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Unfortunately a lot (but no where near all) of bad areas in a lot of cities throughout the UK are next to the city centre (Cardiff for example has Adamsdown and Splott right next door and are both pretty rough but not the worst). Manchester is like a back to front city in the UK where most rough areas are close to the city centre. Generally the majority of rough areas are on the outskirts or edges of the cities but some are right next to the city centres of most UK cities.
Its pretty easy to avoid the rough areas in the UK just like the US but not all of them (hence the ones next to the city centres) and the neds / chavs like to come into the city centre for fighting and causing trouble - that's pretty hard to avoid.
Interesting. I have not been to the UK yet, but will likely go within the next couple of years. It will be interesting to see the differences. I have been to other countries in Europe, and the big cities there felt safer than American big cities. The only threatening thing I saw in Europe were some shady pick-pocket types in tourist areas. Although, I do know the reputation that chavs/neds/football hooligans have.
In the US the roughneck white people tend to live in rural areas. These people are generally biker gang types or dumb rednecks. In the inner cities of the US the dangerous people are usually minorities in gangs. Like scottyr said, there are not many rough white people left in the American inner cities.
I think the main difference is that in the UK and Europe, you still have tough white urban gangs, but in the US, most of the tough kids with street cred are non-white. If you watch youtube videos of street fights involving white people, those from Germany, Uk and Ireland are often brutal and involve pounding heads on pavement, etc....most North American caucasian fights involve emo skater dudes hugging and rolling slowly on the grass. Fights involving American black and Latino gangs are often as brutal as white Euro fights however.
Of course, the US has its "Chav"-equivalents which are white wannabe gangbangers and hoodlums...but most are suburban, from wealthy white families and are just putting on a phoney "tough image", whereas many British and Celtic Chavs and Neds as well as skinheads (which are still hude in Europe) are actually from poor urban areas and get into rough soccer-related fights or execute brutal racial-related attacks on immigrants.
I think scottyr hit it on the nail..I have been to UK and have relatives in London, am aware of the "Chav" concept.
A direct equivalent of "Chav" is not easy to pinpoint in the US. I believe "Chav" has more menacing connotation than just "delinquent."
True that more comparable "street"-type ways is more prevalent in the African American & Hispanic youth circles of US inner cities. There are certainly alot of gang-wannabe Whites though in the suburbs...but in my opinion they are still not as menacing as the British "Chavs".
I recall when I was in the UK hearing alot of news about "chavs" (troubled youth) causing harm to innocent people, etc...including swearing, spitting at strangers..ok this behavior is very unlikely in America.
I find with the US, youth issues are more extreme- i mean the bad can be really bad in the US- after all, we have had quite a handful of school shootings..it's just that these kids are not necessarily hanging outside dark alleys & spitting at people who walk by, like the Chavs in the UK do.
The OP asked about Canada, I lived there too for a few years..this is where I can give Canada props..of course there are troubled Canadian youth, but generally the young people there are very well-mannered and again it is basically unheard of in Canada to hear of a youth spit or swear at a complete stranger for no apparent reason (like Chavs do in the UK)
I'm not sure how relevant this is, but its the best section I could find.
Id like to understand more about certain cultures in Canadian US cities. Ive lived in 5 countries so I already bypass most peoples' understanding of cultures.
We don't have bums we call them 'Neds' in Scotland and 'Chavs' in the rest of the UK. All major cities are riddled with them in the UK and even small towns and villages have them in abundance.
Are bums the same? or do you have a completely different type of class in your society?
[videos snipped]
Anyone fancy moving to Glasgow?
The chav/ned/pikey concept doesn't quite have an American equivalent. "Wigger" is the closest equivalent we have, though the word has strong racial connotations that won't necessarily be well-received in polite company so you wouldn't go tossing it about casually. Another thing about "wiggers" is they tend to be wannabes who aren't as tough as they'd like to be.
Here in the U.S., the genuinely antisocial thugs that you don't want to be around don't merely beat each other up, they shoot each other with numbing regularity. So while our violent crime rate is lower, it's also more deadly. Canada doesn't have anywhere near the gang problems the U.S. does. And probably fewer "wiggers" too.
Fancy a move to Glasgow? Sure, why not. The city I live in now has a murder rate some 3 times higher -- maybe Glasgow would be an upgrade.
American Gangs would make your teenage Neds look like angels by comparison, America is riddled with gangs in every major city.
Heres a short write up on one of them.
Chavs in England, Killos in Spain....
No, no relation with American counterparts.....I believe.
Killos for example are unemployed kids with almost no education that live in urban high rises. They have a subculture that borrows from skins, gypsys, urban tribes.
Just empty headed pill heads.
Nearest thing to chavs / neds in the UK seems to be a cross-over (either below or over their toughness rating):
The less harder type:
- Killos; Unemployed teenagers with almost no education that live in urban high rises. They have a subculture that borrows from skins, gypsys, urban tribes.
Just empty headed pill heads. Aren't these just Gypsy's?
OR
Wigger (racial word?); they tend to be wannabes who aren't as tough as they'd like to be. What exactly is this type of group?
OR
Gang-wannabe Whites / Hoodlums - in the suburbs (not as menacing as chavs/ neds) but most are suburban, from wealthy white families and are just putting on a phoney "tough image".
OR
Most North American Caucasian fights involve emo skater dudes hugging and rolling slowly on the grass. Are these not Gang-wannabees / Hoodlums?
Gangs in the US (the harder type like Chavs / Neds):
Antisocial thugs / Gangbangers (lol) - They don't merely beat each other up, they shoot each other. Mostly made up of African American & Hispanic youth circles of US inner cities. Fights involving American black and Latino gangs are often as brutal as white Euro fights however. Are these considered Wiggers?
------ Other:
Bums = Homeless / Beggers
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