The other day a major A road near me was closed because of a fatality. The commentators were enraged. Not because someone died, not because many things the council could do to improve the roads haven't been done, not because of carbon emissions or something like that.

Nope, Facebook was angry because the diversion took place at school pickup time and people continued to pick up their kids. How dare people be collecting children while they were being diverted. Some of them were being diverted on their school run drive too...

[-]

WynterRayne@reddit

Jesus, that reminds me of the anger I felt (and processed, rather than making entitled posts all over the internet) a while back. Basically, I normally get the bus to the train station in order to get to work. Bus came, told me he was on diversion and not going down the road that goes to the train station, I thanked him for telling me and proceeded to walk it. Got halfway to the train station and then I found the police cordon. Someone had been stabbed. Nobody allowed down this road. Which would have been helpful from the bus driver before I started walking, methinks. Anyway, a full half an hour detour on foot later and I eventually reach the train station that's a 5 minute bus ride/15 minute walk normally.

I wasn't angry at the bus driver for not telling me why he was diverted. He had a packed bus full of people who wanted to go places too, and would have had to yell past at least 3 heads to tell me, outside the bus. I wasn't angry at the police for closing the road. I was angry that the confluence of these circumstances along with the utterly counterintuitive road layout in my area, as well as there not being a 'bus that goes the other way round' (mainly because there isn't another way round)... Yeah. I was angry at the fact that shit happens, basically. Realising that there's nobody to blame really is the first step to getting over yourself.

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Emergency-Ad-5379@reddit

I doubt the bus driver even knew why he was being diverted, or whether the road was accessible by pedestrians, just being told which route to take instead.

[-]

Reignbeaus@reddit

Stabby Joe was to blame in this case surely?

[-]

FourEyedTroll@reddit

I always blame Stabby Joe, that knifey c***.

[-]

neo101b@reddit

Stabby Joe, How DO you get youre knifes so sharp ?

[-]

EmmaInFrance@reddit

It's OK to be angry with that confluence of circumstances, I think, especially with poor road design and poor public transport provision playing a role

[-]

Spottyjamie@reddit (OP)

Yeah there is that lol

Lots from my paper appear on angry people in local papers, poor people simpin for capitalism and youre right but not for the reason you think

[-]

RamblingCountryDr@reddit

Just delete Facebook. Instant improvement to your quality of life.

Source: trust me bro.

[-]

QBaseX@reddit

I mostly see good and witty people on Facebook. Leave almost all groups, and just talk to friends (actual friends).

[-]

Nixher@reddit

You ok hun? Dm me x

[-]

windol1@reddit

I deactivated mine some years back now, only use the messenger feature now to keep in contact with the people I actually know.

The comment sections on some of the posts were brain destroying, I mean, don't get me wrong Reddit isn't exactly brilliant, but it's definitely a step up.

[-]

lalajia@reddit

I just saw someone share a link to a Facebook group, in the exact same group it was posted in. Worse, two folk liked the link to the group they were already in, and another person shared it. Probably to the group.

[-]

OldManChino@reddit

I got rid of all socials, about 5 years ago... Best thing I ever did. Unfortunately got back on Reddit 1 year ago, but at least i can curate it a bit better

[-]

kavik2022@reddit

Tbh i don't mind my Facebook. Literally 97 percent of stuff I put is shit posts/reels. I don't really unfriend people unless they're a dick. It's a good way to keep in touch with friends. And if I'm honest, Reddit can be just as toxic and negative as Facebook. But at least on Facebook I know the person

[-]

HypedUpJackal@reddit

People shit on all forms of social media when you can literally tailor any of it to your own tastes and just see what you want. There's good and shit on every social media, including Reddit.

[-]

Stage_Party@reddit

Just get off all social media. Companies and "influencers" are predatory and fools follow like monkeys.

[-]

msully89@reddit

I've not been on it for years. I honestly don't know many people my age (34) who use it. Surprised it's still popular

[-]

90124@reddit

I'm ok with Facebook but then I don't get my news from there. I just use it to see what actual IRL friends are up to that don't live nearby.

[-]

melanie110@reddit

Omg. My life has been so much better. I temp closed it lockdown then opened back up about 6 months ago and the same people were moaning about the same shit 3 years ago. I permanently deleted it now and I love it

[-]

blind_disparity@reddit

Yeah, read any comments on any news article on the Internet. Toxic cesspool.

[-]

CrossRoadChicken@reddit

I was gutted when the local news stopped comments on their website. Got some real crackpots. People on Facebook are slightly more reserved

[-]

Daft_Vaper@reddit

Majority of comment on Facebook are bots tagging each other

[-]

Cpt_Saturn@reddit

From my experience, the most spiteful comment tier list goes as: newspaper website > Facebook > Instagram > YouTube > reddit

[-]

iamamisicmaker473737@reddit

yea many are their worst self online, there are no repercussions so they just spew random thoughts

[-]

chubby-ninja123@reddit

People think that being edgy is cool.

A neighbour, doing the neighbourly thing and looking out for a vulnerable person is a decent act. If it was their gran as the victim, these same edgelords would be posting Facebook calling everyone cowards. They just like their own voice.

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Ok-Material9421@reddit

Grassing is when you dob your neighbour in for there fence being a cm to high or tell your boss that someone was 2 minutes late or other stupid minor things that don't affect you in any meaningful way

Reporting a crime is very difficult and should be done as much as you can

My personal code is if its a murder rape or crime against a child disabled or old.person then ill report it

For other crimes it depends on a bunch of factors

[-]

BadgerOff32@reddit

Coming from working class background, I do understand the 'don't be a grass' mentality, but usually it's within certain context.

Like if your mate is selling a bit of weed just to try and make a bit of extra cash or to earn himself a 'free smoke', you don't grass him up. Or if you see a struggling single mum stealing nappies from a supermarket, you look the other way and don't grass her up. It's like an unwritten working class code of conduct or something. They're just ordinary people doing what they can to get by. You don't wanna make things worse for them by grassing them up.

But when it's in the context of a frail old lady being terrorized by a robber, that ain't grassing. That's just doing the right thing, being a good neighbour and looking out for someone who is in a vulnerable situation!

[-]

XihuanNi-6784@reddit

Yes. This should be higher up. I dunno who the OP was talking to, but the people I know, some of them very radically anti-police, would still call the police because they're all we've got at the moment. I wouldn't call the police for minor stuff that is clearly survival or low impact criminal activity. I would for serious violence or serious harm going on. It's fairly simple to understand.

