Benefits Street

[qbman1]

I cannot admit to having watched this but I hear it's a lot like Sesame Street.....

They both have a big bird, a bloke living out of a bin and a lot of people trying to learn the alphabet !!

[Silver_Shiney]

I saw a clip showing a small brat runing through people's front gardens, climbing over their walls - I wonder if the camera crew just happened to film it or if they put the child up to it - in which case, he'll probably be doing it on a regular basis if he wasn't already.

[Dark Knight]

Oh I thought it was about the people who have booked Getaway fares on PandO

striking similarity

[Boris+]

I heard someone comment on the television this morning that the terracotta settee with people sitting on it was actually relocated there from another street, and Benefit Street residents encouraged to sit on it etc.

Speaking from experience, I know that when a tv crew comes into your office or house etc., they rearrange furniture etc willy-nilly to get the best shot - hence I can 100% believe that the tv crew have done some 'scene management'.

I don't think I buy the whole story as it is currently being told though.

Em

[Silver_Shiney]

Speaking from experience, I know that when a tv crew comes into your office or house etc., they rearrange furniture etc willy-nilly to get the best shot - hence I can 100% believe that the tv crew have done some 'scene management'.

:

Not always, Em, the crew didn't touch a thing when they filmed me for Heir Hunters a couple of years ago.

[Boris+]

Hi Alan,

This was actually mentioned on the BBC this morning, that the furniture was plonked outside a house after being moved from outside a house on a different street.

I didn't know you were an heir - lucky you.

Em

[Silver_Shiney]

Hi Alan,

This was actually mentioned on the BBC this morning, that the furniture was plonked outside a house after being moved from outside a house on a different street.

I didn't know you were an heir - lucky you.

Em

No such luck, Em, they only came because we had information on a person they were trying to track down. It turned out that there was a huge family, a small inheritance, and after the heir-hunting company's costs, there was very little to go round.

I do not doubt that the TV did set the stage, so to speak. I've got no problem with them moving stuff to get a better camera angle but to actually move stuff to give a false impression is dishonest.

[Dark Knight]

I bet it is played up,stage managed and edited to the hilt, just to get a reaction from Middle England

[Boris+]

I wouldn't be at all surprised Dark Knight - at the end of the day, the tv crew are employed to provide entertainment. Why let truth or honesty get in the way of a bit of entertainment?

As long as the tv crew get their salaries and expenses etc., why worry (not!). I don't mind paying a blasted tv licence annually to watch stuff that isn't true (not!).

In the event that they are misleading the viewing public (whether the viewing public are gullible or not) what does it matter as long as they get paid?

Em

[Manoverboard]

Well ... I did watch it for a while and decided that it was, if true, my worst nightmare so switched channels.

A load of crap based on a bunch of real time skivers basically and no doubt exagerated for effect but with a bit of luck they will all have their benefits reduced else withdrawn as a consequence.

[Silver_Shiney]

Well ... I did watch it for a while and decided that it was, if true, my worst nightmare so switched channels.

A load of crap based on a bunch of real time skivers basically and no doubt exagerated for effect but with a bit of luck they will all have their benefits reduced else withdrawn as a consequence.

one can only hope, moby

[Jacknian]

Well I partly agree but it wasn't all bad. The first week there was a man who bought multipacks of food etc and split it up and sold things all around the street for 50p. So small amounts of washing powder, a single toilet roll, half a loaf of bread etc etc. for people who genuinely have nothing he was a god send. Then this week there was a lady who was from the local church who was trying to improve the street by trying to get people involved in the ' Britain in bloom ' competition. She was planting up flower beds and got the council to make several trips to the street cleaning the gutters etc. yes there are the scroungers, drug addicts and alcoholics, but also decent people who have fallen on hard times. One very sad part was the Romanian men who had left their wives and children to find work here and were then swindled by the boss who wasn't paying them. They had no money for food and one of their neighbours ( an Indian man ) was giving then curry. In the end they had to leave as they had reported their boss to the police and he sent some of his 'boys' after them. They ended up sleeping in a park in London.

[Onelife]

Hi jackain

I havn't watched any of the programs so can't comment on whether the program gave a true insight as to how the bennifit system is or isn't abused. What l can say is that one shouldn't be surprised to see stories of unfair work practises emerging as this goes hand-in-hand where cash in hand is the norm. Give it a year or so and we'll be seeing more cases in which immigrant workers are being exploited by unscrupulous employers ... which is what happens when the vast majority of immigrant's have no way of supporting themselves once they get over here.

Regards

Keith

[david63]

... which is what happens when the vast majority of immigrant's have no way of supporting themselves once they get over here.

And therein lies the crux of the problem. We should do as other countries do and not allow anyone into the country unless they can prove that they either have the means to support themselves or they are sponsored to enter the country by someone who is prepared to support them.

[Quizzical Bob]

... which is what happens when the vast majority of immigrant's have no way of supporting themselves once they get over here.

And therein lies the crux of the problem. We should do as other countries do and not allow anyone into the country unless they can prove that they either have the means to support themselves or they are sponsored to enter the country by someone who is prepared to support them.

That's quite true. These people are not bringing any capital into the country and must therefore be a drain on existing resources, be they housing, health, education, transport or state support.

[Dark Knight]

Q Bob
according to the government they contribute far more than they take out
unlike the whole of Scotalnd which takes out far more than it contributes

Perhaps the solution is dump Scotland , Ireland and encourage hard working economic migrants into the UK , rather than spending millions on the scum of this country, who won't work and the baby making machines that infest the place?

just a thought

[Quizzical Bob]

Q Bob
according to the government they contribute far more than they take out
unlike the whole of Scotalnd which takes out far more than it contributes

Perhaps the solution is dump Scotland , Ireland and encourage hard working economic migrants into the UK , rather than spending millions on the scum of this country, who won't work and the baby making machines that infest the place?

just a thought

DK, that's because the calculations take no account of the cost of the 'use of assets' that have been created by the existing populace.

(I agree about Scotland though)

[emjay45]

I did record it to watch, but on hearing comments on television and reading articles in the newspapers about the programme, I decided against it.

[Jacknian]

Emjay, I would give it a try, - I too had heard negative reports about the programme before it even started, but it actually is quite interesting. It's definitely an eye opener !

[emjay45]

Emjay, I would give it a try, - I too had heard negative reports about the programme before it even started, but it actually is quite interesting. It's definitely an eye opener !

Well I've still got it recorded. My OH flatly refuses to watch it but maybe I'll take a little peek.

[david63]

I started to watch it last night and found I could not understand a word that they were saying

[Kaziebelle]

It and they want nuking ASAP to save all our sanity