The reality of life for many MANY people.

[sidicks]

johnfm said:

Yes, but that's not very much fun. If you have limited time off are you going to spend it:

(1) sailing around the Greek Islands / skiing; or

(2) volunteering in the community to help people on a sink estate.

I tend to choose option (1).

Of course, for some people personal happiness is the only thing that matters. However, many people think a bit wider than that and there is a tremendous sense of achievement in doing this type of thing. Plus personal development opportunities too.

[Sheepshanks]

Piersman2 said:

When I were but a lad we moved to Aberdeen as a family and my brother and I spent 2 years labouring for our parents converting some steadings to houses. This meant we both took 2 years out of education to effectively be labourers. As such we hung around and made mates with a few of the younger locals in the pubs around where we lived.

It was an eye opener. These guys had 1 fixation each week... to earn just enough to go out on Friday and Saturday night, get pissed, maybe a bit stoned, and see if they could find some slappers (this was a very rare occurence!). Any thoughts of bettering themselves, investing in the future, settling down, putting something aside, etc... just wasn't even a part of their thinking process.

I didn't understand their mentality then and I still don't really, other than to accept that folks are different, with differing aspirations and expectations from life.

Still not sure if it's nature or nurture. I suspect it's more down to nurture though.

I can think of many people in "proper" jobs the same as that. Indeed my mate who is a teacher gets bladdered Friday night 'till sometime on Sunday and it's pretty pointless calling certain people in our head office on a Monday.

[JagLover]

johnfm said:

(2) volunteering in the community to help people on a sink estate.

I tend to choose option (1).

It isn't really just the occupants of "sink estates" who are struggling, which is really the point of the OP.

Only 35% of 25-34 year olds now own their own home and many who don't will never be able to afford to. A generation before that the percentage was 66%.

http://visual.ons.gov.uk/uk-perspectives-2016-hous...

We are sleepwalking in moving from a society with a mass middleclass to one with a relatively small one with everyone else being poorer than their parents were before them.

Business will pay the wage rates, and offer the conditions necessary, in order to fill a post. The fault is with those who have allowed this situation to develop.

[Thankyou4calling]

superkartracer said:

Maybe get out a bit? , i travelled on holiday to Barbados about 20 years ago ( aged 19 ) , walking around bridgetown gave me some insight into how the other half live .

This is more the reality of life .

I can assure you that walking around Bridgetown is nothing compared to the time I've spent in Trenchtown Jamaica or the government yards in Mombasa.

So I know hardship believe me.

I'm not referring to drop outs I was referring to regular people.

And yes, I accept I didn't realise the reality for many and I'd wager a lot on here think the decision between Costa or Starbucks Is as tough as it gets.

[Don]

freshkid said:

How anyone can manage to go through life without encountering normal people is beyond me.

I can answer that. Every morning I get up and have breakfast in my nice middle class detacted four bedroom house that I share with my wife. I look out the window at the park and have have a coffee. I smile at my neighbour as we both get into our nice executive cars. His house is very like mine as the estate we both live on only features a few models of house - and all of them cost half a million pounds or more.

I drive fifteen miles to work. I work in a small IT company. Being IT absolutely everyone working for the firm has at least one degree. Some have two. All have postgraduate professional qualifications.

I do "knowledge work" all day. At lunch I mix with my peers and we enjoy discussions about professional topics, the news of the day, a little politics (it varies so best not) and what we might do at the weekend, or where we are planning to holiday this year.

When I make small talk with the clients (who spend millions with us) we discuss mostly the same things.

I go home in my nice executive car, shudder as I pass the proles, and get back into my nice isolated estate. My wife might be cooking something special for dinner. Or I might - I'm a modern guy, I can cook. I'll open a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape to go with that special beef dish she's done. Might finish the evening streaming something from one of the services I've got, perhaps I'll have a Talisker.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

At the weekend I might play golf with some like minded people. Or do a little walking in the countryside - meet some "real" people at the pub - that they drive to in their very expensive executive car. There might be mud on their boots but they're probably more minted than I am by quite some margin. That £100K Range Rover is a bit of a giveaway.

I haven't forgotten who I grew up with...but I've moved often enough that I'm too far away to see any of them. So my life as a professional person is as isolated and utterly disconnected from other people's lifestyles as it could possibly be.


This is neither good nor bad. But it is the way it is....

Edited by Don on Wednesday 19th October 16:18

[crankedup]

JagLover said:

johnfm said:

(2) volunteering in the community to help people on a sink estate.

I tend to choose option (1).

It isn't really just the occupants of "sink estates" who are struggling, which is really the point of the OP.

Only 35% of 25-34 year olds now own their own home and many who don't will never be able to afford to. A generation before that the percentage was 66%.

http://visual.ons.gov.uk/uk-perspectives-2016-hous...

We are sleepwalking in moving from a society with a mass middleclass to one with a relatively small one with everyone else being poorer than their parents were before them.

Business will pay the wage rates, and offer the conditions necessary, in order to fill a post. The fault is with those who have allowed this situation to develop.

