Ping Pongers

[Blue Flu]

3 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

That's pretty well my impression of Perth. I arrived there in 1978, loved it, but couldn't get a job and ended up in Sydney.  40 years later I went back to Perth for two trips, three months apart, seven and six weeks. I spent most of my time in South Perth, plus 2 weeks in Applecross, a week in Northbridge, and a couple of weeks in the country to the south and east.

I admit to patronising Perth (in a positive way?!) by saying Perth's rush hour would not even get a mention on the Sydney radio traffic reports. But I liked driving in Perth whereas Sydney has a seven day, all day rush hour. Exaggerating I know.

I was thinking of moving there, "emigrating" in a way, but the second of my visits was a reality check. I still liked it but I have friends and family in Sydney.

I spent eight months in Surfers Paradise in 20 / 21 before coming back to Sydney three months ago to "sort things out" then go back there.  Covid-19 has sorted me out instead.  I could have gone but I postponed it for two weeks so I could get my 2nd Pfizer jab (25th June, Lockdown Day!) I had a chance to go to Perth too.

@#$% happens. 

PS I have ping pinged too, doing 12 years back in England but since coming back to Sydney in December,  2008, I've not been back. Last week I cut another tie by putting my UK home up for sale. I get my England fix via Optus Sport and the Daily Mail.

Do you think you'll return to Perth again? How do you compare it to Surfers Paradise? Never been to the latter , but sure very different. Perhaps you'll stay in Sydney after all? In one sense best of all worlds there I guess.  Good to have choices. 

[Paul1Perth]

1 hour ago, Blue Flu said:

As a West Australian I do have a grievance or personal vendetta when it comes to the drug ice in  Perth and WA generally. Well spotted. Also upsetting is the facilitating  or at least lack of action by those with the means to bring change to a situation crying out for it. Not sure why you are attempting to play it down. It is a crisis. Pretty fair the matter is expressed on such forums as pre warned is pre armed. . You may care to explain just why Perth was and remains the number Uno capital of The World in the grub meth (ice) drug after Adelaide. Manchester has nothing on Perth for the use of meth, and that it purely to what I refer. They have their own drug problems but it is not meth. I have no idea how it is tolerated there and to what degree. But what I know through neighbourhood Watch it is everywhere and has escalated around me over recent years. I know it is a major problem in country WA. Mandurah, Bunbury (a few years ago a meth capital) Albany as well as seriously impacting  Aboriginal communities in places like Broome . If don't believe me just ask most young people. They will know or able to access meth with the greatest of ease. Easy to find as advertise on line. 

One thing I can safely inform you is no exaggeration on my part. If anything far worse than I articulate. 

I have 31 year old and a 25 year boys, both grown up here and if they wanted meth or any other drug I'm sure they could get it. Luckily, maybe, they seem pretty level headed and have friendship groups that are the same. I honestly don't know of one person from either of their friendship groups who have a problem with drugs. I don't see any problems around where we live. Admittedly don't go into the City an awful lot but when we do we don't see a problem. 

The most drugs my eldest saw was when he worked and lived in Whistler, Canada for a couple of years. We visited him and had a few days in Vancouver. Now there is a City with a drug problem. Seems the authorities have just written off a section of the City and let the addicts do what they want. 

We've been here for 30 years, not been affected or seen any problem with ice or meth. I lived in Manchester and went to Uni in Birmingham and both those cities have a bigger problem then Perth. 

[Paul1Perth]

On 18/06/2021 at 19:01, Blue Flu said:

Leederville is inner city. It's one of the places to go out to wine and dine. Great location. Problem being the drug meth is very prominent. More the manufacture of it than the consumption from observation. Having it next door was not fun. (to put it mildly) While it is fairly quiet now it remains well entrenched in the area.

Used to work in Leederville. Never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Pretty upper class suburb to tell the truth. Would have been out of our price range. There are some good pubs, breweries and restaurants around there.

[Parley]

Don't know about ice/meth, we don't hear as much about it these days on the news in Melbourne.

But we have a legal supervised injecting facility in Richmond for the heroin addicts. People go there and shoot up their drugs and i think nurses are there. It is controversial and no onje really wants it in their suburb.

They are now planning to create a 2nd one.

It is odd because taking these drugs is supposedly illegal but they set up a supervised area for people to go and take them.

