Are things becoming just a little bit shit?

[Bloomsburygirl]

I was wondering if anyone else has started to notice the deteriorating standards in public services and private businesses. I went to London over the weekend, and I was shocked by the filth and litter. I moved to the UK in 2011, and I visited many times before I moved. I do not remember rubbish strewn across streets like it is now. And every place I seem to go gives off a feeling that there simply are not enough staff anymore. Restaurant toilets and public toilets are filthy, it takes an age to be served, and don't get me started on public transport (I read the recent thread on this and agree with every word). It seems to me like the consequences of Brexit/pandemic are really starting to bite, and to be honest, I miss the way it was pre-2016. AIBU, or do others feel the same? And is this the new normal? Disclaimer - I still adore the UK and would never want to live anywhere else!

@SoySaucePls I know they can't spend like that again. But they can at least run things without the blatant corruption of the Tories. I mean the corruption has been absolutely blatant. I have felt at times like we are living in some third world country.

2012 was the beginning of the end.

@the80sweregreat have a look at Why I Hope to Die at 75 - The Atlantic. 75 is too young, but if I am blessed enough to live to 80 then I am happy to let nature take its course (palliative care only). The NHS merry-go-round is not for me and I would rather the money and services be used to benefit a younger person who has not yet had a full life.

I don't see how people can moan about shops in the high street being boarded up or libraries closing. That is a result of us shopping on line and downloading books on Kindle.

Taxes are high in the US too.

However, the taxing entities are not centralised, and you know where your money is going.

I pay federal and state income tax. There is a fee paid quarterly for water, sewage, and waste removal services, usually amounting to about $1600 per year in my municipality.

Homeowners also pay county and municipal taxes based on the valuation of your home. There are people in my suburb paying $50k annually in taxable valuation of their homes. Most pay a good deal less, of course.

The property taxes that go to the county and municipality pay for local services. Municipal services include parks, pools, rink, libraries, police, schools, streets and sanitation, elder services, fire department, building reg enforcement, animal control, graffiti abatement, youth services/ intervention, and various economic improvement initiatives, while county services include social services, county hospitals, county jails, county sheriffs, county courts, water reclamation, and lots more. Increased levies are voted on in local referenda, so residents get a say in any proposed raising of taxes.

It makes a huge difference to have adequately funded local services and to have local authorities accountable to the people who elected them. The defunding of local authorities is a massive issue in the UK.

I am in complete agreement with you.

Tories have been 100% shocking and corruption is rife.

I'm not sure though that I see Labour being whiter than white though in the future.

Sadly the Tories have given a lease of life to the Trump model of having no shame, no honour, no accountability for unlawful actions.

Let's hope I'm wrong.

@Bloomsburygirl I have noticed an increase in articles and comments urging us all to accept dying prematurely so we can avoid using healthcare. It is frankly a disgusting argument.

@mathanxiety local authorities need to be funded properly. But the property taxes in the US mean poorer people who own their homes outright can and do lose their homes.

It's just everything isn't it - not just NHS.

Just gone into my fridge to get the kids a smoothie from a delivery I had a couple of days ago. Luckily checked the date as they went off at the end of October! Now need to contact Sainsbury's which will no doubt be a long drawn out phone call with no real solution.

Ordered something a few weeks back from a very well known premium brand. They took my money (twice actually) and have yet to send the item. They have no email means of communicating and their phone line is never answered. Tried contacting on social media and after a very long wait I get back a generic "this is out of stock - more stock in the new year" message. No apology, no way of asking how I can get my money back.

These type of things are happening to me on a weekly basis and it is only getting worse.

@BestBadger

YYY to all that. It's a slow motion train wreck, horrifying to watch.

Train fares are horrific now. We used to often go on the train to London before the pandemic, it is just unaffordable now.

@StaunchMomma,
IClaudine's sunlit uplands comment was tongue in cheek.

