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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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 Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 12:46 am Post subject: The UK is Going Down the Loo |
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Well, having moved to Korea all those years ago, I am quite happy. When I read stories on news websites based in the UK, I often wonder how my friends and family are doing.
There is this recent story:
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Mother fined �300 for putting bins out early
By Urmee Khan
A woman has been fined nearly �300 for leaving her bins out a day before they were due to be collected.
Zoe Watmough, 22, left the bins, a grey one and a green one for recycling, outside her home on a Wednesday ready for collection the next day.
Council officers issued her with a �75 fine claiming that the bins had been put out 24 hours before they were due to be emptied.
But the mother-of-three refused to pay and ended up facing magistrates in Bolton, where she was fined �125 and ordered to pay �125 costs and a �15 victim surcharge.
Speaking on Wednesday, Miss Watmough said: "I am flabbergasted at the outcome. All I did was put my rubbish out the night before it was due to be collected.
"Surely households up and down the country do that every week. The next thing I knew, I got a letter from the council which said I was getting a fine. There was no way I could afford to pay it."
She added: "Everybody in this area puts their bins out the day before collection. I don't see what the problem is. I have not hurt anyone, caused any obstruction or even littered the area. The fact is, I can't afford to pay the fine."
The court heard that Miss Watmough had already been sent a warning under environmental health rules by council officers who spotted her bins on the street on a Tuesday last November. Officers claimed that the bins had been put out 48 hours before collection.
Bolton council said it was pursuing prosecutions over bins left on streets because of the number of arson attacks by youths.
A spokesman said: "Officers visited on Jan 23 to find bins belonging to Miss Watmough on the public highway. On this occasion no other bins from neighbouring properties were in the street.
"Miss Watmough was issued a fixed penalty notice for failing to return her waste bins to her property. This penalty was not paid in the specified time period of 14 days and legal proceedings were initiated."
Disputes between residents and councils over bin collection are increasingly common.
Last week Barry Freezer, a 73-year-old retired milkman, mistakenly put cabbage stalks in with his garden waste and was reprimanded by Norwich city council. Binmen claimed that the trimmings were kitchen rubbish.
The same council had refused to empty the bin of partially-sighted Lenny Woodward, 95, because he put a ketchup bottle and an empty coffee jar in the wrong bin. |
As you can see, if someone puts their bin out during the night in the UK, you could face a huge fine. What a slap in the face this is. So how do other UK residents in Korea feel about how the UK is doing now? Do you think the British Government has got so desperate that they start to fine anyone who does anything? Would you ever go back to be treated like this? Just some opinions that is all from other UK residents. |
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Css
Joined: 27 Sep 2004
Location: South of the river
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 12:50 am Post subject: |
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| I try to avoid reading the UK press because it just makes me depressed about how bad things have become over there. |
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crash bang
Joined: 11 Jul 2007
Location: gwangju
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| slow news day, eh? |
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big_blue_21
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| i don't know, i've always equated Englishness with inflexibility since staying there last May . . . The guy wouldn't let me check until my hotel room an hour early even though the room had already been cleaned and then for the key deposit (not, the payment, this was a deposit, meaning I was getting the money back the next day when I checked out!!! It was my money, not his!) he wouldn't take US dollars even though I didn't have a single pound on me--he wouldn't let me exchange the dollars with him personally or run it on my credit card . . . Sorry, I was only in the country for 12 hours, but it made a really bad impression on me!!! . . . |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| I am glad that I am in Korea and not in the UK now. All my friends are complaining about how bad the UK is now. |
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big_blue_21
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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i don't know if anyone's told you, but I noticed your avatar a few days ago . . . cute!!!
Last edited by big_blue_21 on Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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safeblad
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Whistleblower wrote: |
| I am glad that I am in Korea and not in the UK now. All my friends are complaining about how bad the UK is now. |
I really like i lot of things about england and englishness ( as opposed to britishness). I really believe england has a lot of great things about it sorely lacking in places like korea.
That said, even my parents are saying to me: 'are you sure you want to come home?' There is a funny mood in the UK where the country just seems to be slipping away from us all.
