The Queue is sacred. Every Englishman observes the queue and will automatically subconsciously know to form one behind the person that was there before them. It’s inherent. Sometimes you skip the queue you’ll get a few stinking looks but sometimes you’ll be confronted and you can bet your bottom dollar every single person in that line will be backing the person who calls you out. It’s the same logic at pub bars. If you are at the bar and there is someone else there you make damn sure that if the bar person comes yo you first you either gesture that person was there before you OR you ask the person themselves.
Wanizame yes. Just yes. Especially the pub thing. It might not be immediately apparent, but EVERYONE waiting to be served knows where they are in the queue.
As an Aussie living in London for 18 years I’ve only found Londoners to be very friendly and helpful provided you aren’t in their face and being a social freak.
In my experience, most modern big cities are pretty much the same when it comes to people (NYC, London, Paris, LA, Madrid). Very big places and everyone is in a hurry. There's not a time or real care to smile and nod to everyone you cross (sounds kind of exhausting). The kindness is passive, most people in big cities will not approach you but you'll approach them if you want their attention. In all those countries (US, England, France, and Spain) the more smaller city you go, the most warm people are outwardly.
That is the opposite of the highway of having the left as the traveling lane and the right as the overtaking lane. People would tend to want to overtake others on the right side. But what probably happened is that since a large percentage of the population is right handed and would tend to use that hand to steady themselves on moving hand belt on the escalator, the decision was made to set the right as the standing side. So the authorities would have to post that to have people go against their highway instinct.
Good point about loud conversations. If you have a room with a hundred people and only two of them are American they are the ones you are bound to hear.
Big problem here in America is when jackasses in a restaurant get on their cell phones and blab for half an hour. I get the feeling that's not such a problem in England.
You forgot a super important faux pas: stopping RIGHT before or RIGHT after the barriers in the tube to take out/put away your Oyster card/daily tube card. This one drives me MENTAL.
G B one of the worst of ill mannered, especially when the parents are nearby to correct Them (if they were ever taught good manners by their parents in the first place)!
A couple more from an Irish man who has lived in London for 25 years... If you are on a busy bus/train/tube, take off your backpack and keep it at your feet. It allows more people to get on. If you need to stop in a busy street, do it to the side. Not in the middle of the pavement/sidewalk. Please don’t take it personally if you you find it difficult to engage a Londoner in conversation. We aren’t (generally) rude. Just stressed and busy. We work the longest hours in Europe and have the longest commute. That’s why chat is at a premium.
The line cutters get me every time. I almost got my butt kicked by a woman in Chicago because I actually said something to her. It’s just so rude and inconsiderate!!!
I’m a volunteer tour guide at two historic houses in the North of England and enjoy meeting groups of American tourists. For me their greatest Faux Pas is the habit of ignoring the real history and wanting to talk only about movies. If I mention a movie that was shot there, they become awestruck.
Something that is commented on often is that tourists sometimes forget that the guards outside St. James's Palace and Horse Guards in Whitehall are real, trained soldiers, not Disney characters. If you get in their way they won't stop. Also, don't try to touch their drawn swords. It's disrespectful and dangerous. They may be on Ceremonial duties but they have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We Britons tend to excel in passive aggressiveness - we will quietly seethe with absolute rage, but we're too polite to actually do anything about it. On the odd occasion if you push in, unless you're with family and friends, you will probably be told where the queue actually starts i.e. move to the back of the queue it really isn't worth the aggro. or a trip to the hospital... The conversation thing is regional Londoners tend to be a bit stand-offish whereas here in Sheffield we tend to enter in to conversation with anyone - it's usually a limited conversation at a bus stop etc. or just to say good morning to a passing stranger. As you move round the UK you tend to find people have different attitudes toward engaging with their fellow citizens and you've just got to roll with it.
My fellow Steel City man! True, too. I have random conversation in shops all the time. Something done more by Northerners than Southerners and more by everyone than Londoners.
@@pelicanofpunishment6 I was on a train today stood for over three hours mind you and I had several conversations with complete strangers. Most of them were northerners and Scots.
@@djahallam5401 it's anywhere north of the Watford Gap that friendliness starts to kick in. Although with a user name like Hallam you sound more like a Sheffielder to me.
Been to Sheffield a few times (nice people, accent & city), people always picked up on the Surname. Birmingham born and bred but my branch comes from East Mids, Nottingham/Derby way.
You are really intelligent. I'm English and wish I'd watched this before i moved to London. Not a faux par but I'd add that the police and officials in general are very friendly and helpful. My Dutch friend was smoking a spliff when we asked for directions. The policeman gave us directions and pointed out he wasn't allowed to smoke it.after first offering the cop a go on it he realised the issue and dropped it. Cop laughed and told him to make sure it was out before he put it in the bin, not the pavement.
1:10 the same happened to me but in the US during my first visit as a tourist. It’s was in a Home Depot in LA. As I finished shopping I went straight to the checkout desk and started paying, when I saw in my peripheral vision a huge, long L-shaped cue to this very checkout. I guess they all realized I was a silly tourist from a third world country and simply let me do my thing, without saying a word. Americans are the nicest, most polite and easy to talk to people I’ve ever met. I worked in Malaysia and in Ireland after that for a few years. These days I live between Dublin and Bristol, UK and I still think Americans are the nicest people on the planet.
Americans are always very noticeable abroad because in cafes/restaurant EVERYONE hears what their conversation is about!!! But the Spanish are also very loud and even talk at the same time. We British generally talk at a volume that only our table can hear although this can change with the amount of alcohol consumed!!! Enjoyed the clip!
lestorhaslam thank you for that!! As I do the same thing when I met English people. This happens mainly when I’m at Disney World!! They have always been extremely friendly and curious about where im from in the US.
I live in London and never knew the cutlery thing, it explains a lot LOL. And the 'not wanting to talk' thing is very much a London thing, up North it's the opposite - you'll never get rid of them if you start.
I think we just have stressful jobs and are talking to people all day and around people all day.. .SO MANY PEOPLE, so we just want some peace on the way home.. nothing personal.
If you are busy and rushed - and most London people are to afford the cost of living - the time between work is the only ‘me’ time you get to centre yourself. Having strangers talk to you randomly is an invasion of that time. People should always be polite though, rudeness is a bad habit.
Also, get out of an elevator/lift quickly. Walk quickly. Don't stop all of the sudden to take pictures. Those of you who shop at Primark, ummmm....... please, don't push people. The sale isn't going anywhere and neither will the product. This goes for every tourist.
Jess I swear, your content is spot on. I think your An American In London perspective (sorry Paris) is so unique it really does keep me watching your videos. Besides the fact that it helps me immensely in planning my 2023 trip.
There is actually an etiquette around the positioning of cutlery during a meal. Different positions mean taking a break, finished, or that the meal was excellent.
Love and London, I think with Americans, we aren’t as aware because most escalators here are quite narrow and don’t allow the space for someone to walk past you.
Max Brand True, but there are differences. For example in Sydney people standing always stay on the left side of the escalator, so it is the opposite of London.
Ithil Nin Every escalator I have been on in the US west and mid west is the same size as the ones in Sydney. Of course, in the US many many people are wider than average Australians so perhaps that is why they can't pass ;)
Mat Martin Sorry, but in France, on respecte la queue. C’est très important de faire la queue et d’attendre son tour (wait your turn). I don’t know in the south but in the north of France and particularly in Brittany where I am currently living in, we respect the queue. if you do not do it, you can have problems.
My first job was driving a Dunkin' Donuts delivery van in London. Whilst standing on the tailgate unloading at Piccadilly Circus I heard a loud brash American voice shouting out "look honey, they have Dunkin' Donuts here as well". A rather large gentleman came over to me and started taking photos of me and the van. He then proceeded to ask me if I know the Queen and Elton John. This is what not to do!
So far, I'm finding out Londoners will talk to you when it's something important, like asking for directions or even a stupid (but necessary!) question like "Why is this light yellow instead of green? Can I get on the tube?" I even had to finally ask a barista how to order coffee. The first few times, they couldn't tell what I wanted. So I had to find out the correct name for "regular coffee" and also found out I should ask for cream. People here are kind and helpful, maybe because they aren't worn down by listening to everyone's life story.
I lived in Washington DC for quite a while, all three things you mentioned for the London Tube are the same on the DC Metro. Interesting for some reason they wouldn't stand on the left and walk on the right since driving is opposite.
