Lucy Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 I have just taken on a part-time gardener to help me cope with what seems to be a garden that gets larger as the years pass. Not a burly, green-fingered man but a young girl, doing gardening work to help survive financially while she studies biology at university. Her boyfriend has had to (temporarily he hopes) give up university to work as a salesman because of financial pressures. When I go out for a meal, in a cafe or local pub, I am frequently waited on by charming, energetic, young people who the rest of the week are studying at university or college - except when they are helping elderly relatives with their chores. They all seem to pack so much into their lives it is exhausting just listening to them. They are the doctors, scientists and other professionals who will be shaping all our futures. Good luck to them, I say. Yet at the same time, the town centre is full of young people who seem to have money to spend on clubs, pubs, eating, drinking, shopping and generally wasting their time. They are not the same young people - I have checked. My gardener and the waiters and waitresses I chat to invariably say they don't go clubbing because "my mum and dad wouldn't let me". I read somewhere recently that children who are disciplined by their parents usually do better in life, so perhaps this is why. But it seems to me a great social injustice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 You seem to have a point Lucy, something I've often pondered when out shopping or queuing at the airport: in the midst of an "economic depression", we seem to have half the population still spending like there was no tommorrow. I can only assume, they've won the lottery or are living off their credit cards - I would be interested in any objective research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Hardly objective research, but I heard on the radio that collectively we owe billions (about 50 I think they said) through credit cards, overdrafts, bank loans, etc. Seeing as I don't have a credit card, overdraft nor bank loan, and I am sure many others are like me, some people must have horrendous debts. Probably they are the ones queuing at airports and in the shops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 So they clearly havn't learned from the credit crunch and all the upheaval brought on by easy credit? Guess it's all part of the "I want it, I want it NOW " culture, which this Government appears to still be encouraging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 So they clearly havn't learned from the credit crunch and all the upheaval brought on by easy credit? What upheaval? While I am one of the unlucky ones of the crunch, most people have been totally unaffected and are living perfectly normally. If the media didn't go on and on and on and on about it, many people would have no cause whatsoever to give it a second thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 But it seems to me a great social injustice.In what way? Students are not working 40 hour a week jobs, they fit in part time jobs between studies, and live hand to mouth (unless mummy & daddy set up a trust fund), that has always been the way. They get their reward post uni with generally higher paid and more secure jobs. As for students not going to pubs and clubbing - LOLOLOLOLOL. Are you for real? It's quite an ironic post that on one hand you feel that the town centre is full of young people who seem to have money to spend on clubs, pubs, eating, drinking, shopping and generally wasting their time. and on the other you have employed a gardener, and find it exhausting just listening to how hard your gardener and her friends have to work. Oh wait, now I see what you mean about social injustice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 "unaffected" Fats? I think there are two million folk (and rising) that would disagree with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 "unaffected" Fats? I think there are two million folk (and rising) that would disagree with you! And I think you missed "While I am one of the unlucky ones of the crunch" You also seemed to miss where I said 'most people' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 and I think you missed; the original point, which was - that they are still using their credit cards to run up massive debts, hence their ability to binge drink etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Hardly objective research, but I heard on the radio that collectively we owe billions (about 50 I think they said) through credit cards, overdrafts, bank loans, etc. Seeing as I don't have a credit card, overdraft nor bank loan, and I am sure many others are like me, some people must have horrendous debts. Probably they are the ones queuing at airports and in the shops! If only it was 50 billion, I understand the figure is nearer 1.5 trillion, problem is nobody is sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 You seem to have a point Lucy, something I've often pondered when out shopping or queuing at the airport: in the midst of an "economic depression", we seem to have half the population still spending like there was no tommorrow. I can only assume, they've won the lottery or are living off their credit cards - I would be interested in any objective research. Guess that those folk employed by the state, or on indexed pensions from state employers, and we are talking substantial and significant numbers, are able to carry on much as normal.......for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 I am not employed by the state nor am I an ex-state employee but I know it may come as a shock but I have been seen in shops and occasionally at an airport. I haven't won the lottery and I am not living off my credit cards and guess what so are a lot of other people? Let's stop slagging off people who have money to spend and allow them to spend it where they wish. Every person you see in a shop or at an airport has a right to be there without