What's the most underrated thing about living in the UK?
Posted by Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 743 comments
I only hear bad things nowadays but it's not really that bad....
Prestigious-Bottle50@reddit
Dogging
DiscoMonkeyz@reddit
It's a very green country. You can live in the middle of a big city, and yet it's a short drive or train ride to the middle of nowhere.
DrMacAndDog@reddit
The weather. It’s alright a lot of the time.
Doomergeneration@reddit
The sense of humour
PublicPossibility946@reddit
Knock knock.....
GoodOlBluesBrother@reddit
Who there?
PublicPossibility946@reddit
Owls
GoodOlBluesBrother@reddit
Owls Who?
PublicPossibility946@reddit
Yes, They do don't they.
Final_Ticket3394@reddit
All countries think they have a sense of humour
Coopario86@reddit
It is one thing the UK is generally known for though.
GoodOlBluesBrother@reddit
Just because people laugh at us doesn’t mean we’re funny.
yetagainanother1@reddit
100%. USA and Canada have a lot less funny people generally in my experience. Australians try to be funny but it’s often crass. The Irish though, they’re funny.
I don’t want to compare non-English speaking countries because so much is lost in translation. India can be funny and has a lot of English speakers but a lot of jokes there are multilingual.
stanley_ipkiss2112@reddit
Bingo!
BenidormEnjoyer@reddit
and the music. luv me bri’ish music, luv me heritage. ‘ate other music, simple as
World_wanderer12@reddit
Yes! Can't believe I had to scroll so far to see this
-nogoodboyo-@reddit
That’s because it’s not underrated
World_wanderer12@reddit
Fair point
ObsydianGinx@reddit
No natural disasters, except some flooding in certain areas but no earthquakes, volcanos, hurricanes, tsunamis etc. Bad wind, sure but nothing on such a terrible scale as other places
StatisticianOwn9953@reddit
Even this is usually mild. It'd be awful if it happened to your home or business, but it leaves behind damage rather than sweeping away the whole community.
Wraithei@reddit
Tell that to those people living in flood zones... Although unlike other natural disasters at least it's pretty easy to predict flooding and areas that'll be effected 😂
Feel pretty safe living up a hill near(ish) the coast, ain't gotta worry about it
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Exactly. Our disasters are very mild compared to the rest of the world and I’ve always like the fact I never have to worry about an earthquake or the total destruction of my entire town
TheGameCollectorUK@reddit
Mild? My bin blew over on storm Darragh.
artrald-7083@reddit
F
MadWifeUK@reddit
You were lucky! We lost a whole roof tile from the porch!
MoisticleSack@reddit
Our Neighbours child's pop-up tent blew into our garden. We still haven't recovered from the trauma
MadWifeUK@reddit
Sending forts and pears.
TheGameCollectorUK@reddit
The horrors
Coopario86@reddit
Flying trampolines can be an absolute menace.
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Thoughts and prayers
LightningJC@reddit
Yeah it's not even just the worry of total destruction tbh, I've just moved back here after 8 years in wellington NZ. You get a lot of little shakes but sometimes they damage big buildings just enough to get them declared unsafe, usually happens to older government buildings and then the council decides to spend millions fixing them up and it takes 5+ years to reopen them.
Wellington town hall is now upto 300 million for repairs and has taken over a decade so far, still not safe apparently, Just a waste of money.
There's also empty blocks of flats as they are unsafe, and every cafe and restaurant seems to have a sticker on the front saying earthquake prone, so at any point anearthquake could cause it to collapse.
I'm happy to be home.
laidback_chef@reddit
I do feel it is getting progressively worse tho.
Sir_Edna_Bucket@reddit
Has anything recent matched the storm of 1987?
Butterbellie@reddit
Storm Babet in Oct 23, Henk in Jan 24 and the unnamed storm in Jan 25 all were record breaking in East Mids. About 10k properties were flooded from the 3 storms (probably a lot more undeclared) with some locations seeing 1in200 year flood levels in back to back years.
We're definitely seeing an increase in volatility in the weather, but it's not something that's ever been stable.
Sir_Edna_Bucket@reddit
What about them was record breaking? I live in East Anglia and none of the storms you mention impacted me noticeably, other than probably increasing insurance premiums. Whereas the storm of 87 seemed to hit the entire country more or less, and caused chaos for weeks.
Maybe I just remember it more as it was a big story and I was at an impressionable age?
Clumsy_Penguin_@reddit
I don't think the people in Carlisle would agree with that! They've had really bad flooding twice now in under 20 years
V65Pilot@reddit
Flooding was pretty normal where I lived in the US, and after I witnessed my first flood here, I was somewhat bemused... I can recall the small creek than ran through my property, usually a mere inches deep, becoming a raging 20ft deep torrent, in a matter of a few hours. Whole towns becoming submerged. Insurance companies crying poverty and asking for bailouts after having to pay out billions in claims (although they took in much more over the years) My 10 mile commute to work becoming a 45 mile trip so I could get around flooded areas (people needed me to be open, we were one of only two local companies that carried rental generators and pumping equipment) Devastating livestock deaths. Quite a few human deaths, although a lot of them could be attributed to pure stupidity....
"Hey boss, Imma be a bit late to work today"
Historical_Ad_2346@reddit
The most underrated thing about the uk is that it could be worse.
SchoolForSedition@reddit
My friend whose back garden in Birmingham was taken out by a tornado was very unlucky.
RevolutionaryPace167@reddit
You really need to pay more attention to what really does happen in the UK. *Some flooding and a breeze * 😅😅😅
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Doesn’t compare to the destruction that happens across the globe everywhere else
RevolutionaryPace167@reddit
Destruction of property is the same ,everywhere. So is the following homelessness. People also die. How do you compare a death?
Rasples1998@reddit
Because god is British and you don't shit on your own doorstep. (An atheist).
artrald-7083@reddit
This!
The UK's climate is kinda... mid.
I consider this objectively the best kind of climate to live in.
I can always go on holiday to exciting climates, knowing that statistically speaking my home country will neither be on fire nor four feet underwater nor have disappeared into a hole in the ground by the time I get home.
Riskit_4_Biscuits@reddit
Plus no wild venomous animals, or poisonous insects as such. Me and my wife were just having this discussion like 20 mins ago about how lucky we are here.
Sensitive-Vast-4979@reddit
Also minimal dangerous wildlife. Like we don't have tigers , lions , bears etc , just knobhead pigeons and seagulls
ERTCF53@reddit
No Bobcat's, I believe they can be a right pain in the arse.
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Yes to that! I’m so happy I don’t have to worry about bears, cougars or coyotes
RonLondonUK@reddit
The bad wind is due to our love for Branston baked beans on toast 😋🤤😋 😂😂😂
adequatepigeon@reddit
Gotta be Branston!
trucutbiopsy@reddit
But there is no sunlight.
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Oh fuck off. There’s loads. More and more heatwaves every year
theredvip3r@reddit
Fun fact we have some of the most tornadoes per sqmile globally.
But obviously they're very weak
UsuallyAnnoying324@reddit
We actually do get hundreds of earthquakes a year but they are tiny, though we do rarely get one about a 4 or 5.
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Don’t be pedantic. They don’t count
UsuallyAnnoying324@reddit
I was aiming for informative rather than pedantic: I didn't think we had them either until I watched a youtube video the other day explaining how we get hundreds a year and how they could get worse.
catsaregreat78@reddit
I felt one once. I thought a vehicle had hit the house or one of my shoddily assembled pieces of IKEA furniture had toppled over.
IllIlIlIlIlIll@reddit
Less of a earthquake more of a tectonic-tickle
bluejackmovedagain@reddit
You didn't live through the Birmingham Tornado of 2005.
UncleD1ckhead@reddit
I remember that. Those poor plant pots that got knocked over, heart breaking.
catsaregreat78@reddit
Will no one think of the wheelie bins?
chasimm3@reddit
I think everyone lived through it didn't they? There were some injuries though.
UpcastDragon19@reddit
I didn't. I wasn't born yet.
chasimm3@reddit
R.I.P UpcastDragon19
Own-Penalty1416@reddit
Sorry for your loss.
phatboi23@reddit
the bins...
"lest we forget" etc.
Known-Ad-1556@reddit
I think, in general, the way that our country is very moderate in all things is simultaneously the dullest, and also the best, thing about the place.
SomthingClever1286@reddit
I’ve just moved to the Uk from the US and the weather/climate has been one of my favorite things living here now! The cooler temperatures and lack fewer mosquitoes makes spending time outside really pleasant!
V65Pilot@reddit
I love when people here tell me "Mosquitos? We don't have mosquitos here"
Hell, there's a genus of mosquito in the London Underground that survives nowhere else on the planet.
Fewer mosquitos? Definitely. Still not a good reason to not have window screens....
SnooBooks1701@reddit
Don't go to Scotland in the summer then, the midges form a miasma
iron233@reddit
No natural disasters so far
Expensive_Finding_74@reddit
Not really any scary animals also, peoples' own dogs side.
FlightyZoo@reddit
I would agree if we didn’t have climate change - we’re going to have forest fires in the future amongst other things like increased flooding. We won’t be as badly affected as other countries, but it’s coming and the government are still in thrall to lobbyists.
Alarming-Bee87@reddit
In addition to a lack of dangerous wildlife (bears, wolves etc) is a plus too in some ways. Sad that some animals were hunted to extinction here though.
Also a lack of things like malaria.
Especially compared to other parts of the world, most things here are really "mild".
Colleen987@reddit
Don’t forget the wild fires
cactusplants@reddit
I mean we technically get earthquakes and we have had a few whirlwinds in the past. They put out an alert for one the other week up north
But yeah, all we have to deal with is gross heat (glad it's not Florida swamp heat or SE Asia 150% humidity) rain and major-ish floods around the flatter areas
ShufflingToGlory@reddit
Bad winds in the 70's though. Kids getting blown into the road on their way to school.
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Still does not compare to the destruction of Katrina
Rich-Specific7249@reddit
But enough about your favourite smut videos..
ObsydianGinx@reddit
Lol
SwanBridge@reddit
Play a record Steve.
CraigTheBrewer12@reddit
I’ll have you know I lived through 4 earthquakes in two weeks back in 2020, 2 were in one day! Fair enough they were very mild, just a big rumble and some shaking, but they happened!
ObsydianGinx@reddit
How did you survive?
Street_Maple666@reddit
Just you wait!
Snave96@reddit
Nature wise add a distinct lack of dangerous animals as another perk.
Gadget100@reddit
Don’t forget about the great Dudley quakeof 2002.
It caused £100 worth of improvements.
AlanWardrobe@reddit
Much of Europe can claim this though.
ObsydianGinx@reddit
What? No. Tons of European countries have earthquakes
Wraithei@reddit
Having just come back from holiday, honestly the general weather / temperature ain't too bad 😂
cinejam@reddit
The amazing quality of beer (not lager) and cheeses
Ok-Sea4957@reddit
The climate.
hopeless_wanderer_95@reddit
Its really fucking safe.
Super rare and relatively minor natural disasters/extreme events.