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Parley

[Craig Colas]

2 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

As a West Australian I do have a grievance or personal vendetta when it comes to the drug ice in  Perth and WA generally. Well spotted. Also upsetting is the facilitating  or at least lack of action by those with the means to bring change to a situation crying out for it. Not sure why you are attempting to play it down. It is a crisis. Pretty fair the matter is expressed on such forums as pre warned is pre armed. . You may care to explain just why Perth was and remains the number Uno capital of The World in the grub meth (ice) drug after Adelaide. Manchester has nothing on Perth for the use of meth, and that it purely to what I refer. They have their own drug problems but it is not meth. I have no idea how it is tolerated there and to what degree. But what I know through neighbourhood Watch it is everywhere and has escalated around me over recent years. I know it is a major problem in country WA. Mandurah, Bunbury (a few years ago a meth capital) Albany as well as seriously impacting  Aboriginal communities in places like Broome . If don't believe me just ask most young people. They will know or able to access meth with the greatest of ease. Easy to find as advertise on line. 

One thing I can safely inform you is no exaggeration on my part. If anything far worse than I articulate. 

I guess if you have lived there your whole life and seen a place decline over time I can sympathise. You're right about the use of Meth being low in the UK, maybe due to the fact you can get every other drug easily, and the opposite applies in Australia and New Zealand where they are more scarce so the production of Meth is more prominent. But I would take Perth for safety over any city in the UK nowadays, hopefully they crack down on the problems in the future to make it even better. 

[newjez]

3 hours ago, Parley said:

Don't know about ice/meth, we don't hear as much about it these days on the news in Melbourne.

But we have a legal supervised injecting facility in Richmond for the heroin addicts. People go there and shoot up their drugs and i think nurses are there. It is controversial and no onje really wants it in their suburb.

They are now planning to create a 2nd one.

It is odd because taking these drugs is supposedly illegal but they set up a supervised area for people to go and take them.

 

Davina McCall is a recovering heroin addict. I was surprised by that.

I think police resources are more effectively used by targeting dealers rather than users.

[Blue Flu]

5 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Used to work in Leederville. Never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Pretty upper class suburb to tell the truth. Would have been out of our price range. There are some good pubs, breweries and restaurants around there.

I love Leederville. Love the walkability. Don't need a car most of the time. Great public transport options in bus and train. Easy walk or cycle to city. A generally safe area and most likely less violent than the nineties when The Leedy Hotel experienced a few problems with drunken youth and there was a fatal stabbing during those times. The Hippy Club was another place that brought loads of young people to the area, quite popular with International Back packers. All good. We bought here in 2000. Never made aware or noticed anything illegal happening until 2019.Neighbour from hell (woman with 13 year old boy moved in) I have delated what followed, but it wasn't pleasant to put it mildly. What was worse was a near neighbour informing me that aren't I aware it is all entrenched in the area. Sure enough after some observation it is. I have helped established a Neighbour Watch and the true extent came to light during this period. Some very disturbing outcomes to which I won't go into apart from another near neighbour who informed me they are aware I was attempting to make the neighbourhood a better place, but that I won't win. There are powerful forces evidently at work here. Let's be clear they are not meth addicts. Purely in it for the profit and greed. All around me are middle class with high earning potential or in a few cases well off students. Only option will be to relocate. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

e've lost a few I thought I mentioned you would as a casual observer be unlikely to notice it? I've lived here for two decades and only noticed it when the neighbouring house became a meth lab. The renter claimed to be a nurse with a thirteen year old boy. It kicked off after returning early 

[Blue Flu]

4 hours ago, Craig Colas said:

I guess if you have lived there your whole life and seen a place decline over time I can sympathise. You're right about the use of Meth being low in the UK, maybe due to the fact you can get every other drug easily, and the opposite applies in Australia and New Zealand where they are more scarce so the production of Meth is more prominent. But I would take Perth for safety over any city in the UK nowadays, hopefully they crack down on the problems in the future to make it even better. 

No my friend, I have lived in many places around the globe. I knew the drug scene you could say rather well in London and Amsterdam. I can handle that. What i speak about is something very different. Far more concerning and not speaking about those vulnerable enough to become addicted. 

Perth safety? Actually felt far safer in London and most Euro cities than Perth. I worked until late nights for years taking the last train back to The City and never experienced the aggression on a personal level as was subjected to on the Perth transit system. Saying that saw violence on the tube and buses in London but was never really involved in it. 

Reason. Few on the street. Anyone out and about late is an easy target. Perth is dead at night time for most purposes. North Bridge, the main central going out area, is again in the news for violence , with police expressing concern that they are called to fight after fight, only to be often attacked themselves. New Years Eve in The City was most uncomfortable for aggressive behaviour. We went to an area  full of migrants a lot of Asian and Middle East background to escape what was happening on the ground level. 

