Random Irritations

[Mandofred]

Nobody is MAKING people eat out. We rarely eat out.....partially just because of tipping.

Anybody (old farts in particular) notice how "horrible" habits from the US become common here over the years? Why does this happen? Just a few of them......
- Those lazy Americans, they don't walk anywhere. Look what is happening here in the UK.
-Those fat Americans, eating too much etc. Look what is happening here.
-No wonder Americans are fat, junk food all over the place. Look what is happening here.
-Stupid Americans and their big cars. Look what is happening here.
-Bloody Americans and tips.... Look what is happening here.

It seems that terrible habits are easily taken up here in the UK.

 

[irip]

I hate being told what I must or must not tip.
I’m a grown man and I can make my own mind up thank you.
I have no problem tipping but I want to do it based on the service I receive.
In the UK I tell all restaurants to remove the service charge as soon as I sit down and I’ll tip as I see fit.
Sometimes it will be more than the service charge if the service is decent.

Been to Florida on a couple of occasions and I just accepted it over there as it was holidays for the kids and I didn’t want to spoil it for them but it drove me round the bend.
Fortunately my Mrs is terrified of flying so now the kids are grown up no chance of going there (or anywhere else to be fair).

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Nobody is MAKING people eat out. We rarely eat out.....partially just because of tipping.

Anybody (old farts in particular) notice how "horrible" habits from the US become common here over the years? Why does this happen? Just a few of them......
- Those lazy Americans, they don't walk anywhere. Look what is happening here in the UK.
-Those fat Americans, eating too much etc. Look what is happening here.
-No wonder Americans are fat, junk food all over the place. Look what is happening here.
-Stupid Americans and their big cars. Look what is happening here.
-Bloody Americans and tips.... Look what is happening here.

It seems that terrible habits are easily taken up here in the UK.

I’m all for blaming things on America but You can’t blame Americans for people in the UK becoming lazy and Gluttonous.

That’s firmly on our own culture and people being given an easy ride over the last few decades. Eating habits are learned by kids from their parents, exercise habits are similar. Access to sports in schools and parents taking responsibility for encouraging kids to eat right and exercise.

I see it in my own household. My boy is unbelievably lazy because his mum has always mothered him and given into letting him just do what he wants and making different foods etc even yesterday she drove him to the barbers, it’s 500 yards from their house!! My girls she hasn’t done the same to and they’re more like me they love trying new things like rock climbing, going out on adventures and will happily eat what’s put in front of them, will happily snack on fruit and no surprises they can’t sit still and happily walk to school or anywhere and want my wife to teach them how to ski.

So those 2 points are imo are firmly on us as in my example 3 kids , same parents but only takes 1 parent to treat them differently and you get the worst possible outcome, it’s a battle I have weekly! It’s only going to get worse with the state of a lot of parenting and access to sports clubs getting more and more expensive.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Not sure if it’s a random irritation or something that’s amusing but do find it very disrespectful

During the Llandudno Rememberance Parade a guy in full blown Navy Uniform turned up and took part in the laying of wreath

It’s since been found out that the council had no idea about him and he is full blown Walter Mitty

Was dressed as a Rear Admiral, had loads of medals that normally presented to Army and RAF personnel an also a DSO

Suspected fake admiral at Llandudno Remembrance event investigated - BBC News

Members of the Royal Naval Association in Llandudno spotted a man wearing an unusual uniform.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Hobbit]

Nobody is MAKING people eat out. We rarely eat out.....partially just because of tipping.

Anybody (old farts in particular) notice how "horrible" habits from the US become common here over the years? Why does this happen? Just a few of them......
- Those lazy Americans, they don't walk anywhere. Look what is happening here in the UK.
-Those fat Americans, eating too much etc. Look what is happening here.
-No wonder Americans are fat, junk food all over the place. Look what is happening here.
-Stupid Americans and their big cars. Look what is happening here.
-Bloody Americans and tips.... Look what is happening here.

