Snobs, and their lack of breeding: what's your worst experience?

Dostoevsky

So, two days ago our neighbour decided to approach another neighbour. The other neighbour, a couple, are absolutely sound. We have never had any problems with them in all their years here. However, recently he has lost his job and has started a new job. That new job entails his driving a ... van.

Our complaining neighbour (who doesn't work, but whose husband has a so-called prestigious job) decided that this van was, as she put it, "lowering the tone" of the neighbourhood. We were trying to be nice to her and discouraging her from saying anything, as we've known her for decades and she "has her ways" (to put it euphemistically).

Nevertheless, she approached them and told them she'd prefer if they didn't park that van in this area. She told us yesterday morning about her approach, and we fell out with her especially when she, by her own admission, said to the couple "the neighbours have been saying...". We went next door and said to them that we had nothing to do with this. We just felt so sorry for that couple (who, as it happens, are not Irish) and so ashamed of what our neighbour (who, as it happens, is Irish) had done. The fact that they weren't Irish made us feel more guilty for some reason.

I'm at a loss to understand why people do such things. My personal impression is that such people are usually women of a certain type - not working, living financially off the work of a close relative, and usually have attained very little personal achievement so try to live their "success" and sense of self through the achievements of people connected with them. This is perhaps a bad generalisation, but it is my experience.

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What's your worst experience of snobs?

enfield

I know of a person like this, would it be in The Cloisters area?
Cheers.
Tom.

Celticfire

This thread is lowering the tone of After Hours, I'd appreciate it if you'd move it somewhere else......:pac:

caustic 1

My mother is a snob. The last day she proceeded to tell me about a sibling who had taken my niece to see a specialist with a problem she had. Fair enough I thought till she had to add, " she went private", I mean wtf had that got to do with things. I had no need to know this whatsoever and I just know that everyone will get the same story as if it's some sort of great thing going private.

SEPT 23 1989

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

HurtLocker

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

Keep looking they exist alright!

patmac

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

Utter bollix, I would imagine that there are more Dublin snobs in D4 than anywhere on the planet. The best thing about this recession is that it's brought these people down a peg or two.

SEPT 23 1989

patmac wrote: »

Utter bollix, I would imagine that there are more Dublin snobs in D4 than anywhere on the planet.

And a lot of their parents are country folk

Fratton Fred

Ate you referring to woman who think they are better than you because they managed to get a guy who earns enough to tax their Discovery and keep them supplied with non stops skinny de-caf lattes and designer sunglasses?

Most of them now don't have a pot to piss in and this sort of petty snobbery is the only thing that makes them feel superior.

patmac

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

And a lot of their parents are country folk

You know this how?

Viper_JB

During the Boom times I was reading about a number of estates in Cork where they didn't want any car older then 2-3 years to be parked in the estate as it would lower the "profile" of the place, horrible brainless eejits.

bnt

My first thought on reading that was "property values": someone's trying to sell a house, and is worried that the van will make the area look cheap.

Fratton Fred

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

Definitely.

By far the worst ones in Dalkey are blow ins from the sticks.

The Backwards Man

I know a fella, who after two years in the US, asked in the local post office for directions to his mother's house, the house he lived in for twenty years previous.

ASnailInMyNose

i just squashed a fly into my monitor what do i do

Ush1

If she called to my door asking me to move my van as it was lowering the tone, I'd quickly bring her back down to earth.

I'd laugh in her face and tell her she should be embarrassed, go find purpose and focus in her life.

Mocha Joe

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

I can scientifically confirm this to be utter horsesh*t.

Fratton Fred

It can often backfire though.


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/owners-have-no-right-of-way-to-their-1m-homes-26305869.html

wolfpawnat

See any and all posts referring to my MIL. From a small farming cottage in West Clare (nothing wrong with it, a typical rural Irish background) and thinks she is the fécking queen of Ireland, all on her hard working husband's back!

PinkLemonade

Im not a snob but I was pretty embarrassed when my brother bought his neon boy racer car, I don't think a single person called to the house that didn't comment on it.

was handy for giving people directions to the house mind!

tritium

Meh, in my experience snobbery takes many forms. Those who think they're better because they're working class are just as bad, whining that folks have "airs and graces" because they have a bit of ambition. One relative of mine is interesting because she can play both the airs and graces snobbery and the working class snobbery to suit her circumstances - complete and utter b1tch of a woman

Zebra3

OP,

Someone needs to tell that bitch that she is one.