Like I have articulated, meth is everywhere in Perth. Many would be totally unaware what their rentals are being used for. The perpetrators often present very well using children as a prop.  Yes NZ and Australia is badly impacted. I'm not even against drugs per say. Your choice. But meth is another level. Easily to become addicted and can induce a level of violence many have probably not witnessed. In Aussie parlance it's termed a grub drug. 

I last lived in UK in 2010. Outside of London well aware aggressive behaviour as witnessed it but some areas were always somewhat edgy even when I lived in UK.

[Dusty Plains]

2 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

No my friend, I have lived in many places around the globe. I knew the drug scene you could say rather well in London and Amsterdam. I can handle that. What i speak about is something very different. Far more concerning and not speaking about those vulnerable enough to become addicted. 

Perth safety? Actually felt far safer in London and most Euro cities than Perth. I worked until late nights for years taking the last train back to The City and never experienced the aggression on a personal level as was subjected to on the Perth transit system. Saying that saw violence on the tube and buses in London but was never really involved in it. 

Reason. Few on the street. Anyone out and about late is an easy target. Perth is dead at night time for most purposes. North Bridge, the main central going out area, is again in the news for violence , with police expressing concern that they are called to fight after fight, only to be often attacked themselves. New Years Eve in The City was most uncomfortable for aggressive behaviour. We went to an area  full of migrants a lot of Asian and Middle East background to escape what was happening on the ground level. 

Like I have articulated, meth is everywhere in Perth. Many would be totally unaware what their rentals are being used for. The perpetrators often present very well using children as a prop.  Yes NZ and Australia is badly impacted. I'm not even against drugs per say. Your choice. But meth is another level. Easily to become addicted and can induce a level of violence many have probably not witnessed. In Aussie parlance it's termed a grub drug. 

I last lived in UK in 2010. Outside of London well aware aggressive behaviour as witnessed it but some areas were always somewhat edgy even when I lived in UK.

Agreed. Not putting down people from WA, as I have family there, but, as much as the Premier from WA wants to tout how he keeps the rest of Australia from WA, the figures do not lie.

Western Australians use twice as much ice in comparison to the national average. Three percent of Western Australians are more than twice as likely to have used ice in the previous 12 months compared with every other State and Territory. South Australians (1.4%) and the Northern Territorians (1.2%) were the next highest users of ice in the previous 12 months. Queensland recorded 1.0%, Victoria 0.8%, NSW 0.6%, and Tasmania 0.6%. 

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2015).

Since 2015, the use of Meth in Perth, for instance, has actually halved. See why here:

https://www.9news.com.au/national/wa-western-australian-police-drug-seizure-truck-van-fairbridge-meckering/78b12a81-ce07-45d8-a123-9b6d71e2d314

The more remote a population is, then the greater use of illicit drugs is obvious.

But that does not necessarily equate to feeling safer in London as opposed to Perth. That is a complete no brainer. In the UK, there were 43,516 knife crime offences in the 12 months ending March 2019. This is an 80% increase from the low-point in the year ending March 2014, when there were 23,945 offences, and is the highest number since comparable data was compiled.18 July 2019.

Whilst the proportion decreased, the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was involved increased by 2% in the year ending March 2020 (from 250 to 256 offences). The number of homicides involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument in London increased from 67 to 86, a 28% increase.

In Western Australia, there were 59 victims of homicide and related offences in Western Australia in 2020, an increase of 15 victims from 2019. It is difficult however to find Knife crime statistics in WA. Its just not a thing.

I would feel far safer walking down the streets of Perth or other major centres in WA, than walk through the streets of some of the major cities in the UK.  

There is simply no comparison.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Dusty Plains

[Lavers]

Not just major cities, I know plenty of villages where you wouldn't go if your not local.

[MacGyver]

5 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

No my friend, I have lived in many places around the globe. I knew the drug scene you could say rather well in London and Amsterdam. I can handle that. What i speak about is something very different. Far more concerning and not speaking about those vulnerable enough to become addicted. 

Perth safety? Actually felt far safer in London and most Euro cities than Perth. I worked until late nights for years taking the last train back to The City and never experienced the aggression on a personal level as was subjected to on the Perth transit system. Saying that saw violence on the tube and buses in London but was never really involved in it. 

Reason. Few on the street. Anyone out and about late is an easy target. Perth is dead at night time for most purposes. North Bridge, the main central going out area, is again in the news for violence , with police expressing concern that they are called to fight after fight, only to be often attacked themselves. New Years Eve in The City was most uncomfortable for aggressive behaviour. We went to an area  full of migrants a lot of Asian and Middle East background to escape what was happening on the ground level. 