This kind of stuff fascinates me for some reason. I love learning about differences in countries and cultures. I do have some advice for Londoners: If you ever visit Atlanta, don't go anywhere near their subway, you will be horrified! People push their way onto the train crowding around the door when the train stops. People are loud and unruly as well. Last time I was there, I got on at the airport heading downtown. At the next stop, a young man got on with a giant boom box loudly playing hard core, profanity laced hip hop. A police officer was in the car and didn't even blink.
Boat Lover, the rule is that you travel on the left. If you are in a car you drive on the left, if you are on an escalator you walk on the left. The reason we drive on the left is because it has always been the convention. This is because when you are on horseback you want to use your right hand to wield a sword to see off highway men and other ne'er do wells, so you travel on the left of the road. It is also easier to mount a horse from its left if you are wearing a sword in a scabbard on your left hip, so you travel on the left so you don't dismount into the middle of the road.
Once you've got off the escalator move on. Seen so many get off the escalator and just stop to read the signs where to go to next and wonder why a whole lot of people have ploughed into the back of them!
The one about starting conversation with someone you don't know isn't true, It's more of a London/City thing. In smaller towns people who don't know one another, talk to each other all the time (e.g. when waiting for something) especially in the north of england.
Imagine living somewhere like London. Your personal space becomes more important to you than if you lived somewhere like the Yorkshire moors. Respecting each other's privacy kinda gets into your DNA.
Another important point is we Londoners are a little more on our guard for safety reasons....we may across as a suspicious bunch but it’s just us being cautious! I’m from the north originally and people are more relaxed and interactive with strangers there.
I've never experienced the the fork and knife thing at restaurants... I was taught to do it as a child but this is the first time I've heard that restaurants wont collect your plates. Maybe at some of the super expensive posh restaurants they do this. Most places are so interested in making money that they will want you to move on ASAP so they can get the next customers in. In my experience, they usually ask you if you are finished.
In my experience people respect the queue if the queue is just for one bus, but if you have a queue at a stop where a variety of buses arrive, the system falls apart as you dont know if any of the people in front actually want the bus that has just come, so it becomes a loose crowd which makes it hard for people to get off the bus.
I was sat on a London bus recently, in front of two excited American students. OMG the volume level and annoyingness of their convo had me move downstairs out of earshot. They were so loud!
I lived in London (as an American) decades ago and I agree with all of these recommendations. One British joke at the time was, “you ride in an elevator with an American and by the end you’ll know their life story”. To Americans who are visiting it is all very exciting, but to the Brits you are just another visiting American - and they’ve seen thousands of us over the years…. People won’t necessarily be rude if you strike up a conversation, but take cues from how l interact with each other - people generally don’t talk or interact with strangers.
To echo this great advice when I was in London for 2 weeks a few months ago (things I wished I knew): - When summoning a cab, you go up to the window and tell them driver where you want to go, he will likely say "okay, come in" but there is a chance he might say "sorry, I'm not going that way." I was used to always getting into the cab first then telling them where I want to go. -Sign the back of your credit card. One server made a cheeky remark to me about this and had to check my ID. Look into getting "tap" pay, that's very common in urban London to where some pubs don't even take cash during peak hours! -The city tends to sleep after 9pm or so. In fact, many attractions and museums close in or around 5 to 7pm. Nightclubs and pubs are open but it doesn't feel as high-night life in contrast to cities like NYC, LA, and Chicago. Might want to adjust your sleep patterns if your a night owl, at least if you wanna get the most out of the day. -People aren't cold or mean despite some belief, the kindness in London is "passive." They see it if a stranger wants directions or shoot the breeze, they assume you will approach them. I've ran into more rude/unwilling to give directions people in NYC than I did in London.
Generally speaking Black Cabs (and they don’t have to be black) cannot refuse a fare unless the driver has a safety concern or it is too far outside of the area he works within. You might be interested to know that to become an All-London taxi driver or Green badge holder they need to master no fewer than 320 basic routes, all of the 25,000 streets that are scattered within the basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and places of public interest that are located within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross which is the area more popularly known as Trafalgar Square. Their training is known as “The Knowledge” and can take between 2-3 years, often longer to complete. Use of Sat Navs is prohibited. When next in a black cab ask the driver how long it took he/she to pass The Knowledge. It’s hugely time consuming and stressful to pass this test and is one reason why they mostly hate Uber drivers who do not have to undertake this training.
Indeed and during my time I did not meet a cranky or cheecky driver. They were all friendly said "well welcolm to England!" when I told them I was a yank. Their knowledge of the city is indeed very impressive. All one guy had to do is look at the address on my phone and he said "ahh Vassall Road, very good!"
and I strongly support them too as opposed to Uber. I only used Uber there when I had to go to the airport because I was leaving from the VauxHall area and there was not many around at 6am.
save your money and get a minicab rather than a taxi....mostly tourists ride black cabs because they are extortionate and tourists wouldn't know the difference.
Better yet, if you don't have luggage, take the buses. There's nothing better in the world than sitting in the front seat at the top of the double-decker and watching the action go by below you. And they arrive at their stops every 5 minutes or so at the most -- very little waiting. The drivers are only too happy to help you find your way -- they're a credit to their city! And they're cheap -- a ride across town is 1.50 or 1.80 with an Oyster card.
Maybe it is, but us Brits just LOVE to queue (OK we don't love it, but still, we abide by the queuing rules). In other countries, perhaps people tolerate queue jumpers more!
Cerdd_Wen I think you are right, that you Brits have a higher tendency to "auto-organise" queues, eg. at bus-stops, where we more make a crowd in other countries. Maybe because we expect that everybody will get on board. But IF seeing that there is a queue (and I noticed that at bus-stops the very first time I was in the UK) I won't definitely find it rude if someone jumps it... Would love to see the lyrics for that song!
I have gotten into trouble with this. Was in a supermarket in Leeds and they were about to open a new cashier lane so I was waiting for that to open. When it did I went straight to that checkout as we might do here. I didn't know that I was supposed to let the others who has been waiting in the other line(there was only one at the time) go first as they had been waiting in their queue. Fortunately, the next guy in line realized after I apologized that I was not from the UK and I was also not well and he forgave me and let me go on. Though the cashier was making a big fuss about it. So now I stick in the cashier line I am in, no matter if another one opens unless someone working in the store directs me elsewhere.
Well the "walk left/stand right" thing by using an escalator is smart to do all over Europe I would say ...not just London...well mostly all the things mentioned in this vlog are common in whole Europe unless the cueing...and the tipping is also different on each place
Thanks for the tip about the fork and knife; I'm from The Netherlands and we usually put the fork/knife together at a diagonal angle to the right of left side of the plate, the dirty parts on the plate and the handles sticking out from our plate. Now that I think about it, it seems that putting the whole fork/knife in the middle of the plate makes the handles dirty, which the person in the kitchen then has to grab. Weird, never thought about it! So interesting to see how every country has it's own social languages :-). Thanks for your great videos!
The best point made was about being LOUD in London. No one wants to hear your conversation. The first time I took the Eurostar from Paris to London the loudest person on the train at like 9:00 AM was guess what? An American starting a random conversation with the passenger seated across from her. I would also now add avoid discussions about Brexit. Cheer from NYC.
When it is busy on the Underground I always move away from the door. It will be easier to stand, cooler and you will have first chance of a seat as soon as someone gets up. Actually, I meant to keep this tip secret!
I work in DC and I’m from London and used to work there... the metro is SO tame compared to the tube. People are so well behaved! I do Cleveland park to union station with less stress than I used to do Gloucester road to Hammersmith, which is half the distance!
Jess - I think the no talking/in a bubble is more about London and the super fast pace of life. Funny as Londoners will help anyone that needs help - went flying on the tube recently but a couple of guys grabbed me to stop me falling! Funny as where I was born (York) it's completely normal for everyone to chat to you including bus drivers, taxi drivers and just random passengers. Maybe it's because the pace of life is much different? A friend found it odd having moved from York where people welcome new neighbours to not meeting any neighbours for weeks after moving in.