Very little dangerous, venomous, or poisonous wildife.
A very good and mostly fair legal system, supported by a generally decent society (despite what many newspapers would have us believe).
Yeah theres a few issues, some are getting worse, some better, and this might be my privilege talking. But there are very few things day to day that can cause us serious harm beyond accidents and negligence.
Real-Strawberry1912@reddit
How walk-able the country is
KeyJunket1175@reddit
If you mean right of way and public footpaths everywhere, yes, that's great.
Walkability in general outside of big cities is not that great compared to Europe.
forestvibe@reddit
Outside of big cities and major tourist hotspots, many countries in Europe are pretty poor for walking and/or cycling.
KeyJunket1175@reddit
My experience in Europe is a lot better than in the UK.
forestvibe@reddit
I'm actually French and grew up in rural France, where it's only small towns and villages. As soon as you leave the tourist trail, there's no public transport, no walking paths, and only the occasional long-distance cycle route.
As far as I can see, it's the same in Spain, Portugal and Italy. I think the Netherlands are better, but that's the only country I can say with any confidence has better walking/cycling infrastructure than the UK.
KeyJunket1175@reddit
In Eastern Europe it's pretty good. But even where there is no dedicated walking path, the roads are not as narrow as in the UK and there is space at the side, so it's safer to walk.
No-Ferret-560@reddit
By 'Europe' you mean the Netherlands & Denmark. Go to any rural or semi rural area in southern or Eastern Europe and you'll see how the UK is just fine.
KeyJunket1175@reddit
I am from Eastern Europe. It's not just fine. While in both cases you may be forced to walk on the road, UK roads are a lot narrower, often with buildings or hedges directly at the edge. Even in Hungary, many towns are connected by dedicated paved bike/pedestrian paths running next to but separated from the road.
Public footpaths are great here, however.
hippyslayer@reddit
This, but I can take my dog with me, then sit in a pub with said dog.
Parma_Violence_@reddit
And cycle-able!
YesDr@reddit
Cheap supermarkets
ImpressNice299@reddit
For me, it's this: if you're hiking in a remote area at 3am in bad weather and you fall and badly fracture your leg, you can pick up your phone and call 999. Within minutes, paramedics and mountain rescue will be on their way to you. You'll be treated and kept comfortable before being collected by an ambulance or a helicopter and taken to hospital where a team of people will be waiting to look after you. None of these services require payment or paperwork and nothing is expected in return. This is true of almost nowhere else in the world.
KoreanJesusPleasures@reddit
That's not really remote then. There is no real wilderness in the UK.
ObliviousOnion@reddit
Factually incorrect.
KoreanJesusPleasures@reddit
Factually correct. It's by definition not wilderness.
ObliviousOnion@reddit
You stated there is no real wilderness in the UK, that is factually incorrect.
KoreanJesusPleasures@reddit
If you think any of the UK is wilderness you're sorely mistaken.
ImpressNice299@reddit
I don't think you've quite understood my post.
KoreanJesusPleasures@reddit
I understood, and is why I commented that.
Come-jive-with-me@reddit
If you live in the north, there's very little chance you'll get any cockroaches in urban area.
lardarz@reddit
Tolerable wildlife
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Not enough of it but yeah at least it won't kill you
Trick-Newspaper-9906@reddit
There's loads of it, it's just typically British in that it keeps itself to itself
Complex_Level9632@reddit
England is one of the most nature depleted places in the entire world. We've pretty much lost all of our native wildlife, apart from birds and small mammals. England is basically farmland in between towns and cities.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
🤣
Ok_Significance9398@reddit
Tell you what. Cows can be pretty deadly. There’s a reason I avoid the mother in-law.
New_Plan_7929@reddit
Cows are actually the most dangerous animal in the UK in terms of number of deaths and injuries caused each year. Probably because they weigh as much as a small car and humans treat them like shit.
Many_Hamster6055@reddit
😆😆😆😆😆
SynysterCheese@reddit
huskydaisy@reddit
Probably* won't kill you.
*T&Cs apply
NefariousnessDull916@reddit
A swan can break your arm….
huskydaisy@reddit
I think that's generally been debunked when it comes to healthy grown adults https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/could-swan-break-your-arm but I've been pecked by a swan that wanted my chips once and that shit hurts.
NefariousnessDull916@reddit
I don’t think I believe it, but it’s something people seem to say quite a lot. I used to be in a rowing team and there was this one swan that used to attack us quite frequently - zero arms were broken though.
redpanda249@reddit
Not sure if this is in the terms but I have been very nearly attacked by a buzzard, pretty sure it's a different one on 3 separate occasions. Is the term 4th time unlucky?
phatboi23@reddit
seagulls and geese... AKA cobra chickens...
the most angry of animals.
other than a drunken person after your chips on a night out haha
dwhite21787@reddit
Whenever a death chicken eyes me up, I throw a rock and yell “not dead yet”
Bastards can wait
redpanda249@reddit
It's all happened in the last 2 months when I'm out running so I currently sprint like mad. Very aware that they will attack so I just try and get away. Although could use it as evidence not to be drafted for WW3. So every cloud!
E420CDI@reddit
Misread as Toblerone wildlife
MGSC_1726@reddit
I live about 5 minutes from a safari park. Absolutely bizarre when it dawns on me that I live right by lions and rhinos and what not lmao
HalveMaen81@reddit
I've always wondered about people who live near safari parks. Is there like a protocol for what happens if something escapes? Do you get leaflets dropped through your door from the park saying, "If you hear this siren, stay indoors and close your windows, cos some chimps are on the loose"?
LeeGamerUK@reddit
I love pretty close to a safari park too… I can hear the lions low growl late at night as I’m drifting off to sleep. We’ve had a few escapees over the years! I think the baboons got out a few times!
eastkent@reddit
It's quite bizarre to be driving through a little village, you turn down a country road, and then you hear a tiger or a gorilla kicking off on the other side of a hedge.
MeesterMartinho@reddit
You've never been to the west of Scotland...
lardarz@reddit
I have. Should have added a caveat.
jojojojojojoseph@reddit
Adorable wildlife.
cucumbersuprise@reddit
Apart from that abomination of a rabbit
lordnoodle1995@reddit
You haven’t met my cat.
JLDcorby@reddit
'Squirrels aren't exactly gonna hunt you down in packs'
adamcoleisfatasfuck@reddit
Wholeheartedly agree, spent so e time in California last week and was told by a friend "if you see a spider, do not touch it under any circumstances. Just run to me and I'll sort it out."
I asked "any kind of spider? Markings to look for?". The response "nope. ANY Spider ."
As an arachnophobe, that shit me the fuck up.
Confident-Bottle-792@reddit
Your 13 year old daughter will be raped by a Pakistani
Emotional-Brief3666@reddit
Nowhere is more than 70 miles from the sea
FlatsInDagenham@reddit
Quality of the electrical plugs and wall sockets.
GosmeisterGeneral@reddit
Most places, you can walk to a shop / civilisation. Our streets and towns are mostly designed with people walking as a very credible option. We have lots of pavements and crossings.
Go to America, you’ll be walking a mile out of your way just to find somewhere to cross one of their giant roads.
solowanderer1@reddit
In comparison to the US yes but in comparison to most of Europe the UK is lacking and way behind in infrastructure (except perhaps in big cities). My experience is mostly from smaller town in Scotland and I hate that I usually have to drive somewhere first in order to be able to walk.
No-Ferret-560@reddit
Because you're probably comparing Amsterdam to your small town in Scotland. Go to a small town elsewhere and you'll see it's just the same.
SunUsual550@reddit
Yeah you can't compare small towns in Scotland to the rest of the UK.
I grew up in villages in North Yorkshire. We had shops, pubs, decent public transport.
There are towns of more than 15,000 people in Scotland that don't have proper transport infrastructure.
Throwaway_Privacy_12@reddit
Yeah you're right. Scotland is a bit underdeveloped in some areas, same with some parts of Wales. But anywhere in England you're never more than two miles from a pub.
Snazz03@reddit
Precisely, for the most part we are no different to Europe when it comes to pedestrian infrastructure, cycling is another story
IanJL1@reddit
Excluding every new housing development
CraigTheBrewer12@reddit
I live on a new build estate, we have 2 co-ops and a Tesco express in walking distance with a new shop planned to come along shortly. Co-op actively targets new build estates for new locations, not having a shop nearby seems crazy!
Flashy-Mulberry-2941@reddit
Fuck bellway et al. Absolute fucking criminals.
No_Potato_4341@reddit
Free healthcare
adfinlayson@reddit
It's only free if you don't contribute.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Something we take for granted, NHS might be shit but at least they won't leave you die..... Most of the world they will
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
People are literally dying because of waiting times in ED and waiting lists. The NHS is badly broken at this point.
ExpensiveFig4670@reddit
Maybe, but they don't want that. In some countries USA *cough cough* they don't give a sh1t.
skatemoose@reddit
Where are these stats for "deaths are going through the roof"?
Cryo_Magic42@reddit
Tbf you can still pay for private healthcare
k_rocker@reddit
But at least you know your hospital is always “in network” and you’re not going to get a doctor that isn’t in network working at your network hospital.
No $20,000 bills for having babies. No medical bankruptcies.
mr-tap@reddit
Based on the maps on https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care_by_country , it is probably most accurate to say ‘some parts of the world they will…’
chigychigybowbow@reddit
Not free. You pay for it via national insurance.
eyeball2005@reddit
There’s better systems. Paid £50 upfront for my bacterial tonsillitis treatment in France, I was seen in five minutes, prescription ready immediately, and I was given appropriate painkillers. Not just the usual ‘take some paracetamol’ while I was in true agony from my inflamed tonsils rubbing together preventing me swallowing.
Last time I was in A&E however I waited two hours AFTER being triaged to the front suffering severe tardive dyskinesia. I broke two teeth due to the uncontrollable jaw spasms and tore some facial muscles
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
I used to think that. But having sat in A&E for hours with someone having a number of major siezures I don't believe that anymore. I've been in countries with paid healthcare and the speed and service has always been much better. The NHS is overloaded and that comes out in the level of service.
kr43@reddit
You can pay for healthcare in the UK if you find it's better for you.
Misfit9366@reddit
Until you try to receive the healthcare
Capt_Bigglesworth@reddit
I’ve received a metric fuck ton of NHS healthcare and it was superb. By contrast, I experienced the US healthcare system and I genuinely wondered if I was going to die there. They also jacked me up on Fentanyl, which I can confirm is very ‘more’ish’.
Misfit9366@reddit
I’m just going off the people I know. Got a guy at work with a soft ball size hernia hanging out his stomach, my mothers friend who’s been waiting 7 weeks for results on a melanoma removal, 85 year old grandmother can’t get an appointment, friends with kids who’ve sat in A&E 8 hours a piece.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
You do tend to sit in A&E for an extremely long time when you didn't need to be there due to the triage system prioritising people with actual problems.
Misfit9366@reddit
I’m aware of that
Pitiful-Proposal2840@reddit
Oi. This is a fact.
TheJenniferLopez@reddit
This isn't the flex you think it is when you're on anything other than minimum wage.