Our government is a Kleptocracy, and they have gotten away with it to an extent because they are happy to preform all sorts of smoke and mirrors nonsense if it gets them into office, and then keeps them there until there is nothing left to steal.

Brexit, "oven ready deals", immigration posters, all of it lies, designed to play on people's fears, obfuscate the real issues, and get their hands on the levers of power, and now they are there it's manufactured moral panic over trans people, small boats, "leftie lawyers", tofu-eating wokerati, etc etc.

On my travels I certainly see more efficient places. Singapore and China spring to mind. However, in both of these places all works well until you disagree with the Government or even a local policy. Then, believe me, you can suffer. There is no such thing as free speech and both countries can detain political opponents indefinitely. Buy hey the streets are massively clean and it is very ordered.... I think I will stick with the UK.

@mantyzer I don't think anyone is urging people to die prematurely to save money. Rather, it is about recognising that delaying death is completely different from extending life and because modern medicine can delay death for a considerable time now, some people find it empowering to know that they are in control of how much and what type of medical intervention they wish to receive once they are past a certain age or have several co-morbidities. As more people do this, then perhaps some of the strain will be taken off the healthcare system...but this should be a by-product of people making more educated choices about the realistic quality of their life after major, intrusive medical intervention at a certain age, not a direct goal.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX true, but deeply depressing.

There is a very large and very happy medium between China and Singapore on the one hand, and the UK on the other.

You're damning with very faint praise there.

The trains are abysmal. If I can manage to get a train, on time, that goes all the way it is supposed to in the correct order and without having to stop half way and everyone get off and wait for another one, well, it's a miracle.

I went on a long distance journey last weekend and the outbound train stopped half way as they couldn't get a driver to take it all the way, and the connecting train was delayed. On the way back the train was on time but it was 'play sardines in the vestibule' time, not great when a massive pissed guy keeps knocking into you every time he loses his balance. And we are paying more and more on the ticket price for the privilege!

I travel regularly for work and each time I come back: the very poor standard starts at the airport! It is shocking!

I think they were being sarcastic. I hope.

I agree entirely.
What has got much worse since Brexit is open / aggressive divisiveness (whatever 'side' you were on). SM has exacerbated this.
We used to be a (relatively) tolerant & welcoming country: I appreciate that depends on your experience / skin colour but at least we pretended? / aspired to be. Now our Govt (& possibly our current monarch, depending who you believe in that saga) is nakedly racist, nakedly inward & backward looking.
This trickles down. Plus education, libraries, public services NHS, has all been cut to the bone. Energy & food costs a fortune - many are holding on by fingers.
So much of it was unnecessary & ideology driven it is incredibly sad/angrymaking.

@Bloomsburygirl people have always been able to do this and many older people in poor health have always chosen non treatment, or people with serious life threatening illness. But I have never seen so many articles and comments about it until very recently. It is trying to bring about a cultural change that you are selfish if you want to prolong your life. And it is disgusting.

I have cared for elderly relatives. My father in law decided on no treatment for cancer as he was frail and knew he wasn't up to it. My mum decided on no treatment for cancer as she didn't want to go through it and live with the consequences of the treatment. People have always done this. But no one promoted this as a good thing to them.

Old people are not stupid. They see older relatives and loved ones go through surgeries and treatments and make decisions for theor won acre on that basis.

It's a rare occurrence.

You're far more likely to lose a home because of predatory lending by private finance companies (as happened in the crash of 2008)., though in the wake of that scandal there was a tightening of regulations.

If someone owns their home outright, they are asset rich, though perhaps cash poor. They have the choice to sell. Older people can claim a property tax discount based on age too, on top of their owner-occupier discount.

@IDontHateRainbows I agree our trains are abysmal. And yet everyone who understands economics knows that good functioning public transport is essential for a strong economy.
The current Conservative government do not seem to understand anything about how to encourage a strong economy, or maybe just dont care.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX yep