A Country Falling To Pieces: An Open Letter

[eldar]

London, Monday 20th October, 2003

To Whom It May Concern,

Yesterday, at around 10am, a northbound Northern Line train carrying about 80 passengers derailed pulling into the High Barnet platform at Camden Town Underground Station. 7 people were injured, and the Northern Line has, ever since, been operating at a highly reduced capacity, with line closures in effect indefinitely, and replacement bus services brought in.

The derailment was due to defective track, and was the second, for the same reason - a less severe incident occurred at Hammersmith on the Piccadilly Line - in three days.

For this reason, I got up early, and drove into work today.

At around 1pm today, a water main burst in Upper Street, the main road through Islington, and part of my journey home. The entire street was closed, buses diverted, and, I imagine, traffic chaos ensued.

A little later, an accident on Pentonville Road - one of the alternative routes no doubt being used by traffic that couldn't use Upper Street - caused delays
there.

Having left work at 4pm, and taken a circuitous route around this trouble, I got home just over an hour later.

That is my story. Now, here is my report.

This is a country that is slowly falling to pieces. Its infrastructure is starting to bulge a little at the seams, and, ever more - witness the three Tube derailments this year, the total gridlock caused by one isolated night of freezing cold and snow and icy roads in February (that I got stuck up in), train services almost brought to a standstill because the tracks might've buckled in record summer temperatures, the London blackout, burst water mains underneath major central London thoroughfares - it can't cope.

Gradually, bit by bit, it's going to get worse, and nobody's going to notice just how bad it is until something goes very, very, wrong. I don't want it to have to take another incident on the scale of the King's Cross fire to get the relevant authorities to sit up and notice. But I'm afraid that that's the only way it's going to happen.

I also have to ask myself, do I want to stay in a country that plainly doesn't care about itself, that can't look after itself anymore? I'm proud to be British, I'm proud to be English, and I'd like nothing more than to look upon these supposedly green and pleasant fields and say, 'That's where I come from, that's where I live' to any passer by, and they'll be able to look upon it and see why it is that I say that, and agree with me. Right now, I couldn't do that. We're a nation of losers, a nation of whingers, a nation of NIMBYs, a nation that wants everything done for them, but isn't willing to go out and do it themselves. (And yes, in that respect, I'm a hypocrite.)

So what do I do? Recently, I've been given the perfect excuse to up sticks and leave. All I'd have to do is find a company willing to employ me in the USA, and off I'd go. The longer this place keeps on falling apart, in fact, the more and more tempted I will be to get in touch with recruitment agencies who specialise in placing the likes of me overseas - because I'm sure they exist.

In doing so, I'll be draining this country, that so patently needs me, of one of its better resources. I might come back when I retire, to live in some sleepy seaside town, and contribute nothing to the economy. Frankly, though, I'm getting fed up with giving to an economy that doesn't seem to be giving me anything back.

I'm probably not alone.

Neil Treeby.

Comments

[suzylou.livejournal.com]

I can only give the west coast perspective, but I believe that in general the infrastructure in the UK is a hell of a lot better than it is over here. I can't tell you what a delight it was last week to drive at 70mph on smooth tarmac, with safety barriers which would keep me safe rather than flipping my car, and not having to dodge potholes. How nice it was to be able to take trains to places at all.

I think a lot of stuff in the UK could be improved - but it could get a hell of a lot worse. I certainly don't see the USA as being a shining example of perfection - in fact quite the opposite ;)

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but Neil's thinking of coming to the GOOD side of the country, where we have public transportation and decent schools and stuff ;)

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

Just don't drive on NY roads in winter in a car you actually like (unless you like duct tape :)

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

Yes, we do get potholes. Not really the govt's fault though--the freeze/thaw cycle guarantees the damn things. Outside NYC they're pretty good about patching and resurfacing when winter ends, though.

And I've never heard of a train delayed here because of the "wrong kind of snow". :-)

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

I was referring to NY's habit of using far too much salt on the roads :)
(I fully appreciate that potholes are inevitable in a continental climate at 40 north.)

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

Y'see, I hear a lot of this sort of thing being a reader of newspapers... but I don't think it is founded in truth at all. As far as I can tell, in *real* terms this country is doing better and better and better. It's only that people's expectations rise commensurately with the improvements - which is a good thing, as it keeps the stakes high for the government. But I don't understand which golden age exactly you think it is that the current powers that be have slipped from, as an examination of the real statistics would seem to indicate that it's much better to be a Briton in the 21st century than it ever was before.

