An article in the TIMES (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1697260,00.html) today about the scale of the waste imposed on fruit and vegetable growers by supermarkets got me wondering about what other stupidities beset out daily lives.

The recent furore over school dinners was another example that got my bile rising and there are many more such as the slavish worship of designer labels and the hysteria over yet another Harry Potter book.

What aspect of modern consumerism gets your goat ?

Greybeard ,



Good question , good topic, Something that genuinely puzzles me , rather than , "getting my goat " is this.
Some people , including friends and relatives , have something , let's say , a car or a new t.v. or whatever ------let's call it 'X'.
Now they pay thousands of pounds for X and praise it to the sky. Then , a few months later some manafacturer makes a very slight modification to X and they then must buy the new thing.
They probably lose a hell of a lot of money in the process ------but that's not important as long as they have the latest.
I can never tell the difference between the old X and the new X but I never say anything------just nod and say------"yeah ,great".
I suppose being in the zimmer frame generation we were brought up to think that , e.g. , any car was wonderful , whatever make or year it was. It really and truly never bothers me what the latest models are and I certainly wouldn't spend good beer or cigarette money on them !

Originally posted by Greybeard

What aspect of modern consumerism gets your goat ?
Bling & 'sports' wear :loopy:

and mobile phones - why do some people have to have more than one?
how many conversations can you have at once?
How important are you exactly?

Don't get me started on mobile phones !! :mad:

Had an electrician here last week to look at a job I want doing. Three times in the half-hour I was trying to talk to him he answered and got into a long conversation on his mobile phone.

Downright bad manners I call it, - and as a customer it made me feel pretty unimportant.

Fareast, - keeping up with or besting the Jones' is a way of life for some people. As you say they must waste thousands over their working lives; and then when they retire they're ruefully wishing they'd put just half that money into a pension scheme :confused:

'Scuse me , just been out to buy the latest zimmer frame-----3 speed , indicators , "climb aboard " platform------and only 4,500 pounds !
Yeah , mobile 'phones-----I can see that they have their uses.If you're really delayed, it's handy to phone your loved one up or kids to stop them worrying.
But apart from interrupting conversations and so on , I think they tend to , "atomise " social life.
At one time when very few people had 'phones at all , never mind mobiles , people tended to stick to their word , as regards meeting to go out ........etc...... Now , it's so "convenient " to change plans that some people do it all the time ------almost it seems for the joy of doing it. The one who's INconvenienced is the poor sap [usually me ] sat in the pub , waiting for X to turn up and getting a mobile phone message instead.
It's not very interesting , having a drink with a mobile phone.
The people who do spend a fortune on the latest gadgets--------yes they are quite often moaning later that they , "haven't any money ." The latest car , the latest mobile , the latest T.V. but no money to go anywhere -----all tied up in , "things".

I'll tell you whats wrong with Britain these days . . . . it's far worse than you think, they are everywhere. Where ever you go you can see them walking around, coming into this country from all over the world, many illegal - of all different colours and nationalities - most of them nowadays rip people off and get good places to live!! they think they are fashionable, loud etc . . . I am getting sick of them really - There are just so many wristbands around now, it's bloody crazy!!

Originally posted by Greybeard
and the hysteria over yet another Harry Potter book.

What aspect of modern consumerism gets your goat ?


That "gets my goat" too. The sad, adult people queueing up all night for the midnight release, dressed in wizard costumes as shown on the news reports. Liking a childrens' book is one thing, but becoming stupidly obsessive about it is quite another.

lots of things.

1: tv. I hardly watch tv. maybe a footie game occasionally or some other sport. Why do people spend their evenings wathing banal realisty tv shows and soaps? I know lots of intellegent people who set their routine by soaps and BB :confused:

2: Saving. When I were a lad my parents used to say to me "if you want to by that you'll have to save up for it". I even had a savings account 9do these exist any more?). Nowardays, if someone wants something they don't save for it or wait they put it on credit. They keep putting stuff on credit until they cannot pay it back and then complain that they have been treated badly. They get mortgages they cannot pay back.

3: rights. People seem to think that it is the divine right for the state to pay for their children, for their kids to get into the best school, for them to do whatever they like whenever they like. Since when have these been rights?

4. chips. It has come to my attention that a lot of families seem to eat something and chips every day. I don't expect people to be masterchefs but its not hard to add a bit of variety is it?

5. Parents. I'm all in favour of parenting tests. Since people have kids like they are new tv's and expect someone else to bring them up as they are too busy watching Trisha.

6 Manners. Manners are free. Say please, thank you, excuse me etc etc. Why can't people do this?

7Cyclists: It is illegal to ride on a pavement. It is illegal for you to go through red lights. I know you get it in your Guardian reading cycle helmet covered head that you are more important than everyone else but you aren't. Cyclists are the biggest menace on the roads.

8 Motorists. Why is it that as soon as you get into that car you seem to think that the world revolves around you? Why can you ignore anyone else to go where you want to go at whatever speed you are. You seem to think that speeding laws are set in order to torment you.

