The Hidden Glasgow Forums

This is obviously just a question for the Glaswegians (and ex Glaswegians) here
Do you feel yourself getting irritated at the misconceptions and (i feel) unjustified reputation the city has ?
Only the other day while corresponding with a chap in Los Angeles (hardly the most crime free place), he congratulated me on making it to adulthood, as Glasgow has a very tough and violent reputation over there I was surprised it was so ingrained and widespread.
And of course you don't have to go all the way to LA, i've heard this sort of belief from London to Aberdeen.
Any thoughts, experiences ?

It's wrong but in those situations I feel a little proud.......and then of course I set them straight.

I usually get it twice, one for living in Glasgow and two for being brought up in Govan!


paul.

glasgowken wrote:..............
Any thoughts, experiences ?

It's possible many non-Glaswegians get their only impression of the city from Taggart. A bit daft since nobody accuses Oxford of being the murder capital of the UK on the basis of Morse.

I've had this all my life since I left when i was 20 (awkward sticking up for it when you don't live there)
I worked in the South of England and it was standard to stick up for Glasgow and Scotland on a regular basis. All the usual comments.
I've just been looking at some fantastic pics of 60's Glasgow where and when I was a child (Glasgow North) and I think that you could only ever appreciate the bleakness that existed in Glasgow then because it was your home and roots.
To anyone else not famiiar with being a Glaswegian - Well ?? you probably would have had to have been a photographer to see any beauty So it is in some ways justified for people to have had a negative image of Glasgow.
I still get some negative comments and I'm in N Ireland now.
It doesn't happen as much and I get more compliments about the beautiful ( sand blasted) buildings, the warmth/ humour of the people and the shopping/ nightlife.

i found thats living in edinburgh at one time and being a doorman the mis conception of glasgow and glaswegians in genral was we were all wondering neanderthals with knives and living in high rise flats, but also have the same thing all over the uk when i attend events and people who dont know me but know me thru other forums think im some sort of maniac due to shows like taggart and news reports, but think once they meet me and realise that all glaswegians and the city isnt exactly what they thought it was

I used to stick up for glasgow, but since starting working on the trains and seeing the shite that the residents leave behind, i dont anymore...we're a manky town with manky residents.

glasgowken wrote:This is obviously just a question for the Glaswegians (and ex Glaswegians) here
Do you feel yourself getting irritated at the misconceptions and (i feel) unjustified reputation the city has ?

I moved here from my native Somerset two years ago. I went back to visit three months later and had exactly the same shit you lot have to put up with. So I had to put them right about the place.

At least it made a difference from the usual "I'll bet you drink zyder oooooo aaarrrr!"

Yes, i get annoyed with stupid comments like "Glasgow is a midden, i hate it and all the people are alkies etc etc"

Quite often these type of comments spew forth from those who worked here for one day from another city, or support "wee teams" or from generally stupid & ill informed sources.

I seem to remember a guy from this year's Big Brother doing the City down. He said that "Glasgow was hell on earth" let's hope he doesn't come back then.

It's the worst and laziest example of tarring everyone with the same brush.

I'm pretty new to Glasgow ( 2 1/2 years).

Friends who visit from Portsmouth are universally impressed by Glasgow but all of them have similar comments to what they thought it would be like. Violent, hostile, drug induced and deep fried in batter.

Lone Groover wrote:what they thought it would be like: Violent, hostile, drug induced and deep fried in batter.

tobester wrote:I used to stick up for glasgow, but since starting working on the trains and seeing the shite that the residents leave behind, i dont anymore...we're a manky town with manky residents.

Don't a lot of those train start and finish outside Glasgow?

tobester wrote:I used to stick up for glasgow, but since starting working on the trains and seeing the shite that the residents leave behind, i dont anymore...we're a manky town with manky residents.

I agree with that but it's not just a Glasgow problem, it goes through the whole of Scotland. It's full of people who just don't give a shite about anything that isn't their own. And maybe (to a lesser extent) it's a UK wide attitude?

And while we're at it, all anybody wants to do with their live is get pished - and that's a basic human right that nobody should be allowed to take away or speak ill of.

Of course this is a broad generalisation - not everybody acts like that, but it's enough to stand out wherever you look.

allyharp wrote:

tobester wrote:I used to stick up for glasgow, but since starting working on the trains and seeing the shite that the residents leave behind, i dont anymore...we're a manky town with manky residents.

I agree with that but it's not just a Glasgow problem, it goes through the whole of Scotland. It's full of people who just don't give a shite about anything that isn't their own. And maybe (to a lesser extent) it's a UK wide attitude?

And while we're at it, all anybody wants to do with their live is get pished - and that's a basic human right that nobody should be allowed to take away or speak ill of.

Of course this is a broad generalisation - not everybody acts like that, but it's enough to stand out wherever you look.

hear hear.

Scottish apathy towards our country astounds me, and the lack of disregard generally to other peoples belongings/feelings etc is amazing. Its the throwing the rubbish around, sitting with feet on seats, feeling the need to growl at anyone who passes you, lack of respect for other people who might not want to sit and listen to your chipmunk choons. GAH!

I do stick up for Glasgow but
I also see the problems, however having worked around a lot of the UK it seems fairly universal.
Darlington for example was much scarier at night than Glasgow.
I also hate the way some people from Edinburgh think their shite disnt stink.
When I worked in Saughton there were a lot more junkies than in Barlinnie for example
they talk about easterhouse but they obviously aint seen Pilton.

Glasgow has a winning personality
Edinburgh aint even a motherfuckin' charming pig

lordsleek wrote:
Glasgow has a winning personality
Edinburgh aint even a motherfuckin' charming pig

And you wonder why Glasgow gets a bad reputation ? I Love Glasgow so much so that I plan on living there. Edinburgh will always be a great city and some of us are charming