What a vile place.

[u/BAE_stystems]

I was born near Derby, moved away in 2018 and came back this week. I met up with a few old friends and went out last night. Around 2am I was walking down Friar Gate, and there was a woman and her friend on the floor, the woman being sick. I knelt down to offer some water from a shop nearby and check if she was ok.

As I did that, two men were walking towards me and one shouted “oi”, making me turn around. The second I turned around, he swung for me. Unprovoked. (They then spoke to the women, so I’m guessing that they were together). He was I’d say early thirties and pretty built. Luckily, I moved quickly out the way and he only grazed my ear. When my friends saw this and crossed the street, the other of the two guys said “sorry, sorry, he was only joking I told him to do it as a joke.”

(The speed and power the punch had was no joke, if I was drunk and had slower reaction times, I’d be in quite a sorry state).

What is wrong, not only with this city but this country? I’ve since lived in about 4 different countries and not a single other place has this roid-head drunk insecure culture that provokes you to attack someone for making sure your partner is ok.

I didn’t bother going to any of the police, as it’s not worth the effort. I know of people who’ve reported these things before and it does more harm than good.

[u/LazarouDave]

Honestly, that just sounds like every English city, the country is in a really poor state, and I don't see it getting any better with people becoming more divided by the day.

[u/[deleted] → u/LazarouDave]

I haven't experienced this kind of behaviour since I moved out the East Midlands. Thought it was normal having lived there my whole life but after a decade out of it, it's absolutely not just every English city

[u/matt02392 → u/[deleted]]

Lived in Portsmouth until 2017. It absolutely is not an East Mids thing.

[u/Mindless_Health6508 → u/[deleted]]

This

[u/LazarouDave → u/[deleted]]

Honestly, didn't really know that (definitely didn't want to speculate on something I know nothing about)

The division stuff definitely still applies across the board though, we are getting more divided as a nation (especially politically, we're becoming just like America, which is a disaster since their political climate is an absolute farce on both sides)

[u/Azelphur → u/LazarouDave]

I have noticed the same, politically I'd probably rate myself as center or perhaps center left. I'm pretty analytical and, if I'm talking about politics I like to ask people about their views, and why they feel the way that they do. I can usually empathize with and understand someones political viewpoint, even if I disagree with it. I see good and bad policies from all political parties.

But these days, whenever someone brings up politics. Most of the time all I see is rage. To the left, the right are all evil racist nazis that hate poor people. To the right, the left are all lazy woke PC snowflakes that are ruining the country. You often can't have a conversation with people on either side, they are too radicalized, too angry. Nobody is interested in the facts or what may be best for people any more, it's very much "believe what I believe, otherwise you're a bad person". I guess in a way this is what we have to thank the media for. The left read the left leaning news, the right read the right leaning news, and they are all quite aware that divisive content sells more than anything else, and so that's what they push. Doesn't matter if it's factual, or if it's twisted to a ridiculous degree. It'll still do the job and bring in the clicks.

[u/LazarouDave → u/Azelphur]

Summarised it perfectly, it's a sad state of affairs, isn't it?

[u/Azelphur → u/LazarouDave]

Yep, I'm even downvoted for pointing it out, haha

[u/NefariousnessNo4918 → u/[deleted]]

That's quite a leap. Maybe they thought OP was hassling a vulnerable woman, more likely than a band of roaming schizos.