Auntie_Cagul@reddit
It isn't free.
Well...it isn't free for the majority of people. We pay for it in our taxes.
JamMichaelVincent@reddit
As it is in 44 other countries. It’s really not that great.
Working_Bench_6780@reddit
It's only free if you're on benefits. If you work , you are paying tax and national insurance. We pay some of the highest taxes going .
SentientWickerBasket@reddit
No, we really, really don't. Our tax burden for the average person is less than the EU average, and less than the other big three European powers.
MrRWhitworth@reddit
The weather. 90% of British people live further north than 90% of Canadians
Scav_Construction@reddit
We're better than everybody else in the world
ChangingMonkfish@reddit
Extremely reliable and powerful electricity network. Electric kettles are rubbing in a lot of countries because they don’t have as high a voltage as we have, and power cuts are rare here whereas they’re just a fact of life in a lot of other countries.
lua-roxa@reddit
True and not something I realised until recently but in Portugal there are lots of places where you can’t even turn on the washing machine and the oven at the same time.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Rubbing? They have to rely on static?
KeyJunket1175@reddit
This country has the highest number of Turkish barbers per square km in the world.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
What is a "Turkish" barber. I was literally asking my mate yesterday. Is it more better?
KeyJunket1175@reddit
I suspect they are mostly probably a front. I usually have to try 5-6 shops before I find one that can actually cut my hair decently.
lua-roxa@reddit
Definitely fronts https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3677xzk56no
Mother-Cantaloupe-57@reddit
And mobile phone repair shops
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Definitely tbf about five in my small town
TeaLiving7900@reddit
As someone from the south in the US, here's a list on why I am grateful to be here with most of these being the cause of many of my loved one's death:
- No tornadoes
- No hail storms
- No mass shootings/fear of getting shot at any given moment
- Much more affordable to live
- Healthcare is free and not only for the rich
- Universities cost less
- people are nicer
- Police are not likely to shoot you because of undiagnosed mental issues/racism
- I can date (if I was to find someone) that is black without being treated like I am scum of the earth
- Most people don't have the brains of a walnut.
Embarrassed_Mix_88@reddit
The English countryside. Spring-Autumn is lovely, and my garden thrives from all the rain we get.
Also, pubs!!
Nandor1262@reddit
Not having anxiety about being shot
furie1335@reddit
Just stabbed
ultrafunkmiester@reddit
It's the general level of safety. Of course, shity things happen every day, but it's vanishingly rare you will be caught up in random violence if you don't court it. Guns exist but not to the extent that 40% of the fuckwits in your local ASDA open carry. You can walk most places, most times of the day without fear of violence or sexual assault. (Yes, even solo females) You don't risk getting car jacked stopping at the lights on the way to work. Your workplace and the public spaces are subject to a huge number of regulations to keep you safe and are mostly enforced (except in egregious scenarios like Grenfell)
Of course, bad things happen here on these islands, but just sit down and have a conversation with someone from a war-torn country or a country overrun by drugs, gangs ,guns or all of them. Someone who has lived in a gated community with 24/7 armed guards or worse someone who lives outside a gated community.
The constant anxiety sucks everything out of you. The cognitive load of lack of safety.
Unless you have been to place where those basic safety things are lacking, you have no idea how lucky we are.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
It's mostly safe tbh worse you'll get is a punch in Wetherspoons, unless you're in a gang or something or really really unlucky
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
Getting more stabby though.
Holiday-Document7611@reddit
The likelihood of being stabbed if your not in a gang or london is so low it’s basically nothing.
SamwellBarley@reddit
No, the longer I live here, the more I yearn for it
Barnaby_Chunder@reddit
No (or little) corruption. I've not had to bribe anyone, anyway…
chigychigybowbow@reddit
You're, there's no corruption available to the peasants. However, bribery, nepotism, cronyism, and favouritism are almost everywhere in high life in the UK.
Barnaby_Chunder@reddit
That's an interesting idea: that I've not experienced corruption because of my relatively lowly status. I suppose I could've experienced it unknowingly (the invitation not extended; the application denied).
HugsandHate@reddit
Are you aware of the tories?
Heartbreak_Star@reddit
An abundance of beaches
adequatepigeon@reddit
And such a variety!
coffeewalnut08@reddit
Countryside and proximity to the coast. I love our wildflowers, bumblebees, cliffs and beaches.
adequatepigeon@reddit
Ah! I was looking for beaches on this list. We have so many, and such a variety. My favourite are shingle beaches. Teeny comfy pebbles. Sand is a bastard!
BigVince76@reddit
Trifle. You can go into any supermarket, even the little metro/express/local ones and buy trifle. It may only be those stupid little individual ones, which are obviously too small, but nevertheless. Trifle is the best thing about Britain.
Altruistic_Yak_3872@reddit
Daffodils and spring.
Libraries and church baby groups.
HugsandHate@reddit
Church baby groups?
Altruistic_Yak_3872@reddit
When I had my babies in Surbiton, the local Methodist church opened their hall every Thursday morning for parents and babies/ toddlers. They had toys, juice and biscuits, tea and coffee etc. Is this a thing of the past? The local library also had Reading Time at certain times of the week.
HugsandHate@reddit
Is this in America?
Altruistic_Yak_3872@reddit
Nope. Surbiton is on the southern outskirts of London
HugsandHate@reddit
Oh.
Well, I'm doubly surprised I don't know of it.
Although, I don't have kids and they aren't an element of my life at all.
So, that'll probably do it.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Pretty peaceful stuff 😺
Lonely_Cod3080@reddit
Our humour....were fucking hilarious
chigychigybowbow@reddit
Hilarious on the Internet, real life.....
Lonely_Cod3080@reddit
Even funnier
bishopsfinger@reddit
Oh no we're not
Sonicboomish@reddit
Ohhhhhh yes we areeeeee!
E420CDI@reddit
🎶 Whistle while you work / Hitler is a twerp / He's half barmy / So's his army / Whistle while you... 🎶
Electronic_Pirate286@reddit
THE FOOD! Honestly, we do really have the very best of almost every cultural dish.
Amonette2012@reddit
No ICE. No armed fuckwit pigs. Just moved back from the US. Glad to be home. Wouldn't want to still be an immigrant in America.
OkStory5020@reddit
We desperately need something like ICE here though. We have lost control of our borders.
Amonette2012@reddit
Yeah we can do without the gestapo thanks.
OkStory5020@reddit
And you're happy to defend the rape gangs like that? What would you say to the girls families? "sorry but it was more important for us to virtue signal than to protect your daughter".
fruitpunchysamurai99@reddit
No mosquitoes
Legal_Meringue_9859@reddit
Which is cooler than you might think. Malaria was endemic in the UK until the early 1900's
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
We have mosquitos.
fruitpunchysamurai99@reddit
Not as much as some other countries,you can actually sit in the park in the evening or leave your windows open in the summer
gareth1229@reddit
It’s got everything you need. And if you want access to everything you want, it’s pretty much in London.
I started complaining about just how shit 3rd world country UK has become. Then I went back home and I was slapped in the face and reminded by reality the true definition of a shit 3rd world country.
HullIsNotThatBad@reddit
The incredibly diverse countryside we have that can be accessed from anywhere to anywhere else in less than a days travel
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
You must walk a lot faster than I do
HullIsNotThatBad@reddit
Lol! I always thought 'travel' assumed some sort of vehicle is involved. Though yes, technically walking is traveliing too ;)
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Lol yeh. I also can get to a riverside walk from here in 5 mins of walking anyway as it happens.
Lady_of_Lomond@reddit
The NHS.
Allotments.
The wonderful amateur classical music scene.
The choral tradition.
JAD4995@reddit
The countryside. It took me until lockdown to appreciate how many good trails walks and hikes we have in the UK . I went to Loch Lomond in Scotland and felt like we were in a part of Canada it was so beautiful and vast.
Indialopez96@reddit
Well that's because that part of land actually broke off from where the Rockie mountains are - million of years ago!! Cool fact I learned when I wild camped the highlands :)
BigKingBob@reddit
Appalachian mountains, not the Rockies, but otherwise you're correct.
The Appalachians start in the US deep south and end at John O'Groats
Indialopez96@reddit
Ahhh yes!! thank you!!
lua-roxa@reddit
The on/off button on wall sockets. Why is that not universal??
b-ees@reddit
seeing sheep while on the train!
West_Vanilla7017@reddit
Free house, and free money. Benefits to spend on booze and partying and shiny outfits.
'Wow you look so professional' I got told once.
'Why yes! I am a professional, a professional bum' was my answer.
Party party, booze, nicotine 🥳🥳🥳🥳
All with your tax monies. The UK is still shit though ehehehehe 🤪🤪🤪🤪
I should be allowed to keep my benefits and move to Spain, why not?
Oh wait, Gibraltar is still part of the UK right? If I book holidays there, my benefits don't stop during that time 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Party time!!!! Cruise ship maybe!!!! Why not just go gambling 🤔
Logical_fallacy10@reddit
The weather is fantastic.
Critical_Mongoose939@reddit
Silence. Blissful silence. As an introvert born in southern Europe, the silence of the UK is remarkable. I hate the loudness of my country: people shouting at all times, dogs barking everywhere, etc.
Living in the UK has been the best thing for my nervous system since the invention of the duvet day.
Strict-Print-6048@reddit
It depends where you live. I was brought up in West Yorkshire, in a city that has changed negatively beyond all recognition during the last 30 years. Most of the towns and cities around it have seen similar decline.
We've since moved to a smaller town that's so far escaped it, but the fringe of it is still there, and worse could be coming.
We do however, also have a house in a small village on the coast, and the comparison is stark. It feels far more like the country that I was a kid in. The old England is still out there.
Visible_Attempt_1047@reddit
How easily magistrates give way to illegal immigrants brought in front of them, by making them reappear at a later date before the court. As if they would.
MysteriousTelephone@reddit
Our weather is pretty temperate.
Talk to anyone from anywhere else in Europe and they’ll tell you; their winters are colder than ours and their summers are hotter.
99% of British weather is pretty much ‘ok’.
Pauczan@reddit
As a Pole living in Scotland I can honestly say that the weather i shit
Dans77b@reddit
I lived in the USA where we had 'real' weather. At least over there you could rely on summer being hot.
UK weather is described as 'mild', I would call constant grey drizzle 'infuriating'.
trucutbiopsy@reddit
Is the whether in the UK too gloomy? Without sunlight, I guess you may get depression.
Dans77b@reddit
Yeah, it's not just the lack of vitamin D, it's the fact that I have to keep the patio doors shut most of the year.
The weather today means that I am sat out on my deck on my lunch break as I write this. It essentially makes my house bigger and more varied.
I can't plan to repaint the railings though, because that cloud looks a bit suspicious.
trucutbiopsy@reddit
But there is no sunlight there.
