to ask for your DFL (down from London) stories

[holidayspotlocal]

Living in the West Country and we are currently inundated with tourists. Great to have the money in the local economy and I hope they have a lovely time on the beach. However, some are obviously from cities and have no idea what life is like here.
We call them DFL - down from London. (they may be from other places tho)
Most worrying is the lack of knowledge about tides, rips, crumbly cliffs etc, and the sheer rudeness to hospitality staff. Plus they drive shiny 4x4 Landrovers that can't squeeze into a passing place without the parking sensors going off and they can't back up on the lanes.
Last week I heard one say 'Where has all the beach gone? I'm sure there was a lot more sand this morning'

@Pigeonpocket

As if all people from London have only ever lived in a city their whole life

a thread about london recently had a poster saying London was crap now as full of fake londoners as they came from other places.

poor londoners - neither fish nor fowl.

This has got the daily fail all over it…

This is daft as.

A) tidal range varies massively from beach to beach & based on the lunar cycle. If you've previously visited during neap tides and are next there at spring tides it can look massively different.

B) plenty of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset & Dorset locals drive shiny land rovers of their own. Plenty of city dwellers drive neat compact hatches because they are used to parking in tight spots.

C) knowing about local rip tides is incredibly specific. You could live in a coastal town and not be familiar with rip tides 2 or 3 bays round if you don't go there often

Last week I heard one say 'Where has all the beach gone? I'm sure there was a lot more sand this morning'

I once had someone ask me when the cliffs had arrived in a resort because they weren't there when they visited before.

They were! Those volcanic cliffs have been there since the volcanic eruption that formed that bit of coastline 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣🤣

@Pinkchocolate

Why does peoples lack of knowledge on tides and cliffs bother you? I’m asking as a Londoner who is neither rude to service staff nor drives a 4x4 but has no idea what life is like there since I’ve always lived in the city.

Errr - I'm guessing because then the local people have to risk their own lives to save people who have put their own at risk due to not researching how to keep themselves safe.

I work internationaly and live in the north west beauty spot because it is generally better than London, lived in london for over 15 years.

Recently some of my younger all women london collegues came up for a visit ,they was surprised that there was trams, multiculturalism, selection of reasturants etc etc.

There is a london bubble but it is just the same of any other capital city across the world, they do not realise they are in one. You can see the mindset on this thread that people think they are doing everywhere else a favour by visiting

grew up in west Cornwall and returned here aged 36 to east cornwall, so I think I qualify for a comment. Life here is quite plain, but also very pleasant. I am so pleased you all head down to the extreme west and leave the nice bits for us. Please keep going there.

Well I will tell you a funny one..

I am from London, only lived in cities until my mid 20s before moving to a rural area.

I kept thinking my phone was on silent and could hear it vibrate.

Turns out these were distant cows.

@MrsRobbieHart

Sounds sneery.

I suppose you never visit anywhere you’re unfamiliar with?

And no, before you ask, I’m not from London or any other urban place.

I’m so glad this is the first response.

I’d love to drop OP in a place they’ve never been. Honestly how narrow minded can you be?!

I live in the Kent countryside (also lived in London prior but went from Kent to London and back again) and you get Range Rovers in country lanes anyway from people living IN the countryside. It’s not just a city thing.

There is a london bubble but it is just the same of any other capital city across the world, they do not realise they are in one
Your colleagues are not part of a London bubble, they're just not particularly intelligent.

@LemonSwan

Well I will tell you a funny one..

I am from London, only lived in cities until my mid 20s before moving to a rural area.

I kept thinking my phone was on silent and could hear it vibrate.

Turns out these were distant cows.

I really like this one.

Dfl sounds a small minded label to me. Reminds me of League of Gentlemen Local People sketches!

@itsgettingwierd as I said on my previous post, I’m yet to need rescuing so I’ve clearly managed to keep myself safe as have millions of others.

Otherthanetta - do any of the incomers use paragraphs?!

Your colleagues are not part of a London bubble, they're just not particularly intelligent.

Considering they require a phd to enter the field then on MN it means intelligent.

There is a london bubble, just as much as the op is in one herself. It is also highlighted on this thread of some posters pretending they are doing a favour. The irony is lost on a lot of people on this thread

Has MN had a sense of humour bypass tonight? I’m frequently a DFL (don’t own a big 4x4 though) but I was still looking forward to a thread full of amusing tales do thank you for starting it @holidayspotlocal, just a shame others spoilt it. Instead you’re nearly all taking it so seriously. I don’t see many people complaining when someone starts a thread about daft things their children/friends/colleagues/MIL have said so why the horror about this one?

Well, our neighbours have just returned from the West Country slightly traumatised. Apparently, it was impossible to get a skinny cappuccino, the nearest Waitrose was 30 miles away and the farmer whose field they were glamping in just looked blankly at them when they asked where they could get a focaccia. I warned them, I really did... everyone knows civilization ends when you get beyond the M25 (with some parts of Surrey perhaps being an exception) .

@Hellotoallmyfans

The trains here are currently being overwhelmed by what seems like half of the populace of the North West of England all decamping to Pontins. No idea why, Pontins is a dump.

How do you know, do you spend your times hanging around on trains asking all the passengers if they are going to Pontins?

Maybe it's because they don't have much money and Pontins is cheap? Not sure why you're so bothered about people going on holiday....in the summer holidays.

Actually I spend my time on trains asking for tickets. And being sworn at because some Scouse woman doesn't want to fold her pram down "you wouldn't be asking if it was a wheelchair..." even though it's a pram, not a wheelchair.

I know that Pontins is cheap. Even so, you couldn't pay me to go there.

When we were children growing up in the New Forest we called them ‘Grockles’. We laughed at them too. Then I grew up and realised how much the local economy relied on that tourist trade.

I grew up in London and I know all about rips, crumbly cliffs etc. Not a given. Some people are just naive, no matter where they are from. Common sense is oddly lacking these days.

Speaking as a Londoner, one of the positive things about the current circumstances is that London seems to have lots of people visiting from other parts of the UK at the moment, the atmosphere is fantastic. Fair enough, many of the visitors are most likely from other cities. Then again, we are used to sharing our city.

But honestly, these kind of threads really do piss me off. How utterly narrow-minded! It just makes me extremely grateful that I live and bring my children up here here and not wherever you do

Please remember this is a free country you don’t actually own the countryside/beach/whatever

As 3Flowers said.

I'm from the country, I now live in London, and avoid nasty sneery people like you wherever I am.

@Justanotherlurker

I work internationaly and live in the north west beauty spot because it is generally better than London, lived in london for over 15 years.

Recently some of my younger all women london collegues came up for a visit ,they was surprised that there was trams, multiculturalism, selection of reasturants etc etc.

There is a london bubble but it is just the same of any other capital city across the world, they do not realise they are in one. You can see the mindset on this thread that people think they are doing everywhere else a favour by visiting

.... and due to that thing called tourism and the money it generates, people who visit are kind of doing the area a favour, aren't they?

I suspect that 15 months ago op your local economy was on its knees and lots of local resident workers/ staff absolutely fucked without these 'silly tourists'