England, land of surveillance cameras...

[Tez3]

Aye the drink-yourself-comatose fashion so common these days amongst the young is a mystery. Where did it come from? In my youth the very last thing you wanted was to be visibly drunk - you'd never live it down amongst your mates for a start! I guess being poor had it's advantages too as we simply could not afford to get lashed when we were in our teens. When a can of weak lager cost half what you got in pocket money for a week then you didn't drink much.

Plus, I think that drinking in the pub was cheaper than getting cans from the offie (off-licence) too, so if you went out for a drink with your mates you would more likely got to the pub. Speaking from my own circumstances, because in said pubs there would be people who knew your dad, the incentive to behave well and not drink more than you could handle was inherent in the environment.

By the way Tez, is it my imagination or did pub landlords thirty years ago take their responsibilities more seriously when it came to not serving people to the point that they fell down drunk? Even when I was older and experienced a lock-in or two, the landlords would still on occasion 'turn off the tap' for those that got too much the worse for wear. Now it seems the night clubs just liquor 'em up and sling 'em into the street for the police to deal with.

It's a criminal offence to serve drunks alcohol but it does seem that this is ignored despite the big breweries and club owners saying they are careful. There seems too to be despite the recession a lot of money around as well, a night out like this doesn't come cheaply. Looking at the drinks they were pouring down their necks before they went out they weren't the cheap supermarket own brands were they? What a complete waste of money!

 

[Gnarlie]

And the British Virgin Islands? I'm English and the remnants of the British Empire confuse the hell out of me.

 

[Tez3]

OK, so Ireland is not part of Great Britain. It's just Ireland, and the Irish are not British. Correct?

Northern Ireland aka The Province still belongs to the UK but has it's own government. Southern Ireland is known as Eire and is a democratic republic not belonging to us ( though it is in debt and looking for a buyer lol)

some of the islands we have, as it says there are actually thousands.
http://www.ukcoastguide.co.uk/uk_islands.htm

 

[Bob Hubbard]

How about the Principality of Sealand?

 

[Tez3]

And the British Virgin Islands? I'm English and the remnants of the British Empire confuse the hell out of me.

British Overseas Territory now and in view of the OP it's inhabitants are very happy to be in the Caribbean far away from the drunks!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Virgin_Islands

 

[Gnarlie]

Maybe we should introduce compulsory measures to bring them in line with the rest of the territory. Pre-pub absinthe, mandatory chasers and octagonal kebab shops to be implemented at the first opportunity. CCTV available on request after trial period.

 

[jks9199]

It's a criminal offence to serve drunks alcohol but it does seem that this is ignored despite the big breweries and club owners saying they are careful. There seems too to be despite the recession a lot of money around as well, a night out like this doesn't come cheaply. Looking at the drinks they were pouring down their necks before they went out they weren't the cheap supermarket own brands were they? What a complete waste of money!

We face the same problem here... At least in Virginia, the Alcoholic Beverage Control laws prohibit serving or selling alcohol to intoxicated persons. It's a law that I think is more observed in the breach, though... Or as an excuse to get someone out of the establishment.

 

[Scott T]

I really don't know why you find it difficult after all you don't mistake Canadians or Mexicans for Americans do you?

As someone who has been confused for an American (In both Switzerland and Poland. At least the Brits get it right.) I have had the urge to 'educate' the offenders quickly. Instead, I jist grinned with teeth clenched and verbally reminded that there is more to North America than the lower less-than-half...

 

[Bob Hubbard]

If Canada is America's Hat, what does that make Mexico?

 

[Scott T]

I think the Republic of Ireland might not care to be referred to as part of Great Britain, the United Kingdom, or anything else with the term 'British' or 'English' in it. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, not the Republic of Ireland. That's about all I know.

Heh, when my Irish (from Ireland, not one of those Canadians or Americans who claim they're Irish) brother-in-law came to visit the first time, I made a joke by calling him British.

Unfortunately, we were in Dad's garage at the time.

He started looking for a drill...

 

[ballen0351]

Looks like it wont just be the UK with all the cameras soon. Obama is getting ready to give permission for local state and federal law enforcment to use drones. They said by 2020 there will be over 30000 drones flying over US cities.