Aerodye@reddit
Idk, I grew up in Greece and I’d say the weather is just all around better there. Similar temperature during winter; hotter in the summer but much, much less humid. I think the Mediterranean climate is quite a bit better than UK climate, a good portion of days here it’s just grey and pissing it down
No-Ferret-560@reddit
British winters are colder than plenty of places in Europe & they're not much different from Germany, Benelux, western Norway etc
ManAboutAHorsea420@reddit
Dunno my sweaty balls atm say otherwise
ImpressNice299@reddit
I'm not sure southern Europe would agree.
Capt_Bigglesworth@reddit
Is that you, Chieftain Olav?
mccancelculture@reddit
No animals or bugs that will kill you
First-Mistake9144@reddit
It’s definitely not “no”, but it’s almost an insignificant amount.
alarming_wrong@reddit
being trampled by a cow is pretty much it if we exempt pets
First-Mistake9144@reddit
“pretty much” is still leaving out others
alarming_wrong@reddit
rats. rats the size of houses.
Ok_Pangolin1908@reddit
Public footpaths - the ability and freedom to roam this country is insane
UKAOKyay@reddit
By definition, yes.
UKAOKyay@reddit
Music
First-Mistake9144@reddit
You can only listen to UK music while living in the UK?
UKAOKyay@reddit
You can only make U.K. music by living in the U.K.
First-Mistake9144@reddit
eh?
So all music made in UK is UK music? And all UK artists that record their music out of the country isn’t UK music?
UKAOKyay@reddit
Hell of a lot easier to hear it live.
Coraxxx@reddit
Absolutely zero pterodactyls.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
I'd like some, just a few though. Little ones.
New_Plan_7929@reddit
Just to keep us on our toes?
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
And for the aesthetics. They'd look cool on old church steeples.
ams3000@reddit
The way we mostly refuse to pander to celebs, narcissists and arrogant people in the public eye. That spirit is awesome.
EasternAlgae2361@reddit
You just described the royal family in three words but yet we love them?
ams3000@reddit
We don’t all love them.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Idk Jim was vaguely funny
RaincoatBadgers@reddit
There are no majorly harmful animals outside
You can wander through a field and you don't really need to worry about stumbling across a deadly spider or a snake that could hospitalise you
There are no bears in the woods. Nor wolves, you can practically let your guard down when you're on a trail.
New_Plan_7929@reddit
The quality of our food. From the easy access to good fresh produce to the stuff in restaurants, pubs, and cafes. The old adage that British food is poor no longer stacks up, we have very high food standards, some of the best chefs in the world, and incredible small businesses doing amazing stuff. Plus we are great at catering for dietary requirements (we have a load in my family and never struggle to find somewhere or something to eat that is clearly labelled).
As a note I agree with everything I've read in this post, this country (union of?) is fantastic and I bloody love living here.
eyeball2005@reddit
Greenery everywhere. Vary rarely do you see grass burnt dry and trees shrivelled up
GooseyDuckDuck@reddit
The general level of safety, so many people are clueless about just how good we have it.
atattyman@reddit
The .gov.uk system and the quality of all the forms and documentation to apply for / find out whatever you want. Boring, but nonetheless brilliant. Most other countries are a shit show of decentralised inconsistent things.
ChipsForDinner@reddit
We also have it in legislation that any government own public facing website had to perform an accessibility audit and publish the result. Loads and loads of work has gone into the gds framework that the sites are built on. It's genuinely something to be proud of
ConduciveMammal@reddit
It’s also exceptionally accessible. Incredible development behind it.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
I used it for the first time today, I was prepared for a nightmare. It was a breeze. No fluff, not unnecessarily flashy graphics, it just bloody worked. Amazing.
Some_Ad6507@reddit
I’m a civil servant and the information I have / system I use mirror the forms people fill out online. Most of it is very user friendly
whiskyornoto@reddit
For real bruv the UK got its stuff together with that gov system Other places it's like trying to find order in chaos 😂
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
We're reasonably efficient
Cutmychoice@reddit
The amount of free loading benefit scum who can’t be bothered to get a job!
Spill-your-last-load@reddit
If your ball goes in the bush, you can go get it and continue playing because there are no deadly creatures in bushes
TheBigBadCusp@reddit
We have Matt Berry
Mushroom-Mycelium@reddit
Underrated comment
Nok1a_@reddit
I like you can do almost anything online, but not the bloody gp that you have to race at 8am still dont understand why that is not online too!
Good-Huckleberry-287@reddit
From an outsider (french), I would say how pleasant people are. Obviously you can meet unpleasant ones but for the most part, there is this culture of speaking very kindly to people, even in disagreements that is very refreshing to me
OptionalQuality789@reddit
The countryside and the lack of shit in it that will kill you
E420CDI@reddit
Oh, there's plenty of shit in the countryside - mostly of the herbivore kind (cows, horses, goats etc)
OptionalQuality789@reddit
Oh yeah! My dog fucking loves it lol
GOD_DAMN_YOU_FINE@reddit
Been there, hunted that.
Important_March1933@reddit
Sausage rolls
E420CDI@reddit
Cheese straws too!
UpcastDragon19@reddit
Greg's specifically.
Important_March1933@reddit
Oh they are the worse
UpcastDragon19@reddit
Lol
Select-Researcher733@reddit
Theyre god awful.
Important_March1933@reddit
I know! But after 3 weeks of amazing food in Europe a sausage roll is immense.
No_Conflict2723@reddit
We have mostly clement whether which isn’t going to kill us or destroy our homes. We can send our children to school without worrying they will be shot in a mass shooting. We have beautiful countryside. We don’t have that many people with extreme views, and they are generally shunned if they do. We have the NHS. We don’t have an insane president. We have minimum wage and holiday pay etc. We have a benefit system which doesn’t always help people but is better than nothing.
Training-Trifle-2572@reddit
As a woman is can run almost anywhere I please unbuttered. The main hazard is white van men and heroin loonies. Just need to wear headphones so I can't hear the white van men and stay away from heroine loony areas and I'm good to go 👍 the Welsh countryside is particularly nice to run in.
FunBandicoot7@reddit
Many would suggest against using headphones on the road/outdoor, we all need to be fully aware of our surroundings - be it traffic or people.
Training-Trifle-2572@reddit
I wear open ear headphones so I can hear my surroundings if needs be. You can turn them up and down easily from he headset too. They're called Shockz, one of my best purchases.
FunBandicoot7@reddit
Fair enough
iamnosuperman123@reddit
The god dam plug
ViridianKumquat@reddit
Until you step on it.
PublicPossibility946@reddit
They are like Lego in that way.
cuntybunty73@reddit
They hurt more than Lego 😭
PublicPossibility946@reddit
But there's more of them. The average kid can leave a dozen legos on the floor per day. Plugs can't compete with sheer numbers like that.
Lloytron@reddit
"Legos"?
/Flips table
cuntybunty73@reddit
I know because I've heard my parents curse more than once when they stepped on my Legos I had when I was a kid 😁 almost as bad as glitter 😁
First-Act-8752@reddit
Waaay worse than Lego, that shit hits you in your soul.
SnooBooks1701@reddit
Well, don't step on it then
Rnew1@reddit
That’s the other great thing. Our plugs having individual switches meaning you don’t need to unplug everything all the time
Eastern-Move549@reddit
Can confirm.
I was stepping off my bed in an admittedly messy room and stepped down onto a plug pointing up. I literally collapsed like a sack of shit straight down to the floor lol
cuntybunty73@reddit
Like an ancient Roman caltrop and it hurts like a motherfucker 😭
The_Infinite_Carrot@reddit
Then it might as well be a claymore.
dw_80@reddit
See, you’re meant to put them in the wall, not step on them.
UpcastDragon19@reddit
Well shit. You couldn't have told me a little earlier?
E5evo@reddit
You're thinking of Lego.
BASTAAAARD!!! Sorry, just stood on a 3 pin plug. 😭😭😭
heilhortler420@reddit
Skill issue
graboidgraboid@reddit
Emergency bottle opener?
jimboiow@reddit
Possibly the most British use of a plug I have seen. Well played sir.
Free-Ambassador-516@reddit
I’m an American, and I always bring a UK plug adapter when I fly, even within the US. Why? Because the US plugs on airplanes are all so loose (likely from wear & tear) I can’t tell you the last time I got something to actually stay in. But the UK plugs… those aren’t going anywhere. Props to your engineers.
f_inthechat__@reddit
Read that 3 ways
SpecialistSandwich@reddit
Our range of crisp (potato chip) flavours.
When you go to most European it's just cheese, ham and ready salted and maybe variations of the two.
When pringles have more of a range of flavours than the rest of your country you should be ashamed
a2thehip@reddit
Not being expected to tip when at a restaurant
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
The NHS.
YES it has it's issues, UES it needs to be overhaul led and modernised but DAMN am I glad we have it!
Too many people in the UK take it for granted.
Triplen01@reddit
Pubs
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Best pub scene in the world mate, way better than Ireland imho
Spiritual-Archer118@reddit
My partner is from Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland / South of Ireland also don’t seem to have the same nice country pub doing food/gastropub scene that we have. Her parents love coming over and having a Sunday dinner at a countryside pub here because our pubs are genuinely better than a lot of our restaurants for food, and so cosy and old.
Another thing we have way more of than Ireland and way better - Indian restaurants/takeaways!
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
Irish cities are often terrible places to drink. Especially Belfast. Overpriced, overcrowded and slow service. Not to mention the toilets usually being stinking. The whole experience is just uncomfortable. And at £7 a pint you should expect better. When I lived in Latin America the table service in pubs was great.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Agreed UK's pub scene is ten times better but you never hear about Americans coming here for it do you
RobAnton13@reddit
Sadly it's nowhere near as good as it was even 10years back nevermind 20. The pubs have been decimated
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
I was too young for pubs back then unfortunately but I believe you
Bearcat-2800@reddit
Back in the 90s in my small town I could visit 10 pubs on a night out and never get outside a 200 metre radius of the town centre. There is ONE left now.
mind_thegap1@reddit
They’re basically the same except Irish pubs don’t have gambling machines
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Kind of accurate
Triplen01@reddit
Everything about the Irish scene originated here anyway. Going to an Irish pub is almost like a theme park these days
Extreme_Signature_14@reddit
Greggs
Blueyoshi25@reddit
The castles!
Amonette2012@reddit
I went to a castle in Canada that was over 100 years old! It's in Victoria which is the most adorable town. I discovered picklebacks and had the worst hangover of my life. Was too sick to go whale watching.
Blueyoshi25@reddit
Ill have to look up this castle :) I’ve always wanted to go to Canada
Amonette2012@reddit
It's so nice!!
another_online_idiot@reddit
Over 100 years old. Goodness, That is so old. I didn't know any building could be that old.
/s
Amonette2012@reddit
It's old for Canada:)
AkihabaraWasteland@reddit
Prawn cocktail crisps
wombatbridgehunt@reddit
What we talking about here, mckoys, whotsits, walkers?
Odd_Championship7286@reddit
And prawn crackers from the Chinese!
glytxh@reddit
the quiet banality
I like it
wombatbridgehunt@reddit
This the dream for most - relaxing with loved ones in the garden or the beach or the woods, only the sociopaths long for domination and the narcissists for acclaim.
tomcat_murr@reddit
Boring, isn't it, staying in and enjoying the quiet banality of life.
