Jonjo Shelvey in Dubai

LenGlover said:

If you've been a victim of crime then your attitude will be different to some of the blase (isn't London wonerful!) stuff expressed on this thread. Most of us derive our opinions and attitudes from life experience not Facebook.

I think that if you go on Facebook, you'll see lots of comments where people do derive their opinions and attitudes from Facebook. 

LenGlover said:

If you've been a victim of crime then your attitude will be different to some of the blase (isn't London wonderful!) stuff expressed on this thread. Most of us derive our opinions and attitudes from life experience not Facebook.

Khan still needs to hoofed out as Mayor of London, but that is another matter.

My niece lives in London with her boyfriend, in an area I've always thought of as unsafe. They both enjoy living there and say they don't feel unsafe. 

Curb_It said:

Are you not supposed to refer to women as females? 

Only the ones that ain’t got knobs. 

Maybe its the pubs I go to but I very rarely see a punch up in a pub nowadays.  Do they go on?  Back in the day you had to dodge out the way possibly a few times a night as people went windmilling past you.  It was wild at times. 

I go in and out to London around 4 times a week. Working in the City is like working in a bubble.  It's very safe even though I agree, phone snatchings do go on.  I keep my wits about me more when I'm getting off at Woolwich and going home on that part of the journey. Though I rarely see any danger or ever feel threatened but if I come home late I do catch a cab outside the station.  It's what you are used to I guess. 

ElfsborgAddick said:

Two places that are a shocker, Croydon, particularly West Croydon side, and Peckham.

Maybe you haven't been to Peckham for a couple of years but it's quite up and coming and being gentrified now, certainly doesn't live up to the reputation it had a few years ago.

Regardless, most "rough" places in London feel much safer than the "rough" places in other European cities. I spent 4/5 years starting at 18 working late night in Brixton, travelling across south London on night buses between and only saw any trouble a handful of times

I wonder how long it will be before jonJo runs in to that other Dubai expat with Charlton connections, Matt Southall.

ElfsborgAddick said:

Two places that are a shocker, Croydon, particularly West Croydon side, and Peckham.

A shocker to who, people who haven't heard of London?

Croydon is in Surrey and an absolute khazi, i have many stories about that place. Peckham is improving and has some decent pubs.

LenGlover said:

LenGlover said:

If you've been a victim of crime then your attitude will be different to some of the blase (isn't London wonderful!) stuff expressed on this thread. Most of us derive our opinions and attitudes from life experience not Facebook.

I was attacked by 4 youths in Central London at the age of 17. I punched my way out and ran. At that time I was quick and escaped. A month later an older man was attacked by 4 youths where I was attacked and later died. Was it the same 4 youths? Who knows but I have always been wary in London and have not gone and will not go there unless I absolutely have to for some reason.

Charlton is in London, you must have seen a few fights in the 70s & 80s. 

PragueAddick said:

LenGlover said:

LenGlover said:

If you've been a victim of crime then your attitude will be different to some of the blase (isn't London wonderful!) stuff expressed on this thread. Most of us derive our opinions and attitudes from life experience not Facebook.

I was attacked by 4 youths in Central London at the age of 17. I punched my way out and ran. At that time I was quick and escaped. A month later an older man was attacked by 4 youths where I was attacked and later died. Was it the same 4 youths? Who knows but I have always been wary in London and have not gone and will not go there unless I absolutely have to for some reason.

But Len, me old mate; you are about as old as me, I believe. Which means you are talking about an incident in circa. 1971. Twenty years before JonJo was born. 

True enough but my point is that I can empathise with Jonjo's fears and reservations because of my own experience.

Others have posted how wonderful London is and suggested Jonjo is in the wrong.

I've just posted the other side of the coin.

PragueAddick said:

LenGlover said:

PragueAddick said:

LenGlover said:

LenGlover said:

If you've been a victim of crime then your attitude will be different to some of the blase (isn't London wonderful!) stuff expressed on this thread. Most of us derive our opinions and attitudes from life experience not Facebook.

