What Sort Of World?

[allenlondon]

Watching an old “999: What’s your emergency?” (S11, E2, 12/10/20).

One small scene. Two coppers called to a ‘break in’. Found a teenage girl who’d jumped over the gate of a closed Co-op, stealing discarded food items from a garbage bin.

Initially arrested her (handcuffs, caution, the lot) until wisdom prevailed and they sent her on her way (foodless).

What the hell kind of world is this? If that young copper hadn’t thought twice, she would have been knicked for stealing a discarded loaf of bread!

And you tell me all’s right with our society?

[andy-hughes]

No, I don't tell you anything of the kind.

[royfromaus]

Was just going to say the same ^

[AuntPollyGrey]

It's disgraceful Allen. Supermarkets are getting better now, but at one time they were spraying discarded food so people would not steal it from their bins. Our village Co-op has been marvellous during the covid pandemic. All food just past its sell by date is put outside on tables for anyone to help themselves -they make their own bread, so the bread is fresh, and there are cakes biscuits, even bunches of flowers. So far no spiced rum on the table but one never knows :-)

[AuntPollyGrey]

Just to add, although we are rural, poverty is a big concern, with many people self-employed with no income, so free food is a godsend.

[nailit]

I remember years ago that a local pie shop used to pour bleach over their leftovers to stop the desperate from eating them.
Now they donate them to our foodbank.
Change takes time,,,

[pastafreak]

When I worked at the drop-in, we would often hear about our guys being arrested for stealing food from dumpsters...food that was destined for the tip. Then supermarkets started to get criticised for all the wastage that they contributed to, and quite a few programs got set up around the country to distribute excess food.

[allenlondon]

Well andyhughes, royfromaus, just as well this isn’t directed at the likes of you, then.

[bednobs]

But the policeman DID think twice and let her go so where's the problem?

[andy-hughes]

allen - // Well andyhughes, royfromaus, just as well this isn’t directed at the likes of you, then. //

Unless you specifically say, in advance - "This post is not aimed at royfromaus and andy-hughes ..." then we are entitled to comment on what you say.

That's how the site works - you don't get to choose who will or will not comment, or whether or not you will like what those comments have to say.

If you want to throw out meaningless pub bore-style statements as OP's fine - but you invite the responses you received.

[royfromaus]

So who is telling you everything is hunky-dory with society?

[allenlondon]

bednobs. Come on, there WAS no crime in the first place. Except that some teenage girl was starving.

[bednobs]

But how was the person who saw someone(PRESUMABLY) climbing over the fence at the local shop supposed to know that?

[Prudie]

Allen you love to throw out these gems criticising our apparently heartless capitalist society but in my view never before have we as a nation been more charitable, given more or taken the down-at-heel into consideration, hearts even.
This has no more weight of proof that society is screwed than me saying some thick unemployed yob smashed my windscreen therefore that's what the young of today are like across the board.
They are both tiny one-off examples.

[andy-hughes]

roy - // So who is telling you everything is hunky-dory with society? //

Allen doesn't actually need anyone to tell him that - he simply makes up the phrase in order to feel self-righteous about denying it.

[ToraToraTora]

Perlease!

[emmie]

its not all right, why would anyone think that, but times have changed and that supermarkets now donate food to foodbanks. and that more people than ever donate, to foodbanks, to charity, to Children in Need, to help their neighbours. Its not all doom and gloom

[Atheist]

TTT:
Perlease!

[gness]

Allen. You really must stop constantly telling us that we all think differently to you. You've got quite a penny on yourself.

I've never told you all's right with our society. I doubt many abers have.

[RATTER15]

The problem is often down to legalities, when I worked in a large care home, this also applied to the restaurant my son worked at, any food that was surplus to requirements was destroyed, as restaurants can be held liable if someone gets food poisoning from left over or discarded food even if it has been taken off the premises. There have also been issues around people taking their left over meals away in doggy bags, some restaurants were refusing to allow it for the same reason.

[ToraToraTora]

allen preaches socialism, for the rest of us, but like so many such advocates, lives like a capitalist himself, isn't there a word for that?