Out in the countryside, at least to my experience, ppl love to have casual conversations at bus stops, on the train etc. So there's a big difference between London and the many parts of England. It is even considered slightly rude not to address other people in some places. :)
This is one of few ‘cultural differences’ videos that I have seen that actually take into account the meaning behind the customs in London. Well done 👍
I feel some North Americans could benefit from watching this video. A pet peeve of mine is when someone talks endlessly to a cashier or a bank teller about non related stuffs when their transaction is already done & there’s a long line behind them. The cashier or bank teller can’t tell the person to shut up so everyone in the queue has to suffer in silence while throwing dirty looks at the chatterbox.
This one is a huge thing with me. No one cares about the cute thing(s) your granddaughter did or if your neighbors dog just had puppies. Then they need to tell every detail.
Also -waiting to be seated in a pub or waiting for someone to come to your table for your order. You can sit down at any table that's free and always go to the bar to order your drinks.
Great film. Love the advice on queues. Us Brits know how to queue and jumping one is certainly frowned upon. I love how chatty people are when I visit the States but yes, certainly in the South East of England people don't chat to strangers.
I would have to disagree about your point that Londoners typically not engaging in conversation, this largely depends on which area you live, I know that in the east part of London it is very common to not only acknowledge your neighbours and also know their names. Even on busses, the tube or out shopping people will always talk to you. And this is a man who started off in NW then moved to E5, E8 and E6. The other common mistake you missed off the list is when using the tube during peak times is forcing your way onto the tube, like it is the last train out of hell, you only see tourists doing this - why I don’t know - when often simply waiting a minute or so for the next train where you can easily find a seat as it is not as crowded. Which makes a big difference on a twenty minute or more journey and when you get to your final destination, as I once experienced I saw a regular face, who forced their way onto a tube and had to stand on a crowded train just leaving the tube station about twenty meters ahead of me, so was it worth the effort?
Totally off topic, but I've been watching all your videos about London to help prepare for my husband and mine's upcoming trip to London at the end of this month for our 25th anniversary and I just love how a little bit of the British accent has started showing up in some of your newer videos! Thanks for all the great tips!
Very polite people in London, here in Mexico all we know most of that stuff but the majority does not follow it. It is a shame. Great video by the way.
Cutting in line in America is just as rude. Also I visited London last year, and getting off the tube, people didn't let me get off first. I had to squeeze my way out so I won't miss my stop . Walking in London felt dangerous! People were bumping in to me without saying sorry. It was like people were in a rush all the time. And on my way to Manchester from London we took the coach. I saw drunk loud men and even a fight happened. There was also a British girl talking like she had a valley girl accent on the coach. She was so loud! I was tempted to ask her to shut up! Besides my mini problems in the UK, it was awesome! I'm 11 btw😆
I was in Italy when a group of Londoners got upset at my group. They were in line to enter a museum. My group had a private tour. We bypassed the line because of this. (We had a special time/ticket). They were very upset. They called is rude Americans. Our private guide tried to explain but to no avail. They saw us a few times in the museum a few times and were quite hostile. Lol
Don't forget to give your seat up to anyone who looks like they need it more than you (eg physically disabled, elderly, pregnant..etc) and take your kids feet off the seat! Shoes are for the floor not the seats! I give up with the sheer number of apparent tourists who don't do this and it's not cool when others suffer real issues (eg an elderly person falling over) because no one thought about someone other than themselves.
In Australia, we drive on the left, like in the UK, however on the escalator, the right hand side is the fast lane. I’ve never understood that even as someone who was born and raised in Australia.
The times I've found that the folks in the UK are not quiet has been after they've indulged happily at the local pub or enjoyed a energetic soccer game or both and then get on a bus or train .... The levels a speech definitely go up... LOL!😳🍺⚽😄😃🇬🇧
One small thing I found out the hard way is this. In London and I assume other parts of England, fast food restaurants differentiate between white coffee and black coffee. When I first saw this I hadn't a clue what a white coffee was, lol, and I ordered a black coffee, for which when handed the black coffee I asked for cream. Lol. The Londoner server looked at me like I had two heads, and ask me why I didn't just order a white coffee. It was literally a term I had never heard of in my life. I'm sure that server called me a bloody tourist under her breath. I will know next time.
A lot of these rules could apply to Germany too I think (at least Bavaria 😅). Although there's definitely some cue cutting going on, esp if they open another till in the grocery store. 🧐 And although we're certainly not as polite as the British, I'd say it's not super common to start conversations with strangers either. A few days ago I started talking to another customer in a store bc I noticed she was looking to buy a suitcase too (need one for my first journey to GB 🤓). But it took her a second to recuperate from this sudden intervention before she could answer 😅. Guess I'm more used to sneaking up on strangers bc I worked in sales a lot. Always funny when you start talking and people look at you like 'wtf is happening?! ' 😂
Once I got to the 3rd, I was done....everything you mentioned is also true for Canada as well as wherever I've been in America. This is Faux Pas everywhere, not just London!
I’m going back to London for my second time this year (my last trip was during the blizzard! It made me cancel a visit to Edinburgh but I was happy to see a snowy London.) in November/December - I hope to see you around!
Thank you so much for these helpful videos!! I’m going to London for the first time this fall! I’m so excited and a little nervous 😬. But your videos help so much! Again, thank you 🙏
Whilst I love America I cringe when Americans walk into a bar or restaurant in the UK - high pitched voices with repetitive use of the words "like", OMG and awesome - aaaahhhhhhh !!!!!
I'm from the north of England and the unnecessary insertion of the word 'like' (slightly differently) is very widespread. A friend used to do it in nearly every sentence. I find Americans much more patient about trivial things like that. We Brits often look for things to grumble about.
haha, Americans on the tube talking loudly like that annoy me, Kevin Hill. I'm American by birth, but I told my British friend that if I ever sound like that to slap me lmao.
Haha, it's weird, because you'd also assume people walk/pass each other on the left side of the pavement, but they do it on the right. The escalators are reversed, though. To go down, you go to the one on the left, and the one going up to your level would be on the right.
The rule is that you travel on the right. When you drive, you drive on the left. When you are on an escalator you walk on the left. When you are walking down a road with no pavement it is safer to walk facing oncoming traffic, so you walk on the right.
I was recently in London and I was amazed at how orderly the English tend to be! I am guilty of leaning on poles. Also I am French Canadian, and I tend to be loud! Also my boyfriend is from the North of England, and he tends to be chatty with people. I noticed that this seems to be a trait there, which is very different from what I saw in London!
When I lived in the US what I was always struck by was how they use their cutlery, first sticking the fork upright into the meat then cutting it with the knife, then placing the knife down & transferring the fork to the other hand to eat the food, it’s just weird. Whereas in the UK, Australia & many European countries we use both the knife & fork at the same time, it’s just more efficient, practical & looks more refined!
I've heard this comment from so many Brits! There really is no focus on dining etiquette in the states. Even at school, we weren't allowed to use knives until high school (age 14-18), and even then, they were plastic. Also our lunches are 15-25 minutes, so it becomes more about shoving food down and less about how properly you do it. There were times in high school where I bought pizza (in the cafeteria), and because the lines were so slow/long, by the time I sat down, the lunch ladies were yelling at us to toss our food and get back to class. I had to shove a slice of pizza down in about 30 seconds, and had to toss the perfectly fresh second piece. :/
Look at it this way: It's one way of making you slow down and actually "dine", i.e.-not just to shovel the meal into one's mouth. Not a bad idea, the way in our modern lives speed always seems to be the priority. To Americans, the contrasting way definitely strikes us as less refined and uncouth. I'm reminded of the ravenously hungry stranger character in a Western movie who launches into packing his mouth with food before engaging in the slightest chit chat with the host. Yes it's an exaggeration, but nonetheless... Different strokes!
See, in the U.S., using your fork and knife like you all do doesn't look refined to Americans. It's just a different custom for a different culture. There's a lot of interesting history about how that happened. The American "cut and switch" method was originally adopted from the French in the 19th century, who were considered to display the height of elegant behavior. But eventually the French switched back to the continental method, and Americans never adopted it. Of course there is also the famous bit about how a spy's cover can be blown, if they're not using utensils the way the country does.
sllbakery funny because to the majority of the rest of us it’s the other way a round, the American method looks uncouth, the opposite of refined, it’s why it stands out so much seeing adults still eat in such a primitive way.