[-]

KreativeHawk@reddit

Best comment here and definitely the most accurate. The way some people talk about it on this thread makes me think they’d grass someone up for the most minor inconveniences. And to the person who thinks only scum and criminals use the term ‘grass’, you need to get out a lot more.

I think a general rule of thumb is whether it’s hurting anyone else. Smoking a spliff in a park away from people? Not exactly grassworthy. Cases like the OP are definitely fair game though - I wouldn’t even consider that grassing tbh, just being a decent person.

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Disarryonno@reddit

The person who comment about scum and criminals is only a few comments about yours. Why not tell them?

[-]

anonbush234@reddit

Middle class British Reddit strikes again.

[-]

KreativeHawk@reddit

Middle class? Next joke please.

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anonbush234@reddit

Exactly, Grassing is causing ordinary folk unnecessary bother who aren't hurting anyone.

It's actually a good thing and something we are all supposed to learn as children but glamourising the criminal underworld and gang culture has made Grassing any time you speak with the police rather than what it was originally Supposed to be.

British Reddit massively skews middle class so they don't get it and look dome their nose.

[-]

lewis153203@reddit

100% the most accurate comment on this post.

[-]

XihuanNi-6784@reddit

Depends entirely on the crime. For general criminal activity no it isn't grassing. For stuff that probably shouldn't be criminal, like finding out your neighbour smokes but does not deal weed, then yeah it could be grassing.

[-]

KeyLog256@reddit

I'm from Liverpool and love to point out to people who "hate grasses" that Thatcher would be proud of them.

[-]

BottledThoughter@reddit

It’s not “ringing the police”, it’s having that information in the first place.

Let’s say you know your neighbour is a drug dealer. Great, you know this because you can sometimes see them with drugs in their shed. Does that define you as a “snitch?” no.

Let’s say you’re a drug user and you report your dealer to get off a conviction. Then you are indeed a “snitch”, you are giving up your position of trust, and that act of betrayal makes you a cunt.

[-]

A-Light-That-Warms@reddit

In general there are only 3 kinds of people that use the term "grass":

Secondary school children
Prisoners
Scum

Ultimately if you are more upset by someone reporting or giving evidence/a statement than you are by the crime then you are part of the reason why there is so much crime.

[-]

FakeOrangeOJ@reddit

It depends. Someone's doing something that isn't hurting anybody but is illegal? Fuck you if you rat. If you see something that's genuinely dangerous? Good on you, you've probably saved life or limb with that report.

[-]

Interesting_Mode5692@reddit

Who are you to decide what's harmful to others and what isn't? Which of the above 3 do you fit into?

[-]

FakeOrangeOJ@reddit

None of them. I don't go out and hurt people, quite the opposite. I'm not and never have been in jail. I also left high school long enough ago I barely remember doing it, although that doesn't really say much.

[-]

Interesting_Mode5692@reddit

So you just have an arbitrary rule of disliking people that report crime?

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FakeOrangeOJ@reddit

No, I don't like people reporting victimless crimes or crimes where the perpetrator is the sole victim. If someone steals something and gets reported, I'm fine with it. If someone gets reported for having weed, that's a completely different story.

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Interesting_Mode5692@reddit

Ok glad you get to decide what's right or wrong

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AllIWantIsANap@reddit

You sound like a grass

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A-Light-That-Warms@reddit

So are you a secondary school child, a prisoner or scum?

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AllIWantIsANap@reddit

Someone who deals with his own problems. Not gonna run to the police when I've experienced their discrimination 1st hand.

[-]

Interesting_Mode5692@reddit

You must be a child

[-]

AllIWantIsANap@reddit

You must be someone who runs to the jannies everytime someone says a mean word

[-]

A-Light-That-Warms@reddit

🙄

[-]

Bobabator@reddit

It's also a form of control by people who don't want to be "grassed" on.

If there were no consequences to giving witness statements then everyone would tell the police what they saw and by who, being a "grass" is social derision that lowers your standing in the community, essentially making you an outcast for doing the right thing.

Really interesting psychological control.

[-]

MISPAGHET@reddit

Police put up the photo of a guy who assaulted me at my job a few years ago and a lot of the FB comments seemed like a performative act to show the criminal that they could be trusted. They were all along the lines of 'I know him but I'll never say'.

Anyway his ex-girlfriend proudly dobbed him in whilst rubbing her hands with glee.

[-]

Andries89@reddit

A lot of that type of code in the UK is similar to ghettos in America where no one will talk to police and whole areas stay generationally poor and in crime as a result of their self applied culture of distrust to police, government, education,etc... The only difference is that the UK also has white (traveler) people stuck in this cycle, classism and a tiered society has really fucked certain families/parts of the UK for a long time now

[-]

Fantastic-Machine-83@reddit

Travellers aren't stuck in the cycle by society, they're stuck in the cycle by their culture. How is a child meant to break out of the cycle when their parents don't send them to school and instead teach them that crime is the way of life?

[-]

thymeisfleeting@reddit

Plenty of traveller kids do go to school nowadays. The problem though is that there’s a lot of anti-institution feeling from their parents which means that there can be a lot of mistrust towards the school.

Source: taught in an area with lots of travellers.

[-]

Andries89@reddit

Yeah that's what I was saying :-)

[-]

FakeOrangeOJ@reddit

I won't talk to the police where drugs or independent prostitution are concerned, even if I know exactly what they want to know. If I have any idea who kicked some poor lad's shit in, I'll happily share whatever they need from me.

[-]

snootbob@reddit

Why wouldn’t you talk about drugs?

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FakeOrangeOJ@reddit

If people want to use it they will, so somebody's going to supply it. Who am I to stop it? Their bodies, their choice. It's when violence comes into play I start disagreeing with it.

[-]

W0otang@reddit

Because people who supply drugs could be: Supplying them to people they've made addicted 9/10 drag their area down with violence etc.

You're talking like drug dealers are simple market merchants just trying to make a living.

[-]

Fantastic-Machine-83@reddit

Dealing smack to a heroin addict for profit makes you scum.

I agree that the UK's drug laws are old fashioned and desperately need changing but you've got to have some nuance.

[-]

FakeOrangeOJ@reddit

Does that make supermarket owners scum? They sell alcohol to alcoholics and tobacco to smoking addicts. Both are very detrimental to your health. Same goes for ultra-processed food and sugar addicts.

[-]

Fantastic-Machine-83@reddit

Yeah cause heroin withdrawals are comparable so sugar "addiction" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

You can smoke and drink in a responsible way. There is no responsible level of heroin consumption.

[-]

RedditPolluter@reddit

There is no responsible level of heroin consumption

Not really a hill I want to die on but they use it in hospitals. They just call it diamorphine instead.