It seems that terrible habits are easily taken up here in the UK.

Perhaps it’s a subliminal thing from watching so much US TV.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Perhaps it’s a subliminal thing from watching so much US TV.

Whilst eating popcorn?

 

[Mandofred]

Perhaps it’s a subliminal thing from watching so much US TV.

Add that one to the list as well.....

 

[Red devil]

this really irritates me as well. I have only been to the US twice 25 years ago and have not fancied going again - apart from the 3 week honeymoon trip we meticulously planned for May 2020 that didn't happen! We are now going next Oct for a wedding in Richmond, but i am not looking forward to actually being in the US - and the wife will want a couple of days in New York as well. Everything i have heard is that it is expensive everywhere for nearly everything and that there are often taxes and fees that are extra for hotels etc

Lads from work coming back from US holidays saying how expensive everything is NY especially. Food and drink prices prohibitively high.
The Donald says the US is the cheapest it's ever been but he could be quoting the great Groucho Marx. "Who are you going to believe? Me or your own eyes?"

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I’m all for blaming things on America but You can’t blame Americans for people in the UK becoming lazy and Gluttonous.

That’s firmly on our own culture and people being given an easy ride over the last few decades. Eating habits are learned by kids from their parents, exercise habits are similar. Access to sports in schools and parents taking responsibility for encouraging kids to eat right and exercise.

I see it in my own household. My boy is unbelievably lazy because his mum has always mothered him and given into letting him just do what he wants and making different foods etc even yesterday she drove him to the barbers, it’s 500 yards from their house!! My girls she hasn’t done the same to and they’re more like me they love trying new things like rock climbing, going out on adventures and will happily eat what’s put in front of them, will happily snack on fruit and no surprises they can’t sit still and happily walk to school or anywhere and want my wife to teach them how to ski.

So those 2 points are imo are firmly on us as in my example 3 kids , same parents but only takes 1 parent to treat them differently and you get the worst possible outcome, it’s a battle I have weekly! It’s only going to get worse with the state of a lot of parenting and access to sports clubs getting more and more expensive.

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you say, Its impossible to expect all kids to follow one parents ethos, nature dictates that I'm afraid. For me though, the majority of the current (and future) kids inactivity is down to the policy of a certain lady back in the 80's with the selling off of school sports areas for housing. Unless you're at a public school, the state schools won't have the sports facilities and thus encouragements for kids to do activities.

 

[Pants]

Unless you're at a public school, the state schools won't have the sports facilities and thus encouragements for kids to do activities.

Not entirely true - I can only speak of most schools in my neck of the woods though.

 

[Neilds]

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you say, Its impossible to expect all kids to follow one parents ethos, nature dictates that I'm afraid. For me though, the majority of the current (and future) kids inactivity is down to the policy of a certain lady back in the 80's with the selling off of school sports areas for housing. Unless you're at a public school, the state schools won't have the sports facilities and thus encouragements for kids to do activities.

I had to laugh a few years ago when my niece's school applied to be a sports academy - they didn't even have a playing field!!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Lads from work coming back from US holidays saying how expensive everything is NY especially. Food and drink prices prohibitively high.
The Donald says the US is the cheapest it's ever been but he could be quoting the great Groucho Marx. "Who are you going to believe? Me or your own eyes?"

New York is scary expensive. It makes London look like a bargain. It's a big reason the young guy won the recent mayoral election, he is trying to bring down living costs there.

I have limited experience of other parts of the US but the little I have, it doesn't compare with the extortion of NY

The one thing that did surprise me. I thought eating out for breakfast would be really cheap as it seems to be so common to do (okay, too much TV and film watched perhaps). In reality it's similar to here, it must just be a cultural thing to do.

