Greedy Pigs

The emergence of the ambulance chasing lawyer culture in the UK was entirely avoidable (simply don't let lawyers advertise in the media), but also was entirely predictable .... 

Ambulance Chaser

They saw the riches that a claim compensation culture like the USA's has brought to the legal profession, where according to the American Bar Association's 2020 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession, there are currently about 1.3 million lawyers in the US. Specifically, 4 lawyers for every 1,000 residents in the US i.e. 400 per 100k, and approximately 208,200 people workings as solicitors or lawyers in the United Kingdom in 2023 i.e. 226 per 100k residents.

Oil On Troubled Water

There was a strange story that played out within the backdrop of the 2010 BP oil spillage (and subsequent pillage of that company by the US legal system) ..... it was much reported on outside of the USA. But its leading characters are well known around the western world (in many senses). Steven Baldwin, and Kevin Costner were the two most famous of the characters involved in the tale.

For those of you who have forgotten, the 'Deepwater Horizon' oil spillage of 2010 was an ecological disaster, which has cost the BP oil company nearly $54 billion to-date to settle clean up costs, plus all federal and state claims against it. I am not even sure that this huge amount even stops all the "fictitious" and "absurd" private claims for damages, that have been made in the US courts ....

BP Oil Spill 2010 From Air

Gut And Moaning

In the German University of Freiburg, thrifty students had taken to following the practise of "conveyor-belting" ... which is waiting for less thrifty students to put their finished plates on the washing conveyor belt, and then raiding those plates for any edible items they fancied.

Conveyor-Belting ....

This of course meant meals could be very cheap for those 'belters'.

World Gone Nuts

If there was anything that drives me more nuts than anything else in the crazy world we now live in, then its the collapse of common sense in favour of a litigious blame someone else (anyone else) culture. This of course has been driven by ambulance chasing legal weasels, for whom there is always someone to sue (even with no case), because the hardship of litigation may make the innocent pay up, and in any case, with 'no win, no fee' lawyers, there's hardly any cost to making a claim these days.

It's an illness that's infected us as fully as the US, with adverts on UK TV offering no fee claims on every night. I would close 75% of the law courses in the UK to stop these cockroaches breeding in numbers .....

All this has led to ridiculous disclaimers and warnings everywhere you look, as personal responsibility is diminished in public life ..... Here's an example from my local pub .....

A Packet Of Peanuts - Salted

A simple packet of salted peanuts .... it even comes with a picture of the expected contents.