some buffoon on here finding it abhorent that they deign to share his space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Eagle you must be of the generation that had final salary pensions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 On the subject of which I notice that in the financial year just gone, typical cash pension funds grew by just under 4%, fixed interest pension funds grew by just over 5%, UK equity pension funds fell in value by nearly 30% and a mixed fund comprising of fixed interest stocks, UK & international equities with some other securities fell in value by about 20%. One can see why companies are struggling to fund their pension schemes, and many are abandoning final salary schemes in favour of money purchase ones. Certainly those people who have retired on a final salary pension scheme have done well, and their spending is helping to keep the UK economy from going in to a deeper recession....so keep spending...afterall you'll only leave it to your children....or the taxman. Interestingly I was in Bristol this weekend and the shops and restaurants seemed quite busy, athough the hotel we stayed in said things were clearly not as good as a year or so ago, with business people just staying on a tuesday/wednesday night rather than the whole week. There was quite a lot of office space to let and it looked as though until recently there had been quite a construction boom in what is a large regional centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 and I think you missed; the original point, which was - that they are still using their credit cards to run up massive debts, hence their ability to binge drink etc. Actually, that was the massive assumption you made and brought to the table, but nowhere in the OP did Lucy state that the 'social injustice' was a as a result of the credit crunch, or credit card spending, or indeed that it then lead to binge drinking. As both Eagle and I have said, the majority of folk are totally unaffected by the media hyped credit crunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Errm, you mean the vast majority, who are not out of work, on short time, having their house re-possessed, or declaring themselves bankrupt?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 If only it was 50 billion, I understand the figure is nearer 1.5 trillion, problem is nobody is sure. And what is really worrying is that no-one seems bothered. The mind boggles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 So the motto is: join the insanity and spend, spend, spend (even if you ain't got it) - after all, there are no pockets in shrouds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Errm, you mean the vast majority, who are not out of work, on short time, having their house re-possessed, or declaring themselves bankrupt?! correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted July 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 The social injustice to which I refer is that bright, energetic young people who are the future of the nation are having to struggle to make ends me by taking part time jobs while idle layabouts apparently have money to burn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 How do you know they are idle layabouts they might work damned hard during the week you are just making sweeping statements you can not substantiate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rifles Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 I agree, my brother in law gets asked if he is working by people he meets. This is always in the early afternoons when he takes his children to the park or shops. He has done regular nights for 7 years. Things are not always as they seem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 The social injustice to which I refer is that bright, energetic young people who are the future of the nation are having to struggle to make ends me by taking part time jobs while idle layabouts apparently have money to burn!Your point was perfectly clear, your logic totally lacking. You quote students as being penniless - shockarooney You then cite the town centre is full of young people who seem to have money to spend on clubs, pubs, eating, drinking, shopping and generally wasting their time.They are not the same young people - I have checked. Do you think these young people who are out on the lash and spending money enjoying themselves may just have, you know, like a job? And I trhink you may just find, that if you head into town centres on Tuesday's, you'll find a lot of young people who seem to have money to spend on clubs & pubs, and generally wasting their time; they would be students out on student discount night, and when they're not there, you'll find them rolling drunk in the student unions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Do you really believe that Fatshaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Do you really believe that Fatshaft? I believe that students go out and about just like every other u-25 year old does yes. I do beleive that most students have to take part time jobs to support their studies and living costs during Uni, living costs include going out on the lash. I also believe there are plenty fall into this category: Her boyfriend has had to (temporarily he hopes) give up university to work as a salesman because of financial pressures. I also doubt very very much whether there are more than a very small percentage of students, or indeed any youngsters out there, fall into this category: My gardener and the waiters and waitresses I chat to invariably say they don't go clubbing because "my mum and dad wouldn't let me". I read somewhere recently that children who are disciplined by their parents usually do better in life, so perhaps this is why. But it seems to me a great social injustice. ..and whatever it is, it certainly isn't this laughable statement: But it seems to me a great social injustice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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