As a Muscovite we stand on the right side of the escalator as well and fork and knife is such a thing for me, too. I guess less possible faux pases for me then. And yeah you never lean on the pole if car is packed
Lol. I did the left escalator faux pas! It was literally my first time on a subway, so I was a bit overwhelmed & didn't notice the sign. So, I'm just looking around, enjoying what seemed like the world's longest escalator, and someone politely says "excuse me" and I move to the right and like TWENTY PEOPLE scurry up the escalator, now that they could get by! THEN I see the damn sign. I was so embarrassed! Can't believe they waited that long to tell me to move my ass! I was so embarrassed, I always stay right on escalators now, even in the US! Lol.
I worked a few minutes from St James Park, Westminster a few years ago and was approached by an American tourist at least one a week asking directions to Buck House.
Would have thought that most of these things were just common sense, and good manners! Interested to know what you do with your knife and fork when done eating, if you don't put them on the plate! You might also let people know that it's inconsiderate to sit at a table for 6 when you are alone! It's also not uncommon for someone else to come and sit at your table (at a coffee shop or something like that) if there are no other seats.
Letting people out of the train before going in is pretty much standard everywhere. Here in Montreal the STM put markings on the platform edge where the metro doors line up with arrows to let people know to stand aside to let people off the metro. So I'll be doing the same thing when riding the Tube on July 4 and 5 when we visit London. I'll also keep an eye out and if I see you, I'll come up and say hello, or Bonjour! Hi!
These are at all the same here in Germany…except one thing…. We let elderly Cut the Line…. I have had it happen a few times… also if a 70 + person gets in line at stores… just let them in front of you. You think the Tube is quiet… try Munich at 8:30…can hear a pin drop… freaks out my friends when they visit… it is crazy I must admit
The knife and fork thing. Togehter means you have finished eating. Appart means you like some more put on your plate, it's a way of asking for more without being rude and actualy asking out loud.
Excellent videos, expertly diplomatic and agree with everything. It was actually my American mother who told me to leave my knife and fork together on the plate! School here in the UK was strict about the way I held the fork and balancing peas on the back, not an easy task.
I don't think loud voices are a regional thing as much as a vintage thing. I've noticed there are no indoor voices anymore and I think I know why. Everyone has headphones on or their phones to their ears,...they have to shout to be heard. By age 30 your hearing is shot from headphones so you have to say "WHAAAAT???" to hear.
This PSA should be played on all trains and planes arriving in London. Especially the one about leaning on poles. Even Londoners do this and it drives me mad!
Very much advice for Americans. Any Aussie would know all that stuff as it’s pretty much the same in Oz, with one exception. We stand on the left on escalators.
Do you have any advice or videos for women traveling alone in London? I will be exploring the city alone during the day while my husband is working. First time in Europe.
I explored London alone, but I also had already lived in Manchester for at least a year. Act like you know what you're doing and where you're going and you should be fine. I never felt threatened even when I walked alone at night. I've found England to be a lot safer in general, than living in a very safe middle-class suburb here in America (I'd never walk alone at night here). I used to live in really "dangerous" areas in Manchester (Salford, then Hulme/Moss Side) and still felt generally safe. I was 20-24
Im currently in London for a few days...probably the best city in the world overall..i went to borough market and just had to buy those donuts you recommended..thks for all your tips very helpful!!
To sum up, be considerate.
Mark McMarkface What Americans think is considerate obviously is not good enough for the British.
Barbara, I'm American and my first thought was be considerate.
@@barbarat5729 ~Oh now, Dear; do let's not be the "triggered American", shall we ({; D ...?!
@@barbarat5729 Come on Barbara, we're not that bad; I find Americans amusing and enjoy engaging with them so that they feel welcome here.
Exactly. NYC has no idea how to be considerate. They definitely need do see this video and take notes.
The Queue is sacred. Every Englishman observes the queue and will automatically subconsciously know to form one behind the person that was there before them. It’s inherent. Sometimes you skip the queue you’ll get a few stinking looks but sometimes you’ll be confronted and you can bet your bottom dollar every single person in that line will be backing the person who calls you out. It’s the same logic at pub bars. If you are at the bar and there is someone else there you make damn sure that if the bar person comes yo you first you either gesture that person was there before you OR you ask the person themselves.
Wanizame yes. Just yes. Especially the pub thing. It might not be immediately apparent, but EVERYONE waiting to be served knows where they are in the queue.
Americans also dislike people who "cut in line." It's bad manners and marks the person as boorish.
"If the soldiers standing on a beach at dunkirk could queue. you can fuckin wait as well "
Wanizame this is a proper queue love thread. Respect. Respect the queue.
I love this in spain, on an all inclusive bar strut str8 passed the english que and get served
As an Aussie living in London for 18 years I’ve only found Londoners to be very friendly and helpful provided you aren’t in their face and being a social freak.
Yup, even though I'd say we're less approachable than, say, in the US, Londoners aren't typically rude.
With that down under accent they figure you have a knife handy.
"Now that's a knife" - Coc Dundee.
Trouble with Australians is they're impossible to dislike.
In my experience, most modern big cities are pretty much the same when it comes to people (NYC, London, Paris, LA, Madrid). Very big places and everyone is in a hurry. There's not a time or real care to smile and nod to everyone you cross (sounds kind of exhausting). The kindness is passive, most people in big cities will not approach you but you'll approach them if you want their attention.
In all those countries (US, England, France, and Spain) the more smaller city you go, the most warm people are outwardly.
_"Provided you aren’t in their face and being a social freak"_ aka American :D
Walk Left - Stand Right. Keep spreading the good word!
That is the opposite of the highway of having the left as the traveling lane and the right as the overtaking lane. People would tend to want to overtake others on the right side. But what probably happened is that since a large percentage of the population is right handed and would tend to use that hand to steady themselves on moving hand belt on the escalator, the decision was made to set the right as the standing side. So the authorities would have to post that to have people go against their highway instinct.
I work for Bart in SF bay area escalator etiquette is the same L=walk R=stand
in japan, where they also drive on the left, they stand on the left and walk on the right
The Japanese may be the smartest people on Earth. Except you have to wonder what's the fascination with celebrity blood types.
Agreed! I wish they had signs to prevent escalefters where I live.
Good point about loud conversations. If you have a room with a hundred people and only two of them are American they are the ones you are bound to hear.
So true. I cringe every time.
Big problem here in America is when jackasses in a restaurant get on their cell phones and blab for half an hour. I get the feeling that's not such a problem in England.
Italians and Spanish too ! In France, theses tourists are speaking very loud compare to us !
peerkbh honestly you will only hear Americans.
As a quiet American, I have to concede that most Americans are allowed and brass. So sorry about that
You forgot a super important faux pas: stopping RIGHT before or RIGHT after the barriers in the tube to take out/put away your Oyster card/daily tube card. This one drives me MENTAL.
yeah and at the bottom/top of escalators
Oh my gosh YESSS.
or when you’re walking in a busy tunnel and decide to just .... stop.
G B one of the worst of ill mannered, especially when the parents are nearby to correct Them (if they were ever taught good manners by their parents in the first place)!
OMFG YES!..... If there's anything that can forge murderous intent it's this
A couple more from an Irish man who has lived in London for 25 years...
If you are on a busy bus/train/tube, take off your backpack and keep it at your feet. It allows more people to get on.
If you need to stop in a busy street, do it to the side. Not in the middle of the pavement/sidewalk.
Please don’t take it personally if you you find it difficult to engage a Londoner in conversation. We aren’t (generally) rude. Just stressed and busy. We work the longest hours in Europe and have the longest commute. That’s why chat is at a premium.
The line cutters get me every time. I almost got my butt kicked by a woman in Chicago because I actually said something to her. It’s just so rude and inconsiderate!!!
lndsyvghnbubert I never saw how rude people were to one another when cutting in a line than working at a movie theater.
lndsyvghnbubert Where is it ok to cut in line?????
@@amyjacquelineg.9541 china and India
I’m a volunteer tour guide at two historic houses in the North of England and enjoy meeting groups of American tourists. For me their greatest Faux Pas is the habit of ignoring the real history and wanting to talk only about movies. If I mention a movie that was shot there, they become awestruck.
Something that is commented on often is that tourists sometimes forget that the guards outside St. James's Palace and Horse Guards in Whitehall are real, trained soldiers, not Disney characters. If you get in their way they won't stop. Also, don't try to touch their drawn swords. It's disrespectful and dangerous. They may be on Ceremonial duties but they have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yup that's a good addition!
Don't call Football 'Soccer'.