Like I have articulated, meth is everywhere in Perth. Many would be totally unaware what their rentals are being used for. The perpetrators often present very well using children as a prop.  Yes NZ and Australia is badly impacted. I'm not even against drugs per say. Your choice. But meth is another level. Easily to become addicted and can induce a level of violence many have probably not witnessed. In Aussie parlance it's termed a grub drug. 

I last lived in UK in 2010. Outside of London well aware aggressive behaviour as witnessed it but some areas were always somewhat edgy even when I lived in UK.

I’ve been out in Glasgow at 2am and out in Perth at 2am. I felt much safer in Perth than I did in Glasgow, but all areas popular for late night drinking will see violence. The way to avoid it is to avoid those places at those times.

We all have different interactions in life but our experiences of Perth are very different to one another. Meth is here, only a fool would not recognise that. In Glasgow it’s heroin and it’s absolutely everywhere. I think the average person wandering around Perth would be almost completely unaware of its presence.

[Blue Flu]

15 hours ago, Dusty Plains said:

Agreed. Not putting down people from WA, as I have family there, but, as much as the Premier from WA wants to tout how he keeps the rest of Australia from WA, the figures do not lie.

Western Australians use twice as much ice in comparison to the national average. Three percent of Western Australians are more than twice as likely to have used ice in the previous 12 months compared with every other State and Territory. South Australians (1.4%) and the Northern Territorians (1.2%) were the next highest users of ice in the previous 12 months. Queensland recorded 1.0%, Victoria 0.8%, NSW 0.6%, and Tasmania 0.6%. 

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2015).

Since 2015, the use of Meth in Perth, for instance, has actually halved. See why here:

https://www.9news.com.au/national/wa-western-australian-police-drug-seizure-truck-van-fairbridge-meckering/78b12a81-ce07-45d8-a123-9b6d71e2d314

The more remote a population is, then the greater use of illicit drugs is obvious.

But that does not necessarily equate to feeling safer in London as opposed to Perth. That is a complete no brainer. In the UK, there were 43,516 knife crime offences in the 12 months ending March 2019. This is an 80% increase from the low-point in the year ending March 2014, when there were 23,945 offences, and is the highest number since comparable data was compiled.18 July 2019.

Whilst the proportion decreased, the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was involved increased by 2% in the year ending March 2020 (from 250 to 256 offences). The number of homicides involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument in London increased from 67 to 86, a 28% increase.

In Western Australia, there were 59 victims of homicide and related offences in Western Australia in 2020, an increase of 15 victims from 2019. It is difficult however to find Knife crime statistics in WA. Its just not a thing.

I would feel far safer walking down the streets of Perth or other major centres in WA, than walk through the streets of some of the major cities in the UK.  

There is simply no comparison.

I'll commence by responding to your London versus Perth critique. Obviously knife crime is of concern to Londoners and The Met. But the only place I have had a knife drawn on me was a late night train on the Armadale Line here in Perth when I asked a k fellow to cease harassing a young woman. He took his shirt off and  produced a knife. The security were some train carriages down and on reflection he may well have been 'methed up' Far less aware of that grub drug back then. (2006) As for London, never felt really unsafe, but in certain areas would conceal money in shoes if coming out of a gig in a 'rough' area very late at night. So certainly had an awareness. Encountered street violence leaving a pub one night in Notting Hill , after one of our group got into a bit of bother with a larger mob of Chelsea fans which wasn't pleasant  and took weeks of work during the court process. Broken bottles used but no knifes.

Most likely a progression of street violence over time. (that was late eighties) But my take on knife crime is that it is more likely to be between gangs fighting over turf, perceived disrespect and/or drugs . I would be most unlucky if not involved in illegal activity to be stabbed. Obviously always a possibility in the instance a mugging goes wrong and mugger high on something, or simply with mental health issues or just the rare case of a physio bad ass. But when you know the city and in a sense the talk I've always found it fairly easy to defuse aggro situations there (London) probably less so here. 

It gets back to less people out and about in Perth. Not being noted as a late night city, in any shape or form, those out after a certain time, not even late by European standards tend to be out for trouble ,.  but Perth has always been a bit of a 'punchy type place. Bored kids from the suburbs coming into The CBD or in days well past Scarborough Beach and still today Fremantle. 

I don't know if I rely too much on the stats.(but hope they are right) but only as good as those that comprise them .It's just that  I don't detect any fall in meth. In fact in my inner city location it has escalated to concerning levels around me with a 'professional class' becoming involved. I can't say it is only meth going down , but that is only really what I'm concerned about. It doesn't take to much effort to 'make' things happen and present a rosier picture than really is. Remember Perth is still close to the top of the world in meth consumption. (you can read about the devastation of Seattle USA, has had to endure online. That I believe is around the same useage as Perth and Adelaide.)  Adelaide of all places supposedly number one. Easy to find on You Tube the shocking effect of meth on the community of Murray Bridge out of Adelaide. 

