Crime

[pepperami]

We have lots of gun crime here in Ireland, isn't paramilitaries but drug dealers shooting each other on a regular basis. A couple of innocent people have been shot dead, including a guy in his 60s, shot at his own hall door a few weeks ago, 'mistaken identity' they call it.

Makes me very wary arguing with strangers when you could get stabbed or shot for a moment of road rage etc.

I was on a train with my son a few months ago and a gang of scumbags start beating on a middle aged guy, I'd say the shams were no more than early teens but noone on the train came to his aid. .I always feel quite guilty about this..but if my son wasn't with me I may have done something or maybe not..you just don't know anymore. .

[whatmeworry]

Is that your "it wasn't me, guv" face?

[whatmeworry]

whatmeworry: Any idea how you'll ultimately react? Not saying you should move Texas, but is there anything that'll help?

Oh, I think I'll be fine, just a bit unexpected.

[whatmeworry]

We have lots of gun crime here in Ireland, isn't paramilitaries but drug dealers shooting each other on a regular basis. A couple of innocent people have been shot dead, including a guy in his 60s, shot at his own hall door a few weeks ago, 'mistaken identity' they call it.

Makes me very wary arguing with strangers when you could get stabbed or shot for a moment of road rage etc.

I was on a train with my son a few months ago and a gang of scumbags start beating on a middle aged guy, I'd say the shams were no more than early teens but noone on the train came to his aid. .I always feel quite guilty about this..but if my son wasn't with me I may have done something or maybe not..you just don't know anymore. .

That's a question I've found myself asking too. How would I have reacted if I'd been there when it happened?

[Seriously]

Is that your "it wasn't me, guv" face?

Getaway driver

[Raza]

It happens. Armed robberies happen near my campus about weekly. My roommate's bike was stolen when someone walked into my house through an inexplicably open back door (luckily I was here, else it would have been worse, and lucky for him I thought it was my roommate coming one, else I'd have gotten my gun). Crime is everywhere.

EDIT: And if you think it's just a city thing, my mom's lawyer was murdered (still unsolved) just a five minute drive away from the house in which I grew up. I used to see a billboard offering reward for information on his killer on the highway from time to time.

[Upstate]

I live right across the river from Newburgh, NY. In 2013 is was ranked the 9th most dangerous city in America (http://www.curiosityaroused.com/worl...erica-in-2013/). It's mostly gang violence so I've never been bothered when over that way...but I know what streets not to be on.

[Chronopolitano]

I ask you (and myself): Why so much crime today and sheer nastiness (including rudeness and general unfriendliness and suspiciousness) when there is more wealth generated today than ever before in the history of mankind? When we have more and better technology to alleviate so much drudgery than ever before?

Was it not the "naive" dream way back when, that with the advent of computers and smart machines, we would all be able to finish in one day what used to take a week to do? And thus have more free time? Yeah, right.
On the contrary! We all have LESS free time than ever! And more desperation, more stress.

Why? I ask you.

Not enough love in this killin' field. Everybody wants one up on his neighbor, damn rats!

I have a friend whose boy just entered college. She spent $$$ and a million hours in getting him tutors and lessons.
He still got rejected by all the "good" schools.

Apparently, the competition now is so insanely out of control that a 4.0 grade and a perfect score on the SAT are not good enough.
And her lawyer neighbor who recently renovated his house to the tune of millions, also asked her to cut HER trees in HER backyard, so HE can have a better view of the Pacific from his bedroom.

The gall!

G Zuss.

[Teeritz]

I ask you (and myself): Why so much crime today and sheer nastiness (including rudeness and general unfriendliness and suspiciousness) when there is more wealth generated today than ever before in the history of mankind? When we have more and better technology to alleviate so much drudgery than ever before?

Was it not the "naive" dream way back when, that with the advent of computers and smart machines, we would all be able to finish in one day what used to take a week to do? And thus have more free time? Yeah, right.
On the contrary! We all have LESS free time than ever! And more desperation, more stress.

Why? I ask you.

Not enough love in this killin' field. Everybody wants one up on his neighbor, damn rats!

I have a friend whose boy just entered college. She spent $$$ and a million hours in getting him tutors and lessons.
He still got rejected by all the "good" schools.

Apparently, the competition now is so insanely out of control that a 4.0 grade and a perfect score on the SAT are not good enough.
And her lawyer neighbor who recently renovated his house to the tune of millions, also asked her to cut HER trees in HER backyard, so HE can have a better view of the Pacific from his bedroom.

The gall!

G Zuss.

The rudeness stems from a more insular society that spends a vast amount of time on the internet engaging in virtual conversations where manners need not apply anymore. It's easy to be rude or nasty when you're not looking somebody in the eye.
All of this technology came along faster than we all knew how we were going to use it. It was ridiculous to see the crowd at last year's Melbourne Cup horse race holding up their iPhones to take pictures of the winning horse as it trotted past, thus not actually 'experiencing' the event, but rather filming it, along with a hundred other people.
I can still recall when people made more of an effort to be someplace on time rather than ringing ahead from the passenger seat to say they'd be running late.
You're right, Chronopol, not enough love. Hell, I'd settle for good old fashioned manners. Everybody just needs to be 'decent'.
Rant over. Time for coffee.

[Chronopolitano]

The rudeness stems from a more insular society that spends a vast amount of time on the internet engaging in virtual conversations where manners need not apply anymore. It's easy to be rude or nasty when you're not looking somebody in the eye.
All of this technology came along faster than we all knew how we were going to use it..

I don't how things are down under, but people are pretty rude and IN YO FACE quite often in the US.
A carry-over from internet behavior?
Sure, anonymity emboldens people.
But ultimately, I think it's all happening at the same time - in cyberspace and in physical social interaction.

I saw an interesting study that shows a direct correlation between driving expensive cars and stopping for pedestrians.
The more expensive the car, the less likely to stop (i.e., be courteous).

An interesting piece on CNN about how the police in Ferguson actually planned revenue projections based on issuing tickets.
Just a random slice that happened to get attention. I am sure this is almost the norm now.

In such a social climate, why shouldn't those who have little or nothing to lose not resort to violence and crime?