We Britons tend to excel in passive aggressiveness - we will quietly seethe with absolute rage, but we're too polite to actually do anything about it. On the odd occasion if you push in, unless you're with family and friends, you will probably be told where the queue actually starts i.e. move to the back of the queue it really isn't worth the aggro. or a trip to the hospital... The conversation thing is regional Londoners tend to be a bit stand-offish whereas here in Sheffield we tend to enter in to conversation with anyone - it's usually a limited conversation at a bus stop etc. or just to say good morning to a passing stranger. As you move round the UK you tend to find people have different attitudes toward engaging with their fellow citizens and you've just got to roll with it.
My fellow Steel City man! True, too. I have random conversation in shops all the time. Something done more by Northerners than Southerners and more by everyone than Londoners.
@@pelicanofpunishment6 I was on a train today stood for over three hours mind you and I had several conversations with complete strangers. Most of them were northerners and Scots.
I'm from the Midlands and I'll have a good old chat with anybody.
@@djahallam5401 it's anywhere north of the Watford Gap that friendliness starts to kick in. Although with a user name like Hallam you sound more like a Sheffielder to me.
Been to Sheffield a few times (nice people, accent & city), people always picked up on the Surname. Birmingham born and bred but my branch comes from East Mids, Nottingham/Derby way.
You are really intelligent. I'm English and wish I'd watched this before i moved to London. Not a faux par but I'd add that the police and officials in general are very friendly and helpful. My Dutch friend was smoking a spliff when we asked for directions. The policeman gave us directions and pointed out he wasn't allowed to smoke it.after first offering the cop a go on it he realised the issue and dropped it. Cop laughed and told him to make sure it was out before he put it in the bin, not the pavement.
1:10 the same happened to me but in the US during my first visit as a tourist. It’s was in a Home Depot in LA. As I finished shopping I went straight to the checkout desk and started paying, when I saw in my peripheral vision a huge, long L-shaped cue to this very checkout. I guess they all realized I was a silly tourist from a third world country and simply let me do my thing, without saying a word. Americans are the nicest, most polite and easy to talk to people I’ve ever met. I worked in Malaysia and in Ireland after that for a few years. These days I live between Dublin and Bristol, UK and I still think Americans are the nicest people on the planet.
Americans are always very noticeable abroad because in cafes/restaurant EVERYONE hears what their conversation is about!!! But the Spanish are also very loud and even talk at the same time. We British generally talk at a volume that only our table can hear although this can change with the amount of alcohol consumed!!! Enjoyed the clip!
I'm both Cuban and American. Uh oh
Not all Americans are loud in restaurants Some of us are introverted or brought up differently than some Americans.:)
That’s just regular polite behavior to wait until everyone exit before you enter
Peter Ustinov: '''The Englishman, wherever his is in the world, even if he is by himself....He will form an orderly queue of one!"
Norvaner Norvaner so true m8, i do it all the time, it’s a brit thing born in to us, when I travel abroad, i still take my manners with me !
@@ianmcfadden5450 Good for you, fly the flag for Britain.
True Norvaner and any true English people will fall in line behind him.
Maybe I’m not a typical Londoner but I love chatting to people, especially our Yankee cousins.
lestorhaslam thank you for that!! As I do the same thing when I met English people. This happens mainly when I’m at Disney World!! They have always been extremely friendly and curious about where im from in the US.
@@keithsnider1958 The line cutters are especially bad at Disney World, but you probably know it's the Brazilians. :)
lestorhaslam Nice ! But if we are from the Southern States in America, we don’t like to be called Yanks!!!😂😂😝
I'm sure not all Londoners are in their reputation reserved.
I live in London and never knew the cutlery thing, it explains a lot LOL. And the 'not wanting to talk' thing is very much a London thing, up North it's the opposite - you'll never get rid of them if you start.
Totally!
I live in Yorkshire and i agree 100%
I think we just have stressful jobs and are talking to people all day and around people all day.. .SO MANY PEOPLE, so we just want some peace on the way home.. nothing personal.
If you are busy and rushed - and most London people are to afford the cost of living - the time between work is the only ‘me’ time you get to centre yourself. Having strangers talk to you randomly is an invasion of that time. People should always be polite though, rudeness is a bad habit.
Also, get out of an elevator/lift quickly. Walk quickly. Don't stop all of the sudden to take pictures. Those of you who shop at Primark, ummmm....... please, don't push people. The sale isn't going anywhere and neither will the product. This goes for every tourist.
Jess I swear, your content is spot on. I think your An American In London perspective (sorry Paris) is so unique it really does keep me watching your videos. Besides the fact that it helps me immensely in planning my 2023 trip.
There is actually an etiquette around the positioning of cutlery during a meal. Different positions mean taking a break, finished, or that the meal was excellent.
Blocking the escalator is a faux pas anywhere....people are just inconsiderate and unaware of their surroundings.
I think people just aren’t aware. Not usually doing it purposefully :)
Love and London, I think with Americans, we aren’t as aware because most escalators here are quite narrow and don’t allow the space for someone to walk past you.
Max Brand True, but there are differences. For example in Sydney people standing always stay on the left side of the escalator, so it is the opposite of London.
Which seems like the logical way to do it.. the overtaking lane is the inside lane, so Sydney does it right, London not so much.
Ithil Nin Every escalator I have been on in the US west and mid west is the same size as the ones in Sydney. Of course, in the US many many people are wider than average Australians so perhaps that is why they can't pass ;)
"respect the queue" -- said no Italian, ever
Haha very true
Come here to my city and try to cut the line at the Post Office: let's see if you stay alive 😁
Yeah, not gonna get Italians to "dial down" the volume either.
said no continental European ever
Mat Martin Sorry, but in France, on respecte la queue. C’est très important de faire la queue et d’attendre son tour (wait your turn).
I don’t know in the south but in the north of France and particularly in Brittany where I am currently living in, we respect the queue.
if you do not do it, you can have problems.
My first job was driving a Dunkin' Donuts delivery van in London. Whilst standing on the tailgate unloading at Piccadilly Circus I heard a loud brash American voice shouting out "look honey, they have Dunkin' Donuts here as well". A rather large gentleman came over to me and started taking photos of me and the van. He then proceeded to ask me if I know the Queen and Elton John. This is what not to do!
So far, I'm finding out Londoners will talk to you when it's something important, like asking for directions or even a stupid (but necessary!) question like "Why is this light yellow instead of green? Can I get on the tube?" I even had to finally ask a barista how to order coffee. The first few times, they couldn't tell what I wanted. So I had to find out the correct name for "regular coffee" and also found out I should ask for cream. People here are kind and helpful, maybe because they aren't worn down by listening to everyone's life story.
"Knife and fork" school " was mandatory in my house as a child. My mother was relentless on that subject!
I lived in Washington DC for quite a while, all three things you mentioned for the London Tube are the same on the DC Metro. Interesting for some reason they wouldn't stand on the left and walk on the right since driving is opposite.
Boat Lover I was thinking the same thing. The rule is common in airports, too. I expected Brits to stand on the left instead of the right.
Being a Brit, the thought of doing it the other way round is just too strange!
This kind of stuff fascinates me for some reason. I love learning about differences in countries and cultures. I do have some advice for Londoners: If you ever visit Atlanta, don't go anywhere near their subway, you will be horrified! People push their way onto the train crowding around the door when the train stops. People are loud and unruly as well. Last time I was there, I got on at the airport heading downtown. At the next stop, a young man got on with a giant boom box loudly playing hard core, profanity laced hip hop. A police officer was in the car and didn't even blink.
Many people in Britain, especially London, have never driven a car so the analogy to driving is not really applicable.
Boat Lover, the rule is that you travel on the left. If you are in a car you drive on the left, if you are on an escalator you walk on the left. The reason we drive on the left is because it has always been the convention. This is because when you are on horseback you want to use your right hand to wield a sword to see off highway men and other ne'er do wells, so you travel on the left of the road. It is also easier to mount a horse from its left if you are wearing a sword in a scabbard on your left hip, so you travel on the left so you don't dismount into the middle of the road.
Once you've got off the escalator move on. Seen so many get off the escalator and just stop to read the signs where to go to next and wonder why a whole lot of people have ploughed into the back of them!
The one about starting conversation with someone you don't know isn't true, It's more of a London/City thing.
In smaller towns people who don't know one another, talk to each other all the time (e.g. when waiting for something) especially in the north of england.