I'd say meth is out of control. Too many making money out of it to do much more than attempt to disguise it. Too many making it to fund their studies and more)When the government gets serious, not talking in platitudes, like SA, where the present Conservative government promised a war on meth's if elected  only to do nothing on gaining power.   Absolute loads of impacted people in Fremantle during the semi lockdown. Police cleared it some weeks later, must have been after impossible to look away any more. Now far, far less. 

On a personal level, I'd detect on perhaps (incredible, I know) 40% of occasions when out and about on foot in my inner city suburb, alleged illegal drug activity.  (loading up cars, concealing alleged drugs within motor vehicles, cars collecting , cycles used to deliver to I suppose you could call the syndicates. (cycles I suspect judged less conspicuous) But what ever. That is far, far more visible and apparent than before. Speaking with people it is most easily accessible most every suburb.  Small towns as well. 

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Blue Flu

[Blue Flu]

11 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I’ve been out in Glasgow at 2am and out in Perth at 2am. I felt much safer in Perth than I did in Glasgow, but all areas popular for late night drinking will see violence. The way to avoid it is to avoid those places at those times.

We all have different interactions in life but our experiences of Perth are very different to one another. Meth is here, only a fool would not recognise that. In Glasgow it’s heroin and it’s absolutely everywhere. I think the average person wandering around Perth would be almost completely unaware of its presence.

I know heroin is an issue in Glasgow as it is in many UK cities. I have witnessed it many occasions. Not a drug that incites violence though. Possibly not as addictive as meth either, although I'll leave that one for others to answer. 

I would suggest that it is not clear cut  to compare Glasgow to Perth. It is not violence comparisons I am arguing about. Glasgow has a well known reputation as being among the most violent cities in Europe. A situation that has improved greatly  over recent decades. 

AS for being unaware of the presence of meth, I'm more amazed at how many are fully aware of its presence (especially young people) and how easy it is too obtain. The large FIFO sector contribute to its world level useage . But I agree in that next door could easily be making it and the neighbour would be none the wiser , especially if don't promote it by selling it from their premises,. A lot of parents would likely be shocked as well if aware just what their kids were to. 

Many people in Perth,  will not visit North Bridge, for fear of violence and crime. That is simply fact and nothing even new. I lived a short walk from there in late nineties and crime was an issue in the minds of people back then. I have changed my mind somewhat, being in denial to an extent, to arriving at the awareness it is an unsavourly place to be especially later at night. I still go there and see a certain amount of aggro if little actual violence  but not out much later than ten o'clock these days. 

But I just recalled , renting out a flat in Highgate (very close to North Bridge in late nineties,  to a Scottish couple from Aberdeen, they had a friend from Paisley , first night in Australia mind you, laid out by a single punch on the way back from a night club. Some tall blond haired bloke, probably a case of mistaken identity, approached both girls and said something about being on 'his patch'.Paisly girl told him where to go and was decked. Lucky girl friend with her. Police took details but never did find culprit. 

[Blue Flu]

On 26/06/2021 at 11:18, Paul1Perth said:

I have 31 year old and a 25 year boys, both grown up here and if they wanted meth or any other drug I'm sure they could get it. Luckily, maybe, they seem pretty level headed and have friendship groups that are the same. I honestly don't know of one person from either of their friendship groups who have a problem with drugs. I don't see any problems around where we live. Admittedly don't go into the City an awful lot but when we do we don't see a problem. 

The most drugs my eldest saw was when he worked and lived in Whistler, Canada for a couple of years. We visited him and had a few days in Vancouver. Now there is a City with a drug problem. Seems the authorities have just written off a section of the City and let the addicts do what they want. 

We've been here for 30 years, not been affected or seen any problem with ice or meth. I lived in Manchester and went to Uni in Birmingham and both those cities have a bigger problem then Perth. 

One thing for certain is no one will admit to either the making or using of ice. I have asked former neighbour not to load meth into her car in full sight of my window. Obviously denied it was meth , but went on for months Blind Freddy would likely detect. Barely a care in the world. Until meth became clearly visible in neighbouring property, as mentioned I had no idea of its existence in the area.  I had never met anyone involved or taken meth to the best of my knowledge. I knew a lot involved with other drugs, heroin was more the drug in the nineties , which on one occasion called an ambulance after a young woman lost consciousness outside my letter box in Highgate. That was pretty much the in drug of that time. 