3rdDegree

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I know a fella, who after two years in the US, asked in the local post office for directions to his mother's house, the house he lived in for twenty years previous.

I think you're mixing up snobbery and utter stupidity!

Remmy

I can agree with that. I know a spouse that I can't remember ever working but has a new car and all the crap paid for by her husband. She is quite pretentious and always seems to prattling on about buying the latest car or bag or whatever. The funny thing is the husband is the most down to earth blue collar guy you could ever meet and a bloody hard worker.

Red Kev

I rented a place in a posh part of Dublin 6 for a few years. Got made redundant and set myself up, so brought a Hiace van for the job. One woman used to complain about me bringing down the tone of the place with the van, that it was "a decent area, with decent people" etc etc. She used to stick little yellow post it notes on the van saying "no commercials allowed here by law" and "no parking without a permit", (both of them untrue).

Anyway, one morning about 3 years ago I left the house on the bike, got to the junction at the end of the road where a Garda stopped me and told me to wait, I looked aroudn the corner and there are a few Garda cars and vans there, seems CAB were doing a raid on a house there that belonged to an business man, his house always had a 4 year old X5 and a three year old S-Class in the drive. Mrs. Nasty neighbour shows up and I asked her her opinion about people taking the tone of the area down. At least she stopped the post it notes after that.

Some people in that street looked down at me, others would come knocking at the door if they needed any work done, asking me if I knew any plumber, electricians etc. I wasn't working in construction but was happy to oblige, just goes to show that not everyone in posh areas are snobs.

Peregrine

ASnailInMyNose wrote: »

i just squashed a fly into my monitor what do i do

Get the snail out of your nose, then we'll talk about the fly on your monitor

COYW

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Definitely. By far the worst ones in Dalkey are blow ins from the sticks.

Totally agree with both of you. Galway and Mayo seems to breed the worst of them, from my experience. Women from the Gaeltacht areas are the worst of the worst.

patmac wrote: »

Utter bollix, I would imagine that there are more Dublin snobs in D4 than anywhere on the planet. The best thing about this recession is that it's brought these people down a peg or two.

Hate this anti-D4 stuff. Lived there for years and I only met one such person, who was a female recruitment agent from the 'Weist'. Complete an utter moron, suitably attached to estate agent who was dangerously stupid. He tried to do some plumbing in his apartment and ended up flooding it and then one below. I lived in Ballsbridge and found the locals to be really decent, quiet people. Loved it there.

getz

two years go I was on holiday in Ireland,with the wife and my English bully,we went into a shopping centre in Kilkenny,the wife as usual went into pennys,and I stayed outside with the dog,as he is a bully he gets a lot of attention,a old shopping centre cleaner came over to pat him and asked me [being English]am I enjoying my holiday,up walked a large man in a black suit and said to her she should not be talking to me she should be cleaning and walked away,i felt very sorry for her and asked was he her boss,she said no he doesent work in the shopping centre,and she gets a lot of people like him about,they think they are better than everyone else,ireland is full of snobs like him.

6541

Sort of related, I love this, I know of multi-millionaires, who will slum it with anyone, they will be in the dirtiest, alcoholic pub, drinking with the smelliest of vagrant, when they are home.
Then come work they will fly around the world doing multi-million pound deals.

I love when I am with them in local bars and people talking absolute crap these people should be snobs but they are salt of the earth. I will tell you why as well. They came from nothing, got educated, saw drug / alcohol addiction in short they worked hard to get were they are.

kylith

I know a guy who lives in an estate in which there is a rule that trade vans to park inside the gates of the estate overnight, so if you live there and you're a plumber you have to park your van outside the estate and walk to your house from there. Bunch of snobs who want to pretend that only bankers, solicitors, and doctors can afford to live there and are pissed that during the boom tradesmen were able to afford to move in, imo.

BrensBenz

When the Irish fishing industry was healthier, a trawlerman bought a house in a newly-built, up-market estate. Some of the neighbours called and suggested he might be happier living somewhere else. He looked at each individual eye to eye and offered to buy their houses instead, there and then, with cash.
Being in a small community, those neighbours never regained the levels of respect they had known.

April O Neill

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

And a lot of their parents are country folk

Do you know the parentage of every Dublin snob you've met?

