Reply to: To the people that create these roadside shrines.

[OwlHoot]

Penicillin is to blame.

Prior to the widespread use of Penicillin people died a lot, so the living were surrounded by it and the only way to cope with that was to shrug it off and make little of it. Now it's quite rare in our lives [death] so people are more sentimental - to the point of embarrassing.

Once antibiotic resistance becomes widespread everything will be back to normal.

True up to a point, but there was no penicillin in Victorian times and they were also pretty sentimental about death.

[Lance]

I drove down to key west this year, road was for the most part completely straight and there seemed to be loads of them. Must be some terrible drivers over there.

The reason our motorways aren't straight, is to keep the drivers awake and focused. FACT

[TwoWolves]

Penicillin is to blame.

Prior to the widespread use of Penicillin people died a lot, so the living were surrounded by it and the only way to cope with that was to shrug it off and make little of it. Now it's quite rare in our lives [death] so people are more sentimental - to the point of embarrassing.

Once antibiotic resistance becomes widespread everything will be back to normal.

[SueEllen]

The wheels on my house go round and round...

Racist!

[minestrone]

The wheels on my house go round and round...

[minestrone]

I don't really have a problem with folk laying down flowers at the place of an accident, I have an issue with folk tying on bouquets still in the cellophane and never going back, they look terrible when the flowers have died, add in the football scarfs, football tops and teddy bears etc.

In the states they seem to put up a wee sign at points of fatalities to highlight safety, I drove down to key west this year, road was for the most part completely straight and there seemed to be loads of them. Must be some terrible drivers over there.

[BrilloPad]

Not where I live it isn't. Futhermore - do you think it would be preferable if, say, Italy were to become a melting pot and have its culture diluted too? I mean, is it a good thing in general or is it something you just like to see applied to the UK?

What is the culture of Italy? Apart from cowardice that is.

[bless 'em all]

The A272 in Hampshire is a road with lots of bends and is popular for motorcyclists. There are several deaths a year by show off motorcyclists and teenage car drivers who can't negotiate bends and hit trees. Each time I see a shrine I think "twat".

I drive along that road every Friday afternoon - I've noticed a few new ones have popped up this summer.

Mind you, having been overtaken on a blind bend by some wanna be Barry Sheene (that's show my age doesn't it?) I'm surprised there's not more shrines along it.

[zoco]

stiff upper lip, warm beer and cricket thing - but I am not sure what is is to be British anymore

There is so much more to Britishness than that - things that go back centuries - the whole stiff upper lip thing is a relatively recent social more. The problem is that people who want us to become some rainbow nation, multi-culti melting pot can't see beyond this and we'll end up throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Its a huge multiculteral melting pot - which is alot better IMO.

Not where I live it isn't. Futhermore - do you think it would be preferable if, say, Italy were to become a melting pot and have its culture diluted too? I mean, is it a good thing in general or is it something you just like to see applied to the UK?

[BrilloPad]

The A272 in Hampshire is a road with lots of bends and is popular for motorcyclists. There are several deaths a year by show off motorcyclists and teenage car drivers who can't negotiate bends and hit trees. Each time I see a shrine I think "twat".

While feeling sorry for the relatives, I regret to the loss of life. Of the plants and trees that is.

Its a sort of Darwinism really - those who can't survive the modern life (and driving is a key skill these days).

[Paddy]

The A272 in Hampshire is a road with lots of bends and is popular for motorcyclists. There are several deaths a year by show off motorcyclists and teenage car drivers who can't negotiate bends and hit trees. Each time I see a shrine I think "twat".

[BrilloPad]

Very multicultural.

Shocking moment girl kicks elderly Asian man, 80, to the ground causing his turban to fall off before spitting in his face | Mail Online

3 months for kicking him and spitting in his face. 30 years for the racism part.

[MarillionFan]

I had this discussion on FRiday night with my taxi driver home from hospital. He came here from Sierra Leone 18 years ago. He is going there next year - but now feels more British. We did the stiff upper lip, warm beer and cricket thing - but I am not sure what is is to be British anymore. Its a huge multiculteral melting pot - which is alot better IMO.

Anyway, are you suggesting I should keep my counting fetish in private?

Very multicultural.

Shocking moment girl kicks elderly Asian man, 80, to the ground causing his turban to fall off before spitting in his face | Mail Online

[BrilloPad]

Public display of emotion isn't it. Not really the stiff British lip.

I had this discussion on FRiday night with my taxi driver home from hospital. He came here from Sierra Leone 18 years ago. He is going there next year - but now feels more British. We did the stiff upper lip, warm beer and cricket thing - but I am not sure what is is to be British anymore. Its a huge multiculteral melting pot - which is alot better IMO.

Anyway, are you suggesting I should keep my counting fetish in private?

[MarillionFan]

I often think that life should be for the living not the dead. Then I wonder how I would be if one of my children died.

Public display of emotion isn't it. Not really the stiff British lip.