To wonder why the UK is so filthy compared to other places?

[OptimismvsRealism]

Everywhere I've visited recently in Europe seems immaculate compared to my home city and other cities I visit for work etc. even the US seems better. What's going on??

Really think filth in public places is at the heart of a lot of our problems.

Oh I'm with you on the poo bins, they just stack it or put it next to the bin. Disgusting!! I've seen some thrown in neighbours bushes too!

Many places I've been to are much dirtier than in the UK but constantly belittling the UK seems to be many people's hobby on MN!

Well there’s dirtier places and cleaner places but I think the UK has got dirtier. Basically the councils have no money to clean up and people don’t take responsibility for themselves.

I agree with the OP.

Our towns and cities are so run down and untidy.

Overgrown paths, trees, pavements dug up again and gain to lay cables but not matched in when re-layed, dirty, tack shop fronts, loads of empty shops, drains blocked and toads flooded. Dirty rivers.

We visit Europe (areas of France, Hungary, The Netherlands and Italy) and they are vibrant and cared for. There are standards that we no longer have.

Conservative government cutting council and other service’s spending. Cheap deals by central government, with shareholders taking the profits for jobs poorly done. Society lacking in high standards, effort and care.

You should see New York

Well said @OhmygodDont

New York actually prompted this thread! I don't love it as a destination but it makes Edinburgh and Newcastle look like shit (to be honest they make themselves look like shit).

The first time I ever visited Kent, I was astounded at the amount of litter and rubbish there was compared to my northern town (which is still quite clean).

I think that my current town in Scotland has overtaken Kent now ... I think people have got progressively mankier and councils have cut back on cleansing.

I don't think the UK is substantially dirtier or cleaner than other places and it varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

Fewer dogshit/ ornamental poo bags would be appreciated though, but again, it's localised.

I wonder if the people who don't think it's that bad live in leafy suburbs...

I live in London, where do you live?

I think of UK city streets as relatively tidy, not too smelly but full of ground in dirt and muck.

European city streets get washed every night so you get a the cleaner look and clean smell mixed with the pungency of bad drains and the aroma of those giant communal bins they have.

So it’s swings and roundabouts.

My husband's family come from a town in southern Italy. It's a beautiful area, but every time I have visited I have been shocked by the amount of graffiti and litter there is in public areas. The bushes along every road are full of litter, and there is graffiti everywhere. It's disgusting.

I do think some countries really do put a lot of effort into to keeping areas neat and tidy though. I went to Lithuania about ten years ago and it was so clean and neat and tidy everywhere we went. I suppose it could have gone down hill since then but I hope not.

I think British roads are really poor, but cleanliness wise I don't think we're either the best or the worst in the world, and the town I live in is always clean and tidy.

Central London benefits from disproportionate government funding and corporate sponsorship. It's not a typical British town. That said, it's filthy compared to many European destinations.

you’re really not having a great holiday are you? given this and your other thread!

I was shocked by the number of discarded cigarette butts lining the streets of Auckland. So nasty.

Most of the roads near me in NI are lined with the rubbish people throw out of their cars. That’s disgusting too.

Which European places though? I’ve been in Paris, Rome, Stockholm and Faro this year (travel lots for work). Only Stockholm was cleaner than London in my opinion.

A lot of people here are inconsiderate and disgusting. I was at a beautiful country park last year, and some people who were extremely well turned out in an expensive Range Rover parked just across from me. There was a bin about twenty paces away, but they still dumped a load of shit (literal shit, as in dog shit and dirty nappies) outside their car plus rubbish from food and drinks, then just drove away and just left the whole mess there for someone else to deal with. Dirty fuckers. Wish I'd photographed their car and the mess, and posted it on a local FB group or something. Why would anyone think that was acceptable?!

Reflecting it's a lot better where I am now anyway!

Depends where you are and when you go abroad...I found France in the cities and Rome etc to get very dirty compared to London. Near me it's pretty clean. France seemed to have dog poo on the floor everywhere..yuk

in 2022 when there was a bin strike perhaps?

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/7b19/live/95fa5330-2260-11ef-b40a-01d78a8b114b.jpg.webp

This year. I thought there was a bin strike but turns out not! Genuinely tragic waste of a potentially world class city.

Visit Paris.

Our motorway verges are mostly glorious, especially at this time of year, I saw so many poppies and wildflowers driving back from Norfolk last week.

Having been stuck on the side of a motorway for 3 hours waiting to have the car transported, if you take a proper look at the hard shoulder, you'd not like what you'd find.

Endless bottles of "Driver Tizer" and bags of shit.

motorway verges are so depressing here, some places are like driving through landfill