April O Neill

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I know a fella, who after two years in the US, asked in the local post office for directions to his mother's house, the house he lived in for twenty years previous.

That's not snobby, just thick as shít.

castletownman

Slightly Completely off topic, but the amount of snobbery and pretentiousness amongst rugby fans has me pining for the Lions Tour to end as soon as possible*

My word they really make a mountain out of a mole hill.


*DISCLAIMER: Not claiming every rugby fan is like that, but it's definitely in the majority going on the one's that know

Duvetdays

We rented before in a nice part of south dublin little villas with a green across from it gardens had no driveways and when my husband parked his van on the road this fat old pr*ck used to complain. At first it was we were blocking the bin truck until we pointed it out that the van was gone in the morning before the truck and my husband pointed out cars that were parked a mile from the path and were sticking out further then van.

When he complained again he was told to f*ck off we paid motor tax and insurance and had every right to park on a public road and the funny thing was it was a new van it cost more then 99% of the cars on the road as most of them drove bangers.

I do think though that people like that must lead miserable little lives if something that trivial can bother them so much.

I was also always tempted to go this restaurant he owned and claim I found a pube in my soup!

FTA69

A friend of mine hung a towel over his balcony in a new-build apartment in Cork City and the next day he had a phone call from the agency telling him that drying clothes was forbidden under the terms of his lease etc. Now it's one thing letting your garden overgrow like something out of a Vietnam film or keeping horses out the back; but drying a towel? Honest to god, the pretensious sh*te that people came out with during the boom is ridiculous.

wolfpawnat

FTA69 wrote: »

A friend of mine hung a towel over his balcony in a new-build apartment in Cork City and the next day he had a phone call from the agency telling him that drying clothes was forbidden under the terms of his lease etc. Now it's one thing letting your garden overgrow like something out of a Vietnam film or keeping horses out the back; but drying a towel? Honest to god, the pretensious sh*te that people came out with during the boom is ridiculous.

Our apartment complex has that too, so you have a choice, dry them inside and deal with mould as these places are horrifically built or be at risk of reprimand and threat of eviction (I am sure they wouldn't, or I hope they wouldn't) But there are some insane notions in this modern Ireland.

bumper234

kylith wrote: »

I know a guy who lives in an estate that wont allow trade vans to park inside the gates of the estate overnight, so if you live there and you're a plumber you have to park your van outside the estate and walk to your house from there. Bunch of snobs who want to pretend that only bankers, solicitors, and doctors can afford to live there and are pissed that during the boom tradesmen were able to afford to move in, imo.

How do you mean he won't allow? The guy just lives there? Is there a rule that states no trade vans? I despise snobbery like this and would probably end up taking the nuclear option on him.

April O Neill

COYW wrote: »

Totally agree with both of you. Galway and Mayo seems to breed the worst of them, from my experience. Women from the Gaeltacht areas are the worst of the worst.

This comment carries snobbery itself.

April O Neill

kylith wrote: »

I know a guy who lives in an estate that wont allow trade vans to park inside the gates of the estate overnight

What authority does he have to do that?

April O Neill

FTA69 wrote: »

A friend of mine hung a towel over his balcony in a new-build apartment in Cork City and the next day he had a phone call from the agency telling him that drying clothes was forbidden under the terms of his lease etc. Now it's one thing letting your garden overgrow like something out of a Vietnam film or keeping horses out the back; but drying a towel? Honest to god, the pretensious sh*te that people came out with during the boom is ridiculous.

That's pretty standard, TBH. It's fair enough, it's a bit messy looking.

Hoop66

Remmy wrote: »

I can agree with that. I know a spouse that I can't remember ever working but has a new car and all the crap paid for by her husband. She is quite pretentious and always seems to prattling on about buying the latest car or bag or whatever. The funny thing is the husband is the most down to earth blue collar guy you could ever meet and a bloody hard worker.

They don't live in Royal Terrace in Dun Laoghaire do they? Only that would describe my old neighbours perfectly.

Bits_n_Bobs

FTA69 wrote: »

A friend of mine hung a towel over his balcony in a new-build apartment in Cork City and the next day he had a phone call from the agency telling him that drying clothes was forbidden under the terms of his lease etc. Now it's one thing letting your garden overgrow like something out of a Vietnam film or keeping horses out the back; but drying a towel? Honest to god, the pretensious sh*te that people came out with during the boom is ridiculous.