[-]

Fantastic-Machine-83@reddit

True of course, I forgot that thankyou.

I'll rephrase what I said - There is no responsible level of recreational heroin consumption. If a doctor is prescribing it due to previous issues with addiction or because of the pain you are suffering due to cancer or else then of course you are using it responsibly.

[-]

A-Light-That-Warms@reddit

Get a grip.

Reductio and absurdum.

[-]

Hailreaper1@reddit

It’s not just white travelers. There’s absurd. It’s majority just poor white people. It’s ok to acknowledge that’s a thing.

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Andries89@reddit

Yeah I'm acknowledging it, I'm also saying there's a cultural/behavioural element to it for some groups such as travelers for example. I grew up white and poor too but was raised with importance on school, hard work, family and hustle. I also lived around white traveler families and other white non-travelers. After meeting a lot of both I have made observations on both.

[-]

Hailreaper1@reddit

All I’m saying is, there’s a massive number of just poor white people stuck in the cycle you described. Generationally.

[-]

Andries89@reddit

Oh definitely is, my family is one of them. The only way to get out is make more money and have good jobs and education, that's the cycle to break. Which is enormously hard because of so many factors of course, I get that. But I also get that most poor whites I grew up round had the principle that their kids should be in school, and that if they're not in school they should be working.

[-]

Yorks59@reddit

We just need to be allowed to take these people at their word, and summarily convict them of assisting an offender.

Say stupid things, win stupid prizes.

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Fantastic-Machine-83@reddit

I don't understand how it isn't an open admission of perverting the course of justice

[-]

Scarboroughwarning@reddit

Genuinely, what kind of idiot needs the "glory" of knowing, but then clearly doing nothing?

Wankers

[-]

knotse@reddit

Note that such a scenario will almost exclusively take place in an environment of resentment against the self-styled authority asking for information.

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Complete_Fix2563@reddit

Yes

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Solidus27@reddit

This pretty much hits the nail on the head

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TheKnightsTippler@reddit

Personally, I think it depends on the crime.

Calling the police on someone for a relatively harmless offence like smoking weed? That's grassing.

Calling the police on someone that's assaulted another person? That isn't grassing.

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Fantastic-Machine-83@reddit

Ffs no one gets arrested for smoking weed.

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TheKnightsTippler@reddit

Whether they get arrested or not, it's still grassing.

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A-Light-That-Warms@reddit

And this is why I said "in general" as there are times when people report harmless things purely to themselves cause shit. However this is an incredibly grey area as everyone who uses the term believes they are in the right, so personally I would rather just not use the word at all. No ambiguity there and and I can't be tarnished with the same brush as those who are using it to shame people who are reporting harmful acts.

[-]

bahumat42@reddit

While I agree there is a sliding scale of what people find acceptable, so obviously that would carry across to grassing.

But I think there's a general consensus on things the petty end of the scale (obviously not 100% consensus because you won't even get that, but a clear majority).

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Neat-Possibility6504@reddit

This is the way I see it.

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mittenkrusty@reddit

I was bullied at school and the TEACHERS called me a grass,

Though that was because they were snobs and I was from a benefit claiming family, the bullies were from "good" homes like sons of GP's

Not joking, the teachers even told me someone from my background would lie and be a future criminal and in/out of jail for the rest of my life and they were from "better" homes.

So 4 boys attack me and I have blood on me and tears on clothes, I must of provoked them according to the teachers.

[-]

DazzleLove@reddit

TBF, a lot of secondary school teachers never left school themselves,,and remain in that mentality.

[-]

mittenkrusty@reddit

Probably the worst one I had was someone who just graduated uni, think he was about 24, he would scream at kids for doing what he assumed was bad, he like a kid would throw rubbers at kids for being "disruptive" and gave punishments for stupid things, I once got told to go outside and then accused of smoking on my break as I "smelled like smoke" I didn't then and have never been a smoker I denied it and was told not to argue and to sign a punishment form "admitting" it or I would be given a harsher punishment so I still refused to sign and he was inches from my face shouting at me being a troublemaker.

Another time I was shouted at when I asked the kid next to me if he had a spare pen and it was me "talking" I tried saying I was asking for a pen and was told to "not talk back"

I got average grades when he was teaching, whenever he was off sick me and other kids grades suddenly went up as we weren't harassed.

One kid and he was a chav but still no excuse he grabbed by the collar and swung him towards the door and outside it.

This was late 90's so years after hitting schoolkids was allowed.

[-]

auto98@reddit

Oh god I remember that, teachers favourites could not possibly be bullies...

I was in a fight pretty much every day because of this one kid, who i refused to back down from - he was the stupidest person you are ever likely to meet, and I don't say that because we were enemies, I mean really really "how does this person remember to breathe" type stupid.

About two weeks after leaving school fo the last time, he came into the garage where I was a weekend employee, I started talking to him and he had no memory of who I was, at one point saying I must be thinking of his older brother not him. Some old people had a very lucky escape that his older brother took over the care home his dad owned instead of him, I hate to think what it would have been like if he took over.

[-]

Smooth-Wait506@reddit

Secondary school children

Prisoners

Scum

those sweet, lofty rungs of hierarchical aspiration

[-]

CliffyGiro@reddit

“Grassing” 100% changed in terms of the definition as I was growing up.

Ringing the police to report a crime was not considered grassing.

Tell the police all about your crime doing mates when you got caught doing crime yourself was considered grassing.

Like you actually had to belong to a crime group or something.

Just for the record all the SOCG grass on each other, none of them want a long stretch so they grass. The age of the “honourable” cockney geezer type gangsters has long since passed.

[-]

Oberth@reddit

If you're a criminal yourself you're grassing. If you're a square you have every right to go to the police.

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CliffyGiro@reddit

That’s exactly how I see it.

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TheBigSmoke420@reddit

I think it complicates matters when you are part of a minority group that historically has a complicated ionship with law enforcement.

I do not mean criminals, I mean law-abiding citizens that are part of minority groups, that either historically or contemporarily have been discriminated against by law enforcement.

[-]

MakesALovelyBrew@reddit

the venn diagram for people who say stuff like this and 'the police don't do nuffin' is probably a circle.

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AerodynamicHandshake@reddit

Scum

Obviously, it's very helpful to their work!

[-]

FondSteam39@reddit

Scum

This covers all of the above, except maybe prisoners they're people too and you have no clue why they're in there.

/s

[-]

Ok_Computer_3003@reddit

One. Hundred. Percent.

