But I thought they banned drugs and illegal guns in the UK. How could this have happened? Don't those people know having those things is ILLEGAL?

You'd think Coventry would be a little sensitive to explosions.

Everyone knows it's only illegal if you get caught.

when fireworks are illegal only criminals will have fireworks!

I thought guns were not allowed in Britan, Oh that's right it's toothbrushes!!

Phil Moskowitz: You'd think Coventry would be a little sensitive to explosions.

Ouch. LOL.

I met three chicks from Coventry while in Madrid. Crazy they were.

Obligatory

laars: I thought guns were not allowed in Britan, Oh that's right it's toothbrushes!!

I just peeeed a little laughing

Wait - this is after they lost the disc containing all the details on every family in Britan???? (from TFTA)

First of, the disk? It only took one?

And... the article says THEY FARKING LOST IT????????

Jeez - in America, that would never happen.

/the part about that being reported, that is.

HMRC is shiate (clicky-pop).

Crosshair: But I thought they banned drugs and illegal guns in the UK. How could this have happened? Don't those people know having those things is ILLEGAL?

Hence the items concerned having been seized by Customs on their arrival on British soil ?

It's funny how this and the "data CD" affair point straight to the Chancellor's office, and that those two things happened shortly after Gordon Brown became PM and Alistair Darling became Chancellor.

I don't think the world will have to deal with a "Prime Minister Darling". Another slip-up and he'll be pushed to resign.

Crosshair: But I thought they banned drugs and illegal guns in the UK. How could this have happened? Don't those people know having those things is ILLEGAL?

Perhaps RTFAing would dispel your confusion.

FarkinNortherner: Hence the items concerned having been seized by Customs on their arrival on British soil ?

That sound you heard was my sarcasm sailing over your head. I'm poking fun at the draconian laws that the UK has in regards to guns and drugs. (Though to be fair we have quite a few draconian laws in the US as well.) Not to mention the. "Stop or I'll say stop again." type policing system that they have and a massive array of CCTV cameras that is of unquestionable benefit.

So, Crosshair, you enjoying criticising a nation you know nothing about?

USA farkers - please, leave the UK alone. For the most part, we are happy enough as we are.

Aley: So, Crosshair, you enjoying criticising a nation you know nothing about?

Ah, I know quite a bit about the UK thank you. Just one example is your draconian gun laws and skyrocketing crime rate demonstrating why gun control laws are a bad idea. Your country showed the world what happens when you try to "compromise" with the gun banners and others like them. The only compromise they know is to lie and break promises until they have gotten what they want at the expense of others.

Your country serves as a prime example to others of what NOT to do.

I could go on and talk about other topics as well, but my original point was one of sarcasm and that apparently has been missed by many.

Crosshair: Your country serves as a prime example to others of what NOT to do.

And yet still, your gun murder rate is at least 50 times as high as ours. Go figure.

Crosshair:
Your country serves as a prime example to others of what NOT to do.

Whoop-de-doo for you.

I could go on and talk about other topics as well

Please don't. Why would you want to? Why did you bother saying anything in the first place? We don't care. Drop it. Etc. Sigh.

wombat18: And yet still, your gun murder rate is at least 50 times as high as ours. Go figure.

Go look at your other crime rates.

Burglary (per capita)
#7 United Kingdom: 13.8321 per 1,000 people
#17 United States: 7.09996 per 1,000 people

Car thefts (per capita)
#3 United Kingdom: 5.6054 per 1,000 people
#9 United States: 3.8795 per 1,000 people

Murders (per capita)
#24 United States: 0.042802 per 1,000 people
#46 United Kingdom: 0.0140633 per 1,000 people

Rapes (per capita)
#9 United States: 0.301318 per 1,000 people
#13 United Kingdom: 0.142172 per 1,000 people

Robberies (per capita)
#8 United Kingdom: 1.57433 per 1,000 people
#11 United States: 1.38527 per 1,000 people

Total crimes (per capita)
#6 United Kingdom: 85.5517 per 1,000 people
#8 United States: 80.0645 per 1,000 people

Believe in police efficiency
#1 United States: 89%
#6 United Kingdom: 72%

OK, so the only things we beat you in is that people in the US tend to Rape and kill each other more. However, other types of crime are higher in the UK than in the US. We even have you beat in believing in our police force.

The stats show that we only have a murder rate that is 3 times that of yours. Also note that even the US is #24 in per capita murder rate so we are far from being the worst in that area.

The US is nowhere near being a crime free utopia. Also note that the government in the UK also admitted to fudging the official crime statistics so the numbers are even more in favor in the US.

/Stats gathered from http://www.nationmaster.com (new window)

wombat18: Crosshair: Your country serves as a prime example to others of what NOT to do.

And yet still, your gun murder rate is at least 50 times as high as ours. Go figure.

Also keep in mind that the majority of murders are criminal on criminal ... usually over drug/money/turf disputes. Not that we miss any of the victims or anything.

When you break down the massive number of gun deaths in our country, 57% represent suicides (who pick guns out of convenience, you can't stop someone from comitting suicide), and about 38% are homicides.

The remainder consists of accidents (usually Darwin at work, nothing I would consider too much of a loss).

I have no idea where they account for justified shootings by law enforcement and concealed carry permit holders, but I'm sure their listed under homicides, making that number even less effective.

I wouldn't say that our gun situation is all that tragic.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/data/timely0604injuries.pdf

the disks to every family in britain??

What I'm trying to figure out is exactly how they have a place to hold that stuff at Coventry Airport. Last time I went through there the plane did a U-turn on the runway and then we had to wait while the plane in front of us cleared customs because there wasn't enough room for two planeloads to wait in line at once outside the arrivals hall.

But, hey, now I know where the Coventry Guns & Ammo store is.