Not for me.
tou3er@reddit
Not for me I like it
mattcannon2@reddit
You don't really have to worry about getting rabies, unless you're frequently in contact with bats
DrearyDoll666@reddit
Wildlife, since living here I've seen so many wonderful animals in my own garden, I love them :3
Ulysses345@reddit
Seasonal weather.
Cultural-Rest8898@reddit
How easy it is to take a train and end up in a completely different landscape in under two hours
Mother-Cantaloupe-57@reddit
There's hidden gems even in London, no need to travel that far for country vibes
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Bloody expensive though
doubledogmongrel@reddit
Not necessarily - if you book early enough, use one of the various apps and also have an appropriate railcard...
HeftyEggplant7759@reddit
Excellent dogging sites. My local Sainsbury's car park is very discreet and spacious, for example.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
odd thing to call your wife
Mother-Cantaloupe-57@reddit
She's fortunate that it's not a Farm foods car park I guess 🤷🏻♀️
just_some_guy65@reddit
The NHS
IndependentSecond999@reddit
Our weather.
Rarely too hot. Rarely too cold. Rarely any drought. Rarely any floods.
kotare78@reddit
Rarely any sunshine 😆
Mother-Cantaloupe-57@reddit
Are your lot not in the UK right now 😭😭😭
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
yeh holy crap even in some of the sunniest areas in the sunniest months it barely tops 50% lol. I was expecting a totally different result to looking this up and now have no point.
doggypeen@reddit
unless your in one of the peak district villages which floods every year
minsandmolls@reddit
The beauty of the countryside and our amazing National parks.
k_rocker@reddit
Sometimes all in the same 24 hours! :)
Mother-Cantaloupe-57@reddit
You meant 2 to 4 hours right?
Unfair_Welder8108@reddit
A Lithuanian former colleague of mine was once complaining that we only had two. She said it was sort of spring then sort of autumn and they both lasted six months each, and it never actually turns to summer or winter
First-Mistake9144@reddit
still rains in all 4 tho. A lot.
Mother-Cantaloupe-57@reddit
A Greggs after every couple of blocks on the High Street?
Tanto207064@reddit
The amazing climate
RepresentativeDuck87@reddit
Not every Tom Dick and Harry owning a gun.
EmbalmedCoconut@reddit
Spiders and snakes and sharks and jellyfish and bears are basically a non-issue here. We can go outside and not face a venom or teeth induced death.
mikolv2@reddit
I only recently found out there are wild venomous snakes in the UK when I read an article on local news about a bloke finding an adder nest/pit. I've never found one here myself, seen plenty in mainland Europe.
dannydrama@reddit
Adders and grass snakes are pretty common here in the south and grass snakes are much bigger arseholes than adders are.
EmbalmedCoconut@reddit
I know we have adders but the stats are crazy low like 15 deaths in the past 150 years. Death by vending machine is more likely 🤣
inevitablelizard@reddit
Being specialists with the habitat they need means they're rare and restricted in range due to things like habitat loss. I've occasionally seen them on moorland, and in the moorland edge areas of some forestry in Yorkshire. You're not likely to randomly stumble across one.
mikolv2@reddit
It's definitely an irrational fear for me, I know they don't pose any danger to me, even if I encountered one, but it still creeps me out.
Ok-Vermicelli-4704@reddit
Not me lying in bed in the UK reading Reddit while suffering from horrendously painful (but not deadly at least) jellyfish stings
Thick_Mix71@reddit
Oh no 😢 hope you are healing ok. Where did you encounter the jellyfish?
Ok-Vermicelli-4704@reddit
Portobello Beach by Edinburgh!
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
jellyfish are common in the Irish sea.
EmbalmedCoconut@reddit
Oh I'm not saying there isn't, I've seen plenty of sharks in our waters too, but it's not like being in Florida or Australia or somewhere. They rarely bother us.
Morgana2020@reddit
I see loads washed up on our beach. My best googling says it would be like a nettle sting but I don't want to try it out. At least the dog doesn't try to eat them (yet).
Tzunamitom@reddit
How have you got through to (I’m assuming) adulthood without being stung by a jellyfish?
Morgana2020@reddit
We check pools before we splash through and stop the children from poking them with bare fingers. It's been working so far!
SpookBeardy@reddit
Living in the Midlands
Tzunamitom@reddit
Also from the Midlands. But I did leave every now and again!
SpookBeardy@reddit
I guess I just don't go in the sea that often. Never really been much of a beach person
EmbalmedCoconut@reddit
I say do it. For science. Lol 😆
AnyOlUsername@reddit
The most dangerous animal is the domestic cow and they’re easy to avoid.
throwthrowthrow529@reddit
It’s a very safe country
E_D_K_2@reddit
This. In my town of 50,000+ people still leave their bikes unchained on the floor outside of shops. They know they're not going anywhere.
If you look into it, violent crimes per capita compared to US cities, London would be the 93rd most dangerous city in America.
Yet just how uninformed Brits think Americans dodge bullets every time they leave the house, Americans think we're having sword fights every time we leave the house.
Cryo_Magic42@reddit
I mean I am, but that’s because I’m a fencer
dannydrama@reddit
I've got a fence needs putting up when you have a minute.
Bearcat-2800@reddit
You handle stolen goods?
elmo298@reddit
Where do you live? Since I moved to west Yorkshire you can't even leave a motorbike about or it'll be gone 😂. I realised I was acclimatised to West Yorks when I went back to Cornwall one summer and found it nuts that people just left their motorbikes/bikes outside their house
E_D_K_2@reddit
Lincolnshire
ShameSuperb7099@reddit
No volcanoes
jug_23@reddit
This is the worst thing about the UK.
Previous_Kale_4508@reddit
Edinburgh castle is built on the top of a volcano. It's not gone off for a while, but it is still active. 😱
Expensive-Fail-2813@reddit
It’s not active - don’t talk pish.,,,
sneakycheeseplease@reddit
I fucking love the word pish. I don't have any scottish heritage but I've been using pish as part of my vocabulary since I read trainspotting when I was 15
Previous_Kale_4508@reddit
Ah. Go on. Spoil a good story. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Afraid-Priority-9700@reddit
Not a volcano itself, but a volcanic plug, part of the Arthur's seat volcano which has been extinct for around 300 million years.
Ok-Tangerine-6705@reddit
Clearly not been to Somerset.
/s
kotare78@reddit
I can see an active volcano from my living room window (Mt Ruapehu in NZ). It’s an awesome sight but wouldn’t want to be any closer than I am. My area is only at risk of ash fall unless Taupo erupts then the entire North Island and possibly all of New Zealand will be in trouble.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Genuinely we are blessed by our weather tbh, very little extremes even though we love to moan
Initial_Reindeer9072@reddit
Surprisingly we have a higher rate of tornadoes per surface area than the USA, funnily enough was just reading about this.
iamnosuperman123@reddit
The biggest natural disaster we have is flooding and, most of the time, you can predict when it might happen.
Meanwhile-in-Paris@reddit
And heat waves.
jamo133@reddit
I quite like that people smile at each other and say “good morning” and “hey” when you’re walking or cycling around (OUTSIDE OF LONDON). I go to Germany a lot, and have been all over Central and Eastern Europe, and it’s not a thing people do anywhere near as much (and I’ve been told I look German/Swedish).
sineadsiobhan@reddit
The history. I grew up in the states but moved to the uk almost 20 years ago. Prior to this, I visited London a lot and never really thought about visiting places outside of London and I absolutely loved the history in the city. I moved near Stafford and pretty much started to work at a museum straight away, there was so much more to this country than London- Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery was top notch. I then moved to Norfolk and learned about Norwich, the centre of town was the oldest surviving medieval layout, with streets being wonky and twee. Then I moved near Nottingham and learned about the art of Cricket and realised the next town over was the inspiration for Batman (Gotham has the most amazing weather vane), combined with the cutest village name I’ve ever seen (Bunny). The moves continued to Durham where I enjoyed looking at the cathedral and Hadrian’s Wall. We‘ve since moved again, hopefully for the last time for a while, to the Lake District. Its almost a full circle moment, as when I did my training course in Birmingham, we debated the merits of restoring Bluebird, which was pulled out of Coniston Water, and I now live in a place where I can see Coniston and the now-restored Bluebird.
we even go camping around the UK, I’ve been to Cornwall, The Highlands, and many other places. the history of this country is so rich, it almost belittles the US.
Inner-Conference-644@reddit
I'm on a short break in Derbyshire at the moment. The countryside/villages are beautiful & totally England. Green fields, streams, wooded areas. It's lovely.
Frohus@reddit
no mosquitos
Accomplished_Week392@reddit
Ronnie Pickering
hostilesalami@reddit
Who?
Bearcat-2800@reddit
Wonnie pickewing
Accomplished_Week392@reddit
Ronnie fucking Pickering
hostilesalami@reddit
Who the fuck's that?!
Ignatiussancho1729@reddit
Yeah, me!
BakedEelGaming@reddit
I'll bare fist ya!
Heavy-Expression3419@reddit
Do you want a bare knuckle?
IamFilthyCasual@reddit
Weather
EatingCoooolo@reddit
Safety.
JasonMantou@reddit
Really? Always feeling unsafe when walking in London....
EatingCoooolo@reddit
I felt unsafe in Brighton but that doesn’t mean it’s not safe just means I’m paranoid.
innswood@reddit
The weather 😂
pufballcat@reddit
Properly made tea
Agile-Boysenberry206@reddit
Not sure underrated. But the amount of green space is far better than any other place I live. And it's also safe to walk as well!
AdventurousSwim1381@reddit
Banking system : contactless payments are accepted nearly everywhere. Faster Payments, some of the best digital banks in the world, easy to apply for a mortgage...
ISAs and tax free allowances for personal pensions...
Tapangas_Rock@reddit
No guns
Ry3nh0wells@reddit
Not underrated but its fire asf lidls bakery
SaysPooh@reddit
Not needing to prove yourself 🇬🇧
x13rkg@reddit
NHS.
Low_Sodiium@reddit
Those early September evenings when the weathers been dry and the days still feel long.
arthurM1971@reddit
You can walk in the countryside and not be worried about being attacked by a wild animal......( although attacked by humans & there dogs high)
trevpr1@reddit
Radio 4 and, for me, Radio 3.
DiligentCockroach700@reddit
Hardly any animals that can kill you. (Except possibly that neighbour's XL Bully from down the road)
CCBowBow@reddit
Multicultural food
Kexxa420@reddit
Free Motorways (at least the majority).
Hot-Box1054@reddit
I would say people here just aren’t as violent as they are everywhere else in the world. Don’t mistake me, I know violent people exist here. But the level of violence is just different when I compare it to what I see in other places.
Optimal_Raspberry486@reddit
free speech.....oh wait
Quinn_27@reddit
We don’t even have free speech on Reddit
(Just coming back from a 3 day ban)
Optimal_Raspberry486@reddit
i'm banned on a few subs for 3 days too lol for calling someone a re-tortted lol
BloodOfTheExalted@reddit
I adore rain and colder weather
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Huge amount of layers or a large amount of layers, the choice is yours!