I believe Canada is very bad as well with meth infestation. It's a drug more traditionally favoured by the poor Americans . Here in Australia the market is so lucrative , I believe WA with its large mining sector especially so. Again I am speaking of those making money from those vulnerable or stupid enough to engage with the grub drug. Not the users. The onus has moved to care for those impacted, with talk of even decriminalizing smaller amounts by top brass police. 

My question would be with Perth being close to the top of the world in meth usage how can there not be a drug problem? Perhaps not as overt as in Manchester, but still visible enough in recent years in places like The CBD and North Bridge. 

You don't have to go to the city to score meth. Lots out Joondalup way I've heard. But probably not as condensed as around my neck of the woods. 

[Parley]

8 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

One thing for certain is no one will admit to either the making or using of ice. I have asked former neighbour not to load meth into her car in full sight of my window. Obviously denied it was meth , but went on for months Blind Freddy would likely detect. Barely a care in the world. Until meth became clearly visible in neighbouring property, as mentioned I had no idea of its existence in the area.  I had never met anyone involved or taken meth to the best of my knowledge. I knew a lot involved with other drugs, heroin was more the drug in the nineties , which on one occasion called an ambulance after a young woman lost consciousness outside my letter box in Highgate. That was pretty much the in drug of that time. 

I believe Canada is very bad as well with meth infestation. It's a drug more traditionally favoured by the poor Americans . Here in Australia the market is so lucrative , I believe WA with its large mining sector especially so. Again I am speaking of those making money from those vulnerable or stupid enough to engage with the grub drug. Not the users. The onus has moved to care for those impacted, with talk of even decriminalizing smaller amounts by top brass police. 

My question would be with Perth being close to the top of the world in meth usage how can there not be a drug problem? Perhaps not as overt as in Manchester, but still visible enough in recent years in places like The CBD and North Bridge. 

You don't have to go to the city to score meth. Lots out Joondalup way I've heard. But probably not as condensed as around my neck of the woods. 

You do seem to know a hell of a lot about meth and drugs in general.

I wouldn't have a clue what meth looked like. I would be oblivious if i saw it.

[Wanderer Returns]

22 minutes ago, Parley said:

You do seem to know a hell of a lot about meth and drugs in general.

I wouldn't have a clue what meth looked like. I would be oblivious if i saw it.

@Parley me neither, but then I watched Breaking Bad so I'm now an expert  

[calNgary]

Just a little nudge as we seem to going off on a tangent and this isnt CTF.

 Thanks

 Cal x

[Red Rose]

On 16/06/2021 at 02:55, Dan Not Dale said:

Hi There,

Apologies, could be a long read. I’m looking to hear the experiences of people who are back and forth between Australia and UK or those that have never really made their mind up.

A little context first.

I’ve been in Melbourne 7 years next month, based in Melbourne. Met someone on a working holiday. She did 18 months in UK so we could do visas here. We now both have a UK and Australian passport. 

I miss home intensely and visit every year, do 3 week holidays (pre covid). However, after 15 days I’m often ready to come back to Melbourne. I don’t know if it’s the stress of cramming everything in or the emotion of it all and seeing parents age etc but I’m aware I’m ready to come back often when I visit. 

Although strangely, I dislike Melbourne. The tv and radio telling us it’s the best place in the world on a daily basis doesn’t make it so. It probably is great if you are in a decent suburb, but we have little desire to take on $800,000 debt to be in a good one. The roads and traffic are terrible. People seem far from happy in general. Vast swaths of it are a complete eye sores. I’m often left scratching my head at supposedly ‘beautiful’ spots too.

Ive felt extremely lucky to be here throughout this pandemic. I don’t want to bash the place, it’s been great and welcomed me. 

My opinion has been that Australia is the better option because our salary is higher and house is bigger. I feel wealthy here despite a modest salary. I rarely feel financially stressed. That wasn’t the case in UK. Personally that’s where the benefits end for me.

When we go home and I walk the streets I am beaming, it’s so beautiful, the small tree lined streets, the old buildings. I can’t explain how great it feels.

Does anyone else relate? Do you change your mind regularly, will the beauty of the green tree lined streets be forgotten when I’m scraping ice off the windscreen in January before driving to work? Will I pine for my nice house in a boring Melbourne suburb when it costs me £100 to fill the petrol tank.

Does going back to a smaller house become an issue? Does it ever matter? Hose prices look absolutely mad across the south of England.

I hope I haven’t rubbed anyone up the wrong way. I don’t want to bash Melbourne. I can’t help but think the constant population growth is detrimental to its existing population. I don’t see it improving as a place to live.

I’ve made no friends here in 7 years so I realise I could be the problem. Still close with friends back home and I’d be welcomed back in the circle with open arms I’m sure.