 

[ADB]

Tipping is always an interesting debate and you can clearly see the different cultures

In the UK we will tip if we believe we have been given a good service from someone , but the wages on offer in the UK are a little higher , when we have big events at the golf club for example everyone normally puts in. £5 which is then spread around - we have Xmas tip bucket for the green staff etc , at a meal out I’ll leave a tip if I think I have been given good service


In the US they see it as part of the wages and mandatory regardless of the service provided , the owners use it as a reason to keep wages down which in turn apparently keeps prices down - it’s just a different culture , in the same way as we have seen they look at spitting differently

I always look at the mantra of trying to go by the local customs and mentality as opposed to how we would be in the UK

I’d disagree we only tip when we’re had good service - a charge is automatically added on every bill I’ve had eating out…..you could choose to remove it, but that’s the opposite of offering extra

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you say, Its impossible to expect all kids to follow one parents ethos, nature dictates that I'm afraid. For me though, the majority of the current (and future) kids inactivity is down to the policy of a certain lady back in the 80's with the selling off of school sports areas for housing. Unless you're at a public school, the state schools won't have the sports facilities and thus encouragements for kids to do activities.

I don’t agree with that at all. I’m not saying it’s possible for all kids to follow one parent ethos I’m explaining personal experience and what I’ve seen in my friends families etc.

State schools where you are perhaps don’t have the facilities. I know that in the Medway towns a lot of schools have lost facilities and use of them so understand totally where you’re coming from. But where I live state schools have vast facilities from football, rugby, hockey, tennis pretty much every ball sport you can imagine as well as having teams in county leagues, climbing facilities, skiing instruction and clubs I genuinely couldn’t name a sport that’s not available to kids round where I live.

My kids live near Huddersfield and their school has so many sporting facilities and clubs similar to what we have, they have organised skiing trips twice a year and so many more options. The issue the schools local to me and where they live isn’t availability of facilities it’s lack of participation outside of school hours even though they run extra curricular clubs, parents simply aren’t taking them. That could be for many reason such as money, work time or other reasons but it’s certainly not lack of opportunity do to a prime minister from 40years ago and blaming it on that is as lazy as not looking elsewhere for opportunities in my opinion.

My son does absolutely zero sports because that means getting off his arse which annoys me, my 14yr old does gymnastic twice a week and walks there as she loves being active and my youngest is wanting my wife to teach her to ski so she can get on the trips and participate, she could learn at school but would rather learn off someone she knows and trusts. Opportunity for kids doesn’t always have to come down to schools providing it though it most often comes down to us as parents to encourage it and take time out of our own schedules to give them the chance to try something.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Apps with Temu ads that take yonks to get past

 

[D-S]

Just another random irritation re the US is that you actually never know t(e price of anything until you come to pay as taxes (and there appear to be a few) are added to the bill not published the published price. It is very confusing.
For me this, as well as the tipping issue, are just random irritations and are not enough to stop us visiting (as we have done many times) the USA. It is a fascinating, beautiful, varied country with, in our experience, friendly people. Some things are expensive in some places, some are cheap, and the golf is really good.

 

[Neilds]

Suspected fake admiral at Llandudno Remembrance event investigated - BBC News

Members of the Royal Naval Association in Llandudno spotted a man wearing an unusual uniform.

www.bbc.co.uk

A bloke has now been arrested in connection with this.

 

[Mandofred]

Being a dirty American....spit-spit. I went back to the US for the first time in about 9 years two years ago in December. My oldest brother had died and my middle brother can't get around at all....no choice but to go back and help a bit. Hated it. I grew up in a small town....a small lumber community in SW Washington. I was a bit shocked at how much food prices were in the store. My relatives run a family restaurant in town....I just can't believe how much a basic meal costs when you go out to dinner. The US has a lot to love....but it's not cheap. I'm happy enough drowning here in N Yorkshire....weather isn't much different from where I grew up.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

The sad state that someone has allowed Mentmore Towers to become

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

A bloke has now been arrested in connection with this.

Out of interest on what grounds. Last I checked stolen valour and being a Walter Mitty wasn’t a crime in the UK unless it’s being used to defraud people of money.