BloodOfTheExalted@reddit
Far easier to make good outfits when you don’t have to worry about boiling
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Knees in the breeze
biggooner1989@reddit
Public footpaths. The ability to walk pretty much anywhere you want.
littlepurplepanda@reddit
Being able to do all your admin online or on the phone.
I’ve moved to Japan and I keep having to fill out forms and take them into offices and wait hours just to let people know I’ve moved to the area.
ashgirl777@reddit
Greggs
Interstellar-Metroid@reddit
The green and grass in the UK nothing beat it.
classicdannie@reddit
That Wimbledon grass. Absolutely love it.
Jolly-Minimum-6641@reddit
Straightforward government bureaucracy.
I know people on the continent and if they need to do something, you go down to the town hall between 11am and 2pm on a Wednesday and wait as they fell the trees required for the paper forms you must now fill out. Go to counter 3, not my job, go over there, lol idiot it's that one.
If you turn up at 2:15pm on a Wednesday, or you turn up between 11-2 on a Friday, haha loser.
Significant-Math6799@reddit
Sense of humour. No other country seems to have the same dry wit which when it's done well is unsurpassable. (But I may be bias...)
JorgeIcarus@reddit
The weather. Honestly, it's not bad. It's temperate, not too cold, not too hot. And I'm from the southern of Italy, grew up on in the past town with 250+ sunny days in a year.
Jolly-Minimum-6641@reddit
My uncle retired to Crete for a few years. He said the weather got monotonous, it was clear blue skies and beating sunshine basically all the time.
Hollskipollski@reddit
We have beautiful twilights. You don’t get that in every country. It’s my favourite time of day.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
The police. They might be a pain in the arse sometimes, but generally speaking they'll talk to you rather than just punch you in the head.
Jolly-Minimum-6641@reddit
If you go to somewhere like Spain or Poland, the cops are like the Combines from Half Life 2. Wish them a good day and you'll wake up in hospital.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
They are rarely corrupt as well
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Yeh they may be absolutely shit but they don't ask for your papers, shoot your dog cos you reported a crime or turn up cos you reported a crime.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Ya they are rubbish but they usually won't shoot your dog I guess lol
Independent_Olive373@reddit
Religion does not dictate our politics
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
People don't care what religion you are here really, we're lucky
Cryo_Magic42@reddit
Unless you’re Muslim
Sorry-Guidance5946@reddit
yeah the increasing islamophobia is worrying
perishingtardis@reddit
Clearly you haven't visited Northern Ireland.
Slikajledandlost8@reddit
It's more republican's (for Ireland) vs Unionists (for UK).
The classic protestant vs catholic does not have no-where near as much as sting as it did 70 years ago. Even then it was an oversimplification of the problem.
I would seperatly suggest the UK populas seems to have a bigger anti-Jewish / anti-muslim rhetoric on the whole in today's society compared to NI.
0w3w@reddit
I give it around 15 years until that starts to change.
Demographics back the numbers, history repeats itself.
roywill2@reddit
A beautiful variety of Crisp Flavours! Prawn cocktail! Pickled Onion! Haggis! Smoky Bacon!
ResplendentBear@reddit
Cafés or rather caffs. Can still get a huge plate of fried stuff for under £10.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
2 value sausages, 2 eggs, value beans and a 4 bits of value toast.
First-Mistake9144@reddit
yeah, £9.99 probably
InterviewRealistic57@reddit
Being a brit who now lives in the Gold coast, man i miss the countryside. I grew up being half an hour away from the peak district and i would always find myself their on a weekend. Australia has beautiful hinterlands but nothing compares to the British countryside. And also the British architectural. We have so much history, you dont really acknowledge it until you move away.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Gold coast and you are missing Britain while also being a fan of being outside?
Do you like rain as a hobby?
mach4UK@reddit
Religious fundamentalism not being prevalent
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Yeh you just say no I am excommunicated once and its gone forever.
bingaroony@reddit
I love that you can drive through the countryside without massive billboards everywhere. The drive from LA south towards Mexico has 100s and it is a visual assault
Also was in the Algarve last week and loved it but was surprised by the bull boards.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Just driving through one state was enough to wonder what the fuck was going on and why so many churches and medications had adverts. Then we parked in a car park bigger than a standard town to go to Walmart and I understood by the parking how my cousin hit a deer to put the car in the garage and then again on the way back.
Sharp_Hovercraft2015@reddit
For about a month every year we have some very nice weather it's usually when your stuck at work though
I honestly can't think of much else tbh nowadays
Both-Friend-4202@reddit
Instantly recognisable flag 🇬🇧..
Fuzzy-Loss-4204@reddit
We are world class moaners, we love to moan. If you put us in a room made of candy floss, with furniture made of fudge and art work made of cream and jam, we would just start moaning because there are no toffee apples.
First-Of-His-Name@reddit
People really don't seem to know how cheap your typical food shop is here
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
No, they don't know how bloody awful their food shop is compared to ours.
mbcrash@reddit
No mosquitoes! (Except for the midges…)
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Plenty of blood sucking parasites tho.
son7991@reddit
Lack of creepy crawlies and reptiles that can kill you imo.. Seeing videos from Aus of people waking up to snakes in the kitchen scares me through the screen
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
You never had a cow come within 50 metres of your volvo X series! They had to mount the curb!
ConduciveMammal@reddit
We all hate TV adverts, but I once streamed an American TV channel and there were adverts every five minutes or so!
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Went over there and kept missing the show cos the adverts took too long v TV lol.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
BBC News. It's not perfectly unbiased, but it's a bloody good try.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
The main point is the actually trying. Have to say if everyone says its biased that must be a good sign, well unless one side is just blatantly lying which, hmm, not sure how to deal with that except they both believe it here lol.
East_Ad_691@reddit
Music festivals. Maybe the music scene in general. Birthplace of Punk, Metal, Jungle, Drum and Bass, UK Garage, Grime, UK Drill. Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bowie, Queen, Elton John, Oasis. List goes on.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
yeh 2 out of 13 isn't bad!
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Best per capita at music by a country mile
fatherlessBadger@reddit
Moved here from Canada, absolutely love it here. You can pretty much get anywhere through a combination of train, bus & foot. Yes the rail system needs an overhaul, but it exits haha. It’s not the case in North America.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Don't start associating yourself with the US! Also we have our own areas of shit public transport thank you very much!
Nice_Put4300@reddit
The lack of for the most part violent crime.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Outside of Birmingham and Liverpool yes lol
Known-Ad-1556@reddit
I’m gonna big up Nottingham here, just so the place isn’t overlooked
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
based on the cartoons I saw there was a surprising amount of crime and corruption.
i_am_ubik__@reddit
No cockroaches.
Odd_Championship7286@reddit
The butter is so good
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
Everything pretty much. Not the best, not the worst, far better than most especially if you aren't loaded.
Ancient-Thought5492@reddit
The cornershop
aslat@reddit
singing about their Brimful of Asha
Classic-Scarcity-804@reddit
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Amonette2012@reddit
Everybody needs a bosom!
Amonette2012@reddit
...45...
Bilb-@reddit
Except they are disappearing to corporate versions
Odd_Championship7286@reddit
Meal deals! Second time I’ve said it today but I live in the US now and if you don’t pack a lunch your only option is $15 fast food
Voodoopulse@reddit
Lack of diseases. No malaria, dengue fever, bad aids
Dry-Magician1415@reddit
I’d add - the probability of getting food poisoning.
People bitch about health and safety standards etc but honestly, go live in a developing country and get food poisoning every sixth months and see what you think about hygiene standards after that.
mrkoala1234@reddit
Not getting killed by wildlife.
Dangerous_Hippo_6902@reddit
The grass is green.
Had a visitor to our great country once, and they were thrilled to see that our grass is literally greener.
I mean, makes for a nice view of the rolling hills I suppose.
ahx3000@reddit
GP wait times
PaleIncome8254@reddit
The food. I miss curry, Nando’s, pub grub etc. south Texas just does not compare.
OfficeWild7118@reddit
The rain. Heavy rains are quite rare (and I enjoy them). But most of the time it’s just simply drizzling, and yet, people throw tantrums
Fungho_jungle@reddit
First-Of-His-Name@reddit
Do you really get a variety of cultures if you're not in a major city? Because that's the case in most western countries
Fungho_jungle@reddit
In my experience, yes. Unless you love in a village in Yorkshire, most decently sized towns would have people from South Asia, Africa, Middle East and the EU. Plus in the UK there are many universities that attract a lot of international students.
MouldyFruit2023@reddit
AI generated?
Fungho_jungle@reddit
Why??
twoLegsJimmy@reddit
No rabies
Simbooptendo@reddit
You can get absolutely munted and no one will bat an eyelid
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
They do, you just don't notice because you're absolutely munted.
PsychologicalRow8034@reddit
The lack of religion in everyday life.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
Testify!
el_diablo420@reddit
No killer sharks
doggypeen@reddit
im pretty sure more people die from swimming in poor quality water in the uk than annual shark attacks worldwide
Thick_Mix71@reddit
The public transport! As an American in the UK, it’s amazing to me! Yes, there are delays/cancellations, but being from somewhere very car-dependent, the UK is a breath of fresh air 🥰
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
The lack of adverts in schools.
M27TN@reddit
Northumberland. I wish I still lived there, it’s like taking a break from everything
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
When COVID hit, and we all needed to work together we did exactly what we needed and collectively, without the need for central governance, came out of our houses and banged together pots and pans and shouted at the air and successfully scared it off. COVID will think twice before coming here again, that's for sure!
tinned_peaches@reddit
Tap water
MoistSnow220@reddit
The NHS
MixGroundbreaking622@reddit
Overall, it's one of the safest countries on earth.
MattDubh@reddit
The silver fillings in teeth. Far more attractive than white ones.
Apprehensive-Leek595@reddit
Being able to drink the tap water without getting a parasite or cholera is nice
Practical-Radish484@reddit
Our tap water
Bearded_Viking_Lord@reddit
The sarcasm is fucking top tier
Tall-Photo-7481@reddit
Rights of way. so many countries have nothing like it.
SecretaryImaginary44@reddit
Mobile banking
MannyEm22@reddit
No high school shootings every other month
MannyEm22@reddit
Or primary school shootings either
junius83@reddit
Most people queue in an orderly fashion
cornedbeef101@reddit
We have relatively good manners in general, which you really notice when visiting many parts of the world.
Astrohurricane1@reddit
Being able to traverse the countryside or walk next to a river and not having to worry if there’s a bear or cougar or crocodile or whatever waiting to eat you is an underrated thing that we all take for granted in the UK.
alarming_wrong@reddit
absolutely. I'd add snakes and spiders to your list, but the three you list I do not miss worrying about while in the countryside
Gibberish1992@reddit
Have you been to Blackpool!
alarming_wrong@reddit
the lack of wildlife that will fuck you up
Bantabury97@reddit
I'm nearly 30 and still don't drive because everything I need is in walking distance from my home. And no, I don't live in a city, I live in a small town.
