I HATE London

[Deleted]

I know it's our capital city and all that but I've spent the last 3 days commuting to & from central (ish) London for work and every time I go, it just serves to remind me how much I bloody hate the place.

Commuters have got to be the most ignorant, ill-mannered, self-centred a#seholes on the entire planet. I've been elbowed whilst sitting in a train seat by an obnoxious cow and jostled & pushed on and off the tubes (which are crammed to an unsafe level most of the time). People push in front of you to get through the ticket gates at the station, when you're waiting in line to buy a sarnie, you rarely get so much as a grunt, let alone a thank you if you hold the door open for someone and most of them don't bother to hold the doors open for you if you're following on behind them.

As for the city itself, it's just grim. Everywhere is packed, everywhere is bloody expensive, if something goes wrong with, say, a tube, the whole place seems to grind to a halt in about 10 seconds, it's dirty and strewn with litter (particularly on the approach to Liverpool Street station) and I bloody hate it !

I've got to go again tomorrow (so that's another 5.30am start)but at least I should be finished by 1pm so I can at least get home before the rush hour.

It's probably no different to most major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool etc but would anyone care to defend our capital ? Or do you agree with me that it's a rancid festering cesspool ?

FA x

[Biggles]

Oh FA I hope the English Tourist Board dont read your comments!
It is enough to put people off visiting Our Capital.
I do agree that if that was your experience you will appreciate "Your Neck of the Woods"--and be pleased you are not a Londoner.
PS I have never visited the Big City-and not likely to now.

[Jasmine]

I used to love living close to London. Now I still like a trip there but it is too fast paced, impersonal and dirty for me and I like to come home and follow a tractor to remind me why we moved.

[JennyWrenn]

I am a Country AND Town Mouse - I love the city and the country and I adore working in London

But then the journey in is good for me in partic - ie direct line train from Macclesfield to Euston - one stop only so just over 2 hours and then a taxi to the office

But it is the same sort of people everywhere F-A

Many years ago got a taxi in City (Manchester) to my office and just had about enough to pay for it so couldnt tip - he threw the money back at me and it landed all over the floor - I was quite scared

This was about 20 years ago, never forgotten, it so manners havent improved i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/angry.gif

Pop into Harrods F-A you will meet sales people with a different attitude entirely - I just love the Handkerchief "stall" i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif

[Jasmine]

Jenny, what a nasty cabbie. Isn't it sad that that memory will be with you forever...and for what

[blodau]

FA, please don't condemn a whole city on the basis of a short experience. It has it's problems, the same as any city. It's crowded and can be impersonal, as most cities are. On the other hand, London has some of the finest museums, art galleries, hotels and resaurants in the world. It's as multiculteral as it comes and can be exciting and stimulating. The past couple of weeks have been difficult because Londoners (bless them) aren't used to snow any more i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif Nowhere looks good in grey weather, but London on a sunny day can look magnificent. Take a walk along the river and you'll see some beautiful buildings (and cormorants if you're near Battersea). London is stuffed full of history from the Romans onwards.

Come back and try again when the weather's better.

P.S. I'm not a Londoner born and bred btw. Just ended up there by accident and now live in Kent.

[Tig]

On the few occassions I have visited London I couldn't wait to get back home. I have only ever been there on business and I'm sure if I were to visit to sight-see and experience the culture it would be different. I didn't enjoy the underground - too busy and everyone did seem very me, me, me! I'm not one for crowds and I've never lived in a city so perhaps it is more to do with being out of my comfort zone? I like shopping in Birmingham and Manchester though

x Tig

[Ladygardener]

I lived in London for 10 years and only came back to Belfast about 8 years ago. Yes it's dirty, busy, overcrowded and a lot of people are rude but it's also exciting, multi cultural, full of museums, fab resturants, beautiful parks, beautiful old and new buildings and lots of good theatres. Despite the buses and underground being crowded during rush hour they're still fast and efficient ways of getting around. I would'nt go back and live there again as it's all too fast for me but I did love so much about it when I lived there and still have a bit of a soft spot for it.

