as I can.

OP posts:
Mlou32 · 04/04/2020 18:56

No, it isn't one rule for the rich and another for the poor. The rules are in place for us all and if these people had been caught travelling then they would have been in just as much trouble as poor bob behind them...

AlmostThereKeepMoving · 04/04/2020 18:57

I dunno, there's a girl on my road in a council house and on benefits and she's having visitors and parties at all hours, so no, I don't think it's just the rich!

Devlesko · 04/04/2020 18:57

Well yes, of course there are different rules for them, there always has been and unlikely to change.

Sedona123 · 04/04/2020 18:57

YABU

Lots of people are ignoring the "rules" regardless of whether they are rich or poor. They're all wankers regardless of how much money they do/do not have.

tara66 · 04/04/2020 18:58

Did you not realise these people were rich when you took the job?
Why didn't you work for a poor person if the rich upset you so much?

ChainsawBear · 04/04/2020 19:00

we have enough stock to keep the local residents going (some empty shelves) but definitely not the horrors of the London supermarkets.

What on earth makes you think there are horrors in London supermarkets? London's better stocked than rural areas, if anything.

Rezie · 04/04/2020 19:01

I have so many mixed feelings towards this. Goog away to more rural location to second home. Some cases it makes sense and in some cases it's totally irresponsible.

I don't think money has anyhting to do with it. Loads of people break the rules.

Boshmama · 04/04/2020 19:05

I think people should be allowed to travel to their parents home. If they then stay there and don't flit between them I don't see the problem. If they are just going about the grounds who exactly are they going to infect? It's their house at the end of the day.

Ellmau · 04/04/2020 19:05

The same thing happened during the plague . The wealthy moved out of London . Of course when they moved back they contracted it just the same.

More to the point, they took it with them.

june2007 · 04/04/2020 19:06

No perhaps they shouldn,t have travelled from one place to another, but there their now and it,s the family home. And also whats the saying "don,t bit the hand that feeds you".

TinklyLittleLaugh · 04/04/2020 19:06

If a person gets caught stealing a loaf of bread then the law applies equally whether you are rich or poor

Except it doesn’t though. The rich literally get away with murder.

Beansandcoffee · 04/04/2020 19:15

My friend is a private pilot. He is very busy at the money flying his clients around to their second homes in the Caribbean.

PineappleDanish · 04/04/2020 19:17

I hate them all, they're rude, entitled, snobby, unpleasant cruel people

You don't say.

PieceOfMaria · 04/04/2020 19:20

Is this for real? It sounds like a pitch for a TV series from Ju,Ian Fellowes.

goingoverground · 04/04/2020 19:22

It's a ghost town where I live in London - the residents' parking spaces are empty and at night the houses are dark.

PieceOfMaria · 04/04/2020 19:22

Well yes, of course there are different rules for them, there always has been and unlikely to change.

The rules are not different. The rich just have more flexibility in how to apply them.

MintyMabel · 04/04/2020 19:22

if a person gets caught stealing a loaf of bread then the law applies equally whether you are rich or poor

But how the law and specifically punishment is applied will definitely be proportionate to how rich or poor you are.

HeIenaDove · 04/04/2020 19:23

It wasnt poorer people continuing to go on ski trips after the fact.

NONONONONNO · 04/04/2020 19:31

Cant you refuse to work? say your self isolating or would that put your job and accommodation at risk?

OpenWheelRace · 04/04/2020 19:33

A live in couple (presuming housekeeper and handy man) would be earning about £35-40k a year, with accommodation on top, so it's pretty misleading to describe yourself as poor.

Sounds like you despise your employers, so I'd suggest moving on

AnotherEmma · 04/04/2020 19:34

"I hate them all, they're rude, entitled, snobby, unpleasant cruel people most of the time."

Time to stop working for them, then.
Tbh YABU to work for them if this is how you feel.
You are also being unreasonable to make generalisations about rich v poor, as PPs said there are decent rich people and poor arseholes.
I do agree that rich arseholes are the worst sort, though.

Kazzyhoward · 04/04/2020 19:34

The rich are immune to rules. The poor stick to them.

Anecdotal evidence isn't fact.

Round here, it's the "poor" who are still having parties, socialising, etc - business as normal in our social housing estates.

user1471565182 · 04/04/2020 19:35

Yep I've been using my isolation time to get the old guillotine out for a run. Purring like a pussycat and ready to go again.

OhTheRoses · 04/04/2020 19:37

Conversely OP my road houses 8 rich families. Admittedly not the aristocracy. However for two weekends running now four families have had visitors: the hospital consultant, the dentist, where the wife is a retired director of nursing and the owner of a v large chain of pharmacies. Go figure the sort of people who think they are above the law. Not the lawyers, not the accountant, not the investment banker. But, we are all supposed to be clapping. Nobody clapped here.

Go figure OP. Will you be furloughed, redundant, not paid at all? Probably not but your bastard employers eh.

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