[-]

TallmanMike@reddit

People who say 'grass' are like paedophiles that tell their child victims 'it'll be our little secret' or 'mummy and daddy will be angry if they find out' - they're only ever doing it to protect their own interests and conceal their own wrong-doing by leveraging social pressure to coerce others.

Unless it's something extremely minor and not worth the time of reporting, you should always report crime and actively avoid people that call you a grass for doing so.

You don't need crime in your community or those people in your life.

[-]

Freightminion@reddit

Only criminals use the term 'grassing'

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IndividualInjury7373@reddit

It's the definition. Any self respecting adult would have dealt with it themselves without involving newspapers or the police.

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

Former convict here (violence offence).

The neighbour 100% did the right thing. If they didn't feel confident enough to stop the crime, then call the guys paid to do so.

Only people who use the term grass are kids, and other criminals/convicts when describing someone who snitches on someone else to get themselves out of trouble.

With my offence a neighbour reported I was majorly get the best of another man.. Is he a grass? Absolutely not. He did the right thing.

Hold no grudge against him and definitely am pro police.

[-]

BannedFromHydroxy@reddit

you're a good egg mate

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

I try my best. I did what i did.. I don't regret it.. Walked in on him beating my mum... But my time inside made me realise mlt everyone inside is a bad person.. A lot were in shit lives and msde bad choices.

Either way only a fool is anti police

[-]

Ok-fine-man@reddit

This has become a Reddit trope - 'reformed criminal who beat someone who deserved, look what an angel he is'. Give me a fucking break, pal. Not buying your story for a second.

[-]

Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

Who said im reformed or an angel? Certainly wasn't me.

Definitely didn't ask for an online strangers approval.

Am I honest about it? Absolutely. Have i used my experience as a stepping stone into a career where I can help disadvantaged and educationally disaffected people? Absolutely.

Are we going to use this comment as a talking point on holier than thou judgey bellends, who go online to be a tit as they've nothing else to do... Absolutely bruv!

Happy Easter 😊

[-]

BannedFromHydroxy@reddit

sorry to hear it mate. i hope your mum locked him out that day and never spoke to him again

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

She left, and shes moved into my home now. Awesome mum being here with me and kids.. Laundry's amazing bruv 😂

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BannedFromHydroxy@reddit

that's the happiest ending, very glad to hear it mate

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

Me too mate... Kids love her here and they giggle she calls me a bellend daily 😂😂

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

The thing that breaks me...mum always says she should have spoke up... Mam it's golden... You went jail though

Who cares you're safe thats what matters mam, id sk it again to keep u safe

[-]

BannedFromHydroxy@reddit

she's lucky to have a great son

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

Nah bruv. Any normal son when its mums safety on line

[-]

OddPerspective9833@reddit

Facebook is full of fuckwits. Why were you on FB, OP?

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FewFig2507@reddit

The old saying is there is "honour among thieves" dishonourable get their comeuppance. This kid is a piece of dirt and so are the screwed freaks taking his side!

[-]

SiljeLiff@reddit

I bet it WAS the thief and mock accounts commenting.

[-]

PinkSudoku13@reddit

If anyone considers it grassing, it should tell you everything you know about who they are as people.

Decent people don't consider calling police 'grassing,' this type of behaviour runs in certain circles where problems are solved between people without the involvement of the police. It's actually very toxic mindset and living in a place like that is very unpleasant, especially if you're not a fan of confrontation.

Frankly, stop reading facebook comments, they're a cesspit.

[-]

IllustriousLimit8473@reddit

It depends on what you are calling the police for. Don't call the police for someone who has been sick using a shower, hoover or washing machine to clean up at 3am. I think that is against noise laws.

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DigitialWitness@reddit

Grass.

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Spottyjamie@reddit (OP)

Yep! Ironically i had a relative in jail who said the big time real villains wouldnt take too kindly to someone who robs pensioners

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Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

Convict myself mate. I can tell you fact men like that have a very bad time in jail.

[-]

bertolous@reddit

Please tell me that a murky razzmatazz is some sort of underworld get together, and if it is, I am assuming you've been to one right???

[-]

Murky_Razzmatazz_980@reddit

I can neither confirm or deny sir

[-]

CosmicBonobo@reddit

It's the same sort of mindset that idolises gangsters because they 'looked out for the community' and loved their mums.

[-]

_summerw1ne@reddit

That’s a canny big generalisation, surely. There’s loads of ‘decent’ people that aren’t into grassing that would probably draw the line at old lady robbery.

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tcpukl@reddit

They aren't decent people then.

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PinkSudoku13@reddit

here’s loads of ‘decent’ people that aren’t into grassing

if you're consider calling the police by victim of a crime or a witness 'grassing' then you're not a decent person.

[-]

MessiahOfMetal@reddit

People with criminal tendencies tend to stick together and not like it when a loser gets caught breaking the law, so they make the act of informing the authorities of a crime into some sort of social stigma.

[-]

DanscoRed@reddit

Facebook is as toxic as here. Someone rang the police to get the thief arrested is a good person. The idiots who made comments otherwise are trolls or just awful people. If it was their grandma they would hope someone did it for her.

[-]

Fun-Wheel-1505@reddit

the community is losing empathy and sympathy ... in preference for upvotes and likes

:(

[-]

cragglerock93@reddit

There's unfortunately a segment of the country (mostly working class, it has to be said) that have this bizarre attitude. Living in a different reality to the rest of us.

[-]

Bantabury97@reddit

The same type of people that genuinely believe in this honour amongst thieves shite are the same that think the excuse of "it should be legal" will get you off the hook when the police pull you over for being under the influence of drugs.

[-]

PuzzleheadedNorth972@reddit

I think some people find it acceptable and unacceptable and pointless in cases. Eg, the old lady. Anyone who says a person is a 'grass' for reporting that is either one of the scumbags or a scumbag themselves.

[-]

doughy1882@reddit

It's grassing if they are your mates, family, or if you are aligned with them in some way (criminality). I don't think reporting a crime, especially as the victim, is grassing unless you have some preexisting expectation of loyalty, which you are betraying.

[-]

TheNinjaPixie@reddit

Yep, the feral mindset is alive and well. I read one reddit where the op had neighbours piling rubbish in the shared courtyard. They spoke to the people but they continued. He didn't know what to do as he didn't want to grass to the factor or council. He chose to live in a shit hole because he didn't want to inform the agencies designed to deal with anti social behaviour.

[-]

JakeGrey@reddit

In that person's case there was a legitiate possibility of the culprit guessing who had made the complaint, which changes the calculus a bit because there's a non-negligible possibility of retaliation.