It's almost as if the relative wealth gap is growing and those with plenty of wealth can't help make more, usually on the backs of those struggling it seems to me.

[Jockman]

Jinx said:

Jockman said:

I just look in the mirror

Have a mirror huh? -- ooh lard de da - posh

followed by lots of "in my day" barely a shoe box - had to eat what the cat left etc....

I've put you on the 'ignore list'

[AndrewCrown]

This made me think of this

https://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/

Have a play...

[TheJimi]

Don said:

freshkid said:

How anyone can manage to go through life without encountering normal people is beyond me.

I can answer that. Every morning I get up and have breakfast in my nice middle class detacted four bedroom house that I share with my wife. I look out the window at the park and have have a coffee. I smile at my neighbour as we both get into our nice executive cars. His house is very like mine as the estate we both live on only features a few models of house - and all of them cost half a million pounds or more.

I drive fifteen miles to work. I work in a small IT company. Being IT absolutely everyone working for the firm has at least one degree. Some have two. All have postgraduate professional qualifications.

I do "knowledge work" all day. At lunch I mix with my peers and we enjoy discussions about professional topics, the news of the day, a little politics (it varies so best not) and what we might do at the weekend, or where we are planning to holiday this year.

When I make small talk with the clients (who spend millions with us) we discuss mostly the same things.

I go home in my nice executive car, shudder as I pass the proles, and get back into my nice isolated estate. My wife might be cooking something special for dinner. Or I might - I'm a modern guy, I can cook. I'll open a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape to go with that special beef dish she's done. Might finish the evening streaming something from one of the services I've got, perhaps I'll have a Talisker.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

At the weekend I might play golf with some like minded people. Or do a little walking in the countryside - meet some "real" people at the pub - that they drive to in their very expensive executive car. There might be mud on their boots but they're probably more minted than I am by quite some margin. That £100K Range Rover is a bit of a giveaway.

I haven't forgotten who I grew up with...but I've moved often enough that I'm too far away to see any of them. So my life as a professional person is as isolated and utterly disconnected from other people's lifestyles as it could possibly be.


This is neither good nor bad. But it is the way it is....

Edited by Don on Wednesday 19th October 16:18

Jesus H Christ.

[KrissKross]

type-r said:

freshkid said:

How anyone can manage to go through life without encountering normal people is beyond me.

+1

So where do "normal people" hang out, the bookies, poundland?

[Don]

AndrewCrown said:

This made me think of this

https://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/

Have a play...

That's depressing.

I don't feel that well off.

[Digga]

KrissKross said:

So where do "normal people" hang out, the bookies, poundland?

Get with it grandad! Aldi and Lidl, innit?

[Don]

TheJimi said:

Don said:

freshkid said:

How anyone can manage to go through life without encountering normal people is beyond me.

This is neither good nor bad. But it is the way it is....

Jesus H Christ.

That's the reality of life for many. Telling it how it is. It's how come you get total and utter misunderstanding between people - the cultures they live in are that separate. My tongue might have been firmly in my cheek writing that but it is a fairly accurate picture of vast swathes of "middle England" living in the S.E.

[Don]

Digga said:

et with it grandad! Aldi and Lidl, innit?

That's pronounced Lidell, I'll have you know.

[4x4Tyke]

Thankyou4calling said:

They aren't scum, they aren't work shy, they are just people trying to keep their head above water.

Too many PH's fail to see the distinction between the working poor who are really struggling and the PH stereotype scrounger underclass. The former group is much larger than the latter.

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Wednesday 19th October 16:42

[227bhp]

Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London,
i'll show you something that'll make you change your mind.

Chillistrucker, your thread has arrived.

[AndrewCrown]

Don said:

AndrewCrown said:

This made me think of this

https://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/

Have a play...

That's depressing.

I don't feel that well off.

Don't be depressed Don... watch this.. Takes about 20 minutes
https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_and_ola_rosling_how...

[Greenmantle]

The epiphany for me came when I realised that even though I consider myself middle class this level could not be guaranteed for my children or children's children and yes I believe the majority of middle class walk through life not realising this.

John

[Sparkzz]

Thankyou4calling said:

None have any plans other than hoping they win the lottery (they all buy tickets) they don't scour the web for holidays or right move and they don't go shopping for clothes.

Are you sure they don't have plans? Maybe their circumstances meant that they had no option but go to work in the warehouse. If you're born from a working class background, your chances of going to university and studying something that pays well are limited. It's true that many people go to university now, but it doesn't always turn out to be profitable for them. The reality of these people is that many of them wouldn't succeed in education but there will be a couple who would, but they've fallen by the wayside, likely doomed to the warehouse forever.

I can only imagine you were born middle class, went to boarding school and then took over your Dads business? How else would you have no knowledge of the life of the manual worker?

Bizarre, but glad you don't classify everyone who works with their hands and their heart as scum anymore.

[freshkid]

It's quite enlightening to hear that so many people walk through life with blinkers on to this extent. You probably shouldn't be allowed to vote if you are so culturally isolated.