London seems to be a right cesspit.

For those praising Boris Johnson's mayoral performance, are they aware that during his tenure he wasted millions of pounds on what many describe as "vanity projects" - some of which were abandoned, having incurred vast amounts of planning costs, or which have proved to be of no economic benefit or requiring expensive modifications?

Pedestrian garden bridge - a bridge absolutely surplus to requirements and which, had it been built, would have required very expensive ongoing maintenance - cost £52,000,000 in the planning.

Water cannons for crowd control, which cannot be deployed as they have been deemed as unsuitable - £323,000

Proposed Thames Estuary Airport £2,500,000 planning costs., project rejected.

Routemaster, hop on/hop off buses and conductors - deemed too dangerous so open platforms abandoned and door introduced. 300 conductors made redundant. Generally considered not fit for purpose on several other grounds. - £321 million.

and the list goes on - bike hire scheme, Emirates cable car over Thames, Orbital "Helter Skelter" in Stratford, etc, etc, etc.

I was born in east London and now live in one of the outer boroughs have also lived in Essex.
I also find it offensive that posters are saying it’s dirty a cesspit
(although I acknowledge your apology FGT2) JdotJ your post is just downright offensive!
London is no different to any other big cities in the country good parts and bad same with a lot of rural areas.
I use the buses and tube trains a lot buses I always find very clean the tube trains I think would benefit if Khan adopted the same policy as Hong Kong and banned food and drink from being consumed , the underground there is spotless and much more pleasant to travel. I wouldn’t say that the tube trains are any more dirty than other trains I have travelled on .
The borough I live in now although part of greater London has some lovey areas of green parks etc
What I suppose I am saying is that posters degenerating London should look around their own areas I’m sure there are lots that could do with improvements.

Put the army on the streets if the police cannot cope with these crimes, something must be done now to take control back

It's a s.*.*.*t hole

I think all major cities have a problem with rough sleepers and beggars, not just London. And also like most towns and cities across the UK main shopping areas are rundown.

Used to love going to London and going to the galleries, theatres, restaurants and of course some shopping but have not been for around 5 years. Always found the tube dirty and hated it at busy times when packed in like sardines with nothing to hold on to and always very wary of pickpockets. Even 5 yrs ago I was always careful never to show rings or watches (usually left at home) or phone. I would take the same precautions in any big city.

J52

I’m London born and bred and remember how each area had a clear identity. We have not lived in London for 10 years.
However, I went with a friend for the day, a couple of weeks ago. We obviously are two older ladies, but both of us felt completely safe on the tube, walking around Islington and other inner city areas. Maybe because we are street wise and look confident.
It’s interesting to look at stats for crime in different regions and to note that London isn’t top of the list.

Maybe not, still not a shining example
though is it. ??

London has a population of almost 10 million people, so obviously there is going to be more instances of law breaking and violence. It is a worry but to call somewhere a "cess pit" is actually rather rude, in my opinion.

I have lived in several areas of London, Essex, Suffolk, West Sussex and Lancashire All of them have had their good and bad points.

For the last 37 years I have lived in East London, in a formerly very unfashionable area - though now experiencing gentrification. I have always enjoyed living here. We have a diversity of neighbours, lots of things to do, fantastic public transport, and it is generally a sociable and supportive place to live. There are certainly more than the national average violent incidents but, as I said before, London has a huge population. You can't compare it to country towns and villages.

Posh areas butt up against social housing in all major cities.

Cocaine is now so widely available (a phone call then a lad on a bicycle appears with a ‘delivery’). Turf wars happen because the money involved is huge.

Where do these ‘dinner party luvvies’ think their snorting choice comes from? They ought to examine their consciences. They are part of the problem!

(my post was to Chaitriona)

I think that's very much to the point: the difference now is media driven, we know. More scaremongering GN stuff.

I live in London and have all my life. I love it. It’s full of life, markets, everything is at hand. Buses and tubes abound. There are pockets of bad areas as everywhere but I have never personally observed a knife crime or worse.