It seems as though many of the best and brightest are leaving. I was reading the other day about how loads of police are moving to canada. Many of those who can afford to are upping and leaving to france, spain, australia, california etc. Maybe I will join them.
Even the poles are all going home. |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="safeblad"]
| Whistleblower wrote: |
I was reading the other day about how loads of police are moving to canada. Many of those who can afford to are upping and leaving to france, spain, australia, california etc. Maybe I will join them.
Even the poles are all going home. |
Why would anyone leave Europe to go to Canada? |
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safeblad
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Ukon wrote: |
| safeblad wrote: |
| I was reading the other day about how loads of police are moving to canada. Many of those who can afford to are upping and leaving to france, spain, australia, california etc. Maybe I will join them. |
Even the poles are all going home. |
Why would anyone leave Europe to go to Canada?[/quote]
beats me
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/25/canada
i hope that link works, guardian is blocked at work |
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ds_fan
Joined: 07 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| ah people complain wherever they are, nought to worry about, im sure a similar episode has happened in korea too. |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| I really believe england has a lot of great things about it sorely lacking in places like korea. |
Agreed. But people leave for a number of reasons. I got fed up wanky 'career' jobs. Working with lazy bastard lifers. My brother and my brother in law have gone freelance in nuclear safety and PR respecitvely because they were sick to death of shit bosses making shit decisions.
My family and friends are there in England, but they are happy. It's only when you live abroad that you can put your own country into perspective. You may have had an idea that it was a craphole, but moving away just highlights these problems and in most cases confirms them.
Globalisation nowadays allows such easy movement of work. It'd be rude not to take the chance while you have it. Get some different experience, earn some money.
This is why I always find it interesting to speak to Koreans about living and growing up. Koreans seem to put a lot of emphasis on finding the partner and being married by 30. In England something has been bred into us that means that this isn't the most important factor. It's important but nowadays people aren't judged by whether they're married or what job they have. It's sad to see when that is taken into judgements. |
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WoBW
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: HBC
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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I left because I was sick and tired of the whole place. I can't put my finger on one particular thing, there were so many factors. High cost of living day-to-day. There's too much violence in the streets, it's not so much the amount of violence - it's the fact it's so random. Gangs of yobs attacking a total stranger. In my city they have had to install extra lighting along one of the main drags, and the police have patrols on horses every Friday and Saturday night. HORSES for fucks sake.
Then there's the fact that so many people are so miserable. Yes, the Brits do have a unique and wonderful sense of humour, but still...
I had what some might call a 'good' respectable career job for more than 10 years. Loved it for many years, the last couple were utter hell.
The day I quit, I walked out of there with mixed emotions - happiness and joy. As for the rest of the country, I haven't missed it for a second in the 5+ years I've been away.
I've lost contact with everyone there, have no ties at all to the place. Actually that's a bummer when I need to get my CRC done - I have nobody there who I can get stuff mailed to. |
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it's full of stars
Joined: 26 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd like to know what is Britishness as opposed to Englishness? Not being even remotely funny, actually quite interested. |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| it's full of stars wrote: |
| I'd like to know what is Britishness as opposed to Englishness? Not being even remotely funny, actually quite interested. |
Never heard of the expression Englishness, because it'd be a little too open. English is the language so I'd imagine that'd include many different cultures: Aussie, NZ, Yanks etc. Britishness is confined to the country and means we are a slightly pessimistic nation, prone to occasional eccentricity and drinking 'Binge'. |
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WoBW
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: HBC
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I guess the English, Scots and Welsh do kind of have their own identity. Don't forget it's only been the United Kingdom since 1707, before that they were ruled seperately. Actually not sure about Wales.
Traditionally the Scots and the Welsh hate the English because we kicked their arses and treated them quite badly.
Having said that, the North and the South of England kind of have distinct identities. Northerners call southerners Southern Softies, Southerners call Northerners Northern Scum. Back in the eighties there was a considerable economic divide between the more affluent South and the more working class North. At football matches it was not uncommon for Southerners to throw pound coins at the Northern fans. |
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