That's a pretty common rule for apartment blocks, along with not sticking up satellite dishes. I don't think either are unreasonable or snobby, piles of clothes hanging up to dry draped all over balconies would just be an eyesore.

joe stodge

FTA69 wrote: »

A friend of mine hung a towel over his balcony in a new-build apartment in Cork City and the next day he had a phone call from the agency telling him that drying clothes was forbidden under the terms of his lease etc. Now it's one thing letting your garden overgrow like something out of a Vietnam film or keeping horses out the back; but drying a towel? Honest to god, the pretensious sh*te that people came out with during the boom is ridiculous.

Same here in my place, kept getting letters off the management company about putting a clothes horse out fines of €30 a time, I told them I have asthma and the damp sets it off and if they want to fine people get onto those with dogs on the balconies and lad who hung up satellite dishes before they ever get in contact with me again.

Legs.Eleven

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have found that the worst snobs in Dublin are the country people who came up from the sticks and settled

never met a true blue snobby dub

I wrote a post a moment ago agreeing with this but what I actually wanted to say was the idea that snobbery exists only in the confines of South Dublin is plain wrong. I've met some absolutely ferocious snobs outside of Dublin and you're wondering wtf they have to be snobby about.

Snobbery is the one trait I DESPISE in someone and I have no time for people like that. None.

OldNotWIse

Chris De Burgh, told my Dad he was lowering the tone of the neighbourhood when he parked his van there to carry out work. S*p

enricoh

me n a mate met this oul boy in the local hotel one evening. oul boy asks our surnames to see if we were of good social standing n what was the occasion being in the hotel.
i said we just popped in for a couple after playing pitch n putt - he told us pitch n putt was for workers! i bust my hole laughing n my mate wanted to deck him only he was ancient!

Bits_n_Bobs

As a Dub let me shamelessly divert the snobbery away from us and point to a certain set of Limerick wannabe's who holiday in Kilkee...I have never ever come across anything like them.

FTA69

That's a pretty common rule for apartment blocks, along with not sticking up satellite dishes. I don't think either are unreasonable or snobby, piles of clothes hanging up to dry draped all over balconies would just be an eyesore.

It's most unreasonable, and the type of gobsh*te that would actually pick up the phone in order to rat on a neighbour over a towel is exactly the type of person alluded to in the OP.

ToddyDoody

Are these idiots good for the economy though? They may well be. in which case, this self-appointed watchdog, who, I might add, has lived in the area all her life, continue with her mission?

fishy fishy

Dostoevsky wrote: »

So, two days ago our neighbour decided to approach another neighbour. The other neighbour, a couple, are absolutely sound. We have never had any problems with them in all their years here. However, recently he has lost his job and has started a new job. That new job entails his driving a ... van.

Our complaining neighbour (who doesn't work, but whose husband has a so-called prestigious job) decided that this van was, as she put it, "lowering the tone" of the neighbourhood. We were trying to be nice to her and discouraging her from saying anything, as we've known her for decades and she "has her ways" (to put it euphemistically).

Nevertheless, she approached them and told them she'd prefer if they didn't park that van in this area. She told us yesterday morning about her approach, and we fell out with her especially when she, by her own admission, said to the couple "the neighbours have been saying...". We went next door and said to them that we had nothing to do with this. We just felt so sorry for that couple (who, as it happens, are not Irish) and so ashamed of what our neighbour (who, as it happens, is Irish) had done. The fact that they weren't Irish made us feel more guilty for some reason.

I'm at a loss to understand why people do such things. My personal impression is that such people are usually women of a certain type - not working, living financially off the work of a close relative, and usually have attained very little personal achievement so try to live their "success" and sense of self through the achievements of people connected with them. This is perhaps a bad generalisation, but it is my experience.

---

What's your worst experience of snobs?

do you mind me asking - is this rotten neighbour of yours a bit of a "bogger" (excuse the expression), who, married into "money" and therefore looks down her nose at everybody who isn't on her "level" now even though she came from the ar*hole of nowhere.

I know a few of these people - funnily enough their OH's (who would be the "rich" half of the marriage) are usually sound people and would treat people with respect - its the hair brained attitude of the "I married into money, I'm better than you" other halfs that need to be laughed at.