Yes this video is about London, not the rest of the UK (hence the title.)
You said "British people"
hence the comment.
Imagine living somewhere like London. Your personal space becomes more important to you than if you lived somewhere like the Yorkshire moors. Respecting each other's privacy kinda gets into your DNA.
Another important point is we Londoners are a little more on our guard for safety reasons....we may across as a suspicious bunch but it’s just us being cautious! I’m from the north originally and people are more relaxed and interactive with strangers there.
I've never experienced the the fork and knife thing at restaurants... I was taught to do it as a child but this is the first time I've heard that restaurants wont collect your plates. Maybe at some of the super expensive posh restaurants they do this. Most places are so interested in making money that they will want you to move on ASAP so they can get the next customers in. In my experience, they usually ask you if you are finished.
Hm, interesting. No it happens to me at most restaurants I've been to, not just high-end ones.
+Love and London depends on the training the staff have had.
Many forget this so called queue etiquette when comes to the free for all to get on a bus.
In my experience people respect the queue if the queue is just for one bus, but if you have a queue at a stop where a variety of buses arrive, the system falls apart as you dont know if any of the people in front actually want the bus that has just come, so it becomes a loose crowd which makes it hard for people to get off the bus.
MrTSK27 This is so annoying! But it’s definitely a London thing, up north and everywhere else, people queue at bus stops.
I was sat on a London bus recently, in front of two excited American students. OMG the volume level and annoyingness of their convo had me move downstairs out of earshot. They were so loud!
I lived in London (as an American) decades ago and I agree with all of these recommendations. One British joke at the time was, “you ride in an elevator with an American and by the end you’ll know their life story”. To Americans who are visiting it is all very exciting, but to the Brits you are just another visiting American - and they’ve seen thousands of us over the years…. People won’t necessarily be rude if you strike up a conversation, but take cues from how l interact with each other - people generally don’t talk or interact with strangers.
To echo this great advice when I was in London for 2 weeks a few months ago (things I wished I knew):
- When summoning a cab, you go up to the window and tell them driver where you want to go, he will likely say "okay, come in" but there is a chance he might say "sorry, I'm not going that way." I was used to always getting into the cab first then telling them where I want to go.
-Sign the back of your credit card. One server made a cheeky remark to me about this and had to check my ID. Look into getting "tap" pay, that's very common in urban London to where some pubs don't even take cash during peak hours!
-The city tends to sleep after 9pm or so. In fact, many attractions and museums close in or around 5 to 7pm. Nightclubs and pubs are open but it doesn't feel as high-night life in contrast to cities like NYC, LA, and Chicago. Might want to adjust your sleep patterns if your a night owl, at least if you wanna get the most out of the day.
-People aren't cold or mean despite some belief, the kindness in London is "passive." They see it if a stranger wants directions or shoot the breeze, they assume you will approach them. I've ran into more rude/unwilling to give directions people in NYC than I did in London.
Generally speaking Black Cabs (and they don’t have to be black) cannot refuse a fare unless the driver has a safety concern or it is too far outside of the area he works within.
You might be interested to know that to become an All-London taxi driver or Green badge holder they need to master no fewer than 320 basic routes, all of the 25,000 streets that are scattered within the basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and places of public interest that are located within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross which is the area more popularly known as Trafalgar Square.
Their training is known as “The Knowledge” and can take between 2-3 years, often longer to complete. Use of Sat Navs is prohibited.
When next in a black cab ask the driver how long it took he/she to pass The Knowledge. It’s hugely time consuming and stressful to pass this test and is one reason why they mostly hate Uber drivers who do not have to undertake this training.
Indeed and during my time I did not meet a cranky or cheecky driver. They were all friendly said "well welcolm to England!" when I told them I was a yank. Their knowledge of the city is indeed very impressive. All one guy had to do is look at the address on my phone and he said "ahh Vassall Road, very good!"
and I strongly support them too as opposed to Uber. I only used Uber there when I had to go to the airport because I was leaving from the VauxHall area and there was not many around at 6am.
save your money and get a minicab rather than a taxi....mostly tourists ride black cabs because they are extortionate and tourists wouldn't know the difference.
Better yet, if you don't have luggage, take the buses. There's nothing better in the world than sitting in the front seat at the top of the double-decker and watching the action go by below you. And they arrive at their stops every 5 minutes or so at the most -- very little waiting. The drivers are only too happy to help you find your way -- they're a credit to their city! And they're cheap -- a ride across town is 1.50 or 1.80 with an Oyster card.
Jumping the queue is a British thing - DO NOT do it wherever you go in UK!
Where will it be OK to jump a queue? I World expect that to be rude everywhere!
Maybe it is, but us Brits just LOVE to queue (OK we don't love it, but still, we abide by the queuing rules). In other countries, perhaps people tolerate queue jumpers more!
Wrote a song called Quintessentially British (was challenged to write one, by a friend, using the tune - English Country Garden) - and one of the verses mentions queue jumping and queuing!
How do you know if it's gonna snow?
Visit the BBC weather page!
They may be right or they may be wrong
Please don't get into a fiery rage.
Promised sun, but we get rain!
Wind? Oh no a hurricane!
Hail, fog and mist, snow, icy roads too.
Winter, spring, seems like May
4 seasons in one day!
We love the British weather
What do we do when someone jumps the queue
In the Tesco Extra basket lane?
Do we keep quiet or do we start a riot
In the Tesco Extra basket lane?
On a bus or on a train,
Ferry, coach or aeroplane!
Supermarkets too, 'cos that's what we do
We stand in a line, feeling smug and fine
It's in our British chromosomes
What do we eat when we want a treat?
An ice cream in a 'cardboard' cone.
We like high tea - 'cos it's so fancy
Cream and jam on a fruit scone.
Fish and chips by raging sea
Vindaloo? or kedgeree?
Horseradish sauce, with beef of course
Wimbledon, such a dream
Strawberries and cream
Delightful British Cooking!
What do we watch on the old TV box
On a Saturday afternoon?
We like our sports, all kinds and sorts
On a Saturday afternoon.
Rugby, football, golf and darts,
Wrestling and martial arts
We like our pool and play by the rules,
But if someone takes our wicket,
It just ain't cricket!
Our Great British sporting times!
Scots and Irish, they are Gaels,
Welsh, of course they're from Wales.
English from England, Manx - Isle of Man
Many cities, many towns
The Queen wears the crown
We're quintessentially British!
©Carolyn Davison September 2017
This is in my latest poetry book - Isle of Skye in the Apple Pie ©2018 ISBN 978-0-9561573-4-8 Should be available online within the next few weeks (a quick Ad for it 😉)
Cerdd_Wen I think you are right, that you Brits have a higher tendency to "auto-organise" queues, eg. at bus-stops, where we more make a crowd in other countries. Maybe because we expect that everybody will get on board. But IF seeing that there is a queue (and I noticed that at bus-stops the very first time I was in the UK) I won't definitely find it rude if someone jumps it... Would love to see the lyrics for that song!
I have gotten into trouble with this. Was in a supermarket in Leeds and they were about to open a new cashier lane so I was waiting for that to open. When it did I went straight to that checkout as we might do here. I didn't know that I was supposed to let the others who has been waiting in the other line(there was only one at the time) go first as they had been waiting in their queue. Fortunately, the next guy in line realized after I apologized that I was not from the UK and I was also not well and he forgave me and let me go on. Though the cashier was making a big fuss about it. So now I stick in the cashier line I am in, no matter if another one opens unless someone working in the store directs me elsewhere.
All this sounds like great manners to me, things we should’ve been taught as kids. Gonna keep studying before I go so I don’t make a fool of myself!
Besides the knife/fork thing and tipping, it seems like these rules are pretty universal. Excited to visit tomorrow for work 😊
This is why I (a swede) feel so at home in London whenever I go. All these faux pas applies well to Sweden as well haha.
Well the "walk left/stand right" thing by using an escalator is smart to do all over Europe I would say ...not just London...well mostly all the things mentioned in this vlog are common in whole Europe unless the cueing...and the tipping is also different on each place
Thanks for the tip about the fork and knife; I'm from The Netherlands and we usually put the fork/knife together at a diagonal angle to the right of left side of the plate, the dirty parts on the plate and the handles sticking out from our plate. Now that I think about it, it seems that putting the whole fork/knife in the middle of the plate makes the handles dirty, which the person in the kitchen then has to grab. Weird, never thought about it! So interesting to see how every country has it's own social languages :-). Thanks for your great videos!
