Middle Class Area= No Bonfire, Working Class Area= Burn The Whole Thing Down

im sorry, i seem to be the only person who thinks its weird that starting at a fire is considered fun.

Damn those working class scumbags.
How dare the ordinary working man partake in a yearly tradition. I'm shocked and appalled by the whole idea of communities getting together on one night of the year.

Complete scum. I'm willing to bet that all those working class people are unemployed too.

So here we are in the middle of the worst recession the country has ever seen and people who work (the working class) are considered scum.

Kudos, AH. You never fail to astound me.

Oh, you didn't mean working class?
You meant poor people?
Well why don't you just come out and say poor people instead?

I've worked all over this country and one thing was constant on every job. When I was working in an upper class area, we were treated like **** and the people we worked for were tight as fúck. They would count how many tiles they needed. They never factored in breakage or flawed tiles. They'd nearly have a shít haemmorage when we would run out of tiles. They would also go to the most expensive tile shop in their area and buy the cheapest tile.
They would keep the door open and watch us like a hawk. I think they thought we were going to steal something.
We'd just laugh it off. I mean, when you're getting €800 for a day's work, it's not like you need to steal stuff. Plus it was usually just tacky ornaments that they would have around the house. The cheapest carpets. Walls that hadn't seen a lick of paint in years.
Then the big car in the driveway.

Working class areas were a completely different story.
They would have a fry on when we arrived. Tea every half an hour (not that we took it. It was basically a Mrs. Doyle type thing). Food from the chipper or a big dinner. No expense spared on the tiles.
Believe me when I say that some of these areas were rough as ****. I remember one job where the man of the house had a couple of sawn off shotguns and the local pub had grilles on the windows. Clondalkin is a mad place.
They still treated us like kings though and money was never a problem on any of those jobs.
A lot of them would offer payment up front (something I never take, but that's a personal thing).
If they weren't going to be home they would leave us the key. Some would leave a note telling us to help ourselves to whatever was in the fridge, or leave a score for us to get lunch.
The homes were always spotless. They might have driven crappy cars, but the inside of their houses were a completely different story.
We'd always get a tip at the end of the job too. If it wasn't money, it would be a tray of beer. ****ing salt of the earth. I really miss those jobs.

So while you all look down on us working class people, remember one thing.
I've been in your houses and I know how you live. From down here, it looks like a really crappy way to live.
Hang onto those ornaments though. The antiques roadshow might give you a few bob for them in 50 years. And remember, once you have a big car outside you big house, people will think that you're rich.

P.S. I live in a council estate. I'll root out some pictures of the view from the front of my house some day. Fantastic view.
Also, we haven't had a bonfire since 1992. Most of us were 16 or 17 at the time and we knew it would be our last year collecting for it (that's where most of the fun is had too), so we decided to go out with a bang.
It burnt for a week. The fire brigade came up the following Saturday to put it out. We didn't assault them either.

Have fun living next to drug barons, corrupt bankers, paedophile priests, corrupt politicians and the like.
I'm quite content in my scum hole. 106 houses. 15 burglaries and about 20 cars stolen in 34 years. Very few assaults and the only junkies are from neighbouring private estates (except for one, but he's been like that for about 30 years now and pretty much keeps to himself).
Life in scumtown is damn good.

Lol Terry is getting more and more vocal in his outrage.

Talking about being biased against Roma and Travellers on a different thread - and this generalisation of the middle/upper-class people? Take a chill pill man.

I think safe, controlled bonfires are the way to go. You get reckless kids throwing fireworks onto them (and almost hitting houses/spectators) - not a good idea.

On the other hand - many of the "middle/upper" class people are dressed like sluts (females obviously) - not a great image either (but at least it won't take anyone's eye out literally ).

Since when did Ireland have upper-class people anyway? The entire notion is laughable.

I live in a very working class estate in Clondalkin and there were no bonfires, no trick or treaters and very few fireworks? Wtf?

Living and growing up in Tallaght I would have to say that some generalisations are true. There were times in my teens when I was afraid to walk home and there have been more than a few murders and shootings in my area.

However it really is the scummy few who give credence to the mass generalisations. I do agree with Terry that the majority of "working class" people are extremely generous and full of community spirit. There might be some more rubbish on the streets in some areas, but then again my gf who lives in a "upper class" area hasd a street sweeper coming around once a week. I have never seen a street sweeper in my estate in 24 years.

As for the pride in the community, "upper class" areas may have nicer landscaped gardens and astheticly pleasing houses, but from my experience you never get a sense of community in these places. In my area if there's a party half the road are invited. People are always stopping and having a chat in the streets when they pass by, and on new years half the road is out banging pots and pans and then into one neighbours house for a big session.

I'm not saying this doesn't happen in more affluent areas, but from my experience it's much more visable in our poorer areas or council estates (although most people in my estate would have bought their house by now).