9. fresh food. One of the best things about visiting rural France is going into the local Spar and being able to pick up fresh food very cheap. Not processed rubbish but tasty fresh food. Here, you are lucky to get hammed down water for 3 times the cost.

10. Dog owners. Clean up your dog's mess. It is YOUR responsibility. I used to go round with a plastic bad clearing up. It's not nice but you should be doing it.

Originally posted by t020
That "gets my goat" too. The sad, adult people queueing up all night for the midnight release, dressed in wizard costumes as shown on the news reports. Liking a childrens' book is one thing, but becoming stupidly obsessive about it is quite another.

Especially nine hours later the shelves are still full of 'em.

Lestat ,

I've been having nightmares and daymares since reading your comment on wristbands.
I imagined millions , in fact billions of wristbands coming into Britain in huge containers. Planes flying continuously into all our airports with wristbands------like the Berlin Airlift with a difference.
Then it would literally rain wristbands till they clogged up the streets.
Eventually Chavs would be fighting about them , " Nah den dee , o die lookin' at my wristband ? "
"One off the wrist " would soon carry a whole new meaning.

If you laid all the wristbands in the country end to end....

They still wouldn't create a sound argument. :)

Private hire cars that think they are taxis.

Bus lanes are for PUBLIC transport and cyclists.

You, my friends, are NOT PUBLIC transport (hence the word private in your job titles!):rant:

off topic but: I am sorry to warn of caution saxon51, although technically you are correct but private hire have been given equal status with black cabs by SCC, but only on this matter.
There was a court case in which the word "taxi" was deemed to apply to both trades in that they carry passengers from one point to another (black cabs are termed hackney carriages). The private hire federation successfully argued with the council to give them access to bus gates and bus lanes. Before that of course Sheffield was one of the few strange places that did not recognise hackney carriage as a public service. The black cab union pressed for change in status and when finally it came, the private hire also jumped on the bandwagon, and can officially use bus lanes/gates. sorry.:)
Although I accept all taxi drivers could show more consideration for other road users when nipping in and out of bus lanes.

Thanks D_A_V. I wasn't aware there had been changes.

This now begs the question "Why?"

Surely the only difference between me hiring a car for the day from Hertz and driving it myself, and taking a private hire car, is that I've hired the driver as well.

Oh well!!! Another British 'silly rule' I suppose.:loopy:

Originally posted by Greybeard


What aspect of modern consumerism gets your goat ?

I seem to have opted out of the consumer fashion stakes. I don't own a tv set, thus I don't have a dvd either. I do have two CD players - but they were both given to me as Christmas presents.

I don't have a watch, and although I've recently acquired a microwave oven, that's because my sister gave me her old one.
I've recently got rid of the car, and now travel by public transport. When the washing machine broke down, I started using the launderette. I do have an electric kettle, and a fridge, but not a freezer.

I like to holiday in Snowdonia, where we stay in a cottage that has no electricity, and hence no mod cons - and it's bliss. I opted out of modern consumerism a long time ago, and I've never tried to keep up with the Joneses - thank goodness. It just seems so stressful to continually crave for the latest gadget, and new model this or that.

However, as it's getting a bit dark now, it's time I went and lit the oil lamp! :hihi:

I'm amazed RedRobbo has a computer connected to the internet :hihi:

Originally posted by redrobbo


I like to holiday in Snowdonia, where we stay in a cottage that has no electricity, and hence no mod cons - and it's bliss. I opted out of modern consumerism a long time ago, and I've never tried to keep up with Joneses - thank goodness. It just seems so stressful to continually crave for the latest gadget, and new model this or that.


We used to live in Snowdonia and it was hell, - there's not just the Joneses to keep up with but also all the Williams, Roberts, Jenkins, Owens, Wynnes, Pritchards, Hughes (and Pughs) etc. etc. :D

Originally posted by Greybeard
We used to live in Snowdonia and it was hell, - there's not just the Joneses to keep up with but also all the Williams, Roberts, Jenkins, Owens, Wynnes, Pritchards, Hughes (and Pughs) etc. etc. :D

You mentioned the Pritchards? Is that JoePritchard by any chance? :hihi:

Originally posted by Andy
I'm amazed RedRobbo has a computer connected to the internet :hihi:

So am I Andy.....but it's not mine! It's borrowed - and will have to be returned eventually! :cry:

I don't try to keep up with the Joneses, it's far easier to try and drag them down to my level.

why don't we drag all the politicians down to street level, Let them see first hand what's going off in Britain today :o

An article in the TIMES (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1697260,00.html) today about the scale of the waste imposed on fruit and vegetable growers by supermarkets got me wondering about what other stupidities beset out daily lives.

The recent furore over school dinners was another example that got my bile rising and there are many more such as the slavish worship of designer labels and the hysteria over yet another Harry Potter book.

What aspect of modern consumerism gets your goat ?

No aspect of consumerism gets my goat. We need a secondary sector in this country - not everybody sitting in offices.

I'll tell you what's wrong with this country. And that's criminals standing up for themselves when they're in the wrong. They turn round and say 'why did you report me?'. Well because you've done something wrong, silly boy. If you challenge them they say it's illegal, Well it's them who are breaking the law.