CurrentTurbulent@reddit
I'm a Brit who has lived abroad for the last 15 years and it's the railway system that is in fact first class compared to other countries, every town has a station and the trains are clean and modern
Cautious_Log_1384@reddit
I love the pubs and ales. Nature is also breathtaking.
kitaj19@reddit
How witty and kind British people are. Friendly and FUNNY. A jovial and affectionate attitude is so much the norm for Brits,I love it. 💪💗
Defard2001@reddit
Weather…humour…plug sockets…non-lethal wildlife…Tunnocks tea cakes and Spam 🎤✌️😎
rubbersoul199@reddit
Its relatively cheap and easy to travel around Europe and experience other cultures.
Ambitious_League4606@reddit
I mean it's not cheap but supermarkets can be OK compared to US and some European countries.
Energy, coffees, alcohol, eating out is expensive.
rubbersoul199@reddit
What’s that got to do with the cost of travelling to European countries?
Ambitious_League4606@reddit
Nuthin
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
I think British manners are unmatched for one, that really matters
Important_March1933@reddit
Na, I spend alot of time in France and people are much friendlier and kinder to strangers there
bumpyhumper@reddit
I think that depends on the region. The rudest, meanest people I have ever met were French lmao
Important_March1933@reddit
Hmm maybe you didn’t try and speak abit of French? I just don’t get this perception of people in France, whether it’s in the alps or down south, on trains, in bars always so nice!
Queen_bee85@reddit
My boyfriend is French and almost all of his family and friends are incredibly rude and I speak good French,I think you’ve just been lucky
Important_March1933@reddit
I also have family in France and I’ve spent the last 30 years being in France a few times a year, it’s not luck. Just this morning I was chatting to a lady after she helped me with some luggage on the train. The ticket man on the train was also great. You get the odd shrug here and there yes, but generally much friendlier than then around the U.K.
Grower_munk@reddit
It's only been Disneyland Paris and the surrounding area so very limited scope but yea we were always treated very politely, my wife is in a wheelchair and we received great treatment from staff and the general public while at the nearby mall. A checkout till opened for us, someone back tracking to open doors for us at our apartment, my daughter being a typical annoying 5 year old and walking one way looking another and into a group of 13-25 year-old teenagers and them saying sorry despite it being her fault (which I said).
But yea get a good amount of decent folk in UK too.
Amsterdam staff seemed the worse - maybe it's tiring of shitty tourists while having your way of life changed by local laws to accommodate tourists.
hostilesalami@reddit
I never felt more unwanted anywhere than I did in Normandy.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
I like the French, British manners are still solid IMHO
Chlorophilia@reddit
You can't have spent much time outside the UK then!
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
I have though.....
Chlorophilia@reddit
Then I have no idea why you think that British manners are unmatched - sounds like you're equating differences in social customs with them being worse manners. There are certainly countries that are less polite/respectful to strangers (looking at you, France) but there are plenty of countries that are just as good or better.
f_inthechat__@reddit
Yh altho sometimes I tire of ‘social conventions’ and just think humanity as a whole need to be more humble and realise that we are all animals… that however is realistically never gonna happen
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
It wouldn't be great if we started eating our excess young like guinea pig now either would it
f_inthechat__@reddit
Yh true that may be a step too far
JennyW93@reddit
But now you mention it, those childcare fees are getting pretty expensive…
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
British manners are disappearing fast.
SealBSmith@reddit
No natural disasters despite the way the news goes doomsday with wind and rain because as a nation who hasn’t had this on extreme levels, we are unprepared.
The NHS (where’s the pans)
Diversity
Schooling despite the small issues that are our only issues so they seem glaring.
Dare I say it, how social we are.
Prestigious-Slide-73@reddit
The weather.
It’s perfectly comfortable all year round. Winters aren’t really cold, summers aren’t really hot. The humidity at its worst is not that bad. It’s always just comfortable with maybe a few exceptional spells across the year that we all look forward to.
Heatwave? Get the BBQ on! Cold-snap? Crisp, winter walks and sledging!
keefm5a@reddit
Canadian expat here. Being able to walk down the street with an open beer without worry of being fined is... civilised.
pringles_pringles@reddit
No ticks and mosquitos. Ticks are real problem in Poland where I’m from.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Hate them fuckers.
pringles_pringles@reddit
Forgot about them. Always when you’re chilling out in the lake🤢
alphahydra@reddit
Mosquitoes exist here, though they aren't as numerous as other places. But ticks are very common.
HugsandHate@reddit
Um. The UK has both.
gloriosky_zero@reddit
Tesco meal deal and Pret toasties
Equivalent_Ask_1416@reddit
Things could be miles better if we decided as a nation to rally against the forces holding us down instead of being controlled by them like mindless rats. We're never going to evolve as a nation if we don't fight to get what we want back.
Illustrious_Load963@reddit
Free healthcare, which unfortunately is often poor quality mainly because you often have to wait forever for appointments. Don’t even get me started talking about the joke that is psychiatry.
kipha01@reddit
How cheap the food is compared to Europe and America
woahwhathappened87@reddit
The food on our supermarkets is actually quite good value, I know people don’t want to hear that because of inflation but honestly I can’t shop anywhere else in Europe or North America cheaper 😂.
Wonderful_Falcon_318@reddit
Spring/summer evenings.
szalonykaloryfer@reddit
The quality of queuing up is top notch.
Right wing parties in the UK have civilized approach whentalking about LGBT community (contrary to right-wing political scene in many other countries).
K-Motorbike-12@reddit
The selection and range of restaurants available to us. From your takeaway chippy to the all singing all dancing up town place.
We have very good food selection despite what our freinds abroad say.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
UK farm produce is exceptional
No-Ferret-560@reddit
The chance of being randomly murdered or attacked is rare to the extreme
gnomeplanet@reddit
An extensive network of footpaths.
cm-cfc@reddit
Complaining about the weather
k_rocker@reddit
The NHS.
Yes waiting lists blah blah, and doctors/nurses are overworked. But thank fuck for the NHS.
No worry about “does my insurance cover a hospital”, “is it out of network”, “how much is my deductible”. It cost me the price of snacks when we had both of our babies, at a specialist maternity hospital. My dad got blue-lighted to hospital after having a stroke, they were at his house 4 minutes after the 999 call.
I can’t imagine then calling insurance and arguing with some non-medical person over whether the ambulance was justified, and “did he really need that extra night in hospital” (yes, because the doctor fucking said so!)
Honestly, I think to when my cat had to have overnight weekend emergency attention at the vet and our insurance got billed £2,400 for all the care and it makes me wonder how much a visit to the hospital must be.
Honestly, we’d appreciate it even more if we left with a detailed bill that always said the price and “paid in full” on it.
Praise to everything the NHS is to the UK.
I-live-in-room-101@reddit
The weather is temperate, the people are my kind of weird, the history on show is incredible and the flora & fauna are generally not trying to kill me.
But mainly the Roman Empire woz ‘ere.
DrBuzzki1l@reddit
Cooked breakfasts!
ACDrinnan@reddit
Death. Deat is so underrated.
They try and make you feel like you shouldn't do it, that it's bad and even have laws against it.....but it's better than living here
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
🤣🤣🤣🤣
pizzainmyshoe@reddit
I like the high population density. There's just a lot of stuff really close to you.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
There are pros and cons to it
Ittybittypwettykitty@reddit
The NHS
Specialist-Job1293@reddit
Public footpaths in the countryside. Amazing public spaces
FloppyLeather@reddit
Scotland with the right to roam
ImpressNice299@reddit
Something you don't appreciate until you live somewhere that doesn't have them.
Designer-Lobster-757@reddit
No dangerous animals really, imagine being in AU having to check your shoes for venomous spiders... Ain't nobody got time for that!
Subtifuge@reddit
The long-standing multi-cultural history of the country as one of very few places to have such an indepth understanding of the last 3000 odd years of trade and migration, and both its influence on our country and the way we adapted these things and then spread them as well, the diversity of the countryside, coasts and even cities, our architecture again, and the way it is both influenced by and has influenced architecture outside of the UK,
Subtifuge@reddit
Edit, and our influence as a melting pot as far as Arts, Music, and Food (I know people take the piss out of British food as a lot of people eat beige, crap but we have some of the most varied and interesting foods going in my opinion, again due to thousands of years of trading with external sources)
Enough-Flamingo-7050@reddit
The NHS is not perfect by a long shot, but at least no one has to worry about paying medical bills. And whilst emergency departments can resemble war zones, anyone having a life or death emergency will be rushed into resus, no messing.
Very few natural disasters- although we do get floods etc, very few people die.
Fatal animal attacks are very rare, and are generally dogs or cows.
Towns are perfectly walkable, but have good transport links at the same time.
Weather is very rarely life threatening-again, fatalities generally occur as a result of one’s actions, such as driving in bad weather.
The scenery is beautiful- I live in southern Snowdonia, which is teeming with tourists in summer, but grew up in North East Wales, even the areas that are not so popular with tourists are stunning, plenty of hidden gems that are off the beaten track.
All in all, I quite like the UK :)
Haunting_Badger7752@reddit
The price, frequency and choice of flights to Europe to get out
Flashy-Mulberry-2941@reddit
Shame half of us decided we were too free to travel to Europe and fucked that shit up for the rest of us.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Lol Ryanair is pretty great
Evening-Cod-1922@reddit
If in London, free museums. Generally, the lack of cockroaches.
Tildatots@reddit
I say this from a pretty privileged position as a white middle class female who lives in a big city with a fairly decent job & education, but I do feel like we judge a lot less in the U.K. in comparison to other countries. I’ve lived in France and Spain and there’s always a lot of customs and rules to abide by, with a lot more judgement than the U.K.
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
Italy is the worst for that
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Agreed
SinsOfTheAether@reddit
travel. so much of the world is accessible for very little
GingerPiston@reddit
Lack of armed Police.
HugsandHate@reddit
Lack of police in general. To put a spin on that.
CarrotDependent4240@reddit
The NHS
GrandeTasse@reddit
Kind people.
HugsandHate@reddit
That heavily depends on where you are..
TheCatLamp@reddit
It's not actually hot in the summers.
Darkgreenbirdofprey@reddit
The weather is brilliant. Rain is good. Sun isn't destructive. It's rarely unbearably hot or cold.
Jimny977@reddit
Our investment wrappers for ordinary ish people (they’re pretty useless for the properly rich) are incredible compared to any Western peer.
£20k S&S ISA annual allowance (completely tax free on the way out and can be access at any age, this is almost entirely unprecedented among peer nations). £60k SIPP allowance with full tax relief in the way in, 25% tax free on the way out and easy to keep most of the rest of the income tax free or basic rate, a lot of countries have something similar but with a far lower limit and no tax free cash.
If you were in Ireland for example you would only be able to contribute 15% to a pension under 30, and 20-30% up to 54. ISA wise there’s nothing, you would be holding your ETF say in an unwrapped account, and getting taxed 41% on gains, even unrealised paper gains every 7 (iirc) years.
