Whenever I bitched at Erlestoke about being dumped on a wing littered with short sentenced smack heads, some pompous ass in a uniform would berate me. It seems that I "must learn to live with different sorts of people, like in the real world".
Tripe. Utter balls. In all of our individual lives - here and out there - the people we mix with are ones with whom we share some affinity. Just take a shufti at your own social group.
Obviously we bump into those we would not select to deal with, be it at work or in the supermarket queue. Again. the same applies in here as out there.
But this is a far cry from being forced to live with them 24 hours a day. So my response to these sill staff is to tell them that when they choose to take their annual vacation on the local sink estate, I will hear them out. Until then...
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Wow, such arrogance from Ben.
ReplyDeleteHeh, would you like to live with smackheads?
ReplyDeleteTrust me, I used to live in a shared house with one, never again.
He nicked a load of cds, a gamecube, a gbc and cheated me out of well over 100 quid in cash (said he needed it to sort himself out and like a fool I gave it to him).
(and yes, I should have locked my door but the others were usually decent people with jobs who weren't thieves so I'd never needed to, landlord just made an error)
It's not arrogance, it's a fact of life.
Interestingly in animal trials (which I also don't much like) it was found that generally when given access to drugs animals will use them but not constantly however when the drug is heroin they'll sit there pushing the button not eating or drinking until they die.
Snob!
ReplyDeleteSmackheads care about one thing and one thing only - their drug - and they don't care who they trample over or shit on/rip off to get it. Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is not smack as such or smackheads (like they all live in or come from 'sink estates' huh?) Here, in this post there is an obvious disregard and mocking of the second commandement 'Love your neighbour as you do yourself'.
ReplyDeleteThe post is arrogant, and I say this out of concern, not just anger, its an unhealthy and unhelpful attitude.
The ten commandments are there for good reasons. If you can't love yourself or your neighbour then love God with everything you've got ... simple guidance for each and every one of us.
"Love your neighbour as you do yourself."
DeleteWhat happends when self respecting sadists and masochists become neighbours?
The trouble with the 'golden rule' is that it works between equals, and less so between real people.
Its a commandment that works as a guide Jimmy. No-one is above or beneath it. The aim is for us to become equals, as we are born so. It's guidance on how equality can be achieved.
DeleteThe world turns, it is not static.
His majesty is displeased.
ReplyDeleteHaving a belief in yourself is fine, its important in life, but elevating yourself at the expense of others, is wrong and its vain
ReplyDeleteNo, you do end up having to mix with people not of your choosing. Not just at work.
ReplyDeleteGroups of friends? Yep, had to put up with people I severely dislike because of mutual friends.
Work? Well, still a student but some of my coursemates have made me want to cry.
Accomodation? Yeah, any form of shared accommodation runs that risk. Either having random people forced on you who can be utterly foul, or there is always the risk of the boyfriend/girlfriend of a housemate who is a utter paid.
Hobbies? If you belong to a large sports club it may well mean meeting people who you dislike but cannot avoid without quitting the club.
Sorry Infamous, but you can stuff your 'commandment' about neighbours. Love, and indeed, respect, is earned, not given freely by myself to strangers.
ReplyDeleteBen's thoughts on this are perfectly justified, as an ex-heroin addict, I certainly wouldn't want to be forced to deal with, let alone live in close proximity to, people who are, by first hand knowledge, only interested in obtaining funds for their next fix.
And no, I didn't come from a council sink estate, I was a high-achieving middle class lad, but there you go, sink estates *were* where I bought my smack.
hello Mark, they are not *my* commandments
ReplyDeleteWell they're certainly not mine. However, if *you* choose to adhere to them, surely they are *yours*?
ReplyDeletePS. Do you follow the one about not having any nature paintings or sculpture in the house, and not fancying your neighbours donkey?
That smack you took must have had an adverse affect on your mind Mark, you are not making any sense.
ReplyDeleteIf you know your Vindictive Invisible Space Fairy's ten commandments, you should know exactly what I'm on about.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you're avoiding the point, as per usual, well done.
What is your point Mark?
ReplyDeleteThe smack heads have got it even worse. They're asked to share a wing with someone who's in there for murder. Poor things.
ReplyDeleteIf the crack heads' wing is the prison equivalent of the "sink estate", perhaps Ben thinks he ought to be in the prison equivalent of Surbiton. With a better class of criminal.
To all you self-appointed, half-cock moralisers on this thread, perhaps you should wonder whether - if you had been sh@ on by the system as often as Ben has - whether there wouldn't be times when you'd want to let fly with the full weight of your opinions?
ReplyDeleteBen is, by his own frequent admission, no angel. He's subject to at least the same stresses and strains as the rest of us. To hold him to some woolly 'higher' standard of morality is insulting.
Anyway, this is Ben's blog, and he can say what the fsck he likes. Like it, lump it or stop reading it.
Can you clarify what you mean by self appointed? What are the person(s) in question self appointed to?
DeleteIn my opinion, the tone of this post is neither snobbish nor arrogant.
ReplyDeleteI remember the days when the 'long-termers' were afforded a little respect from both the shorter sentence cons and screws alike. Whatever our circumstances - out here in the free world, most of us at least have the option of a bit of solitude and calm once in awhile.
It’s harder to find this peace in a wing housing short term smack heads - than it is to locate what they’re looking for!
Anon @ 7.06pm Ben's public blog can be liked or disliked, agreed with or disagreed with actually.
ReplyDeleteWhat a simple minded, bone headed, bullying and thiggish comment @ 7.06pm
thiggish is a new word that means a combination of thick and thuggish, of which anon @ 7.06 is both
ReplyDeleteAt least you are out of Erlestoke now though innit Ben?
ReplyDeleteI've followed your blog for some weeks now - find it both informative and helpful in gaining an insight to a world not known to those not directly involved. I have searched and read your past posts tagged to the IMB as I am considering applying to become a member. Having read your posts on IMB I believe you seem broadly supportive - other than when they haven't the balls to step out of line - not a problem I've had all my life. Forgetting the "official" guidelines on what the IMB role is can you give an indication as to what you / fellow prisoners would ask of IMB members. Your comments about checking empty cells duly noted.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your insights and I hope you get what you wish for. Am loath not to give my name to this comment so would appreciate your advice on doing so in the future.
Yours sincerely
hkjb
Hideki, If you lived in a shared house with smackheads, why didn't you leave ANYTHING worth nicking at a friends house? Just an observation based on personal experience, smackheads will steal anything, you are not talking about people (and I use that term loosely) who are inhabiting the same mindset as non smackheads, you are incredibly naive for giving a smackhead 00000.1% of trust, they are lower than even politicians.
ReplyDelete