Quote Originally Posted by spaldy View Post
MT,

Great points

One concept that I have consistently seen with Brits and in some cases Europeans and the City dwellers in the US (who rule over most US states due to population density) is distance and space. It takes 7 hours going 65mph to cross Kentucky. It takes over 24 hours to cross Texas at 75 mph. You don?t call police or fire and expect response in minutes. Rural KY is an hour response time. You have to handle things on your own. I can only imagine what it?s like in Russia which make the US look small.

You also learn to plan ahead and prepare for the worst. You avoid fires and accidents as much as you can. In winter you can do die if not prepared for cold.

Crime is handled yourself since no immediate police response and communities filter who comes in as much as they can. People know neighbors and watch out for each other.

This is much,much different than big urban areas

I badly struggle in big congested urban areas. It?s so different from rural areas in all aspects
Living in less densely populated Western France we have noticed more Americans here this Spring to visit our raw coastline & our abundant choice of historic Chateau of the near Loire valley than last year, Spaldy.

But it appears the good folk of the USA are now avoiding the historic urban pull of Paris & the money drenched beaches of Southern France, presently, certainly in the hotel chain I work for.

The main vibe on the French national news channels & papers is stating that visiting Americans now fear French people might treat them differently in the dawn of the latest Trump era leaving many US tourists in Paris feeling shame in being American at this moment in time. 🙁 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2kvqnx0dnno

Apparently my old home of historic York in England is hearing the same discord too from its American visitors this year as well.

Makes one wonder what actually creates this change of 'psyche' in rational folks in what should be a vacation of a life time, particularly now in 2025 as there will be upcoming celebrations commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, specifically on May 8th, 2025, aka VE Day with nationwide events being held within all communities of all ages coming together to celebrate the end of World War 2, lest we forget.

Certainly in my experience USA tourists are usually happy to 'fly their flag' & really enjoy mixing with amicable locals & the French genuinely enjoy exchanging cultural differences particularly visitor stories of the states they all hail & work from & how they have adapted to change over the years living in their environments, etc.

As for rural & urban environ living observation, Spaldy ?
Totally with you regarding that people know neighbours & watch out for each other.

Raised in inner South London, then in a village near the historic city of Roman York & later slap bang in the middle of it before moving out to the seas of Brittany I fully agree in what you say & what you have experienced Spaldy, as community values do matter, as they shape how people interact, build relationships & contribute to the overall well-being of the group, imo, too.
Such shared values also influence policies, interactions & individual actions within the community, highlighting their importance in creating a positive environment, imo, too.

I can remember visiting my elder brother when he was in Belgrade & like many Eastern European cities it can present financial challenges for those living in it with limited incomes & many struggled to make ends meet, especially during winter without reliable employment in a city strewn with areas of outdated infrastructure & certainly I never felt safe there. A strange eerie place Serbia with areas still left bombed out by NATO in 1999 & military vehicles left on the streets like statues of remembrance to view .

As for the current BBC reporting scenario, WTF ?
I also do agree about the BBC, who appear currently to be neutral in presentation of the worlds news, whether that be news regarding North, East, West or South of the globe whatever the story or conflict with no distracting commercial breaks, too. 👍

Its news output currently is generally fair & balanced, especially when compared with the frothy partisanship in many UK outlets & newspapers, so not an organ of state propaganda in my eyes. That independence is maintained by regulation & internal rules, but neither of those mechanisms is sufficient without a wider political culture that values the BBC on its own terms and does not seek to undermine it, for sure.
But compared to TV news in Europe & beyond I for one cannot yet, knock it.

Amazing how many of my mates actually read this thread too but sadly still wont join Mad to offer their football views, as one said to me Mad can he like a soap-opera at times with its sporadic spats 😂, hopefully promotion might stir their grey matter for them now. 🤞