Bashing The Poor

[miss_s_b]

I see George Osborne is still using the resentment-stoking and ridiculous stereotype of the hard-working person seeing their neighbour's curtains shut in the morning. Reasons people might have their curtains shut:

- they work nights
- they suffer from migraine/porphyria/photic sneeze reflex/other light-based health issue.
- they keep reptiles or other forms of pet that need light regulation
- they're photographers and have a dark room
- they're sick of nosy, besuited neighbours peering in at them getting dressed every morning.
- they died of starvation some weeks ago

I bet you lot can think of more.

Comments

[drunkwriter]

- they have oodles of high value consumer goods that they don't want to advertise to burglars.

- they (and this is my own personal reason, from the days when I even had curtains) are a bit lazy and don't much see the point of opening them at all in the winter months when they leave and return to the house in darkness and the curtains help keep some heat in.

[miss_s_b]

Yup, both of those are good.

[bagpuss]

They all seem like very reasonable reasons to have the curtains shut, I am not sure I believe you ;)

[miss_s_b]

In my personal case it's because I haven't moved out of bed for the last two days (aside from to visit the loo) due to horrible lurgy.

[bagpuss]

again perfectly reasonable, I tend to leave the curtains open mostly because light doesn't prevent me from sleeping and I am lazy

It would be nice if certain sectors of society thought beyond the they just didn't try hard enough stereotype of the poor

[miss_s_b]

I think certain people have started to believe their own demonising bullshit.

[drunkwriter]

Well of course they believe it, it's one of the core principles of their nasty ideology.

[lizw]

I keep mine permanently closed due to a combination of health and pet issues: the DSPD means I prefer curtains thin enough to let the light in to wake me up; this also allows me to keep them closed during the day to minimise glare, as recommended by my optician because my eyes are unusually sensitive to it; and it helps reduce draughts, which is important for the budgies.

Some of my reasons

[andrewhickey.info]

They're working from home, and not wearing anything on the top half of their bodies, and the last time they opened the curtains while topless a (possibly-psychotic) neighbour started screaming and threatening violence.

They don't particularly want to advertise what times of day they're in or out in a high crime area.

The view from the window is just a neighbour's car and the terraced house a few feet opposite, and not really worth looking at.

They just can't be bothered.

They don't want to and it's not anyone else's business.

[innerbrat]

They have to leave at 6 and haven't prioritised "open all the curtains in a soon to be empty house" as part of their busy morning routine.

[pmoodie]

I often keep the curtains shut during the summer so the sun can't melt my telly. It's at the window, you see.

[(Anonymous)]

The neighbours are vampires. (Quite plausible if you live at 11 Downing Street.)

[rmc28]

Don't forget the "lifestyle on benefits" crap too. My brother has been supporting a lifestyle on benefits for about 3 years and it sucks.

[sir_guinglain]

Additionally, there are areas of the country where much of the economy depends on multiple benefit payments going through, and have done for thirty years or more. The politicians are aware of this. I have family members in such areas, many of whom are on benefits. It is not a way to live, I agree.

[bagpuss]

Yeah, friend who has a severely disabled child who because one benefit went up but about £60 two other benefits go down by £25 or so plus a whole other round of painful paperwork

[rhythmaning]

They like irritating fuckwit politicians who should think before they open their mouths!

[shishmish]

Anyone who does question why someone has their curtains closed in the mornings whilst they're on their way to work need to keep their nose out of everybody's business.

That and I never end up opening my curtains because I can't be fucked. Yeah, I'm lazy so what xD

[magister]

Because it was dark when I left the house at 7 am and I'd only have to shut them when I got home at 7.30 pm when it'd be dark again.

Because keeping them shut annoys nosy fuckers who think this kind of thing matters and has anything to bastard well do with them.

[sir_guinglain]

Unnecessary, nasty, ultimately counterproductive from the point of view of public policy if not to shoring up the Conservative vote, and dividing the country according to the prejudices celebrated by the Daily Mail.

[lilysea]

Because opening the curtains hurts their hands/wrists (anyone with arthritis, RSI, chronic hand/wrist pain.)

Because keeping the curtains closed keeps the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer = lower electricity bills.

Because their indoor-only cat is distressed by seeing neighbourhood cats outside the window.

[gwenhwyfaer]

Anyone who ever asks me that will get the unadorned response "Because of people like you".

Also, the one time I thought I didn't need curtains on my back window, some fucker climbed through it and made off with my TV and DVD. Took me a while before I actually felt able to leave the house again, let alone open curtains. (Thanks to insurance I ended up making out on the deal, but still...) And of course, where I live now the windows are draughty as hell. I keep curtains permanently closed over my inner doors too, but apparently that's OK.

I wonder how much the mindset that tuts at people not opening their curtains is the same mindset that wants to read the intimate details of everything everyone does online?

[(Anonymous)]

Because they sewed their own curtains and like the pretty fabric.

Because the pole is badly put up and touching the curtains in any way might bring the whole thing down.

Because if the curtains were open one might accidentally see a Tory in the street.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh yes, the sight of Tories in the morning! Frightful.

If someone is unemployed, it is very sensible of them to sleep in and conserve their energy and heating bill. (Because the JSA won't cover it).

[(Anonymous)]

Like my husband, they might have a form of visual impairment that means they have to have full control of all ambient light in order to see anything at all. The constantly changing light levels from the windows are impossible to deal with and have to be excluded.

But thanks for making passers by assume we're pond life, Mr Osborne. Especially those of us who actually helped your useless, sycophantic party to get into government in the first place, believing that you would stand against the demonization of the poor and disabled.