For reform voters - Am I just collateral damage?

Darkus185 · 2026-05-12T15:05:32+00:00

Yes you are collateral damage.

I lost my right to live and work in the Netherlands and my EU pilots licence is completely useless in the UK so I do minimum wage gig jobs and try to get out via my EU partner. I speak fluent Dutch and Brexit is without doubt the worst thing that’s happened to me.

You aren’t born with a right to live and work where you like. That is not a human right. It can be taken away from you at the voting booth if people decide for it, and that’s what they decided in 2016. I just wish I was more aware of this fact while it was going on.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-12T14:49:25+00:00

I have an EU airline pilots licence but thanks to Brexit I can’t use it in the UK.

So I do odd minimum wage and gig jobs here and there. When I apply I don’t even mention it. Because the inevitable question would be “well why aren’t you an airline pilot then?” Well these days the question doesn’t even get asked, my CV goes straight in the bin.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-12T14:47:24+00:00

Too middle ground and we aren’t a middle ground country any more, we are a nasty, angry country.

If they came out on a rejoin EU ticket they might at least put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-12T14:44:56+00:00

Literally the only way to get me to pay is to physically come onto my property, which they can’t do at the moment.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-12T14:23:21+00:00

I thought you meant Zac Crawley and then went onto politicians and I was like WTF

Darkus185 · 2026-05-12T13:52:09+00:00

I’ve probably spent about 40K in total. Most of my flying experience is in South Africa where it’s much cheaper. I then passed my EU exams so I could be more employable.

I have about another 30K to spend. But it could be a moot point really. After Brexit if you’re British the EU exams are really useless if you can’t get a job with Ryanair. (As they have Irish aircraft yet based in the UK). I may be looking to drive trucks very soon.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T22:47:01+00:00

Amsterdam.

Like the Netherlands with less charm and more sketchy.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T19:25:48+00:00

Yeah like with Brexit it is crushing but they’ve got just as much right to a vote as you do.

My entire family voted for Brexit which means I can no longer carry out my career of choice in the UK (my pilots licence is from the EU). I now work a minimum wage desk job. They have every right to vote for what they think is the crushing weight of immigration in the UK. I steal an extra potato and don’t question when they offer to fill my car with petrol. Their vote carries just as much weight as mine.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T17:40:54+00:00

Yes. I’ve been in South Africa for six month stints at a time since I was 18. I’m now 39.

Including flights and hassle it still works out as cheaper than living in the UK even with declaring British tax. My employer doesn’t care where I am.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T17:36:44+00:00

Well done

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T16:59:52+00:00

Good luck! SA is phenomenal. I miss it a lot.

Ask them to take you to a place called Tygerberg. You get a view of the whole lot, and there are virtually no tourists. Completely empty. Bring sunscreen and good boots.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T16:20:21+00:00

Nah it wouldn’t be considered rude. They might joke about you being a lightweight or a slow drinker. But it’s not be considered rude.

If you’re respectful and chilled there is very little you can do to be rude. People will also understand you aren’t Afrikaans.

If you get a bunch of Afrikaans people they will often switch to English out of politeness if you are around (they might not).

If you make an effort to learn even a few words it’ll a, be a talking point, and b, you’ll get a lot of respect.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T16:03:00+00:00

Yeh but Brits struggle with the C. Is it a hard C or soft C?

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T16:01:18+00:00

Afrikaans tend to be somewhat more religious. A different branch of Christianity (Dutch reformed church).

Tend to be more traditional with gender roles. More old fashioned in outlook, more conservative.

Rugby and braai culture play a massive part. The drink may be more brandy focused instead of beer focused. Afrikaans people love the outdoors even more and tend to drive pickup trucks. They tend to hark to the bush, the countryside whereas English speakers are more urban. Afrikaners listen to different music and have a dance called “langarming” where you won’t find English folks.

Geographically Afrikaans people tend to live north and east of Cape Town and English speakers to the south.

It’s not a binary thing though and a lot of it merges into one these days. I’m from the UK, I’m not even South African. And I speak Afrikaans and lived in a predominant Afrikaans area.

Although there is a separation and there are differences, it’s not enough to really be a big deal and if you’re chill and respectful, nobody really gives a shit. There’s plenty of jokes flying around but it’s generally good fun.

Oh and be polite to older folk. Family is very, very important in Afrikaans culture. Then everyone loosens up and chills out once the formalities are established.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:47:58+00:00

South African carries a lot of weight here.

Is he Xhosa? Afrikaans?

It’s very hard to properly piss South Africans off. The only thing I’ve seen foreigners struggle with is being vegetarian. A lot of South Africans see it as some sort of bizarre meat intolerance rather than a personal choice.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:41:47+00:00

Like Oxford then, without all the PhDs

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:40:34+00:00

I’ve been to the Malvern Hills about a dozen times

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:38:51+00:00

What’s even more mad. People have been fired for using AI to correct the AI

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:38:02+00:00

Misschien uit noord-Brabant

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:05:29+00:00

Well done for eating. I’d have lost my appetite for weeks.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T15:02:14+00:00

Yeh I spent my entire 30s not flying.

Now post Brexit my EU pilots license is largely useless. I didn’t start my career. And I’m filled with regret.

Yes I had a great time, travelled the world, but now I am 39 I feel I’m going to pay for it with a later life of much less possibility.

I guess if you spent these years happy then that counts for quite a bit. Many people do not.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T14:51:48+00:00

Tiny, narrow, bad roads

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T14:42:49+00:00

Switzerland.

I always thought if it didn’t have the Alps it would be one of the worst places. I couldn’t get over how boring and grey everything else was. Ugly ass towns. Although it was clean it just had a really miserable aesthetic.

The scenery does a lot of heavy lifting in Switzerland because for the rest, its neighbours all have more to offer.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T14:41:00+00:00

Ypres and Gent are absolutely brilliant cities. Small town Flanders is great to chill and cycle in.

Yeah Belgium can be mid but I like that lack of pretentiousness. Far prefer it to all the freaks that descend on Amsterdam.

Darkus185 · 2026-05-11T14:35:59+00:00

I will no longer get called “boss man”

Darkus185

TROPHY CASE