Does anyone relate, do you fear you’ll want to be back in Australia 2 months after you’ve returned to UK?

Thanks, Dan

 

 

 

I haven't read this whole thread so you may have already covered these points. From reading your post, I wonder whether what's really happening is that you're no longer really that in to Australia? Sounds like it's got to the point where you're getting through the motions without really thriving. If you have that feeling right now, it doesn't really go away. It doesn't help that all your friends are in the UK. It all comes down to what your value and priorities are, and what nourishes your soul. If your priorities are your family and friends, and those lovely green tree lined streets, then I hope one day that is what you return to

[Wanderer Returns]

1 hour ago, Red Rose said:

I haven't read this whole thread so you may have already covered these points. From reading your post, I wonder whether what's really happening is that you're no longer really that in to Australia? Sounds like it's got to the point where you're getting through the motions without really thriving. If you have that feeling right now, it doesn't really go away. It doesn't help that all your friends are in the UK. It all comes down to what your value and priorities are, and what nourishes your soul. If your priorities are your family and friends, and those lovely green tree lined streets, then I hope one day that is what you return to

That's a good point. One reads so many comments where the poster is clearly unhappy, and seems to think they are missing things from the UK or sometimes Australia (if they moved back), when the reality is that they're just not that happy with their life. It doesn't matter where you live, you can't move away from yourself.

[Parley]

On 26/06/2021 at 16:51, newjez said:

Davina McCall is a recovering heroin addict. I was surprised by that.

I think police resources are more effectively used by targeting dealers rather than users.

Never heard of her but yes i think they target the dealers and if they come across users try to divert them to a health program to help with their addiction.

The rationale for the injecting room was about saving lives. I'm not sure of the numbers but if 100 people are dying of heroin overdoses every year on the street then this facility is intended to save lives by providing a medically supervised place for them to go.

I suppose it makes sense in that way.

[Blue Flu]

1 hour ago, Parley said:

Never heard of her but yes i think they target the dealers and if they come across users try to divert them to a health program to help with their addiction.

The rationale for the injecting room was about saving lives. I'm not sure of the numbers but if 100 people are dying of heroin overdoses every year on the street then this facility is intended to save lives by providing a medically supervised place for them to go.

I suppose it makes sense in that way.

The onus has moved to helping those addicted. That means away from those making a heap out of the making of this drug. Breaking Bad certainly has a lot to answer for. The only solution would be to either legalise this drug (all drugs) in order to take away the profit motive and corruption or enforce the law by returning to strong policing. That I mean a return to a dedicated meth force, activate a number just for meth that will result in action and investigation. Encourage like another state a few years back to get those making it to 'dob in' others doing the same. Then go after the syndicates that hide behind two million dollar house walls 

 

[Blue Flu]

6 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

That's a good point. One reads so many comments where the poster is clearly unhappy, and seems to think they are missing things from the UK or sometimes Australia (if they moved back), when the reality is that they're just not that happy with their life. It doesn't matter where you live, you can't move away from yourself.

You have a point, but there is such a thing as situational depression brought on my present location. Obviously, if that would dispense with a return to the past, we have no idea. It may wel not as things move on. On the other hand it may feel like never left within a few months of return. The longer away probably the harder it becomes. 

[Dan Not Dale]

On 23/06/2021 at 12:41, Paul1Perth said:

You could try somewhere else in Aus. Melbourne is my 2nd least favourite City in Aus, Canberra is my least favourite.

Melbourne doesn't have that good weather, housing is expensive, local beaches are average, City is busy, traffic is awful.

Plenty of places to choose from with just about whatever climate you fancy. You sound young enough to give anywhere a try. WA is screaming out for all sorts of workers at the moment, specially in oil, gas and mining. That's where the big salaries are too.

Get a flight and come over for a look.

Don't know where you lived in the UK with nice tree lined streets, sounds nice but my recollection of where we were from, near Stockport and Manchester doesn't trigger memories of tree lined streets.

Your summary of Melbourne is pretty accurate and it’s only getting worse.

Looking back I was trying to condense my original post. I should have said I like the history,  old buildings, and that the trees are green, not half dead looking like here. Tree lined was the wrong description. Although I am (was) a few mins from countryside.

Job is quite niche, for major retailers, haven't seen any posted outside VIC or NSW yet but hoping will at some stage.

We will definitely do a weekend in Perth soon, just need a solid window of no covid cases.

[Dan Not Dale]

On 23/06/2021 at 13:15, Paul1Perth said:

That description of Perth would be totally unfair. There are soulless suburbs for sure. You wouldn't be able to get us to move to somewhere like Ellenbrook for a million dollars. In fact anywhere we couldn't be in walking distance of a beach would be too far. That was important to us when we came so we rented for a year and had a good look round. 