[-]

TheNinjaPixie@reddit

I do get your point, this was a block of flats and everyone is paralysed into living in a shithole. But i do see why in that case it's hard but *everyone* knew who it was stealing from an old lady, when did we sink so low?

[-]

VidiVee@reddit

Blocks of flats are unfortunately as we learned in the post war era, breeding grounds for crime and anti-social behaviour.

When you are in conflict with your neighbour you have to share space to leave or enter your flat, to take your rubbish to the bins, sometimes even to do laundry. This creates a very strong incentive not to rock the boat, and leaves criminals emboldened.

[-]

Scarboroughwarning@reddit

Part of the issue.

I posted above about my job requiring witness statements. Even if you stop short of a statement, just bringing it to our attention helps.

[-]

ChairmanSunYatSen@reddit

Nothing more pathetic than some Tesco's worker or Tarmac lad going on about "pigs" and "snitching".

Criminals are scum, and anyone who gives a shit about themselves, let alone other people, should talk to the police whenever they have something to say to them.

[-]

Rowanx3@reddit

Local Facebook news posts literally never have positive comments. Got a new shop coming to the dying town centre ‘we dont need another shop like this 😡 was so much better in the 70’s’ new affordable housing being made? ‘Oh Great 🙄 another more shitty house when what we really need is a 3rd HOSPITAL!’

[-]

Just_Lab_4768@reddit

We just opened a furniture shop in a town that time forgot “who can afford to shop there” “we have loads of furniture shops”

Literally 2 furniture shops, it’s genuinely insane

[-]

Odd-Weekend8016@reddit

Ah, the classic "who can afford that?!" argument. Every time a new cinema, bowling alley, restaurant, Café etc opens, anything that isn't a charity shop or vape shop, everyone goes mental because some people in our town can afford nice things.

[-]

AutomaticInitiative@reddit

We just got an Imax, tickets £16, "won't last 5 minutes" "daylight robbers" etc etc, new civil service offices in town, "parking is already awful" "where are 2000 more people going to park" like there aren't a million carparks already it's so bad

[-]

Just_Lab_4768@reddit

Then complains that the high street it just vape shop and charity shops.

Thing is it’s a poor town but there’s loads of nice villages around

[-]

CosmicBonobo@reddit

My favourite one lately has been the shopping centre in my town opening a Poundland in what was once a John Lewis. Apparently, it's a sign of the town centre going 'down market' and a sure sign that the high street will be overrun by oiks in no time.

[-]

suiluhthrown78@reddit

I'd say that is actually a clear sign of decline......

Not necessarily the poundland part, the john lewis closing, its just gonna be charity shops, vape shops and barbers soon

[-]

Spottyjamie@reddit (OP)

OHYMYGOD YES

“Why are they opening a spar not a zara?”

Ask zara…

[-]

Just_Lab_4768@reddit

Yep as if ques of retailers are queing to open there

[-]

ot1smile@reddit

What are whating?

[-]

oktimeforplanz@reddit

You didn't realise that the council can legally compel Zara to open up in a space only really suitable for a Spar or similar sized shop?

Yes, Zara management, we know this place is quite clearly only sized for a convenience store/newsagents/etc but the people on Facebook demand it...

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Odd-Weekend8016@reddit

Urgh, same where I'm from! If new housing is being developed, people complain about there not being enough shops. If a new shop moves in, people complain that there's not enough housing. People are never happy.

[-]

Teembeau@reddit

Thing is, one thing we really, really, really don't need is more hospitals.

A lot of medical work like basic diagnosis can just be done from an old office building. And you could just run expensive operating theatres for more hours and weekends.

The biggest shortage in the NHS is staff. I think "lack of beds" is always a confusing term because it doesn't mean the bed, it means lack of medical capacity. It's why a lot of GP work is now going to pharmacists.

[-]

Deanosaur12@reddit

Don’t be a grass I.e mind your own business.

This is certainly not what is meant by don’t be a grass.

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Civil-Artist@reddit

The commenters are probably friends and family of the thief

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Dr_Matador@reddit

Big ups for mentioning Peaky Blinders

[-]

AutomaticInitiative@reddit

No person made a victim? Grass.

Somebody made a victim? Not a grass.

In your particular case, it's not being a grass to dob him him because the frail old lady is a victim. People saying it is need to be avoided.

[-]

Sad-Yoghurt5196@reddit

To be honest the police are less than universally loved. It's more about sticking it to the police in a public forum, than it is empathy towards the victim, or actually supporting and liking the thieves.

As you say, it's not going to make a difference to the robbing buggers if it's your house or another one, so I don't think it's really solidarity with the criminal, it's just that they dislike the thieves less than the police in a lot of areas, especially among the younger demographic.

To be honest I'm pushing fifty and the last few interactions I've had with the police have left a sour taste in my mouth. I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say I support the criminals, but I definitely don't have the faith in the police I had in my local beat Bobby when I was a kid in South London.

The adoption of American style tactics was a grievous error. More community policing and less bully boy tactics would go a long way to repairing their reputation with non criminal citizens that they've dealt with poorly in more recent years.

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DigitialWitness@reddit

Depends what it is doesn't it. Someone fucking someone vulnerable over, hurting someone, call the police. They have a chipped firestick, shoplifted from Tesco because they're skint, mind your own business.

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Scarboroughwarning@reddit

I work in a role that requires witness statements. It's a fucking chore... Most say "I don't want to get involved".

Fine, but I can't magic a punishment up based on thin air.

I realise there are issues with reprisals etc. but often, we just need more info so that we can fill in the blanks.

Use the council and local police, because if there are no consequences for cunts, they'll keep being cunts.

[-]

pumaofshadow@reddit

I was a residential director for a building of flats. We had an ongoing circle of "the management company don't do anything to fix the issues" to "well I'm not going to report it, there was a racist person here who gave us abuse 10 years ago" to "What do we pay for anyway?".

So I ended up relaying the info to the management company, and weirdly things got fixed. But they still went back to the beginning of "well they don't fix anything", whilst not telling them there was even an issue.

Drove me insane.

[-]

Scarboroughwarning@reddit

Honestly, I feel your pain. The people that can do things, ie police and council are full of people that don't have a high degree of love for the people that are being arseholes. They want to help, but often do not have the evidence.

[-]

notmeagainagain@reddit

My estate has had 12 breakins, garage burglaries etc since Xmas. By the same 4 teens, caught on cam, masked up, in and out on mopeds, 3-4am.

Police, neighbourhood watch trying to identify them

One Karen on Facebook, "I sawd yous 3 before, I know yaz names, show up my yard again ya mam will know"

When asked to share names so we can stop the mini crimewave:

"Ain't a grass, fuck off"

Alright. Enjoy your rising insurance premiums.

