In the few short steps between my car and where I live, I happened to see a man urinating against a wall - in view of CCTV cameras, and anyone driving past him. He happened to stop urinating before I passed him and walked - sorry, swayed and staggered - in front of me. A youth decided to shout obscenities at him from the passenger window of the car he was travelling in.
So, in a few short steps, I was reminded of things about modern Britain that I thoroughly despise. At the moment, the only night on which I will consume alcohol is New Year's Eve; recent experiences have made me question whether I should also make that an alcohol-free evening. There is no way to argue against it any more: Britain has a problem with alcohol.
Every time I go to the supermarket, I will see at least one person who buys nothing but alcoholic drinks, in large quantities. Seriously, I am not trying to spoil anyone's fun, but we have to examine our relationship with alcohol.
As I write, a car is idling outside, with an exhaust which is unlikely to have been supplied as standard. Certainly, I would expect it to fall foul of noise limits (though it wouldn't surprise me if they have it switched for a standard exhaust at testing time). In the car are people who visit the young man next door, but they wouldn't want to park outside his place with such a noisy exhaust, even though the space is free, would they? Actually, they have to sit there with the engine idling, because outside these flats is a bus stop.
What we have is a country where alcohol is a problem, and a lack of consideration for others (sometimes a worryingly gleeful deliberate irritation of others) is also a problem.
Sometimes I think to myself that a violent attack is something which is very rare, so why do I spend my time learning a combat art like Wing Chun? On nights like tonight, I remember my reasons. This country troubles me now.
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