I've now finished the unpacking, the washing and ironing and writing the thank you letters (ok, thank you emails) and I can turn my full attention to telling you all that London is even worse now than it was when I left 19 months ago. I won't go on about the cost of everything in London because everyone knows that, or the disgusting beer (it really does taste like flavoured water compared with Czech beer) or the litter, traffic or the number of people - I had to queue for 40 minutes to buy a train ticket at Victoria Station. What I want to tell you about was an incident that happened to me as I was walking down Victoria Street in London, towards Victoria, to get a train to Gatwick to fly up to Manchester (so much for climate change - it's actually cheaper to fly the 200 miles than it is to go by train). I was pulling a suitcase with one hand and had a handbag and shopping bag in the other. A young lad, aged about 18, was walking straight towards me, hands in his pockets, with a girl walking alongside him. One of us was going to have to move or we would collide. I couldn't go anywhere because my suitcase was close to the wall on my right, so I stopped and he had to move to get round me. As he walked past me, he said "Why should I move for you?" to which I said "Because I'm carrying more than you and I'm older than you." Which got the usual response of "F**k off!" Can you imagine that happening in Prague?! That's why I will never live in the UK again.
I can easily imagine it happening anywhere in the Czech Republic, the only difference being the sentence given in Czech instead of English. Kids are getting brattier, ruder and more aggressive. :x I guess two main reasons are: 1. they can get away with it; 2. bad upbringing (kids are spoiled by their parents - wonders of modern education when kids are allowed to do as they please, good old "Stromek je třeba ohýbat dokud je mladý" seems to be out of fashion). I'm starting to worry how it will be in the era I'll be old and defenseless.
You amaze me. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have seen even the most surly youth fail to give up his seat on the tram in Prague for an OAP (old aged pensioner). They'd laugh at you (or worse) in London if you suggested they should stand up to let a pensioner sit down!
Dear Polednikova Jsem sorry that you had a bad encounter there in UK. It seems to be the case everwhere you go. Kids with no respect at all. Could care less of your well being. Times have changed for the worse, but there is still hope. There are still some nice respectful kids out there who care. Jody :wink:
in italy this situation wouldn't be strange. its not about london or prague (are you sure the youngsters in CR are better???). I hope you'r going to change place for other serious and concrete reasons.
Polednokova wrote...I was pulling a suitcase with one hand and had a handbag and shopping bag in the other. A young lad, aged about 18, was walking straight towards me, hands in his pockets, with a girl walking alongside him. One of us was going to have to move or we would collide. I couldn't go anywhere because my suitcase was close to the wall on my right, so I stopped and he had to move to get round me. As he walked past me, he said "Why should I move for you?" to which I said "Because I'm carrying more than you and I'm older than you." Which got the usual response of "F**k off!". Now that is the epitome of rudeness. That fellow was making a point to be rude, not just inconsiderate, but very intentional. What an ugly attitude. I have never seen that. What breeds that kind of smugness, I wonder?
Namby pamby politically correct teaching and policing :x Please don't let the politicians let The Czech Republic go the same way (although i think it has already started).
Polednikova, I totally agree with you on London. i returned from Edinburgh to London for a short break back in March. After a 4 hour delay, we landed safely at Heathrow, and from then on i just wished that i had returned to Prague instead. This was my first visit back to London in 20 years and i got the shock of my life at the standard of the hotel, the rudeness, the pushing and barging to get on or off the tube or the buses. The attitude towards tourists asking for help was embarrassing. I couldn,t help thinking what tourists must think. London has is very expensive for eating out and the tourist attractions are way over priced. All i can say is, i was glad to get home and shattered after a 11 hour delay on our return flight. I would like to think that Edinburgh is similar to Prague in respect that people still form orderly queues when getting on or off buses and that the elderly are still given priority for seats, and that our tourists are catered and cared for with respect. I,ll be returning to Prague!!!!
I had to spend a few days in London 3 years ago after a 10 year lapse, and was amazed at the high cost of life. Even public transports are extremely expensive compared to Prague or even Paris. As for rudeness, I have always known Londoners as hostile, arrogant, impolite people, so I was vaccinated. The huge change of population is also a source of concern. It seems Africa, the Arab world and Asia have downpoored their surplus millions. Sometimes I wondered how many British people were still authorized to live in London. Perhaps they'll soon have to hold a passport to get there. :lol:
Thank you so much, ollie and Qcumber. I meet lots of people here who think London is so wonderful and that I'm mad. I promise I won't got on but something else that struck me was the level of noise. The traffic just never stops and little things like badly behaved children - supermarkets in Prague are like an oasis of peace and calm compared to those in London, where every other child seems to suffer from attention deficit disorder and their parents just let them run around making a nuisance of themselves! Right, that's it - rant over until I have to go back to the UK again!
Polednikova. As Ollie said, Edinburgh is so much nicer than London. If you're in London and have a few spare days then come up to Scotland. I'm sure you would be pleasantly surprised at the difference in attitude to tourists. In London they're seen as a nuisance, in Edinburgh they are greeted like old friends. Here's a couple of pics.
Thank you for those beautiful photos, Alan. I know that London is not the UK, I just wanted to moan about it how dreadful it was. And the annoying thing is that in London, I don't consider myself a tourist, I lived there for over twenty years and I still have a flat there. Although I don't know Edinburgh well, I do have a very good friend who has a flat in St Andrews and have been up to visit her several times. Both Edinburgh and St Andrews are very attractive and I have always been lucky with the weather.
My experience in both London and Prague the same.Had a young teen try sway me I bumped him over instead for being such a prat when in Prague.He was jealous his czech girl was eyeing me as I was walking they were both taking the whole pavement.
I agree with Alan. I've lived in Edinburgh between 1976 and 1983 right after spending 7 years in London. There is a world of difference. Edinburgh is civilized, albeit a little bit sleepy, but the quality of life there is far superior to London. I worked at the Lyceum Theatre there (as well as a couple of theatres in Glasgow) and I have only the fondest of memories. Couple of years ago I returned to Scotland for few days and although there were changes evident the general atmosphere in Edinburgh was the same. Madogs in George Street was my favorite hangout. I see it's still there. And St. Stephens Street where I lived, did not change at all. As a comparison I stopped in London for a couple of days on the way to Prague in May of this year and, frankly couldn't wait to leave. The only good thing about London was the Indian restaurants and the curry. I just love that stuff. But finding a hotel without taking out a mortgage was a challenge. I ended up staying close to Heathrow Airport. Not too bad, actually, but roughly double the price I'd pay for a similar room in the US. But that is how it is.
You mean me (as one of "lost"), don't you? :wink: I like London, for some odd reason, even with its cons. But I am kind of person who likes a lot of places. I like Kiev, Istanbul, Prishtina, Tirana, who knows why. Diversity maybe. Each place has it's own pros and cons, even Prague. OK, eating out and sights may be overpriced here in London, but food and drinks from stalls around sights in Prague is more expensive then in comparable places in London.
I have to say that I know lots of people who live and work in London and they think it's the be all and end all of the world. There are places I like in London, but overall, no contest with Prague.