Ordinary people treated like criminals while villains go free

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Britain has changed so much in the last 10 years.  It seems that everywhere you look, there are rules and 'guidelines' to keep us in check.  If you put a foot wrong, you are cautioned.

Take online auctions, for example.  You decide you want to get rid of a bit of clutter and earn some cash so you put a few items on eBay.  Something sells, you pack it up and trot off to the post office (assuming you can find one) and you think that's it.  Next thing you know, the buyer has decided that your description of three quarter length sleeves was wrong because she's got short arms and the sleeves reach her wrists. So it&'s time to open a case against you.  Item not as described.  You are warned that you MUST reply within 3 days or it will be ESCALATED.  You may even receive NEGATIVE feedback. Strong words.  All this for a 99p item!

Same with Amazon, you post an item and forget to confirm this on your seller account and there are notices in bold letters, telling you that you AGREED to ship within two days and now this shipment is LATE!  Steady on...

If you park your car in town and get held up at the tills and arrive back a few minutes late, there are stern notices on the windscreen.  If you don't pay within a certain time, then the fine will be DOUBLED.  You may think that it's only a couple of minutes but in Rule and Regulation Britain, this is something serious.

Then it's out to the garden and time for a bit of recycling.  Woe betide you if you get it wrong or put too much in your bin.  The bin men will just dump the stuff on the ground or refuse to collect it.  Never mind that we're paying a fortune in Council Tax for a reduced fortnightly service.  And if your wheelie bin lid is sticking up a bit, next thing you know, the guys in stabvests will be round issuing a fine and you'll have a criminal record.

And how about your TV licence?  I have received some quite threatening letters from this department, telling me I will get a £1,000 fine and possibly a prison sentence if I don't buy a licence.  The tone of the letters is quite insulting.  I'm a student with a cheap telly (which can't receive a signal) and a DVD player.  But they won't listen when I call them to explain the situation.  No, I just get more and more letters, each one upping the threats and telling me what will happen to me if I choose to ignore it.  For goodness sake....

decent people - threatened and criminalised...

Is it just me or has Britain gone mad?  Ordinary decent people are being threatened and criminalised for minor infractions while the real baddies escape with impunity.  Carry a knife with intent to injure someone and you're given a caution.  If you actually murder someone, you may get a few years in prison with early release for good behaviour.  Go into politics and fudge your expenses and that's ok.  Evade tax and nothing much seems to happen.  Even quite serious crimes seem to warrant a mere few weeks in prison, just as a token, you understand.

But if you just live a normal life, it feels like you are always being told off.

It seems to me that if only the people in power spent their time trying to sort out REAL problems instead of upsetting decent folk who often can't keep track of all the current bureaucracy, Britain might again be a decent place to live.

By: On the naughty step

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?

You are allowed to have a t.v without a licience so long as what you watch isnt live so watching things on dvd would cover it. so you shouldnt be getting fined

20/10/14 ?

1

Des

Years back (when I lived near Epsom, Surrey late at night, a gang of youths threatened to kill me. I found a Police car parked at the end of my road with 2 officers, one man and one woman. I explained what had happened and after asking me various questions: "How many?" What did they look like?" etc., the woman Police officer told me: "We can't do anything about it, its not our area."
However, since I moved down to Dorset, I have been stopped a number of times when I've been out walking in the evening, by the Police wanting to know what I am doing?! I like to take evening walks to avoid Dog walkers. Having the Police stop me while I'm walking along a country lane and minding me own business and treating me like a suspect, while a gang of youths who make threats, and the Police "can't do anything about it." Madness!!!!

30/01/14 Des

1

Told off again

I missed my credit card payment in the Christmas rush. It was for £13 and I got charged £12 for late payment. Fair enough. I have had 2 phone calls about it and a letter today telling me 'You have broken the written agreement, this is a legal violation and we may take action against you.' OK OK - I've paid, calm down. What makes me laugh is that this particular credit card co. is one which had to be bailed out by taxpayers. My little £13 oversight pales into insignificance compared to their carry-ons. Maybe they should take the £12 fee out of the tax I have paid??

06/01/14 Told off again

1

disgusted by certain dog owners

I had to smile when I read that a village in Spain has taken to posting dog poo back to irresponsible dog owners that don't pick up after their pets. In the last week, I have trodden on dog poo in my garden (how? haven't got a dog) and noticed dog poo on the handles on my wheelie bin from where somebody threw it in but missed. Great - got the stuff all over my hands. THESE are the kind of people who NEED telling off. Why can't they clamp down on them?

21/12/13 disgusted by certain dog owners

-2

Witsend

Well done Decent person, and shame on those young people.

