EVERYONE is a drug dealer

[CommonOrNot]

Bear with me…

I have name changed for this for seemingly obvious reasons. Yesterday, I was at the hairdressers getting my usual weekly services chatting as usual to my hairdresser - who every single week I’m there is dating a new drug dealer. She is very much a “glam” type. Neither of these things are uncommon in my city.

She then turns to the woman next to me and starts chatting about said woman’s partner and when he’s going to be on day release from prison and how he’s getting XYZ done cosmetically but it’s ok because the prison thinks he has a business so the money won’t be from dealing. (In other words, he’s still very much running an enterprise from behind bars). Again not uncommon in my area.

it got me thinking, in my city almost everyone has some sort of connection to dealing drugs. at all levels. I’m not exaggerating, I can’t think of a single person that doesn’t either deal themselves or is close friends with someone who does. All the women are dressed head to toe in designer, surgery, etc. the males have big cars, watches, designer clothes. It’s quite rare to see anyone under 30 without this aesthetic.

the 35+ generation maybe not so much but I would say all people I know in this age bracket absolutely have ties to someone who is a dealer.

before anyone comments that people may have the money for this aesthetic through legitimate reasons, I myself have a “flash” car, designer clothes, cosmetic procedures etc. but through running businesses and my partner being a well payed professional. I’m talking specifically about people that I know are dealers, and when I was thinking about it last night I was actually baffled how there seems to be so many.

PS I know there are people that work to have what they have, I’m talking about my city specifically being particularly dense with criminal activity and I’m wondering if it’s a regional thing or not. Where you are, is this the case?

I know people who live in Liverpool and have done in the past.

Do you know what? They aren’t/weren’t hanging out with drug dealers in Liverpool.

Surely it's only the people you socialise with?.
I live in a city I don't know any drug dealers or know anyone who knows any drug dealers.

I truly don't know any drug dealers.
I don't know anyone who takes them, either.

I used to know a couple of addicts when we lived in London but we've been in a little Scottish village for six years now, and I don't know a single addict here. I'm sure there are some but I don't know them

My hairdresser is about my age, dresses in normal clothes and hasn't had cosmetic surgery.

Actually, now I think about it, I don't know anyone who's had cosmetic surgery.
Or anyone with a tattoo

I don’t think that region has more drug dealing as such but it’s more open/obvious if that makes sense.

I don't know any drug dealers, anyone related to a drug dealer, or indeed how to even buy any drugs.
I'm more, well equally, astounded that you go to the hairdressers every week!! I can't even afford to go every month - and I have a very well paid job (but then again, I don't sell drugs).

I can guarantee if you randomly selected 20 people from any area in my city every single one of them would either be a dealer or know one.

An economist could chat you through why your theory doesn't stand up, and a sociologist could explain how our perceptions are shaped by our social milieu.

But I did think "Bet it's Liverpool"

Ah well, that's where you're going wrong.
You need to start dealing drugs.

I grew up in a rough part of London which is now gentrified big time. Certainly aware of more drug users now!

No, I do not know any dealers, OP.

Three different friends have offered me a referral code for the Zoe nutrition testing though.

This always happens on these threads where people involved in drugs or socialising in the drugs scene try and normalise it. We get 'everybody uses cocaine' threads regularly (they don't), we get 'all teenagers smoke weed' (they don't) and now we have 'everyone deals or knows a dealer' (they don't). But for some it's the norm of their every day life, that's all.

I don' know a single drug dealer and I never have. I do know a couple of people who smoke weed though. (One neighbours and one bloke DH knows/works with.) The smell makes me gag.

Lots of dealers where I grew up (sinkhole estate in a mining village). None as far as I know where I live now (posh peak District village where I am probably reducing house values just by living here 😂) but you never know. These posh places have all sorts of secrets. There's probably dealers, swingers, doggers and all sorts hiding behind the W.I. and the church bell ringers society.

I don’t know anyone who deals or takes. I am 52 though.

Well quite. But I think this may be due to the fact it’s so common where I am. For example, if I get chatting to somebody and they ask what my partner does for a living, it’s often met with an “oh?” As it’s a very professional job.

where I am It’s very very assumed that if you’re young and have nice things then you’re up to something. That is the long and short of it

Not my experience but then I live in a very ordinary suburb. People have flash cars but very little designer wear (except the yoga clothes).

I know we get dealers down from London and some areas of the town have problems, but it’s not the “glamorous” type of lifestyle you mention. Much rougher than that. A few shootings too.

It’s clearly that the poster doesn’t recognise how unrepresentative her social world is.

People tend to universalise their own experience. And simply have no idea that there are loads of people who live different lives who aren’t socialising with the same people they are.

Even in schools, social circles tend to diverge so that the kids embroiled in drug dealing are not friends with loads of the other kids. The other kids all know who the ‘wrong ‘uns’ are - they just don’t socialise with them. And once they leave school, their lives totally diverge to the point where they no longer know any of these kind of people by name.

@CommonOrNot If you are looking around you and don’t like what you see, you can make different choices and surround yourself with completely different kinds of people.

Sounds grim. I'm in 30s, live in London and don't know a single drug dealer..

This. ^ I don't know anyone who uses cocaine, or heroin. I hardly know anyone who even smokes normal cigarettes! None of my friends do, or anyone in my workplace of 17 people. Aged 53 down to 19.

DD (in her 20s,) has about 25 friends - yes really - from uni, school, work, drama group, and a job she used to work at, and not a single one smokes. Not one. Or their partners/husbands/wives.

Some people assume because they know loads of people who 'do drugs,' that anyone who says they don't know anyone like this is lying! Bizarre.

I don’t know anyone who is a drug dealer, but I live 11 miles out of a big city in the South of the country. If I went to a hairdresser and they spoke so openly like that, I would never return. Just not the sort of people I could spend time with, even if she was just cutting my hair. Like some people have said, you’re mixing in the wrong circles. I know the type you’re describing I.e surgery, flash watches, but never come across any in the area I live in.

The fact alone that you're in the hairdressers for "weekly services", suggests that we move in very different worlds!

I'm 39, professional job, living in a large town, and honestly can say I don't know anyone who is involved in drugs.

I'd suggest you re-evaluate the people you associate with.

This whole post reads like a massive flex, and honestly hun, it's not the flex you think it is. It sounds utterly pathetic.

I'm fascinated as to why Liverpool is like this. I've visited a few times and I certainly didn't think the people when we were walking around the shops were any more glamorous than anywhere else. I've read on here about how important appearances of yourself, your kids, house etc are in Liverpool and how some people will get into debt to maintain that look. Maybe people will do anything such as drug dealing to keep their income high.

It's a very interesting place and very unique in its character. I'm saying this as a Northerner from an ex industrial town BTW not a Home Counties yummy mummy.

Surely others don’t say ‘oh Tom, he deals crack’ 😳.

Honestly you need to find a new hairdresser.

You probably do know someone with a tattoo. Most people don’t know I have tattoos (unless they’ve seen me in a bikini). And if the tweakments are done well people don’t notice that either.

@CommonOrNot so why don't you simply name the city you live in rather than the 'north west'? You're very protective of naming this drug fuelled city for someone who claims not to be involved in drugs... You've asked everyone else where they live though...

Drugs are everywhere and there will.be drug dealers everywhere but that doesn't mean everyone is a,drug dealer or connected to one its ridiculous to suggest it is so.