The best point made was about being LOUD in London. No one wants to hear your conversation.
The first time I took the Eurostar from Paris to London the loudest person on the train at like 9:00 AM was guess what? An American starting a random conversation with the passenger seated across from her.
I would also now add avoid discussions about Brexit.
Cheer from NYC.
When it is busy on the Underground I always move away from the door. It will be easier to stand, cooler and you will have first chance of a seat as soon as someone gets up. Actually, I meant to keep this tip secret!
OMG! I live in DC and when people stand on the wrong side of the stairs drives me insane!! I know that feeling! LOL!!
😂😂
I work in DC and I’m from London and used to work there... the metro is SO tame compared to the tube. People are so well behaved! I do Cleveland park to union station with less stress than I used to do Gloucester road to Hammersmith, which is half the distance!
Jess - I think the no talking/in a bubble is more about London and the super fast pace of life. Funny as Londoners will help anyone that needs help - went flying on the tube recently but a couple of guys grabbed me to stop me falling!
Funny as where I was born (York) it's completely normal for everyone to chat to you including bus drivers, taxi drivers and just random passengers. Maybe it's because the pace of life is much different? A friend found it odd having moved from York where people welcome new neighbours to not meeting any neighbours for weeks after moving in.
Yup, totally just London. Very different than the rest of the UK which is why I made the video just about London :D
Out in the countryside, at least to my experience, ppl love to have casual conversations at bus stops, on the train etc. So there's a big difference between London and the many parts of England. It is even considered slightly rude not to address other people in some places. :)
RESPECT THE QUE !!
that should have been a G.O.T quote , lol.
Great vids and good advice.
This is one of few ‘cultural differences’ videos that I have seen that actually take into account the meaning behind the customs in London. Well done 👍
NOBODY even tried to let people out of the trains before rushing in. I was surprised, I though people in such a big city would know that.
Also, Holding the door for someone behind you/ coming the other way.
I feel some North Americans could benefit from watching this video. A pet peeve of mine is when someone talks endlessly to a cashier or a bank teller about non related stuffs when their transaction is already done & there’s a long line behind them. The cashier or bank teller can’t tell the person to shut up so everyone in the queue has to suffer in silence while throwing dirty looks at the chatterbox.
This one is a huge thing with me. No one cares about the cute thing(s) your granddaughter did or if your neighbors dog just had puppies. Then they need to tell every detail.
Also -waiting to be seated in a pub or waiting for someone to come to your table for your order. You can sit down at any table that's free and always go to the bar to order your drinks.
Good one!
Great film. Love the advice on queues. Us Brits know how to queue and jumping one is certainly frowned upon.
I love how chatty people are when I visit the States but yes, certainly in the South East of England people don't chat to strangers.
I would have to disagree about your point that Londoners typically not engaging in conversation, this largely depends on which area you live, I know that in the east part of London it is very common to not only acknowledge your neighbours and also know their names. Even on busses, the tube or out shopping people will always talk to you. And this is a man who started off in NW then moved to E5, E8 and E6.
The other common mistake you missed off the list is when using the tube during peak times is forcing your way onto the tube, like it is the last train out of hell, you only see tourists doing this - why I don’t know - when often simply waiting a minute or so for the next train where you can easily find a seat as it is not as crowded. Which makes a big difference on a twenty minute or more journey and when you get to your final destination, as I once experienced I saw a regular face, who forced their way onto a tube and had to stand on a crowded train just leaving the tube station about twenty meters ahead of me, so was it worth the effort?
So happy that when I first visited most people I talked to told me they had no idea I was a tourist! I have to thank you for all your helpful tips!
You're welcome Jessie!
Stand right, pass left, same here (U.S.).
Totally off topic, but I've been watching all your videos about London to help prepare for my husband and mine's upcoming trip to London at the end of this month for our 25th anniversary and I just love how a little bit of the British accent has started showing up in some of your newer videos! Thanks for all the great tips!
Thanks for watching Candace!
When you hear "Excuse me" at underground is realize You are in UK~~ ㅎㅎ
Very polite people in London, here in Mexico all we know most of that stuff but the majority does not follow it. It is a shame. Great video by the way.
Thanks!
The fact you said fork and knife instead of knife and fork made me feel uneasy
Its an Americanism
Sounds a bit tinny. You'll just have to come to terms with it.
Oz Media im pretty sure everyone says knife and fork
Cutting in line in America is just as rude. Also I visited London last year, and getting off the tube, people didn't let me get off first. I had to squeeze my way out so I won't miss my stop . Walking in London felt dangerous! People were bumping in to me without saying sorry. It was like people were in a rush all the time. And on my way to Manchester from London we took the coach. I saw drunk loud men and even a fight happened. There was also a British girl talking like she had a valley girl accent on the coach. She was so loud! I was tempted to ask her to shut up! Besides my mini problems in the UK, it was awesome! I'm 11 btw😆
I was in Italy when a group of Londoners got upset at my group. They were in line to enter a museum. My group had a private tour. We bypassed the line because of this. (We had a special time/ticket). They were very upset. They called is rude Americans. Our private guide tried to explain but to no avail. They saw us a few times in the museum a few times and were quite hostile. Lol
Lol!
Queuing does not exist in Italy
Don't forget to give your seat up to anyone who looks like they need it more than you (eg physically disabled, elderly, pregnant..etc) and take your kids feet off the seat! Shoes are for the floor not the seats! I give up with the sheer number of apparent tourists who don't do this and it's not cool when others suffer real issues (eg an elderly person falling over) because no one thought about someone other than themselves.
In Australia, we drive on the left, like in the UK, however on the escalator, the right hand side is the fast lane. I’ve never understood that even as someone who was born and raised in Australia.
The times I've found that the folks in the UK are not quiet has been after they've indulged happily at the local pub or enjoyed a energetic soccer game or both and then get on a bus or train .... The levels a speech definitely go up... LOL!😳🍺⚽😄😃🇬🇧
HAhahah very true!
I am english and it pretty much depends on the mood if a conversation happens, we dont seem to force it...I'm not sure if it's different in the us
Good to know because I could easily talk in a theatre onstage and be heard without a mic in the mezzanine section.
😂😂 love it
One small thing I found out the hard way is this. In London and I assume other parts of England, fast food restaurants differentiate between white coffee and black coffee. When I first saw this I hadn't a clue what a white coffee was, lol, and I ordered a black coffee, for which when handed the black coffee I asked for cream. Lol. The Londoner server looked at me like I had two heads, and ask me why I didn't just order a white coffee. It was literally a term I had never heard of in my life. I'm sure that server called me a bloody tourist under her breath. I will know next time.
Nooo white coffee isn't a thing but they prob meant to order a coffee with milk in it (cream is not done here!)
A lot of these rules could apply to Germany too I think (at least Bavaria 😅). Although there's definitely some cue cutting going on, esp if they open another till in the grocery store. 🧐
And although we're certainly not as polite as the British, I'd say it's not super common to start conversations with strangers either.
A few days ago I started talking to another customer in a store bc I noticed she was looking to buy a suitcase too (need one for my first journey to GB 🤓). But it took her a second to recuperate from this sudden intervention before she could answer 😅.
Guess I'm more used to sneaking up on strangers bc I worked in sales a lot. Always funny when you start talking and people look at you like 'wtf is happening?! ' 😂
Once I got to the 3rd, I was done....everything you mentioned is also true for Canada as well as wherever I've been in America. This is Faux Pas everywhere, not just London!
Ok
Not true. The plate thing for one isn't common in Canada.
Haha....you're telling this to a guy who lived in Toronto for 37 years. Nice.
The plate thing is not a thing in Toronto. They just see an empty/nearly empty plate and ask if we're done. I'm from Toronto as well.
@@tandanielle3875 It is in Vancouver,
I’m going back to London for my second time this year (my last trip was during the blizzard! It made me cancel a visit to Edinburgh but I was happy to see a snowy London.) in November/December - I hope to see you around!
Yay!! Glad to hear you'll be back!
Thank you so much for these helpful videos!! I’m going to London for the first time this fall! I’m so excited and a little nervous 😬. But your videos help so much! Again, thank you 🙏
No need to be nervous! Thank you so much Keith.
