What do you dislike about your country's culture?

[WomenHour]

I would say the binge drinking culture of the UK

[quote Twillow]@allworkhomesleeprepeat
To me, eating on the street is rarely essential and certainly not pleasurable - why not just wait until you can sit down, at the very least on a park bench, if you really cannot wait until you get home? I think it smacks of greed and lack of self-discipline, and also contributes to littering in many cases.[/quote]
I eat on the street when I’m in between appointments or meetings. Shoot me.

To me, eating on the street is rarely essential and certainly not pleasurable - why not just wait until you can sit down, at the very least on a park bench, if you really cannot wait until you get home? I think it smacks of greed and lack of self-discipline, and also contributes to littering in many cases

My mums old school had a rule about this. Eating in the street was a Big Offence if caught.

That we don’t do enough during childhood to get working class kids out hillwalking, kayaking

The idea that 'they' should take responsibility for the children I bred.

@PhilSwagielka

Usually I either go the Salisbury or places in the Northern Quarter - I used to go to Jilly's but it's gone now. I don't go out as much as I used to though, nowadays when I go into town, it's mainly for gigs and if I get the bus home, that means drunk students cos it's on the Oxford Road route. Piccadilly Gardens is absolute hell, especially now that there's a huge spice problem.

The spice is a really big problem and the reason I will not go in to Piccadilly gardens. Horrible horrible. I went and found a police officer last time I was there as there was lads out of their face asleep with a toddler in a push chair. I actually went as their was a kids festival on. So I do agree with you there is a horrific problem there in the city centre. Me and my dd1 was also racially abused by the African lads that hand around the bus station there.

I really don’t blame you for not wanting to venture out that side but on the other side of Manchester it’s not too bad!

@allByallmeans I won't shoot you (it's not the US ). But do you enjoy it? If you're out buying something to eat, why don't you eat it there, or back at the office?

White privilege
Misogyny

Some schools used to penalise kids for eating in the street while wearing the school uniform. I had a friend whose school did this. Not sure why, or if it's a thing now.

I hate eating while on the hoof. I was always told it was bad for your digestion so if I eat outside, I sit down. I sometimes do carry a bottle of water around when it's hot though.

NZ - the way society can be very close minded and conservative.

England - the elitism and the entitlement that goes along with this.

The comments about flinching when someone sits on a table I totally get. 15 years in the UK and I still feel uncomfortable if someone sits on my work desk to talk to me

@SuddenArborealStop

The begrudgery - ireland

Yes!

@User563420011

I hate the drinking culture too. I've been on nights out in Germany and Spain and I barely see as much fighting and people vomiting in the street as I do here. I love Manchester to bits but I dread going out here at weekends because of all the drunk twats who can't control themselves. In the UK people drink to get drunk and in one former job the boss used to pressure people into downing shots at the office Christmas party. I don't understand the appeal of being out of control. A bit merry, sure, but when you're so pissed you black out? No thanks. I've been at that point twice and it was hell the next day both times. I felt so ill. And I hate it when people act like you're boring for not wanting to drink

Yes. My parents were both alcoholics- one is in recovery. I had a period of heavy drinking in my 20s but stopped cold turkey when I realised I was going down the same path. I completely embarrassed a coworker at a work party when she kept saying "don't be boring" etc (and added vodka to my coke even though I had said I wasn't drinking....) by telling her something like "Actually alcoholism runs in my family and I've made a conscious decision not to drink based on my traumatic childhood experiences"

I understand. My mum is a recovering alcoholic and she's one of the reasons why I barely drink nowadays.

Tanning (fake or real).

Race to the beach/Overcrowded beaches.

Summer/Sun worship.

Pushchair traffic.

Think I'm done now - hopefully. Phew!

I know that this is true of many other countries too, but the lack of moderate views in political debate. Also the lack of teaching about fact finding, truth and proper discussions. And the tabloids/press.

