I have written before about how tolerant people are “on the cut” (by the canals). I meet so many different people with so many different backgrounds and almost without exception they will engage in conversation about how their day is going, where they are heading, and anything to watch out for. Chatting by locks is one of my favourite things.
But I posted something into a boaters’ group on Facebook this week and it got so many angry responses. Here is what I wrote:
“I am so disappointed with Birmingham. We came through last about 15 years ago and it was a smart city of well maintained canals. Yesterday we boated up the Grand Union amd Birmingham & Fazeley. It was so different. Canals shallow and full of rubbish. Lock gear stiff or broken. Graffiti everywhere including wet paint on the locks. Drug users not even making an attempt to hide. And almost no boats which is not surprising but I guess makes things worse. All towns have their dodgy areas but I am not sure we found any non-dodgy areas. Maybe Gas Street Basin is still nice?”
I had one really useful response noting that the particular route I had chosen went through the most deprived areas and that the west and central canals were much nicer. I had a few helpful comments that people liked the graffiti and that the picture undermined my argument. They are right. My bad. I hadn’t taken pictures of all the paint on the locks, the rubbish in the canals, the druggie inhaling nitrous from a balloon.
But most of the comments were shouty and angry. What did I expect after ten years of Tory underinvestment? It was all the fault of not supporting the police. Why do we not hear English voices anymore (yes really!). And one particularly vituperative diatribe saying that if I was so negative I should go back to living on land. All of this in a Facebook group called “The Friendly Narrowboaters and Waterways Group”.
You know how much I love my life on the waterways of Britain. I see so much beauty, so much variety, so much nature, so many fascinating buildings. And I know that if I met these people on the cut we would have a right old chin wag about how sad it is that this part of the network has run down. So why on social media do they get so angry?
For balance, here is me in my happy place, coming across the longest aqueduct in England this week:
Pete's Blog 
There are probably in depth scholarly studies on this but I suspect it is the relative anonymity of social media. In the same way, I’ve found some people to be very bigoted about one group of people or another but are very polite when they meet a single person of that minority face to face. The troubling question is – which is the “real” personality? Is anonymity bringing out their true feelings?
I think we have to realise it’s nothing comparable to our past.
If you compare it to a chat with someone in a pub, you’d both be mic’d up and the whole pub would listen in and comment.
And by it’s nature it’s polarising… not enough space for consideration of opposing views. It’s not conducive to a conversation and learning from others. You dive in, make your point and want others to agree with your assertively made point.I find DM’s on twitter best when I get into a conflict. Most of the time you end up finding a common ground or consensus. You have a typed and quick conversation. Posting isn’t really designed for conversation.
It’s hard but don’t take offence, people are generally kind, but your post triggered a reaction and be honest, you probably wanted some.
Makes sense. And yes I did want a response.