We bought in our suburb in 92, in the same house now, love the place. Plenty of coffee shops, pubs, fantastic beach 10 minutes walk away, small shopping centre with hairdressers, restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, bottle shop, doctor, dentist, physio about 2 mins walk away. Very quite suburb, traffic noise virtually non existant.

We have a great bunch of friends, met mostly locally through the surf club. Joined for the kids when they were young and met several people doing the same. Same interests, mostly sports related and we've had the same friendship group for years. Still meet new people as we're still members of the surf club. It's been brilliant for the kids, they both loved it and both still have friends they made there. 

Where did you stay on your Perth visits? If not the City itself I would be heading for somewhere like Scarborough as a visitor. Specially in summer.

Stayed in Leeming on all occasions. With family friends.

1992, I wish it wasn’t such a different proposition now

[Dan Not Dale]

On 27/06/2021 at 13:12, Blue Flu said:

I'll commence by responding to your London versus Perth critique. Obviously knife crime is of concern to Londoners and The Met. But the only place I have had a knife drawn on me was a late night train on the Armadale Line here in Perth when I asked a k fellow to cease harassing a young woman. He took his shirt off and  produced a knife. The security were some train carriages down and on reflection he may well have been 'methed up' Far less aware of that grub drug back then. (2006) As for London, never felt really unsafe, but in certain areas would conceal money in shoes if coming out of a gig in a 'rough' area very late at night. So certainly had an awareness. Encountered street violence leaving a pub one night in Notting Hill , after one of our group got into a bit of bother with a larger mob of Chelsea fans which wasn't pleasant  and took weeks of work during the court process. Broken bottles used but no knifes.

Most likely a progression of street violence over time. (that was late eighties) But my take on knife crime is that it is more likely to be between gangs fighting over turf, perceived disrespect and/or drugs . I would be most unlucky if not involved in illegal activity to be stabbed. Obviously always a possibility in the instance a mugging goes wrong and mugger high on something, or simply with mental health issues or just the rare case of a physio bad ass. But when you know the city and in a sense the talk I've always found it fairly easy to defuse aggro situations there (London) probably less so here. 

It gets back to less people out and about in Perth. Not being noted as a late night city, in any shape or form, those out after a certain time, not even late by European standards tend to be out for trouble ,.  but Perth has always been a bit of a 'punchy type place. Bored kids from the suburbs coming into The CBD or in days well past Scarborough Beach and still today Fremantle. 

I don't know if I rely too much on the stats.(but hope they are right) but only as good as those that comprise them .It's just that  I don't detect any fall in meth. In fact in my inner city location it has escalated to concerning levels around me with a 'professional class' becoming involved. I can't say it is only meth going down , but that is only really what I'm concerned about. It doesn't take to much effort to 'make' things happen and present a rosier picture than really is. Remember Perth is still close to the top of the world in meth consumption. (you can read about the devastation of Seattle USA, has had to endure online. That I believe is around the same useage as Perth and Adelaide.)  Adelaide of all places supposedly number one. Easy to find on You Tube the shocking effect of meth on the community of Murray Bridge out of Adelaide. 

I'd say meth is out of control. Too many making money out of it to do much more than attempt to disguise it. Too many making it to fund their studies and more)When the government gets serious, not talking in platitudes, like SA, where the present Conservative government promised a war on meth's if elected  only to do nothing on gaining power.   Absolute loads of impacted people in Fremantle during the semi lockdown. Police cleared it some weeks later, must have been after impossible to look away any more. Now far, far less. 

On a personal level, I'd detect on perhaps (incredible, I know) 40% of occasions when out and about on foot in my inner city suburb, alleged illegal drug activity.  (loading up cars, concealing alleged drugs within motor vehicles, cars collecting , cycles used to deliver to I suppose you could call the syndicates. (cycles I suspect judged less conspicuous) But what ever. That is far, far more visible and apparent than before. Speaking with people it is most easily accessible most every suburb.  Small towns as well. 

 

Having been to literally hundred of Chelsea games should I be confident of handling myself in Perth?   I’m not a big bloke mind….

not wishing to belittle your encounter btw, just thought I’d try throw some humour in. I know what CFC fans are like. 
Very rare I’ve felt unsafe in Australia personally. I think having seen what I’ve seen at football playing part in that.

But have had to keep my head down on the train plenty in Melbourne though, clearly drugged up people who could flip any moment.

Wouldn’t want my child on train to school in Melbourne. I would worry if my partner was on them outside rush hour.