[quote Twillow]@allByallmeans I won't shoot you (it's not the US ). But do you enjoy it? If you're out buying something to eat, why don't you eat it there, or back at the office?[/quote]
I mostly get indigestion! I’m
Just used to it now. Probably a sign I need to slow down a bit!

Selfies and pouting and 'look at me' instagram photos. Giant injected lips. The younger generation care way too much about image.

People care too much about image but also don't take enough pride in their looks. Weird.

Ireland - Smug uncritical wokeness: the new Catholic dogma, and just as misogynistic as the old one.

Yes! It's so tedious.

@PhilSwagielka

Some schools used to penalise kids for eating in the street while wearing the school uniform. I had a friend whose school did this. Not sure why, or if it's a thing now.

I hate eating while on the hoof. I was always told it was bad for your digestion so if I eat outside, I sit down. I sometimes do carry a bottle of water around when it's hot though.

I think in the past it has been considered undignified to eat in the street and I know we were not allowed to do it at school.

I must admit I'm not keen to do it now

Phil, you seemed to be jibing at what I said there and somehow seeing it as a comment on you for some reason. By "dressing like slobs" I don't mean wearing comfortable clothes and flat shoes and no makeup. I mean tracksuits, pyjamas, leggings, misshapen fleeces and hoodies, trainers all the time, even if you never do any sport, just a general air of not giving a crap about your health or appearance. Before I'm accused of snobbery, the older people in my working class family and neighbourhood always dressed very well even on limited funds, polished their shoes, ironed their clothes and did their own repairs. They had pride and self-respect, and worked a lot harder than people do now - again, before anyone jumps in with how incredibly hard their lot is and they don't have time to get out of their pyjamas!

Can I ask, what is this NZ sitting on a table thing about?

@irishfeminist

Phil, you seemed to be jibing at what I said there and somehow seeing it as a comment on you for some reason. By "dressing like slobs" I don't mean wearing comfortable clothes and flat shoes and no makeup. I mean tracksuits, pyjamas, leggings, misshapen fleeces and hoodies, trainers all the time, even if you never do any sport, just a general air of not giving a crap about your health or appearance. Before I'm accused of snobbery, the older people in my working class family and neighbourhood always dressed very well even on limited funds, polished their shoes, ironed their clothes and did their own repairs. They had pride and self-respect, and worked a lot harder than people do now - again, before anyone jumps in with how incredibly hard their lot is and they don't have time to get out of their pyjamas!

I'm not calling you a snob, I just have a bit of a complex about how I look because I wear trainers and hoodies. They're comfortable and tbf I do go the gym and I bought trainers specifically for that purpose. I don't wear leggings as they're uncomfortable and they give me a camel toe, and I only wear jammies around the house.

Maybe I just lack pride and self-respect. IDK. You can be scruffy AND arrogant though.

I'm American. All of it.

End of.

@ExpatInBritain

Tanning (fake or real).

Race to the beach/Overcrowded beaches.

Summer/Sun worship.

Pushchair traffic.

Think I'm done now - hopefully. Phew!

@ExpatInBritain, again, where are you from?

But this thread isn't about you. It's called "What do you dislike about your country's culture"? I have no idea why any posters feel the need to personalise it, or comment that people's opinions are "weird".

I apologise. It's just when I do something and I see people on Mumsnet going on about how gross and uncouth it is, I genuinely wonder why people think that. There have been a couple of threads on here complaining about how people these days are too scruffy and lack self-respect and pride, you're not the first person I've seen say this on here.

I'm sorry. I have a habit of taking stuff literally/personally.

@irishfeminist

But this thread isn't about you. It's called "What do you dislike about your country's culture"? I have no idea why any posters feel the need to personalise it, or comment that people's opinions are "weird".

But ALL of the comments are personalised. I don’t recognise a lot of the U.K. hate on here.

Some posters must look on to their street or their face book or read the daily mail and think everyone is like that - they are not.

It’s peoples personalised views. Does it represent the whole of society? - no.