None of this even touches on EIS, SEIS, VCT, Forestry and the various other options. Granted this all benefits the upper middle more than the middle, but they still benefit both hugely. Even in America you have a Roth IRA and 401k, neither of which you can get at until retirement age, and with far lower contribution allowances.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Interesting 🤔
Previous_Kale_4508@reddit
We don't have adverts for expensive placebos, from huge pharma companies who have zero interest in helping anyone get well.
But we do have some lovely Thai Restaurants.
Jimny977@reddit
This is so specific but absolutely correct, no notes.
countdowntocanada@reddit
mild weather is really good for outdoor sports like running, biking. Also great mountainbiking and wake parks!
hoaryvervain@reddit
That every occasion involves cake. That every shop offers cake. That you are never more than a few steps away from a slice of cake.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
I've never thought about it but you are correct. I also love scones, you can't get a good scone anywhere else 😹
Emotional-Table-5307@reddit
SUNTZU_JoJo@reddit
Bacon
SurgicalSlinky2020@reddit
If you can afford it, there's a lot of great countries really close that you can move to
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Damn wow it's not that bad mate
SurgicalSlinky2020@reddit
It has its moments 😆
Rorstech@reddit
The weather for 90% of the year. I love cool, temperate weather and enjoy rain most of the time. Can't bear this hot, humid malarkey we have going on now.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
I'm getting serious migraines from it 🤒
999hologram@reddit
extremely strong passport & currency for global standards
Cokezerowh0re@reddit
Ik it’s not perfect but the NHS
jakub_199@reddit
The ISAs and being able to earn interest/gain on 20k a year tax free
No_Job_515@reddit
The people , the landscape, no natural disasters .
I live in the countryside and everyday im greeted with smiles and hello's and positive vibes . deep down I know if the economics of this country was a little bit better people wouldn't care so much about our differences .
No-Door-3181@reddit
Opportunities, just overall a lot of things to do. I love how many volunteering opportunities there are, and I've gotten 2 jobs from work experiences/volunteering. I come from southern europe and there's just overall lack of opportunities, hence why I moved here, and I like how employees do value experience overall (eve if the job market rn is awful)
cerebralpotodds@reddit
Weather
Facelessroids@reddit
Life is easy, life is moderate, life is dull. Nothing here is exciting or extreme.
Low-Temperature-1664@reddit
In the UK, nothing is above ridicule.
whiskyornoto@reddit
This is true Nothing's sacred there Gotta love the UK humor lol
andurilmat@reddit
.gov.uk
Gingy2210@reddit
Proper bacon
yayatowers@reddit
Honestly, my first thought was “bacon”. Can’t believe I had to scroll so far.
OminOus_PancakeS@reddit
The weather. Love the variety.
bendan99@reddit
The weather, in the sense that everyone says it's shit but it's really not.
RudePragmatist@reddit
Our bacon is the best in the world.
ZeusMcPain@reddit
Kebabs
Parma_Violence_@reddit
How safe our wildlife is. No bears, black widows, poison ivy or rabies. The worst you can expect is nettles and wasps.
last_quarter00@reddit
Our sports culture. We live for sport, pack out stadia for big and mid-tier sports events without any issue whatsoever, and are some of the most passionate sports fans in the world. Genuinely one of the most underrated (and proudest) things about being British IMO.
andyrocks@reddit
Local produce is amazing.
Rare-Grocery-8589@reddit
Minimal gun violence.
I worked in the US for 14 years and lived in a major city. During my time there, I witnessed a gang-related gunfight outside my house, friends and colleagues mugged at gun point on at least 3 occasions, and my elderly neighbour was randomly shot by someone with serious mental health issues when walking home from the supermarket (thankfully it was only a superficial bullet wound). Our friends’ children routinely have “active shooter” drills in school, the same way our kids have fire drills, because mass school shootings are so common.
Weird-Statistician@reddit
Nothing is extreme. No tornadoes , hurricanes, tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanos, dangerous animals etc.
SallySpits@reddit
No war is pretty sweet
MagicianSeveral@reddit
Meal deals
Rude_Heat2227@reddit
The complete lack of predators (wildlife, not illegal immigrants). No earthquakes or forest fires or tornadoes.
Ambitious_League4606@reddit
Underrated advantage. No tropical diseases either.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
You don't notice these things until you've experienced them
V8boyo@reddit
The weather - shorts and a coat. Brill.
Scotchdude1979@reddit
Civilised queues, (usually) mild climate, and taking the piss is our national religion.
cezzy15@reddit
Our weather, nothing extreme
Responsible_Ice6494@reddit
The country side
gapgod2001@reddit
Nothing to see here, stay in the cities please
Responsible_Ice6494@reddit
lol why
ikeafannypack@reddit
honestly our governmental system is pretty cool. having no set/codified constitution and allowing new laws to be made/changed with the times. stops us from being stuck with out of date laws like countries like the US
Next-Estimate9485@reddit
Farm shops. Good ones are great places to spend money, don’t think many other countries have similar ? Happy to be told otherwise
MysticSmeg@reddit
Good plugs
tiwarijo@reddit
After living in uk for 3 years I can say “ privacy and accepting others the way they are.”
bowak@reddit
It's very green and it must be one of the very safest places to live in the world with regard to natural disasters and wildlife.
Separate-Rough-8083@reddit
Actually the weather. Hear me out. I like the mix of cold, warm, hot, wet, cloudy. Countries that are always very cold or always very hot are nice for vacation but not my cup of tea for day to day living.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Agreed
DickBrownballs@reddit
"The most underrated" is obviously going to be subjective, and I'm going niche here but... our road cycling. Even among road cyclists I'd say that is contentious but having ridden a lot of places, riding a bike here is just fantastic. The landscape is phenomenal. The drivers aren't as good as some countries on the continent but certainly where I am, for the most part I feel safe and comfortable using the roads. I cycled from Wirral to South Wales on Friday and it is just a breath-taking country. No major wildlife risk (got charged by a cow to be fair, but did the sensible thing and ran away), normally no major weather risk that you can't prepare for.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Good points, our countryside cant be beat imho
UsuallyAnnoying324@reddit
Tesco meal deals.
sjc80@reddit
Experiencing all 4 seasons.
Dedward5@reddit
Every time you light a BBQ
yabyad@reddit
NHS
captain_crackerjack@reddit
The good-natured arguments we have about the names for common comestibles which can vary wildly just half an hour’s drive from your home
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
Lack of murder-ey nature.
Ignoring Scotland and midges for a minute, we just don't have mosquito problems, we don't have endemic lime disease, we don't have snakes/spiders that will eat a fucking cow in one bite.
Our most dangerous animal is a cow in Spring.
The missus is Turkish, every day she mentions how glad she is we don't have sand flies.
Haunting_Badger7752@reddit
What problems are the midgets in Scotland causing?
Wireman154@reddit
They keep looking up our kilts.
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
They swarm and bite people to shit in the scenic areas. Think it's late summer
No_Pea-1@reddit
I have a mosquito problem
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Living in a cold climate is worth it for the lack of insects tbh
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
Yeah, everything that can bite will bite me. So I really struggle in some countries with mozzies.
Dutch_Slim@reddit
Pay your taxes, don’t kill people, get left alone!
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
It could be a lot worse
No_Apologies3948@reddit
Having the NHS
Hevding@reddit
Cheap Holidays to Europe.
Readytoretire11@reddit
Queuing
Big_Worth5500@reddit
We’re quite literally pros at queuing😂
Dogistana@reddit
If you live in the South if the country, the weather.
mattscot12@reddit
Our dairy produce is pretty darn good.
Guy1905@reddit
It's fucking atrocious and it's only getting worse.
Struggling to think of many positives. In comparison to third world countries we are doing well I guess.
nigeltheworm@reddit
Baked goods.
Neat_Magician_4563@reddit
We pretty well off and want even more
YarnPenguin@reddit
Our selection of resident and visiting birds is great.
shaggy_x@reddit
Countryside literally on my doorstep. Europe is a cheap flight away and most places can be done in 1-2 days
All those Canadians, Americans with their fancy gas guzzlers drive for days or fly for hours and they still haven’t gone out the country 😂
Rude_Heat2227@reddit
The complete lack of predators (wildlife, not illegal immigrants). No earthquakes or forest fires or tornadoes.
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
Most predators in the UK are white men.
Nandor1262@reddit
What would predators have to do with ‘illegal immigrants’?
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
Spot on 👍 British weather ain't so bad, I lived in Las Vegas for six months, constant heat is way worse than rain trust me....
imsokewlman@reddit
People’s ability to form a queue with little effort;10 people, 100 people, doesn’t matter, we’ll get a queue in no time
Real_Science_5851@reddit
The weather, relative safety, the NHS, our plugs and lack of things that wanna kill you aside, I'd go for our general economic condition. Even the worst off amongst us, no matter how much we like to complain, are better off than in most other countries in the world, and the average person is significantly better off than at least 80% of the world. Love the diversity of our accents - don't think you get that anywhere else! - and so much history behind everything.
People here are pretty good overall, too, ignoring a few weird ones: we largely don't have the same hate issues or divides which make some other European countries hard to live in for certain demographics, or the huge divide in the US in politics. British brands being known for quality and classiness is cool. We also have one of the most influential cultures in the world and it helps that as tourists abroad, it thus is a little easier to get by!
Nameisnotmine@reddit
No really dangerous wildlife and despite what the media tries to make us think it’s one of the safest places in the world
PublicPossibility946@reddit
Yes. The fact that you can go camping and hiking and not get eaten by a sodding great big bear can't be valued enough.
Our ancestors need much gratitude for hunting the buggers to extinction.
DrHydeous@reddit
There are only two places in the world that have sports worth watching and have a decent climate. We're one, New Zealand is the other.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
They are our cousins as well basically lol
DrHydeous@reddit
Really the only sensible boatload of colonists we sent out.
Prestigious_Can_4391@reddit (OP)
🤣
thewhitesamneil@reddit
Drinking water from the tap
I used to live in mexico and you will never know the pain in the ass when waking up in the middle of the night and one of your housemates has taken the last of the water and having to get dressed to go find a shop that’s open.
SchemeCandid9573@reddit
I always had one of those big 5 gallon water bottles and at least one spare. It was a ballocks carrying them up the stairs though.
thewhitesamneil@reddit
Everytime i would have to find a 7-11 in the middle of the night i would swear to myself I’d get an ‘auxillary’ one.
MissCojones@reddit
Live music, almost everywhere and good quality sound systems
underwater-sunlight@reddit
Just like museum-worthy collectibles, we have the best selection of everyone else's cuisine on our doorstop
Powerful_Monitor3659@reddit
I've been to some festivals in Europe and nothing comes close to a UK festival..we go hard.
Ambitious-You-3702@reddit
We're generally, down to earth, sensible people.
replicantblade77@reddit
The weather is actually not extreme.
mrchososo@reddit
Most people are far more reasonable and sensible than some subreddits would indicate.
FudgingEgo@reddit
Not really having to worry about anything such as earthquakes, typhoons, tornadoes, deadly animals, mass flooding, wildfires.
Nandor1262@reddit
We don’t have to put toilet paper in the bin
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When repling to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.