Whilst I love America I cringe when Americans walk into a bar or restaurant in the UK - high pitched voices with repetitive use of the words "like", OMG and awesome - aaaahhhhhhh !!!!!
They probably do it to annoy people who use words like "whilst" and "shall".
Cryptonymicus - Are you the person in the video ? in which case I shall be honoured
I'm from the north of England and the unnecessary insertion of the word 'like' (slightly differently) is very widespread. A friend used to do it in nearly every sentence. I find Americans much more patient about trivial things like that. We Brits often look for things to grumble about.
haha, Americans on the tube talking loudly like that annoy me, Kevin Hill. I'm American by birth, but I told my British friend that if I ever sound like that to slap me lmao.
Rachel El - good on you ! Actually I'll moderate my reply to mostly younger generation Americans who seem to have lost the ability to speak English.
why don't they stand left, walk right? considering they drive on the left side and overtake on the right on the motorway
Haha, it's weird, because you'd also assume people walk/pass each other on the left side of the pavement, but they do it on the right. The escalators are reversed, though. To go down, you go to the one on the left, and the one going up to your level would be on the right.
The rule is that you travel on the right. When you drive, you drive on the left. When you are on an escalator you walk on the left. When you are walking down a road with no pavement it is safer to walk facing oncoming traffic, so you walk on the right.
I assumed it's because the majority are right handed, so you hold onto the grip thing with your dominant hand.
I was recently in London and I was amazed at how orderly the English tend to be! I am guilty of leaning on poles. Also I am French Canadian, and I tend to be loud! Also my boyfriend is from the North of England, and he tends to be chatty with people. I noticed that this seems to be a trait there, which is very different from what I saw in London!
Yes you're totally right. Pretty much everyone from outside London loves to chat! Lol about being loud, maybe it's a North American thing ;)
Mancunians are usually up for a good chat...Londoners, less so.
When I lived in the US what I was always struck by was how they use their cutlery, first sticking the fork upright into the meat then cutting it with the knife, then placing the knife down & transferring the fork to the other hand to eat the food, it’s just weird. Whereas in the UK, Australia & many European countries we use both the knife & fork at the same time, it’s just more efficient, practical & looks more refined!
Not weird, just different 👍🏻
I've heard this comment from so many Brits! There really is no focus on dining etiquette in the states. Even at school, we weren't allowed to use knives until high school (age 14-18), and even then, they were plastic. Also our lunches are 15-25 minutes, so it becomes more about shoving food down and less about how properly you do it. There were times in high school where I bought pizza (in the cafeteria), and because the lines were so slow/long, by the time I sat down, the lunch ladies were yelling at us to toss our food and get back to class. I had to shove a slice of pizza down in about 30 seconds, and had to toss the perfectly fresh second piece. :/
Look at it this way: It's one way of making you slow down and actually "dine", i.e.-not just to shovel the meal into one's mouth. Not a bad idea, the way in our modern lives speed always seems to be the priority.
To Americans, the contrasting way definitely strikes us as less refined and uncouth. I'm reminded of the ravenously hungry stranger character in a Western movie who launches into packing his mouth with food before engaging in the slightest chit chat with the host. Yes it's an exaggeration, but nonetheless...
Different strokes!
See, in the U.S., using your fork and knife like you all do doesn't look refined to Americans. It's just a different custom for a different culture. There's a lot of interesting history about how that happened. The American "cut and switch" method was originally adopted from the French in the 19th century, who were considered to display the height of elegant behavior. But eventually the French switched back to the continental method, and Americans never adopted it. Of course there is also the famous bit about how a spy's cover can be blown, if they're not using utensils the way the country does.
sllbakery funny because to the majority of the rest of us it’s the other way a round, the American method looks uncouth, the opposite of refined, it’s why it stands out so much seeing adults still eat in such a primitive way.
I'll be in London in about a month, can't wait! I'll def stop and say hi if I see you, your videos have been so helpful in preparing for our trip!
Please do!! :)
As a Muscovite we stand on the right side of the escalator as well and fork and knife is such a thing for me, too. I guess less possible faux pases for me then. And yeah you never lean on the pole if car is packed
Lol. I did the left escalator faux pas! It was literally my first time on a subway, so I was a bit overwhelmed & didn't notice the sign. So, I'm just looking around, enjoying what seemed like the world's longest escalator, and someone politely says "excuse me" and I move to the right and like TWENTY PEOPLE scurry up the escalator, now that they could get by! THEN I see the damn sign. I was so embarrassed! Can't believe they waited that long to tell me to move my ass! I was so embarrassed, I always stay right on escalators now, even in the US! Lol.
Haha!
Thank you for mentioning leaning on the poles. It really annoys me when people do that.
Fairly basic etiquette. Shame we Americans have mostly forgotten it.
I worked a few minutes from St James Park, Westminster a few years ago and was approached by an American tourist at least one a week asking directions to Buck House.
Great work Jess! It’s really helpful and smart.
Thanks!
Would have thought that most of these things were just common sense, and good manners! Interested to know what you do with your knife and fork when done eating, if you don't put them on the plate! You might also let people know that it's inconsiderate to sit at a table for 6 when you are alone! It's also not uncommon for someone else to come and sit at your table (at a coffee shop or something like that) if there are no other seats.
I live in London, I’ve never heard the knife & fork together thing! :O
Interesting!
I thought this is just polite in a restaurant anywhere. I was taught this as a child.
Letting people out of the train before going in is pretty much standard everywhere. Here in Montreal the STM put markings on the platform edge where the metro doors line up with arrows to let people know to stand aside to let people off the metro. So I'll be doing the same thing when riding the Tube on July 4 and 5 when we visit London. I'll also keep an eye out and if I see you, I'll come up and say hello, or Bonjour! Hi!
Good luck with that in Singapore or Hong Kong - despite clear markings.
If a person was to visit the US's Pacific Northwest, I would give them this exact same advice! Maybe it's a rainy, cool weather thing?
Maybe :)
These are at all the same here in Germany…except one thing…. We let elderly Cut the Line…. I have had it happen a few times… also if a 70 + person gets in line at stores… just let them in front of you. You think the Tube is quiet… try Munich at 8:30…can hear a pin drop… freaks out my friends when they visit… it is crazy I must admit
All the tube-related ones apply to public transportation in major cities in the U.S. too.
Yup!
The knife and fork thing. Togehter means you have finished eating. Appart means you like some more put on your plate, it's a way of asking for more without being rude and actualy asking out loud.
Excellent videos, expertly diplomatic and agree with everything. It was actually my American mother who told me to leave my knife and fork together on the plate! School here in the UK was strict about the way I held the fork and balancing peas on the back, not an easy task.
Nice! Thanks so much for watching Andrew.
I definitely want to meet you when I’m in London in June 2019! Coming from Florida I’m looking forward to so much thanks to your videos!
Thanks for watching Karen!
I don't think loud voices are a regional thing as much as a vintage thing. I've noticed there are no indoor voices anymore and I think I know why. Everyone has headphones on or their phones to their ears,...they have to shout to be heard. By age 30 your hearing is shot from headphones so you have to say "WHAAAAT???" to hear.
This PSA should be played on all trains and planes arriving in London. Especially the one about leaning on poles. Even Londoners do this and it drives me mad!
Lol thank you
Most annoying one is carrying your rucksack on your back occupying whole lot of space in a packed train/bus for yourself.
Very much advice for Americans. Any Aussie would know all that stuff as it’s pretty much the same in Oz, with one exception. We stand on the left on escalators.
Do you have any advice or videos for women traveling alone in London? I will be exploring the city alone during the day while my husband is working. First time in Europe.
Hi Margie, here's my video about solo traveling in London: th-cam.com/video/pP4KftNopnw/w-d-xo.html
I explored London alone, but I also had already lived in Manchester for at least a year. Act like you know what you're doing and where you're going and you should be fine. I never felt threatened even when I walked alone at night. I've found England to be a lot safer in general, than living in a very safe middle-class suburb here in America (I'd never walk alone at night here). I used to live in really "dangerous" areas in Manchester (Salford, then Hulme/Moss Side) and still felt generally safe. I was 20-24
Im currently in London for a few days...probably the best city in the world overall..i went to borough market and just had to buy those donuts you recommended..thks for all your tips very helpful!!
You're very welcome! Have fun!
Good to know, though I never seem to actually finish a meal. I do hope they have take-away boxes there too.
Most places do!
Thanks for putting all those things so nicely!