When I lived in London in the 1980s a teenager was murdered in a playground round the corner from me, another teenager was badly injured in a local park, a man was shot and killed in the street just opposite my house in the middle of the afternoon, a local headmaster was stabbed to death outside his school in a notorious case. I saw pickpockets twice stealing in tube stations. A neighbour and friend was assaulted twice in our local neighbourhood by teenagers and had her handbag stolen. A former pupil of my husband stabbed an old man in the street. These were just crimes I was personally aware of in my neighbourhood. Horrible and frightening. My point is that things were bad then in parts of London. It is too easy to assume things are worse. They may be but one incident doesn't make a case for that. Millions of people then and now go about their lives in the capital without being the perpetrators or victims of crime.

I don’t think of London as a cesspit either many places are experiencing stabbings gun crime gangland thugs. It’s happening up and down the uk

tanith

Croydon is in London 🤔

Well it's hardly central, is it?
I think there are an awful lot of posts on Facebook these days called things like "Our Britain" etc that show photos of maybe only 20 years ago. They are racist-bait posts and out of the woodwork they all come. "Before the invasion" is a favourite among others. I think it's sad that anyone on here feels unsafe in London. I live in SW London but visit the centre at least weekly. The only time I feel unsafe is on the platform at South Kensington in the school holidays when there are just too many people (cheery families, visiting the museums - good for them!). Otherwise, unless you're daft enough to walk along gazing at a latest-model iPhone, or with your bag wide open then you're not at risk. Shootings and stabbings are horrendous of course, but Gransnetters are hardly the target group. I feel very sad for those who are though.

London is one of the most popular places for tourists from all over the world to visit and while Catford or Lewisham ( not far from me) are not the most beautiful of places, walking around there is fine.
Maybe not at night but I don’t go out at night anyway.
We are just back from a few days in east anglia, they literally are rat infested.

My sisters family and grandchildren live in Hackney, was a marginal area now a bit gentrified but not at all "ivory tower They are happy to live there, love London, never heard "dangerous" because they take I presume sensible precautions in their daily lives.

It's not just London though, I feel that the vast majority of the UK is unsafe now. I live in the Midlands & this year alone we have been subject to a scary dog-nap in a cemetery!!
( escaping over a huge wall with a fat, hairy old dog.) Our street is a target for burglars. Even a walk in the nice park is fraught, after an attempted attack by a ruddy great pitbull!
Furthermore, the roads are full of morons who are a danger.
I'm totally fed up with modern life!
It's not worth the living. 🥺

J52. I am also a Londoner who moved away and most certainly would not go back Fine walking about in Islington - suggest you try that in Catford or Lewisham!

J52

Milford Towers are located in Catford, so that’s one area on your list. Maybe some GNs do live in that area. Do you?

I was in a club in Catford in the early 60s. when there was a gangland shooting ( he died) on the stairs leading up to the club.
Memories are funny, aren’t they. I can still remember the song I was dancing too: The locomotion by little Eva.

petra

Allira

I said

“To be fair, those who live in or visit the better areas of London are going to see it differently from those who live in crime-ridden, rat-infested areas.”

And that's what I meant.

Some posters may live in Ivory Towers but I doubt any live Milford Towers.

I’m taking a stab at Westminster 😂

Crime centre of London! And so rat-infested it's out of control in the House of Commons. .

What does go on in the Houses of Parliament? 😁

Milford Towers are located in Catford, so that’s one area on your list. Maybe some GNs do live in that area. Do you?

Allira

I said

“To be fair, those who live in or visit the better areas of London are going to see it differently from those who live in crime-ridden, rat-infested areas.”

And that's what I meant.

Some posters may live in Ivory Towers but I doubt any live Milford Towers.

I’m taking a stab at Westminster 😂

RosiesMaw2

Allira

J52

Allira
“To be fair, those who live in or visit the better areas of London are going to see it differently from those who live in crime-ridden, rat-infested areas.”

Would you care to name the ‘crime-ridden, rat infested areas?

Easily looked up.

No, that won’t do, if you must make negative assertions like that, put your money where your mouth is and say what you mean.

Yes, I would like to know which areas you consider “crime ridden” and “rat infested”.

I said

“To be fair, those who live in or visit the better areas of London are going to see it differently from those who live in crime-ridden, rat-infested areas.”

And that's what I meant.

Some posters may live in Ivory Towers but I doubt any live Milford Towers.