[Auricula]

I absolutely adore London. It is a fantastic city, with a superb cross section of people. It has a great buzz,a wonderful multicultural vibrancy and a great energy. I do not find it, in the main, dirty,squalid or frightening. I luv it, luv it,luv it

[JennyWrenn]

My GF actually lives there - in Camden - just inside the City walls so to speak

Her house is devine - and the garden so peaceful and quiet - she is now 60 and lived there most of her life

When I visit I feel tranquil, at peace and dont want to leave

And I just love to visit the old Theatres; she is an actress so knows all the right places

Sorry F-A you have had a bad experience and can understand you saw the bad side

I did walk, last year, the full length of Tottenham Court Road - takes about an hour - and that was very dreary and dirty have to say wasnt a nice experience i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif

[Deleted]

Im Islington/London born and bred and for the last 16 yrs ive lived in the Dublin suburbs.Personally i enjoy a few days there most years but im a stranger in my own town and would hate to think i would ever have to sell up and move back. Maybe im just getting old or Im rooted in me garden ;D I agree with alot of the points made here but something keeps pulling me back. Maybe its the Emirates stadium

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2010 17:36:36 GMT JennyWrenn said:

I did walk, last year, the full length of Tottenham Court Road

Funnily enough Jen, I was training at the HMRC office at Tottenham Court Road/Euston Road.

Fortunately we finished at 1pm today so I was able to get home in a reasonable time.

I know there are probably nicer parts of London but we did visit in the Summer on a nice sunny day - Buck House, Nat Hist museum, Big Ben, Hamleys etc. The tubes were sweltering and smelly, everywhere was crowded and everywhere is a rip off.

I don't think it would matter what time of year or what I was doing. I hate the place.

I'm obviously a country boy, not cut out for city life !

FA x

[Dutchy]

;D Ever been to Cairo FA?
You'll love London after that.
At least you are lucky and can escape back to where there is space and greenery despite all this snow

[Plocket]

I'm a London girl FA and I can see where you are coming from. But it's a wonderfully interesting city with so much to see and do. Ideally there'd be no tourists though As for the litter and dirt, it's SERIOUSLY improved in the last few years.

From my point of view, mostly I saw London as a worker: I'd cram onto the train to get to Charing Cross, along with hundreds of other people. We'd file off, go to our jobs, then have the mundane journey home. Added to that, I'd be in a hurry to get to my train, and there'd be hundreds of tourists meandering about "getting in my way". AND I'd be worrying about whether the trains were actually running properly!!

In an ideal world I'd visit regularly just to go to Kew Gardens, catch a show, visit a museum or gallery, all without using the tubes - and there'd be no-one getting in my way

[JennyWrenn]

The tubes are the pits have to say

Was in London with two GF's - One GF got on the tube; the doors closed and left me and remaining GF on the platform

We met up in Harrods just by chance later -

[Missredhead]

I am London born and bred and only moved away 4yrs ago......
Although I wouldn't now move back there I still have a soft spot for it.
And as for the tube...I love it ;D..I guess that I have got used to the crowds although quite a few could do with an introduction to deodorant. ;D

Most city centres are crowded, that is to be expected.
But the shops, the theatres and the restuarants are fantastic.....

In all I guess that London has to be among one of my favourite cities. ;D
(well I would say that wouldn't I?) ;D ;D ;D

[roan]

Well Fat Andy, I was born in London and happen to like it. I suspect you have lived a rather sheltered existence and thrive on negativity. In fact, your Avatar says it all doesn't it.

[madonplants]

Well FA, I can see where you are coming from, but think some of what you are saying is a bit over the top. I've been to London, as a 10 year old to the Zoo, as a teenager to various museums, Cliff Richard shows (sister was is a big fan), with the wife to see Time (so is she! ) and the occasional trip for shopping reasons. Only problems I have had is, the over crowded tube trains and the jostling you get on there and the taxi ride back to the hotel, when I took the wife to see Time. In front of us, a police car was chasing someone in another car and our taxi was catching the police car, by whatever means possible, shall we say! I found the people generally pleasant, except on the tube, but maybe what you are saying is down to city life and not just London. Have you ever been to Manchester? I used to work there and they drive like maniacs around the roads! There are also some companies that won't employ you, if you don't support UTD! I'm glad I worked for the tax office, att!

The influx of the night club doesn't help any town or city and with the latest binge drinking craze, behaviour is only going to get worse, but that's not just London is it? As to the litter thing, it's the times we live in, sadly. I was in Northampton, at a MacDonalds once and remember seeing three lads in a car eating their meal. When finished, they opened their windows and through the rubbish out and screeched off, when they were 10 feet from the bin! Ooooh aren't you cool, not! This was a few years ago now and even to this day it annoys me, as why couldn't they have opened a door got out and done what you and I would have done?

When I was 17, 29 years ago, I drove through London on my motorbike, to go up north (Hull then Sunderland) and breezed through, but I was there around 6am-ish! I found the signposts great, but not sure how it is now.

Oh and don't get me started on road rage, again doesn't just happen in London!