13/12/13 Witsend

-4

Decent person

I went to do some shopping the other evening and of course, it's getting quite dark now. As an elderly woman walked in, she was followed by two young guys who shouted insults inside as she was shopping, made fun of her and then had another go as she walked outside. All the while, their girlfriends standing watching and laughing. I walked with her to the bus stop but everyone just ignore it. I am ashamed of our society.

13/12/13 Decent person

-4

usually very polite buyer

Now eBay are getting in on the act. I've been waiting for a couple of items to be delivered and I wanted to send a quick message to the seller, checking they'd been sent. What with all the Christmas deliveries, I thought there might be a delay but thought it was worth checking. So, I clicked on 'contact buyer' and chose 'item not received' from the menu and sent a friendly little message. Then, I was startled to see that apparently, I had opened a case against him. There was warning whatsoever that this would be anything other than a simple message. Now, I am the one telling other people off, via eBay. Words fail me....

05/12/13 usually very polite buyer

1

Nick

You know, all the laws and rules favour the big corporates/cartels and the government works for them. Sadly that's the way this world works. If you think the government works for ordinary people you cannot be more wrong. Ordinary individuals and small business owners are always on the receiving end of all sorts of crap. As for the real criminals and lowlife scumbags they are not afraid of the law because first of all they think they are "Well 'ard Eh?" and secondly they've got nothing to lose anyway!

22/11/13 Nick

-2

Yes, I've paid my bill

I've just had a letter from a certain electricity company, demanding to see my electric meter. Fine, I understand, I'm up to date and have nothing to hide. The reason they haven't been able to read it is that I've been out at work when they call. What I object to is that this is the first letter I've had about it and already they are using the words BY LAW and GET A WARRANT. I'm just sick of these 'up their own wotsits' companies!

21/11/13 Yes, I've paid my bill

9

Exasperated mother

Well, one of my children was told off at school for talking about Christmas and practising saying 'Happy Christmas'. Apparently, this is not allowed any more at school as it might offend someone of a different faith. As I type this, I am lying down in the recovery position, wondering what the heck is going on with our nation. Surely, a country that pretends to offer religious freedom would encourage everyone of whatever faith to give a greeting to others. I would certainly not be upset if somebody wishes me 'Happy Hannukah' or 'Eid Mubarak'. The fact that we can't say 'Happy Christmas' is just bonkers.

08/11/13 Exasperated mother

6

Num

Trouble is the police are judged on arrest rates - so whereas getting the real bad guys off the streets would take a lot of time, they'd only get one arrest - but catch someone doing 65 in a 60 zone and you've got a Fixed Penalty issued, so there's a tick in the box with much less effort. The other aspect is that whilst the magistrates court will hammer that speeder, they'll give repeat burglars and violent people chance after chance after chance - referral orders (means he has to go and chat with a social worker once a week - what a scary deterrent eh?) after referral order, ASBOS that are not enforced by the court when the offender is caught breaching them and so on. To go to jail if your a cumbag you have to commit many, many offences, but oddly if they get someone decent in who has just run off the rails, they hammer them! No, I've never been in trouble myself, but my job used to take me into magistrates court every week - they are the most stunningly naive people you could ever hope to meet - you can see the same offenders in week after week and the fools on the bench keep giving a "last warning" - and out of the whole court, only THEY think it will do anything. You can watch offenders coming out laughing. Go watch them before they go in - they're not bothered, they are chatting with their mates, - they know nothing is going to happen. then you see someone who has put a suit on and is looking nervous - and well he might, because for some reason, the court will absolutely go to town on him but not the toerags.

11/10/13 Num

2

Colonel Mustard

Jethro, not strictly true the BNP have much more to offer the working class than UKIP and are staunchly anti EU as are the Socialist Labour party and the English Democrats, the main stumbling block with UKIP is that they are tories who would do away with minimum wage and workers rights.

06/09/13 Colonel Mustard

-12

Jethro

FUP, After reading your last post, how do you feel about UKIP, the only party that wants us out of the EU and away from thier maniac health and safety rules and regs?, not to mention all the other crap they all subjecting us to.

06/09/13 Jethro

-3

Grumpy xx

It's only a matter of time before we're all given fixed penalty notices for sneezing or coughing in public, even if we have a cold. Some numpty from the Tavistock Institute will be dreaming up a brand new offence: s.1 Germ Distribution and Health Management Act, 2013. In 20 years time, the general public will be broadly subdivided into two: Magistrates, Revenue Protection Officers, Health and Safety zealots, Security Guards on one side and for everyone else Criminals. Ordinary law abiding citizens will be as rare as hens' teeth.

05/09/13 Grumpy xx

1

anon

they don need a lisense with watching the freewiev box, it is gratis

01/09/13 anon

-13

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