Forty minutes in inner London: I take the bin bag out, to find that the bin room is yet again overfull. The bin men usually come first thing on a Monday but today it seems they have not. For what reason I shall never know. I have no alternative but to throw my bag onto the top of the pile and hope for the best. Will a granny be smothered later when the pile collapses? Would that spur the council into action? The recycling bin, which I have made complaints about before, has also not been emptied for days. I have been unable to take my recycling out all weekend because the hoppers are overfilled. When I complained about this before I was given a ridiculous excuse about the bins being inaccessible due to the water main replacement work – even though the bins are on the outer edge of the estate.
Already pretty angry, I walk on. A young school-girl throws a half-eaten slice of bread into the middle of the road, without a trace of guilt on her face. I glare at her, then at the mother. Neither seem to be concerned that their street now looks that little bit less loved. No doubt they expect someone else to clean up after them. At that moment a motorbike screeches past on one wheel, the rider no doubt forgetting that other people use the road too.
A bit further on – away from the slums – I pass a gaggle of PCSOs having a nice morning chat. Funny how they have time to lounge around in the nice bits of the borough, but never have a chance to prevent crime in the estates. A while back I mentioned to our local “beat” officer that people congregate in the stairwell of my building to smoke cannabis. What do you want me to do about it, she asked. Perhaps a more pro-active presence in the area, I suggested. I was told that my estate was one of the better ones, so I could whistle for it. I suppose I have to wait until the estate descends into open warfare before a police officer or PCSO shows his/her face. Who cares about crime prevention when there are no stats in it? While I am thinking about this I pass the place where the Admiral Duncan barman was killed by a gang of youths.
The walkway under the bridge is strewn with litter and the air is thick with the acid stench of stale urine. The tramps have moved on, but their legacy is for all to see and smell. Perhaps someone will think to clean it next month.
In the recent by-election Labour actually increased its majority. This part of London does not seem to care that it is falling apart at the seams. People seem to have no pride, no interest in their area at all. They don’t care that the government is trying its best to destroy the rule of law. They don’t care that the streets are dangerous, dirty and unpleasant. For a brief moment Labour looked unsteady but hey, the economy is back on the up so who cares?
Am I the only one who is angry? Am I the only one who despairs that nobody seems to be shouting about our nation’s slow demise? Does nobody care as long as their own life is adequately comfortable? Is it really a case of “I’m alright, Jack”? Where is the anger?
I always regret not confronting litterers (I am not by any means an assertive person in real life), & also those who regard dropping cigarette butts in the street as an acceptable thing to do. A case can certainly be made that it’s our responsibility to secure a decent environment for ourselves, & if we don’t do so then we don’t deserve one.
I am now thinking that there isn’t anything like enough challenging of petty offenders such as this, which leads to a casual culture of disrespect, just like the proliferation of silly laws & regulations leads people to ignore the ones that are important & should be heeded.
“Am I the only one who is angry? Am I the only one who despairs that nobody seems to be shouting about our nation’s slow demise? “
Nope, definitely not!
Of course the PCSOs won’t deal with the crime – they do not have the power of arrest. They are simply there to hand out occasional fines and penalties while giving the impression that our streets are safe.
PCSOs are supposed to be there *preventing* crime. They are supposed to be the eyes and ears of the police, watching and reporting problems before they get out of hand.
Oh, believe me there are plenty of people who share your anger – but we’re not organised into any coherent voice and certainly not listened to as individuals by the ruling elite.
Stan, it seems to me that most people are utterly content with everything, otherwise how would all this shit stand? Politicians soon wake up when there is a growing swirl of anger, but when it comes to emptying bins or sweeping the streets or whatever there is not a peep. That tells me that most people are quite happy just living in their scruffy streets, surrounded by their own litter.
We’re all bloody angry but…….people are far too apathetic to do anything about it.
That is exactly it – why do people acquiesce so easily?
20 years for killing a 16 year-old! Why do we stand for it? Where are the parties vying for our vote by promising to sort it out?
why do people acquiesce so easily?
I blame television.
maybe a good recession will toughen you lot up. It did in the 30s.
After all if a war came now you would all accept lebensraum without question. Well you already have . Except it is a religion that wants living space now.
Who are “you lot”? Are you saying that wanting our public services to be better is somehow “weak”? I am not sure the relevance of your comment.
A young school-girl throws a half-eaten slice of bread into the middle of the road, without a trace of guilt on her face. I glare at her, then at the mother. Neither seem to be concerned that their street now looks that little bit less loved. No doubt they expect someone else to clean up after them
No I don’t think they do. I don’t think they expect anything. I think many people have, for a long time, gotton used to the fact that nothing happens without paperwork and ‘it’s not my job’. People rarely help each other without a written obligation. Happily it does still happen when there is real need. But people have been brought up to expect what is precisely written down. Such is NuLabs beurocratic tick-box society. We don’t even cross the road without asking the state permission, via a little yellow box, and being told do do so, by a little green man. We have been encouraged by the state not to think for ourselves or indeed for others.