[4pygmies]

I rarely post on this section of the board but I must agree with FA here - I am a country peasant through and through and do not enjoy being in any cities - London was always a place I dreaded having to visit, whether as a tourist or when I was studying and had to visit galleries and such, even though I grew up only a short train ride away from that city. I wouldn't go there ever again by choice.
And I think Roan is being rather harsh - I have met FA, enjoyed spending the day in his company at a botanic garden and didn't find him in the least negative - in fact the exact opposite! I have no idea what living a sheltered life or not has to do with anything, I doubt if FA's life is very different to most people's experiences.. Those people who enjoy city life are welcome to it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Auricula]

I agree with you 4P - the only negative thing about FA is his opinion of Colchester United Football Club....and you have to forgive him that as he is a deluded ITFC fan

[4pygmies]

;D

[Deleted]

Thank you 4P & Auricula

I saw Roan's post and was a little surprised by it so I thought I'd give myself a few days to make a considered response rather than blundering in and saying the wrong thing.

Firstly, let me say that my experience of London was not just a one off. I first visited London about 30 years ago and in the intervening period, I've been there numerous times for both work and pleasure, including a year between March 2001 and March 2002 when I was commuting from here a couple of times a week.

I stand by my comments regarding ill mannered, ignorant commuters. I was jostled, "tutted" for not moving quickly enough, violently elbowed in the ribs (for doing nothing more than daring to sit in the seat next to someone who clearly prefers to have a bit of space) and (almost literally) had to fight my way onto tube trains that were horrendously overcrowded, way too hot and very smelly. These were not just in my recent experience but my general experience over a number of years.

I also stand by my comments that London is dirty, smelly and overcrowded. It's not an opinion, it's a fact.

If I happen to prefer an environment where the air is clean, you don't get home from a day's work stinking of petrol fumes, pollution and other people's body odour, people are polite, hold doors open for you, nod, smile and say hello in the street, would stand to offer their seat on the bus to an elderly person or pregnant woman (rather than push you out of the way to get the last seat) etc etc etc, well does that make me negative ? Does that mean I "thrive on negativity" ? No, it's just my personal opinion. If you'd actually ever met me Roan (as 4P has), you would in fact find me quite the opposite to negative.

As for living a "sheltered existence", I may not be as well travelled as some, but I have visited numerous British cities and large towns, including Cardiff, Swansea, Norwich, Newcastle, Peterborough, Leeds, Bradford, York, Lincoln, Sheffield, Birmingham, Canterbury, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford, Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, Exeter, Carlisle, Brighton, Southend etc etc and various European cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Vienna, Bruges, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome & Cologne, the Canary islands, Balearic islands, Greek islands and also Vancouver & Seattle.

I've seen many parts (but admittedly not all) of London and would still make it my least favourite of the lot. Again, this is just my opinion.

Other people have their opinions. Great, this is a "discussion forum" after all and that's what it's all about. However, let's not get into making personal comments based on nothing more than supposition taken from a few comments on a messageboard. After all, Roan, I could suggest that you "love" London so much, you moved half way round the world away from it. I guess, however, that wouldn't have much basis in fact either.

FA x

[Cheerypeabrain]

I used to live in countryside in a small village (altho we did have 2 churches and 3 pubs) and altho it was lovely I did find it INCREDIBLY BORING...everything was miles away....school, best friend (4P)....towns....a rubbish bus service, strange local traditions....

However, we did jump on the United Counties bus to London on a regular basis and we loved our days out there. We tended to picnic, visit parks and the free museums...we walked miles and only used the tube if we were going to somewhere like Greenwich.

It's personal preference ent it sugarlump? ......the only reason I rarely go to London these days is because of the cost of travel. I love the place (but wouldn't want to live there) I'm not a fan of crowds, but as a city girl I can manage...if other people want to be rude and aggressive that's their problem...I would never, never, never use the tube or busses in London during the rush hour

I am surprised at Roan's post as he is usually a total gentleman it does seem very out of character. If he ever met you FA, he'd know what a lovely man you are

[oldmoleskins]

I don't mind London so much as the travelling to it, in it, and from it.
The only way I can contemplate going there now (and I used to go if I heard even the slightest rumour that someone had dropped a hat, sometimes several times a week) is if I'm took, door to door. Preferably blindfolded and sedated.

I think a limo with blacked out windows and a bar might fit the bill nicely...

OM.

[andy]

Worked in central London for about 5 years....maintaining huge tropical plants displays in atriums, shopping malls, offices and private houses (Andrew Lloyd-Webber's town house in Belgravia ;D) and i loved every minute of it...i love the life, the pace, the sights, the food the lot.

Didn't someone once say....."if you're bored with London, you're bored with life"