If guns were legal in the UK, would you own one?
I think the question should be framed as If a wider variety of firearms were allowed for ownership in the UK without an insane amount of bureaucratic procedures making it only possible for rich people to own them..... To answer your question, I would definitely blow some of my hard earned pay on the hand guns and rifles I like, along with associated ammunition, magazines and cleaning gear. A Glock 17 or 19 with two magazines would be a logical starter choice. This is because I unapologetically love firearms as much as other men (or boys) adore fast cars, comic books, mobile devices and sports. Also, as a student of military history and combat studies I would appreciate owing weapons that are associated with the organizations I read about, especially if they have historical significance. The single or double barrelled snap open shotguns which are allowed in the UK (if you can be bothered with the paperwork) have no military or police application or association. When not going to the range, I would keep them locked up in a safe even though there are no young children in my house, so as to prevent theft. I would prefer not to carry a firearm when going out, even if concealed. It would oblige me to wear a coat all the time to cover the holster. Shoulder holsters are not very comfortable to wear and my weapon would still peep out if I raised my hands to retrieve bags from a train's overhead rack, creating undue panic. As for use, I would prefer to just use firearms for target practice at a range against defenseless paper targets. I would also undergo tactical courses for movement and quick aim drills. If there was a break in I would prefer to smack the burglar with a blunt instrument and save him for the cops, rather than bust a cap up his ass. Cleaning up spilled blood would a tedious hassle and I would hate to put a hole through my TV or computer!!!
What is the cheapest way to travel from India to Europe?
If you're not an Indian citizen, the route can be done overland. In theory, the entire overland journey can be completed for free by hitch hiking or a combination of hitch-hiking and public transport if you are resourceful. This would involve a border crossing at Pakistan. Hence, being Indian poses a problem. Alternatively, one can fly to Sharjah (UAE), cross over to Iran by ferry and start the overland journey from Bandar Abbas Google MapsFerry Transport in Persian Gulf | Iran Traveling Center If you're white, people would be more than happy to give you free rides in Asia. At least outside of big cities. Not sure how it would be for an Indian but I guess it would be almost the same.Note: above travel times are indicative only. Naturally, you wouldn't be able to cover 3600 km in 1 day and 17 hours by road.You would have to pay for visas, food and accommodation en route which would eventually add up to the price of a regular flight ticket anyway but an overland journey like this would be epic and far more enriching than sitting in a plane. That being said, flights into EU from India are really not that expensive these days. Normally the cheapest flights into EU from India are to Paris, Frankfurt and Madrid. A good deal would be around ₹ 30,000. These rates are not that hard to come across. The other way to do it is to keep tracking airfares on a near daily basis. I have seen flights into Spain from Mumbai for as low as Rs. 20,000 ($US 300) round-trip. But these are quite rare and very hard to come by and they disappear quickly.If your aim is to do it the cheapest possible way, you also need to be the most flexible with your plans.Here's an inspiring story: 111 days, 11 countries, 1 family | Condé Nast Traveller India
Should we give money to beggars?
Thanks for asking Sravani,NO, we should not give money to healthy street beggars.My dad taught me this with a live demonstration in 2012.I was in my final year engineering. One random day, we (me and dad) went out to get some groceries.Grocery store was nearby so we didn’t take any vehicle. Another reason being, we loved those walk and talk chit chats.So, we got what we wanted and started marching back home. We then noticed a street beggar asking money to every person passing by . His clothes were bad but he was looking healthy with two legs, two hands and two eyes and perfectly functioning ears.I asked my dad, “shall we give him something?”.Dad replied, “Never give money to beggars who can work hard and earn their bread.”Before I asked him “why?”, he went to the beggar and gave him Rs 50 and said, “Have a good meal”. (Back then, Rs 50 was good enough to get a full meal from a decent canteen/mess.)That beggar gave some blessings in return.My dad came to me and said, “Let’s go.”I asked my dad, “Why did you give him money?” .Dad said, “If I said, he’ll waste that money for buying booze, you won’t believe me. Now let’s wait there (next street). Just see what happens.”We waited for 5 minutes in the nearby street. That beggar made his move. Counted his money and went to a wine shop.Dad then said,“If you notice any healthy beggar asking you for money, don’t give him money.”“If you really feel any beggar is helpless like handicapped or old, offer him/her a meal or give them clothes or medicines”“If you find someone saying, I lost my wallet, I need to go to X place, I need some money, offer him a bus ticket. Then you’ll notice he’s a fraud.”However, if you find a known(humble) person in trouble. Don’t think twice to help him out.After helping him out, don’t expect anything in return.