Cultural Differences - Badass V Arse

There are some days that I barely see the differences between the US and the UK, and there are other days, like today, when it's embarrassingly apparent.

I've watched countless re-runs of Cops and SWAT and Dog the Bounty Hunter and America's Most Wanted etc and, more often than not, the shows are filled with hardened criminals running from the authorities, stealing cars and driving at breakneck speeds down the American Highways, taking hostages, committing armed robberies, assaulting their wives with pool cues, dealing crack and being chased down by dogs -- or even The Dog himself. In short, wow, exciting stuff.

Then I glance over the top of my OU textbook and catch a glimpse of Street Crime UK where a lanky teen sticks two fingers up at a policeman and gets arrested for it. 'I can't be sure, but he called me a bastard,' says Mr Policeman at the front desk down at the nick. And in the next video, a student from Sheffield passes out blind-drunk in front of a Kabab shop. Erm, is it wrong that I smiled fondly and thought 'that's our boys'?

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