Nobby --
Actually, I HAVE been to the UK -- my better half and I did 1k miles through England, Wales, and Scotland last summer. I got tagged on both the Scottish and Welsh border for speeding -- typical -- and believe me, while the speeding cameras there are a pain, it ain't got NOTHING on around here. Seriously.
I've done Cardiff to Edinburgh to London, and I'll rather deal with ANY of those cities -- driving on the left side, no less -- than deal with traffic here on a day-to-day basis.
I don't mean to belittle the traffic in London, for example, but I've been there enough to have seen the diff in the driving tax -- good idea! -- and it's a damnsight better there than here. Sad, I know, but... *shrug*
As far as the Orwellian aspect of it all, I have four words for ya:
Department of Homeland Security.
I live 10 miles from CIA headquarters and used to live about 10 miles from NSA HQ. My old next door neighbor was a cryptologist for NSA. Creepy stuff. Like living under a microscope.
You guys get Tony Blair, hell, look what WE get!
I admit, though, that I've heard your sentiment expressed from other Brits... Sucks. 'Nuff said, I guess. *sigh*
--Jaeger
