Where's the EU?

So I work in a duty free shop in an airport.

We sell a lot of alcohol, at some pretty good prices. With just one catch.

To buy alcohol anywhere in the EU, you have to pay duty. It's just the law.

However, since we also have flights travelling outside the EU, we do sell the duty free kind - but you have to flying to certain countries to buy it. This invariably leads to all sorts of ranty moaning about how 'we bought it at this price last time' or 'Poland's not in the EU - they don't use the Euro'. (to which the standard response is 'neither do we, and we're in the EU'. That spins them right out.)

The other night we had a bloke in trying to buy alcohol. Wasn't sure what he was allowed. The conversation went something like this:

"Am I travelling outside the EU?"

"I don't know. Where are you going to?"

"Newcastle."

*facepalm*

Intellectual snobbery - an introduction

So, what do I mean by that? I certainly don't mean that I look down on anyone who isn't university educated. I have a degree, and a postgrad, and I work in a shop for a little above minimum wage. Educational level really means nothing.

What I mean is "English: it's your own fucking language - try learning to use it properly!"

What I mean is "Is it just me or are parents teaching their children absolutely nothing these days?"

What I mean is "Whatever happened to common sense?"

When did ignorance become something to be proud of? I take part in a lot of quizzes, and I'm amazed the number of times I hear people laughing about how thick they are. Not in a "oh I'm really thick, I should be ashamed" way, but in a "look at how little I know, isn't it great?" way. Don't be proud of knowing nothing, you ignorant fuckwit.

Case in point:

I live in Weston super Mare, which is affectionately and quite accurately known as Weston super Mud. There is a beach, but the sea is basically a large mudflat. Every single year there is at least one major rescue by the coastguard. Some idiot thinks they'll go for a paddle, and doesn't realise until they're knee deep in what might as well be quick-drying cement that a paddle might not have been the best idea.

Yesterday a couple of students decided to celebrate exam period by taking a couple of dinghies out on the sea. I say dinghies, but these were the little toy kind you use in swimming pools. Essentially lilos. They were carried out to sea and had to be rescued.

One of them was interviewed by the BBC this morning, and was obviously asked why she thought it was a good idea to take a toy out to sea. Her response? "They were selling them on the beach, so we thought it would be alright".

As I believe the saying goes: Oh. Emm. Gee.

Seriously, is it me?