[-]

Stuffedwithdates@reddit

friends of the thief rather than representave members of the public.

[-]

HailKingRittenhouse@reddit

Everyone here going on about the particular case in OPs post which does sound egregious and something that most people would agree should be reported to the police.

Interesting that almost no one here acknowledges that there is a code, even amongst normal, respectable people that you don't proactively report some offences. This seems to go double at work and reporting to managers.

OP, my take is that most people at some point most people break some minor rule or law, and there's an unwritten social expectation that everyone does this and proactively telling the authorities makes you untrustworthy or hypocritical.

Obviously this doesn't apply to theft from a vulnerable old lady which most people would find abhorrent, but does seem to apply to most motoring offences with the exception of drunk driving, in my experience.

[-]

EmmaInFrance@reddit

I'm an autistic mum of three autistic kids, one is fully grown, one is 18 and the other nearly 15.

I was the first to be diagnosed, in 2018, and my adult kid had already left home by that point.

All of us have had to put in serious work over the years into learning and understanding where that line is when it comes to rules, rule bending, rule breaking, and when it's OK to do it yourself, when it's not OK, when it's OK for others and how to let it go - that it can be situation and person dependent, and when it's absolutely not OK and when to say and do something about it.

My own spiky autistic profile means that I have excellent social skills and an excellent understanding of all this kind of stuff - only because I have spent so much mental energy for my entire life studying it, not necessarily consciously either, many autistic AFAB people end up doing this!

So a big part of my role as a parent has been passing down this knowledge, as necessary.

My youngest kid has been the one most in need of it.

They're a really big rule follower with a really strong internal sense of justice that can be a bit too black and white, so we've spent a lot of time talking about how to see the nuances in situations.

Learning when to let the small stuff go and when to report the serious incidents, that's not an innate skill for everyone!

[-]

SashaBlue1942@reddit

Many people take the “theft is born from poverty” mentality way too literally. They cant see the difference between that old ladys house getting robbed while shes in hospital and a mother or father stealing food/ hygiene/ baby products etc from a shop because they can’t afford it.

If you see someone stealing from someones house like that guy, 100% call the police. If you see someone stealing essentials from a store again etc baby/ hygiene/ food essentials and so on, no you didn’t.

[-]

Delicious-Cut-7911@reddit

I posted once and got the most hateful trolls replying. These people are disturbed and want to pass on their misery to normal people. They take pleasure in knowing they are hurting people's feelings.

[-]

Carlpanzram1916@reddit

There is a worrisome trend in Western Europe of prioritizing the needs of criminals over the needs of victims. You can also sue someone if you get hurt breaking into their house because your yard was unsafe.

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stoatwblr@reddit

My stock response would be that for most English people, petty crime of one sort or another is a way of life

In reality it's criminal thugs trying to intimidate neighbourhoods into silence

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bookofbooks@reddit

Because criminals don't like facing consequences.

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KreativeHawk@reddit

Best comment here and definitely the most accurate. The way some people talk about it on this thread makes me think they’d grass someone up for the most minor inconveniences.

I think a general rule of thumb is whether it’s hurting anyone else. Smoking a spliff in a park away from people? Not exactly grassworthy. Cases like the OP are definitely fair game though - I wouldn’t even consider that grassing tbh, just being a decent person.

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crayawe@reddit

Seem horrible

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Adam-West@reddit

Morons. Don’t listen to anybody who’s moral compass is fine with an old lady getting robbed but draws the line at talking to the police.

[-]

Saxon2060@reddit

We should all be healthily skeptical about the police/authorities. They should be held to an extremely high standard and quite often fall short.

But overall if you're on the side of criminals and not the police you're a shitty person. In some countries I can see why you'd think "the police are basically a gang" but we're nowhere NEAR that here and most coppers are good people doing a hard job with what they've got.

I don't think it's unreasonable to see the institutional problems in the police that are reported in the news and think "the police should be better than the are" but also to side with order against disorder, safety against danger, society against scumbags.

People who think the police are super corrupt and a force for bad are delusional. And anyone who would side with criminals and/or make the police's job more difficult are scumbags.

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Smooth-Wait506@reddit

People who think the police are super corrupt and a force for bad are delusional

the first stereotype that popped into my mind was that Auditing BritaIn cunt on youtube

the last time he had a job was a paper round

[-]

suiluhthrown78@reddit

No one goes around stealing unless they're desperate especially in these times of cost of living crisis.

A lot of youth centres have been closed down too, too many young people with nothing to do, chucking them in prison only helps the private prison industry to make profits off the exploitation of people in poverty

[-]

PTC1488@reddit

My first girlfriend lived with her parents in a council house. We were both 16 and I had never been in a council house before. To my knowledge I hadn't ever met anyone on benefits, as my Dad is a property developer and I grew up in a small village.

Her parents and their neighbours barely got by as it was, then the bedroom tax came in and everyone seemed to be struggling to stay afloat. Her Dad laid the odd patio here and there and their neighbours had their own "things".

Was this benefit fraud? Certainly. Would I be a grass if I reported them? 100%. I even took some jobs over for him, if his health meant he couldn't finish them.

Not everyone who "tells" is a grass, but there's some grasses out there.

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Outrageous_Ad9124@reddit

Something to do with the definition of the work I suspect.

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BroodLord1962@reddit

Time to wake up a realise that the world is full of scum

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BigBrownFish@reddit

Facebook

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chortlecoffle@reddit

It depends entirely on our much your community has been able to trust the police

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Katharinemaddison@reddit

Because criminals are surprisingly good at propaganda.

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fussyfella@reddit

"Grassing" is only a negative amongst some sub-cultures where criminality is respected. It evolved as a control mechanism to keep members of the groups loyal to the bullies who control the group.

If someone thinks there is something wrong with reporting what appears to be a crime in progress, they are the one with the problem.

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MereSponge@reddit

Because people that call people are grasses are brain-dead. The second they do the same, they don't see it as "grassing".

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Fragile_reddit_mods@reddit

Only people with immaturity issues ever call someone a “grass”. If there’s something for someone to report on then that thing shouldn’t have been happening anyway.

[-]

Foundation_Wrong@reddit

That’s a terrible way to think. Thieves have no honour, just greed and threats. Those comments should be removed

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Chibblededo@reddit

Ah: at issue is ringing the police but not in order to dob someone in.

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Chibblededo@reddit

Ah: at issue is ringing the police but not in order to dob someone in.

