MungoChutney Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 Glasgow has just introduced our LEZ and so far it seems to have been a disaster. I'm absolutely in favour of it in principle but our current city council, which is SNP led, doesn't have the ability deliver it properly. Not enough private taxis are compliant and the private bus companies have started to cut services, including night buses. This has combined with things like poorly laid out bus gates and reintroducing parking charges on Sundays to absolutely gut the city centre. I picked my partner up from Glasgow Central train station last weekend and the city was like a ghost town, footfall looked like it was Christmas or New Year's Day. This makes it so easy for climate change deniers to say LEZs are bad, when in fact it's the infrastructure around them that is wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Healys Chutney Spoon Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 ULEZ is great, but only if implemented properly and in a timely manner and where it needs to be rather than blanketed across entire cities and boroughs Problem with big cities is that there's a lack of parking, lack of cohesive infrastructure, unaffordable and unreliable public transport, etc which means private vehicles are the only option for many. People cite cost of living crisis, but I'm yet to see much evidence of it. Social media is full of people seemingly constantly on holiday, getting new phones, eating out, etc yet apparently they can't afford the basics. I've not been abroad for over 10yrs and have had to cut right back on the basics. I'm just glad we got a brand new car via Motability which means we lose some of our income but we only pay for fuel and don't need to pay tolls, congestion charges, ULEZ, etc. Yes we treated ourselves to All In tickets and parking there, but that's kind of our 'one big event' this year as we won't be doing anything else. Sucks to be poor and disabled, but at least we don't have additional charges like those in London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 28 minutes ago, Big'Olympic_Hero'Pete said: unreliable public transport I suppose I can only speak for London, but I'd say that has one of the best public transport systems, where you can get to most places relatively pain free. Yes I know that for example East to West would be a bit of a pain in the arse, but buses, trains and tubes are very regular. Not like where I currently live. Nearest big town (and where my office is) is Winchester. Last bus back to my village? 6.40pm 😂 On a Friday there is a special 10pm one, but yeah if I'm stuck in Winchester after 6.40pm it's a cab or a lift (currently without car) Want to go to Fareham on the bus, which is another sizeable town not far away? You can (up until 5pm), but not on a Sunday. Mad the cuts that have happened. Anyway, slightly off topic sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
organizedkaos Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, Big'Olympic_Hero'Pete said: Yes we treated ourselves to All In tickets and parking there, but that's kind of our 'one big event' this year as we won't be doing anything else. Sucks to be poor and disabled, but at least we don't have additional charges like those in London. Obviously I can't speak to people on your social media but surely you've just highlighted the common issue there? Everyone's treats are broadcast far and wide on social media and all the other stuff is not. Social media is generally cherry picked thus giving the impression that everyone is living it up (people originally started talking about this in relation to a general "everyone else is having a better time than you" feeling but it could now feel more like "everyone else isn't having financial issues / isn't being responsible") Edited July 25, 2023 by organizedkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
organizedkaos Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 (edited) Somehow managed to quote myself. Not a good look. Edited July 25, 2023 by organizedkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lorne Malvo Posted July 25, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2023 Yeah, saying you've not seen evidence of the cost of living crisis followed by 'we've had to cut down on basics' is odd. You ARE the evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Healys Chutney Spoon Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 2 hours ago, Lorne Malvo said: Yeah, saying you've not seen evidence of the cost of living crisis followed by 'we've had to cut down on basics' is odd. You ARE the evidence. Yeah I get that, but it's just irritating when everyone says how badly off everyone is and how poor everyone is now, yet someone on my social media pages has just had their 3rd holiday this year to the Middle East and stated 'Looking forward to Egypt in 8 weeks time'. Pisses me off somewhat, especially as we can't even afford a couple of nights in a caravan on the coast over here! Hey ho, it is what it is. We have our health(relatively speaking), we have our family, a roof over our heads and usually food on the table, so it could be a lot worse really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gmoney Posted July 25, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2023 You also don't know how much people are whacking on credit cards and that sort of thing. One thing I didn't realise until I learned to drive last year is that almost everyone with a car has probably got some sort of finance on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 I didn't realise this until I had to buy a car last year, and got persuaded into that model by my mates. It means not forking out 30k on a car up front but it's something of a trap in that you're locked in for a good few years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted July 25, 2023 Author Share Posted July 25, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, Big'Olympic_Hero'Pete said: People cite cost of living crisis, but I'm yet to see much evidence of it. Social media is full of people seemingly constantly on holiday, getting new phones, eating out, etc yet apparently they can't afford the basics. Not sure there's many people who'd post a photo on Insta of their bare food cupboards, or a lush shot of their third helping of toast and beans for dinner that week. Social media absolutely is not a reliable source for that kind of thing. People dress up their lives and hide their shortcomings and problems on social media. EDIT: Point already made by others, I should read the whole thread before hitting reply. But still, it can't be said enough I think. Edited July 25, 2023 by David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jesse Posted July 25, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2023 I'd say there's an equivalent to that David, which is the amount of gofundme requests I've been seeing go round has increased this year. Amplified no doubt because of the adjacency I have to a few charities (through work, I'm not a saint) but it does seem to have ramped up as things got tighter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Danger Posted July 25, 2023 Share Posted July 25, 2023 The poors really need to stop looking at what the other poors have. “You see them all on their iPhones ringing taxis” a colleague of mine said about the people in her town using the food bank. So they should drag their bags a few miles home and never mind the fact it’s easier to get a decent phone through monthly payments than it is to buy a shitty one outright. Honestly, who even gives a fuck if people are working the system to get a bit more out of it, everyone should. That system is put in place to keep them where they are so if they can manage a few luxuries or even the odd trip out of the country good on them. I begrudge the cunts charging tax payers for decorating mistresses flats more than I ever will the woman across the road or two doors down who gets free school dinners and her rent covered whilst working cash in hand and having her fella living there off the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted July 26, 2023 Share Posted July 26, 2023 17 hours ago, Mr_Danger said: who even gives a fuck if people are working the system to get a bit more out of it, everyone should. I care. It's people working the system that gives the system, and those who genuinely rely on it, and bad name and allows the right to try and demolish it. I agree with the rest of your sentiment but I don't think everyone should try and defraud the welfare system, or get their food from food banks if they don't need it. I suspect that it's an incredibly low number who do though, statistically insignificant despite the "scroungers" claims in the papers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted July 26, 2023 Share Posted July 26, 2023 26 minutes ago, Loki said: I suspect that it's an incredibly low number who do though, statistically insignificant despite the "scroungers" claims in the papers I can tell you it IS an incredibly low number, and the majority are caught at some point. There was something recently where it showed the DWP have recently both OVERpaid and UNDERpaid claimaints in the billions, which goes to show you how broken the entire thing is. I'll try and find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members waters44 Posted September 14, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted September 14, 2023 Anyone here live in the US? I think Neil does, maybe others? I just wondered how you’re finding it at the moment? A mate of mine who’s lived there 15 years is over here at the moment and sorting things out to come back permanently. He says it’s horrible over there now, divide between blue and red is getting bigger and he’s scared for the future. He reckons everyone is buying guns and fears a civil war is coming! He’s prone to a bit of hyperbole so I’m just interested to know if he’s talking shit or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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