What are your "controversial" opinions that go against popular opinions in the UK?

Totally agree, although it's not a problem that's unique the to the UK, it's also a big issue in places like Italy and Spain. I don't know what is is about football that brings out the dickheads, you just don't see it with other sports.

I think football in general is just boring. There's huge periods of time when nothing seems to be happening. Every 5 minutes they seem to stop play to have an argument with the referee or to roll on the ground in apparent agony because they got grazed knee. I really can't be bothered with it.

England, Scotland, and Wales should become independent countries

Only if London fucks off and becomes a city-state.

Being the casual community I'd hope that people would stay clear of politics to keep it light hearted, but looking at the community rules it doesn't prohibit politics.

Northern Ireland should be given back to Ireland.

It really pains me, as someone from Northern Ireland. How people just assume that it's that simple. Both that NI was "stolen" from Ireland and that it'll be a quick and simple job to bring them together.

Federate the UK! Though I think England is too big and needs to be broken into chunks roughly even with Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Massively decentralize.

Do you split or keep the military as is?

Anglophilic

There's creams for that.

For a long steeping tea, I can understand the string.
For one you're going to be whipping out after a few minutes, I like the tagless ones.
It means I can just throw them in, instead of fiddling wrapping the string around.

How come it's weird?

They’d be acceptable if they weren’t stupid expensive.

I commute to Manchester three times a week

Yeah because you're going to a major city. But if you're not going to a major city or you're going by a link then you start having problems.

If my train is 15 minutes late and I'm getting a connection in Manchester then it's a major issue, if you're getting off in Manchester it's a minor inconvenience.

It's sod's law that if your train is delayed then the connecting train will depart exactly on time. The other classic inevitable is that the size of the train is inversely proportionate to the expected passenger count.

I keep trying trains, here are some of my experiences. Caveat, I actually like/enjoy driving myself, but I want trains to be good for everyone including me.

Living in Wiltshire, within walking distance of a train station. Have friends in Kent, again walking distance of a train station. I was visiting those friends a few times a year, maybe even monthly at the time. I didn't have my own vehicle. Jumping on a train with a book, seemed like the good option. The cost was incredible, easily 4x the cost of fuel if I had a car/motorbike (as I later did). The trains were generally on-time, into London. Once I bought a vehicle (motorbike at the time) that became my default. The one time I wanted to leave the motorbike at home due to bad weather, the line was flooded between reading and Paddington and I had to take the bike in the rain anyway. It cost me less to pay the fuel, insurance and outright buy the motorbike in a year than I spent on the train.

Living in South Wales, travelling to leeds regularly (several times a month). Avoiding the road miles/fuel/carbon, trying to take the train. The journey is long, involved several changeovers. The worst changeover was at Cardiff, I had a 55 minute wait at the end of a 5+ hour journey before a final 20 minute train home. I did get a lot of reading done. I also got a lot of drinking done, that much time sat on a train and I'd have a few cans. Ironically google maps often told me to get off at a station before home, and walk the hour and twenty minutes from Cwmbran home, as it was quicker that taking the layover in Cardiff. Eventually started driving again.

South wales valleys, into cardiff. Rush hour traffic is horrendous. The drive to work at the weekend was around twenty minutes, during rush hour you'd add an hour to that at least. Started taking the train. Was regularly late to work as the rush hour trains would be at capacity and I wouldn't be able to get on, or they weren't running. I had a 35 minute wait at the station each evening after work, if I worked late I'd often get stuck waiting on the hourly train home. The train, while "in theory" quicker, was even slower than driving; it was less reliable and it worked out more expensive than the fuel.

The train should be a solid win. But time after time I've ended up buying a vehicle and going back to driving.

I think it's very regional. I work in various places around Yorkshire, so I'm not always on the same route, but it's generally 10-20 trains a week (mixed with other weeks where I can walk or cycle from home). Of a 20 train week, I'd expect 1-2 delays or cancellations every day. Unless we're starting or finishing early/late, I'd expect a seat once, in one direction only.

These are mostly 2 carriage Sprinters with hundreds of people trying to get on them. Sometimes I work in other places, and you've got these enormous 10 carriage long things that run North/South, but only 50 people trying to get on, so you always get a seat on them.

I commute to Manchester

That's the only reason you're coping. Manchester is the greatest city in the World so it offsets the utter abortion that is train travel. Where are you coming from? North, East, South West? If it's some shitole town like New Mills I can imagine the train journey is a euphoric experience.

Edit to add: I go to London a couple of times a month. Not had a significant issue in years.

On second thoughts you may have brain damage. It's not normal to think train travel and London are acceptable to life. You should speak to your doctor and ask about traumatic brain injury or tumours. Could explain things.

It's good until you're about halfway through and the grease catches up with you.

That's a good one! I do like a chippy as long as the batter is nice and crispy. Can't stand vinegar though, absolutely vile stuff!

It depends for me. I'd die for what I'd consider a good Fish 'n Chips, but I've also ordered many which are just absolutely disgusting.

I prefer fries to thick cut chips if I'm given a choice but battered fish is golden crispy magic.

They're best eaten cold out of the tin. 10x better. 👍

You have to cook them on the hob for about 1/2 hour until the sauce is a nice thick gloop with a crust on top.

Can't say I agree with this. I've driven in France, Belgium, Netherlands & Germany and didn't really notice any difference in standards across anywhere, including the UK. The only weirdness I saw was in France where I saw drivers purposely crashing their car into other parked cars to make some space.

Other than the not using indicators thing, I haven't seen anything like you describe. Doing below 20 in the fast lane is a death sentence, unless you're in traffic obviously.

Have you seen the way the french drive?

Any shop selling a "Cornish pastry" must be awful. The pasty shops that are actually in Cornwall are definitely better!

You've obviously never had a Greenhalghs cheese & jalapeno pasty, or been to pound bakery! They have a much better selection of pasties for a lot less.

That's a new one on me! Where have you heard that?

You've clearly never had a good steak and ale pie or creamy chicken, leak and ham pie!

Listen you vile heretic, what do you think a pie is then?

Milk doesn’t belong in tea.

That we can agree on.

I sense a Yank. Opinions discarded due to IQ level not registering user as homo sapien.

Your opinions are bad and you should feel bad.

It's even still written in Reddiquette that downvotes are not for disagreement

Yeah but I'm not going to update a list of really bad takes.