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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to get back from my holidays and think this country is RUBBISH??

67 replies

preciouslillywhite · 01/08/2009 18:34

I went to the Netherlands. We stayed on a busy campsite with a water "fun" park in a caravan with four kids. It rained. A lot.

BUT

the people we met-including in Amsterdam and tourist traps- were all LOVELY.Bus drivers kept letting us off a kid fare or two, shopkeepers kept chatting to the littl'uns, sweets were handed out etc etc. We even got extra squirty cream in our hot chocolate, cos dds are twins..

Now keep wishing we lived in a peaceful, tolerant, permissive and laid back country, where everything is nice and cute and tidy and everyone is kind and smiley. Instead of in a snarly shithole where people are suspicious and mean and judgmental

Well? whaddya think? AIBU??

OP posts:
dizzydixies · 01/08/2009 18:35

if its that bad here for you then move - there are worse places imo and people are desperate to be living here

agree that there could be more tolerance/respect etc but it all starts with us being a bit kinder to each other

K999 · 01/08/2009 18:37

I agree with Dizzy!

isoldeone · 01/08/2009 18:38

no - Holland is much more family friendly. I lived there for a bit. My fav example is the nuclear powerplant that got turned into a family friendly themepark with free chips and ice cream - lekker!

PrincessToadstool · 01/08/2009 18:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HeadFairy · 01/08/2009 18:39

The netherlands has it's problems too you know, there's a very strong far right... it's always very easy to get a little bit "grass is always greener" when you've been on holiday somewhere. Nowhere's perfect.

Original poster
preciouslillywhite · 01/08/2009 18:40

Yeah, Dizzy, but it doesn't really work like that...plus I am ALWAYS gracious sweet and kind (to strangers, not my nearest and dearest, o course)

Also can't see my kids or dp learning DUTCH, tbh

OP posts:
kormachameleon · 01/08/2009 18:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dizzydixies · 01/08/2009 18:42

I know it doesn't work like that but just because you're surrounded by grumpy bastards here doesn't mean you can't see the good in people

it IS more family friendly in other countries by their very nature but I suppose its a case of either suck it up, make the most of it or move

come to Scotland - we're lovely

kormachameleon · 01/08/2009 18:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FlamongoBongo · 01/08/2009 18:44

YABU - I have all those things happening in the UK. Maybe you live in a shit town?

Original poster
preciouslillywhite · 01/08/2009 18:44

Yes, Fairy, I'm aware of the far right thing, and was sort of looking out for it. And I did notice that a lot of the rubbish jobs were being done by Somalis...BUT I also noticed on longer journeys white apparently middle class dutch people striking up conversations with ethnic minority families. Something I don't see much down my way.

OP posts:
Original poster
preciouslillywhite · 01/08/2009 18:46

Flamongo- I'm in London. Am I still BU??

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 01/08/2009 18:46

maybe it was a holiday family friendly place (though I am fond of the Netherlands)

today, some bt openworld fucker engineer hooted as some very kind bloke let us cross the road in front of him on a v busy road (so all the guy did was slow down marginally). If I hadn't had the kids with me, I'd have been tempted to give him the finger!

Original poster
preciouslillywhite · 01/08/2009 18:47

TBH fox the holiday place itself wasn't much cop in the friendly stakes..it was when we went out everyone was lovely!

OP posts:
HeadFairy · 01/08/2009 18:48

Maybe they were asking them to carry their bags... sorry that was very flippant.

I'm sure there are lots of lovely people there, but there are lots of lovely people here too. The grass is never greener... just different.

muggglewump · 01/08/2009 18:49

That happens in the samll town I live in (which I hate btw).
I can get on the bus with no change and pay next time. The Greengrocer gives DD a few grapes, or puts in an extra apple.
The cafe put extra squirty cream on her hot choc, because I used to work there (and I used to do it for nice customers).
I was at the local shop earlier, a chain but they asked if I wanted some melons snigger, that were about to be binned. I took two. I was offered because I know them, I've lived here for 8 years.

Many places in this country are like this.

FlamongoBongo · 01/08/2009 18:49

YABU to think the whole country is like you describe, though, Precious. you need to change your OP to AIBU to think London is RUBBISH?

HeadFairy · 01/08/2009 18:50

Precious, I'm in London too and I don't think everyone's horrible here. The only time I've ever been a victim of crime in the UK was actually in a city in the North (won't say which one in case I upset anyone) where there was much more violence and people seemed to turn and look the other way (I was mugged a couple of times and had people literally stepping over me). Here in London I've never experienced anything like that.

foxinsocks · 01/08/2009 18:50

I can sympathise with you feeling that way though I still love it here (London).

I stopped someone in Cov Gdn stepping out into the road in front of a bus (was a tourist, just looked the wrong way and didn't see the traffic coming) and I got a stream of abuse. You just can't win sometimes! But then again, I have had a really good run of bumping into polite people on buses and tubes recently so I'm not going to complain!

HeadFairy · 01/08/2009 18:50

Oi Flamongo, London ain't rubbish.. right? If you say it is I'll send the boys round

foxinsocks · 01/08/2009 18:51

although even here, the guard held the train for me when he saw me running, the curry delivery bloke let me under pay by £5 because he knew I'd drop the remainder off and the paper guy gives me papers even if I don't have change because he knows I'll come back and pay him.

So we're not all bad

stuffitlllama · 01/08/2009 18:52

No, it's lovely in the UK. Maybe in London people are a bit snarly but outside it people are friendly, helpful, polite to adults and children and the driving is fantastic.

I know there are areas where people behave very badly but the general level of politeness and kindness is always very refreshing.

edam · 01/08/2009 18:53

Don't move to Holland, they are going to be fucked when global warming really gets going. It'll take more than one little boy with his finger in the dyke to sort that out...

FlamongoBongo · 01/08/2009 18:53

I didn't say it was rubbish! I said the OP was BU for saying the whole country was rubbish, when actually there are clearly areas that aren't!

And I have some well 'ard friends so I wouldn't bother with your boys if I were you!

stuffitlllama · 01/08/2009 18:54

And you really need to live somewhere to know it. Believe me!