People whinge like mad about Tony Blair and New Labour, but for all the flaws this Britain is a thousand times better than Thatcher's, and the people who can't see that are the people who will never be satisfied with life as it is now, only as it was 10 years ago.

[mooism.livejournal.com]

Power cuts were much more frequent in the late 70s and early 80s. A single power cut now does not constitute a problem with our electricity infrastructure.

Rail transport is, in terms of overcrowding, a victim of its own success (record numbers of passengers). In terms of accidents, you've got us bang to rights on national rail. The case against the tube system is unproven: it's too early to be sure that the number of recent derailments is not simply statistical noise.

Whinge about the road network all you like: it, too, is overcrowded (though congestion charging has dealt with that problem in central London). But the gridlock that happened in February was a one-off.

Complaints about nimbyism are valid, but apply (to greater or lesser degree) to all Western nations (e.g., California's electricity crisis is caused in part by how difficult they make it for anyone to build a power station in the state).

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

The Tube has been underfunded for years AFAIK, mostly reaffirming my belief that come the revolution, the ideologues (of every flavour) need to be first against the wall, and the rifles need to be loaded with muddy bamboo instead of lead.

[eldar.livejournal.com]

I think those are all valid points. In many ways, yes, 'I've never had it so good'. But then, I've had a steady job for six and a half years, and I inherited a not-too-untidy sum a few years ago that helped me get on the property ladder. So a lot of that is down to me, and private circumstances, not Mr Blair (under whose premiership I've worked for all but a month).
But I'm getting taxed to the eyeballs. My car. My income. My property. And, as far as I can tell, my money's not going anywhere, and little cracks are starting to appear all over the place, even in places where my money's supposed to have gone.
It's just a feeling in the bones. It's just a feeling that everything that's being 'done' is just papering over the cracks, not fixing them for good, and using shoddy paper at that.

[suzylou.livejournal.com]

I should probably stress that I'm about as anti-Blair as you can get ;) And I agree with you about "papering over the cracks", that's been happening to the tube and the railways for years. But without taxing you even more, there just isn't enough money to go round to give us the level of services that we seem to think we are "entitled" to. I'd love to see improvements in so many things, but at the same time I am starting to appreciate that actually, things in the UK are pretty damn good ;)

I'm getting taxed to the eyeballs over here as well, (even though I don't get a vote), actually paying more than I was at home, and I see a damn sight less for it than I did in the UK.

I do understand your thinking, because about 12 months ago I was saying just those things. So I'm really not trying to argue with you or even tell you you're wrong ;) It's just my perspective on things has changed quite a bit since I tried an "alternative"! :>

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

just FYI, your taxes seem higher than they really are--the estimated tax taken from your pay is generally higher than what your real tax is. You'll get the difference refunded when you file your taxes.

[suzylou.livejournal.com]

That assumes that I have the faintest idea HOW to file my taxes, and will do it correctly ;)

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

It's easy. At the beginning of the year, you'll get your W-2, which tells you how much you made and how much tax you paid. Then you take that to an accountant, pay him some money, and get a form to sign and mail to the IRS ;) The important bit is making sure you mail it by 15 April :)

There are some strange people who try to do it themselves. Before you think about being cheap and not paying a CPA, have a look at the form: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

To be perfectly honest, that doesn't look any scarier than the form I had to fill in to claim the dole.

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

That was only the main form--didn't you see the little things telling you to read page 80, and fill in lots of other forms? :)

Actually, if you only have to fill in one of the short ones (1040A or 1040EZ) it's not so bad, but the full 1040 is a pain, especially since the instructions are not written in English but in Bureaucratese.

I don't think you get interest back, but they do correct for state taxes, so you don't pay tax on your taxes. (Except they STILL haven't fixed the anomaly whereby Social Security isn't deducted, so you pay income tax on money that's gone straight to the government. And after they made such a fuss about double-dipping when they repealed some other tax [estate tax?]! Social Security tax affects a hell of a lot more people.)

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

Point me to the booklet then :)

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97817,00.html

:)

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

Do you get back the interest the government earned on your overpayment, though? Britain's PAYE system autocorrects on a monthly basis, as long as you earn in a straightforwardly employee-ish kind of way.

move away!

[(Anonymous)]

I feel the same way about the UK's infrastructure. (no experience with the US's) Everything in the UK seems to be the cheapest option these days. That and armoured and vandal resistant. Very sad really.

It's part of the reason I moved abroad (to a tax-free destination). You know it makes sense! :)

[i]