NorthofEngland
Well-Known Member
The More Things Change....
The More They Don't Stay the Same.
I am 40 years and 6 months old and I have witnessed some massive changes to what society considers 'acceptable'.
DRINK DRIVING
As a young child I remember my Father regularly driving himself to the pub, then back again when he was well lubricated.
This was the norm!
When the government started to crack down on drink driving (late 70's/early 80's) I recall all the adults complaining about how inconvenient it was to no longer feel safe to drive after 3 or 4 hours of heavy drinking.
"How are you supposed to walk nearly a mile when you're that drunk?" is an actual question I overheard.
It wasn't said in irony - It was absolutely serious.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
As a teenager I was constantly in arguments, usually with men of my fathers generation, for leering at, making comments to, or even helping themselves to a quick feel of whichever girlfriend I had at the time.
They had grown up in a time of much less sexual liberation, many of them marrying their first, and only, sexual partners.
Many seemed jealous at the freedom and choice that my generation had sexually. Some seemed to think that it would be possible to 'share' our women, like lending someone drill or a book....Despite dozens of rejections many of these older guys never learned and, with the exception of their own daughters, considered all women to be secret whores - for refusing to have sex with them.
SMOKING IN PUBLIC
One only has to think back a decade to remember pubs and restaurants full of smoke.
If ones recall can return to the 90's they'll remember smoking on trains and buses.
The 80's had smoking in town centre shops - even Toy Shops!
And during the 60's and 70's every office, police station, college, church and hospital was only partially visible through a haze of thick cigarette smoke!
It's hard to believe now but I remember when someone could light up a cigarette in a crowded elevator - and it would be absolutely normal.
BETTER or WORSE....?
Despite, at times, not being able to have a cigarette. Or feeling threatened by some fanatical feminist for holding open a door or smiling at a female,
I feel that things have changed for the better.
These decades may have been 'free and easy' about driving drunk or smoking in the paediatric ward of the local hospital
but they were also the days when some misinformed group of drunken neighbours could lynch you for 'bringing drugs into the community'
(otherwise known as 'smoking cannabis'). The public perception of drugs and drug users was still very much a creation of the hysterical propaganda campaigns of even earlier eras, and the idea of cannabis addicts attacking old women to 'get their fix' was a reality in many peoples minds.
The casual racism, sexism and homophobia was seen as perfectly natural - in fact it was part and parcel of conforming to societies values, and a person could be considered with suspicion for NOT being full of prejudice.
The 'boys will be boys' attitude towards drunken violence was also the default setting of many.
With very few firearms on the streets, and universal, free healthcare, the consequences of drunken violence were lowered to such a level that Friday and Saturday Night fighting became a national pastime. Britain is still the only country I have known where shoppers and families make a point of getting away from the town centres around 6pm, so the streets can be devoted to drunken misbehaviour.
The European way of entire families (everyone from the ancient Grandmother to the 2 year old toddler) dressing up and sitting outside a town centre bar to eat a nice meal with a glass of wine....On a British town centre street, ANY Friday night, this scene of quality time with all the family would be UNTHINKABLE!
The poor bastards who attempted it would be washed away in a flood of alcohol, vomit, blood and urine!
So maybe some things still need to change....
The More They Don't Stay the Same.
I am 40 years and 6 months old and I have witnessed some massive changes to what society considers 'acceptable'.
DRINK DRIVING
As a young child I remember my Father regularly driving himself to the pub, then back again when he was well lubricated.
This was the norm!
When the government started to crack down on drink driving (late 70's/early 80's) I recall all the adults complaining about how inconvenient it was to no longer feel safe to drive after 3 or 4 hours of heavy drinking.
"How are you supposed to walk nearly a mile when you're that drunk?" is an actual question I overheard.
It wasn't said in irony - It was absolutely serious.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
As a teenager I was constantly in arguments, usually with men of my fathers generation, for leering at, making comments to, or even helping themselves to a quick feel of whichever girlfriend I had at the time.
They had grown up in a time of much less sexual liberation, many of them marrying their first, and only, sexual partners.
Many seemed jealous at the freedom and choice that my generation had sexually. Some seemed to think that it would be possible to 'share' our women, like lending someone drill or a book....Despite dozens of rejections many of these older guys never learned and, with the exception of their own daughters, considered all women to be secret whores - for refusing to have sex with them.
SMOKING IN PUBLIC
One only has to think back a decade to remember pubs and restaurants full of smoke.
If ones recall can return to the 90's they'll remember smoking on trains and buses.
The 80's had smoking in town centre shops - even Toy Shops!
And during the 60's and 70's every office, police station, college, church and hospital was only partially visible through a haze of thick cigarette smoke!
It's hard to believe now but I remember when someone could light up a cigarette in a crowded elevator - and it would be absolutely normal.
BETTER or WORSE....?
Despite, at times, not being able to have a cigarette. Or feeling threatened by some fanatical feminist for holding open a door or smiling at a female,
I feel that things have changed for the better.
These decades may have been 'free and easy' about driving drunk or smoking in the paediatric ward of the local hospital
but they were also the days when some misinformed group of drunken neighbours could lynch you for 'bringing drugs into the community'
(otherwise known as 'smoking cannabis'). The public perception of drugs and drug users was still very much a creation of the hysterical propaganda campaigns of even earlier eras, and the idea of cannabis addicts attacking old women to 'get their fix' was a reality in many peoples minds.
The casual racism, sexism and homophobia was seen as perfectly natural - in fact it was part and parcel of conforming to societies values, and a person could be considered with suspicion for NOT being full of prejudice.
The 'boys will be boys' attitude towards drunken violence was also the default setting of many.
With very few firearms on the streets, and universal, free healthcare, the consequences of drunken violence were lowered to such a level that Friday and Saturday Night fighting became a national pastime. Britain is still the only country I have known where shoppers and families make a point of getting away from the town centres around 6pm, so the streets can be devoted to drunken misbehaviour.
The European way of entire families (everyone from the ancient Grandmother to the 2 year old toddler) dressing up and sitting outside a town centre bar to eat a nice meal with a glass of wine....On a British town centre street, ANY Friday night, this scene of quality time with all the family would be UNTHINKABLE!
The poor bastards who attempted it would be washed away in a flood of alcohol, vomit, blood and urine!
So maybe some things still need to change....