AIBU to think we are edging worryingly close to anarchy?

[Noras]

Am I unreasonable to believe that we are 2 or 3 steps away from anarchy?

Just that really. We see endless footage of quite aggressive and in the open. Shop lifting. People seem to have no shame eg driving over parkland or chucking rubbish out of car windows. Kids ran amok in Cornwall. People decide to live in caravans anywhere and just poo in parkland. Fly tipping is rife.
People freely wal: around the streets under the influence of drugs. People go to upmarket gyms with ankle tags and no sense of shame. People are more abusive and rude.

Sounds good to be fair.

CCTV is a mixed blessing. It can make it easier to prove crime, but if it's not there, a complaint is more likely to be dismissed with "we can't prove anything without CCTV". I'm not fond of devices which encourage you to have CCTV in your own home: Ring doorbells, pet cams, which can be hacked; and I do worry about a future government being able to monitor us in our homes, with our own CCTV, to check we're not breaking lockdown, and things like that. I think this could become a reality in decades to come, if we are not careful. I don't mind CCTV in public places, but I think we need to be careful about allowing it in our homes too much.

I seem to remember that when CCTV was relatively new, shops reported that it ceased to act as a deterrent after a while, and it was more effective to have people watching the shoppers instead.

My lived experience/opinion/whatever is that people are naturally self centred. I am not about to list every instance that has brought me to this conclusion.

But okay I will bite. What do you think I could read that will erase my experience?

This isn’t about ascribing random motives to people looking at me funny or whatever.

This is about people doing and saying harmful/malicious things which leave no doubt of their intentions.

Yes but I presumed it was fine given that I am being dismissed as drawing conclusions from ‘some bloke looking at me funny in the post office’.

Then that’s lovely for you.

Everyone is jumping on me to prove me wrong, and proving my point along the way.

Does my opinion of society matter? No. In the event of world collapse, you can rest easy that I will take my chances and won’t be asking anything of anyone.

The evidence suggests that the ability to cooperate and work together has always been essential for human survival and success . The only people who can survive on their own are the strong, healthy adults. And even they need support from others to thrive long term.
You may have had negative experiences and I’m sorry that had made you so cynical about people.

Meh I’m fine with it,

How so? I find it very off putting especially when they are using the gym to meet up with people they should be kept away from.

You haven't read the news if you believe this is true. Favourite things to steal are alcohol and steak.

I thought Bournemouth had been considered a run down for decades. Forgive my ignorance if I'm wrong, but I thought it fell in the same camp as most old English holiday seaside towns.

Er, no.

Yes, I was just thinking this reading through the thread. I haven't seen this happening in any of the supermarkets in my local city and there is deprivation there. I think it must be confined to the most deprived areas.

I don't think you need to read anything, you need to find better people in your life. I have never in my almost 67 years associated with people doing and saying harmful/malicious things.

Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. There are places like Leamington Spa that have specific operations going on funded by the home office called op resolve that are specifically targeting shoplifters and antisocial behaviour. There was over £180,000 spent to try and bring it down.
It had some success, but the minute the money runs out it’ll be back to normal because they aren’t dealing with the root cause they’re just scratching surface
You have to wonder how bad it has to be before the home office specifically puts in targeted support
I’d say it has to be pretty bad

What happens long term is shops close down. That handy local shop just disappears. Marks and Spencer’s lapses into receivership etc etc. They won’t wait for the police to bring in an extra copper of for the government to tighten up some policies, they just shut up shop and local people suffer some more.

Do you reckon? Corner shop yes but why would m&s etc go into receivership when more of their sales are online even now?

the retail model is becoming obsolete, for sure. It’s not accurate to hold shoplifting responsible though

I have some amazing people in my life.

I just dont automatically trust many people. Personal experience and seeing wider human behaviour has convinced me that humans are no different to any other animals.

Look at Covid - people were breaking lockdown rules for their own selfish reasons and others were reporting them.

If shoplifting gets out of control then shops will close down. Many big names have closed their bricks and mortar stores in San Francisco because staff were not safe.

M&S closed its store in Castleford. I know that they shut quite a few “town” locations, but the last time I went in the Castleford branch, the meat was not just tagged, it was not on display . You had to ask.

The “poverty” excuse is pathetic. The thieves are not trying to feed a family. They are addicts or criminals selling the stuff on. A desperate parent is not armed with a knife and ready to assault anyone who gets in their way.

I think we're going the same way as America unfortunately. A very divided society, towns and cities with more people living in tents and vans, shops closing down in some neighbourhoods because of safety concerns.

I don't know why anyone would deny this. Maybe they haven't seen it with their own eyes.

We need to invest in police and public services, that's for sure.

Your experience is totally valid. My experience is that 9 out of 10 people are nice or OK and 1 in 10 is a total shxtbag.

That 1 in 10 is enough to create real problems for everyone else. The history of the world backs this up.

I completely agree with this.

www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/03/marks-spencer-calls-crackdown-retail-crime-clapham

I walk a lot on our local canal footpath and often think exactly the same! Far too many people (usually with dogs!) completely self absorbed and oblivious to those around them, not giving a toss if they are dawdling in your way, or their dog is wrapping it's stupidly long extendable lead around your legs, or tripping you up! Not to mention cyclists trying the break the speed record and just barging through you expecting you to leap out of their way. I'd love a cattle prod to "prod" the dawdlers and dogs out of the way, and yes, almost fantasise about pushing a selfish arrogant speeding cyclist into the canal!

Where the hell has common sense and consideration gone? Why are so many people so selfish and self-absorbed these days?

CCTV is pointless if the police aren't willing to act on reports of shoplifting. Our local village Co Op report every time, but they say police just basically shrug and use the "under £200" excuse of not bothering to take any action, unless there was violence involved, or a knife etc. They've been given the CCTV showing the thieves getting into their vans, with registration numbers clearly shown, plus business name/phone numbers etc on the side of the van and the police have still declined to take further action.

They are gathering the stats though and that gets used to allocate police results soon so it’s still worth reporting because if you don’t, they’ll just claim it. It’s not happening.