I was attacked by 4 youths in Central London at the age of 17. I punched my way out and ran. At that time I was quick and escaped. A month later an older man was attacked by 4 youths where I was attacked and later died. Was it the same 4 youths? Who knows but I have always been wary in London and have not gone and will not go there unless I absolutely have to for some reason.

But Len, me old mate; you are about as old as me, I believe. Which means you are talking about an incident in circa. 1971. Twenty years before JonJo was born. 

True enough but my point is that I can empathise with Jonjo's fears and reservations because of my own experience.

Others have posted how wonderful London is and suggested Jonjo is in the wrong.

I've just posted the other side of the coin.

He's objectively wrong to suggest that London has suddenly, recently, become rough and dangerous. He even describes his own lived experiences in the article, which date back 20 years. I can forgive him that, he's a footballer, not a social sciences professor but his comments are being used and mendaciously manipulated by people with agendas. That's what people are reacting to, as far as I can tell.

I'm sorry you were attacked in that way though. You can't un-see something like that, especially at that age. 

Hope you are keeping well nowadays.

PragueAddick said:

LenGlover said:

PragueAddick said:

LenGlover said:

LenGlover said:

If you've been a victim of crime then your attitude will be different to some of the blase (isn't London wonderful!) stuff expressed on this thread. Most of us derive our opinions and attitudes from life experience not Facebook.

I was attacked by 4 youths in Central London at the age of 17. I punched my way out and ran. At that time I was quick and escaped. A month later an older man was attacked by 4 youths where I was attacked and later died. Was it the same 4 youths? Who knows but I have always been wary in London and have not gone and will not go there unless I absolutely have to for some reason.

But Len, me old mate; you are about as old as me, I believe. Which means you are talking about an incident in circa. 1971. Twenty years before JonJo was born. 

True enough but my point is that I can empathise with Jonjo's fears and reservations because of my own experience.

Others have posted how wonderful London is and suggested Jonjo is in the wrong.

I've just posted the other side of the coin.

He's objectively wrong to suggest that London has suddenly, recently, become rough and dangerous. He even describes his own lived experiences in the article, which date back 20 years. I can forgive him that, he's a footballer, not a social sciences professor but his comments are being used and mendaciously manipulated by people with agendas. That's what people are reacting to, as far as I can tell.

I'm sorry you were attacked in that way though. You can't un-see something like that, especially at that age. 

Hope you are keeping well nowadays.

Fine thanks and enjoying retirement. Hope all well with you too. 

Karim_myBagheri said:

Curb_It said:

Are you not supposed to refer to women as females? 

I just call them my bitches

This is the kind of stupid misogynistic untimely comment to why I shouldn't be allowed on here after dark. 

PragueAddick said:

fenaddick said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

Two places that are a shocker, Croydon, particularly West Croydon side, and Peckham.

Maybe you haven't been to Peckham for a couple of years but it's quite up and coming and being gentrified now, certainly doesn't live up to the reputation it had a few years ago.

Regardless, most "rough" places in London feel much safer than the "rough" places in other European cities. I spent 4/5 years starting at 18 working late night in Brixton, travelling across south London on night buses between and only saw any trouble a handful of times

But is that not because you're a Londoner, you know the signals, the way people walk and talk, whereas any other big city looks intimidating straight away; but the longer time you spend there, you realise that it's not as bad as you first thought?

Many Czechs are completely intimidated by London, anywhere in London, because  they see so many non-white faces. When they voice these fears to me, I usually bristle but then check myself and try to remember that they didn't grow up in a multi-cultural environment. 

Yes, quite possibly. There’s definitely a familiarity factor but I still think London is a much safer city than lots of people want you to believe 

I don't think I've ever felt unsafe in London, apart from not long ago leaving a gig at Brixton Academy and genuinely felt right on edge. Uber couldn't turn up quick enough.