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Yeahmahbah@reddit

Grassing only applies to criminals. Not civilians

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fatdadisfatdad@reddit

It’s nonsensical. I’ve called the police on shitty behaviour a few times previously, and afterwards told the dickheads who had their collar felt it was me that called it in. I’m a 45 year old bloke, certainly no tough guy by any measure, but I’m sick to the back teeth of Olympic level arseholes repeating their twat behaviour because they believe that people are scared of them. Dont be scared, these people are total nobodies,and even though it might take them a while to learn (suffering with being profoundly hard of thinking as they always are), the only way to stop shit behaviour in grown adults is to call the police.

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TennurVarulfsins@reddit

As in "why is the definition of grassing giving the police information about a crime"?

Per wiktionary, "The "informer" sense is probably a shortening of grasshopper (“police officer, informant”), rhyming slang for copper (“police officer”) or shopper (“informant”); the exact sequence of derivation is unclear."

If the question is more about "why is it seen by some people as bad to give information to the police about crimes, particularly about crimes directly affecting the vulnerable in your own community?" then the answer is more that those commenting on the Facebook post are bad people.

[-]

BojoHorso@reddit

As someone who treads social media for living, allow me to share a secret:
People writing comments on Facebook do not represent the average public.

People who have time to write Facebook comments don't have anything better to do.

If you have a stable job, family, hobby or anything else to keep you occupied you in your free time, you wouldn't have been writing comments on social media.

[-]

Haggath@reddit

Quite a handful of the younger generation in this country have such a “fuck the police” attitude for reasons I don’t know. Laws are in place for a reason. You know what you’re doing is wrong, don’t act like a baby when you get caught out.

I’ve called the police once or twice due to shenanigans in my street, and I do not feel bad for it at all. Get them off the street. I don’t care what anyone else has to say.

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The-Mayor-of-Italy@reddit

I grass on anything which is hurting the vulnerable or is just scummy (this definitely includes residential burglary, especially of an elderly person). I wouldn't grass on somebody who'd rammed a cash machine or something. I mind my own business unless it's something which strikes a nerve with me.

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HugoSimpson92@reddit

Theft by ramming a cash machine isn’t scummy to you? Really?

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The-Mayor-of-Italy@reddit

It's a bad thing to do, it would be chaos if everyone did it and it's right that it's against the law.

''Scummy'' crimes engender empathy in you for the victim. A cash machine or the faceless big corporation that owns it isn't that victim. People (including potentially myself) who end up paying an extra 27p a year via some banking chargeback clawback to pay for this is too abstract and too small-scale of a victimisation to inspire much empathy, and the converse disgust towards to the victimiser.

Sex crimes, stealing from ordinary folks struggling to make ends, doing anything against kids or the elderly though... that obviously does produce that visceral reaction.

[-]

udonisi@reddit

Because people are pretentious enough to think they're part of the street life where snitches get stitches. Relax Greg, you won't get street cred for staying silent anyway

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Afraid-Ad-6657@reddit

thats quite crazy. of course neighbour should have called the police. shouldnt he be awarded some good citizen thingy.

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AdHumble4072@reddit

Totally agree. Not that long ago, a young lad was tortured, then murdered in the small city I live in. People in that street heard him being tortured but didn't want to be a grass. They could have called the police and saved his life. What is wrong with these people. Just awful.

[-]

WinkyNurdo@reddit

It used to be that you can’t be a grass if you’re just a regular Joe, not involved in the life. If you’ve got form and give your mates up to avoid pokey, you’re a grass.

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SojournerInThisVale@reddit

It’s secondary school level stuff. It’s almost like some people relish in criminality and societal disintegration

[-]

fookreddit22@reddit

As a former criminal here's my personal opinion on it. If you're a regular citizen not involved with any wrong doing it's your civic duty to inform the police of things like this. If you're a criminal it's a lot more nuanced but you should never call the police for things you do also.

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NerdOnTheStr33t@reddit

This is like asking why you got stung when you walked into a nettle patch.

One of the worst corners of the internet is the comments section of local newspaper articles. Literally people too thick to answer to their own name... Assuming they were humans at all and not just bots whipping up some outrage for engagement.

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StatisticianHeavy324@reddit

Snitching is fine though.

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The_Queef_of_England@reddit

The people in the comment section are ghouls. They will criticise anyone for anything because they get a kick out of trying to instigate mob justice. They'd love being responsible for people getting hurt, and they enjoy seeing attacked. They're awful people.

[-]

Psychological-Bee760@reddit

Thats Facebook for you, if that had been my mum I'd of been thankful and the lowlife would be looking over his shoulder

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TicketOk7972@reddit

I know a few coppers, and I guarantee the same people calling ‘grass’ are the same who waste hundreds of hours of Police time with reports of ‘stalking’ or ‘harassment’ on the same person they will be shagging tomorrow.

Scum gonna scum.

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frizzbee30@reddit

Because those of the lowest intellect, still think they in primary school.

Which is about their intellectual level, for the brighter ones anyway.

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Straightener78@reddit

Childish nonsense. Like when prisoners look down on people who grass. As if being a murderer, rapist or thief puts you on some moral high ground

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BFYLalexandrepato@reddit

‘A regular citizen who reports seeing a crime isn't a "snitch" or a "rat" The criminals were just sloppy Snitches and rats are not the same thing Let me break it down to make sure y'all see what I mean A "snitch" is someone minding other folks' business To find information they can sell for a price Or trade for some other form of compensation’

Morgan Freeman

[-]

DrSFW@reddit

In my experience the ones who say "no grassing" are

usually the ones who will drop their mates into the shit

when they get collared. There is no loyalty amongst criminals.

[-]

tileman1440@reddit

Typically the types of people who go on about "grassing" are the types of people who are not contributors to a functional society, do drugs, think being from another postcode actually means something when neither of them own their rented council house.

Honestly anyone calling the guy a grass (same when you look on facebook) tend to have never done a honest job in their life. Criminals tend to not like other criminals getting arrested.

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Jebble@reddit

I mean.. you're reading local news comments on Facebook.. nit sure what you'd expect. Just delete that shit.

[-]

Bring_back_Apollo@reddit

Depends where you live.

[-]

greatdrams23@reddit

Criminals rely on people supporting them, either other criminals or non criminals who have to be coerced.

It is not a code, it is bullying. It is their law because they don't abide by our law.

People who shout grass will soon grass when they suffer a crime

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PoustisFebo@reddit

It's an evil world.

These people are more concerned about getting busted by the police for breaking into a frail old woman's house, than have someone break into their frail old mother's house.

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TheNathanNS@reddit

A lot of people like that are chavs who engage in that exact same of behavior and torment their local area.

[-]

BroadLaw1274@reddit

Scum try to justify their scummy lives.

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indianajoes@reddit

Scum protects scum

If you're not a teenager in school or a criminal, you're probably scum for using the word "grass" in that sense.

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Gullflyinghigh@reddit

The whole 'grass' thing is shite, usually from bellends still in the school mentality. Always feels like it's more from people scared of consequences than anything.

[-]

Aggressive-Bad-440@reddit

That's basic citizenship. Grassing, ratting and snitching were invented by bad, powerful people to protect themselves, it never works both ways. That said, if for example I'm 5 minutes late to work and someone tells on me to my manager - it doesn't affect them and that just really pisses me off. Unless a wrong, with a victim, that either affects you or that you feel you can't just ignore, is happening, mind your own business. I will happily call 999 to report dangerous driving around me (I live on a one way system with narrow to none existent pavements).

[-]

Realkevinnash59@reddit

anybody claiming telling the police anything is "snitching" or "grassing" wouldn't say the same if their house was being broken into or if their car was stolen.

The same sort of people would claim to have sorted it out themselves whilst also having arms like a robin's legs and living with mum and dad.

Don't pay attention. Most people are boring idiots, don't waste your time listening to them.

[-]

X0AN@reddit

My parents grew up in a rough as fuck area.

The problem they had that if you reported a crime to the police, the police would report back to the gang members who grassed them up.

So reporting seeing someone comitting a crime to the police could very easily get you killed.

Not saying this is what's happened in the OPs story but very often it's areas like that they 'don't grass'.

[-]

Spottyjamie@reddit (OP)

Indeed but this was a generic housing area and the thief was a known idiot with neither the brains nor connections to do anything back

Its like the young uns commenting almost wished they lived in the bronx or compton!

[-]

CliffyGiro@reddit

“Grassing” 100% changed in terms of the definition as I was growing up.

Ringing the police to report a crime was not considered grassing.

Tell the police all about your crime doing mates when you got caught doing crime yourself was considered grassing.

Like you actually had to belong to a crime group or something.

Just for the record all the SOCG grass on each other, none of them want a long stretch so they grass. The age of the “honourable” cockney geezer type gangsters has long since passed.

[-]

BTZ9@reddit

Ironically, it’s normally the people who talk down on others for ‘snitching’ and ‘grassing’ who do it the most. One of the main reasons we catch the people higher up the chain is because someone else has talked to get themself out of shit.

[-]

Spottyjamie@reddit (OP)

Yep! I bet if someone just watched their car get stolen/house broken into theyd be furious with the person who done nowt

[-]

Jlaw118@reddit

I see it on Facebook groups all of the time with “snitches get stitches,” and it really gets on my nerves.

Whilst I appreciate people do sometimes report really petty crimes, especially on such groups, but something like burglary of an elderly lady isn’t something someone shouldn’t be reported for. I can’t imagine why anyone would think that’s okay

[-]

CosmicBonobo@reddit

As I get older, the more I realise just how big a percentage of the adult population are morons. There are people out there who stopped developing and maturing as a person the second they left school.

[-]

inevitablelizard@reddit

There are a lot of people out there who stopped developing and maturing as a person ~~the second~~ well before they left school.

Fixed that for you.

[-]

AlarmedCicada256@reddit

Never understood why 'grassing' is bad. Obviously you're not going to call the police on someone for having a bit of weed or some other trivial thing, but if someone is out robbing/stealing/mugging or worse, I'd absolutely get the cops on them.

[-]

TSC-99@reddit

Happy to grass personally 🐍

[-]

gayspacemice@reddit

Probably mates of the thief, or people who would do similar. Bunch of scrotes

[-]

AerodynamicHandshake@reddit

Because that's what grassing is?

However you feel about the broader concept, grassing is considered grassing because that's what it is.

[-]

Darkheart001@reddit

Doing the right thing is often unpopular, usually a lot of the people who do agree won’t bother to comment or will be worried if they do they will be targeted. Just because a vocal minority abuse you doesn’t make what you did wrong.

[-]

ButterscotchFun3029@reddit

Because it literally is grassing.

[-]

edwh0re@reddit

People. What a bunch of bastards.

[-]

tcpukl@reddit

Its incredibly childish to be say calling the police is grassing.

Try being accountable and not a dickhead breaking the law! Your not in the school playground any more.

[-]

LitmusPitmus@reddit

Let's be real nobody likes a tattletale but in this instance it's not even snitching. Snitching is dobbing your mates in to get yourself out of something or if it's something minor and you're being a karen. I'd call police on someone thieving from an old woman's house or anything scummy like that tbh

[-]

oktimeforplanz@reddit

Crabs in a bucket. Scum don't like it when someone calls them scum or "harms" any other scumbags. They would prefer that anyone who isn't a scumbag is too worried about being retaliated against to "grass". They don't care about that specific thief, just that everyone else is too afraid of social ostracisation and judgement to report anything.

[-]

MRRichAllen1976@reddit

Because the people who are accusing you of "grassing" were probably the ones that did the robbing in the first place.

[-]

Aconite_Eagle@reddit

I dont know. People are fucking stupid thats why.

It used to be "grassing" if you betrayed someone. To betray someone, you had first to owe them loyalty. Some local thugs wanting to go round and intimidate people? No, random people do not owe them loyalty. Their oblgiation and duty as a citizen is either to arrest them or to inform the police so that they can do so for them. Anyone who says they are "grassing" is a fucking dickwad.

[-]

ratttertintattertins@reddit

If that was the majority opinion, we probably wouldn’t have police and we’d live in lawless anarchy. The fact is, that that vast majority of us hate criminals and would much prefer to live in a law abiding society were people help their elderly neighbours.

Unfortunately, we do have a criminal underclass and you can bet it’s them who are filling up the Facebook comments on that particular thread.

[-]

Jack_202@reddit

Was it in Liverpool? I see a lot of that in the Echo comments.

[-]

InviteAromatic6124@reddit

Because people on the Internet are morons

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BppnfvbanyOnxre@reddit

Years ago when my youngest daughter was assaulted none of the adults who witnessed it would agree to be witnesses, I and her mum were not there, it must be so frustrating for the police. It's not like the perpetrators were an actual proper criminal firm, terrorist organisation that you needed to be worried about.

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Spottyjamie@reddit (OP)

Yep! We arent talking about a professional criminal who has the brains to coordinate a revenge

We’re talking about someone who noticed a house with lights off for a while so took some easily cash convertable stuff under the cover of night time

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