Breaking the Rules of the London Underground
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 เม.ย. 2017
- In this video, Erin and I turned our attention to the etiquette of the London Underground, also referred to as the tube. When we first arrived to London, we learned very quickly that there are many rules, some unspoken, that all tube riders seem to follow. As new American expats we became terrified of breaking any of these rules and the repercussions we would face if we did.
As the semester went on, we became more comfortable with said rules, but still wondered what would actually happen if any of the rules were broken. As an investigation into both the tube and British culture, Erin and I broke some of the most common ‘rules’ of London’s underground and spoke to Londoners about their views.
Through this project, we learned that the rules of the underground not only control traffic, but also serve as a magnifying glass into British culture and their perfectly orchestrated, yet sometimes passive, way of life.
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Standing on the right is a written rule.
Experiment at Holborn has found standing both sides moves more passengers.
agreed
Yeah, but everyone was too stubborn to follow it.
But, it will lead to a lot of frustration. You just need two people, side by side, not walking up the staircase to lead to real problems.
My previous post is a reply to High Path's comment.
Bruh I’m a Londoner and I always eat on the tube didn’t even realise that was a hidden rule I mean it will only be like a cereal bar or something tho
As long az it's nothing smelly, you're good
Ikr I eat allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time on the tube
I had Mac Donald’s nuggets and chips and a large pop
One trusts you are not indigenous English Baby M31X.
It's terribly bad form,Old Girl....Toodle-Pip...
"Only God can judge me" :)
I have met the type......."Don't Complain and Don't explain!"....fantastic..lol
Many were furious, but you just didn't know it.
Don't stand on the left isn't a unspoking rule it's says on most escalators
Ruairi Dorrian
Ruairi Dorrian in my city where I’m from,Leicester, people walk on any side of the escalator
@@rubygodwin2622 thats because it only applies in the tube stations
English people do talk but on the tube it's loud and it hard to hear
And Jubilee line trains and northern lines trains and Bakerloo line trains
Aww that old man you spoke to on the train that was reading the papers then put it down was lovely,
Also you two are beautiful!
blackham7 he was, wasn't he! I'm so glad I got to talk to him he was so kind. And thank you very much! 😘
Winter snow I actually spoke to 3 other English people on the tube that we didn’t include because of time but they were all friendly and open as well!
The guy wasn’t really that old 🙄
EXACTLY.........I am continually making the same mistake. I remember last year at a function the tannoy said this guy was "60" and I thought "That's old!" until I remembered I am 64 .....maybe because I have been free and single all my life in London with no restrictions, and, literally, never been out with anyone over 40 but I feel like I am 44 not 64 ,,,,,
I have had 2 hours in Hospital since having my tonsils out in 1959..:)
It's not the toooobe it's the tube
Cadenator31 wow was that petty
coz you invented the language, right? hahaa go away- it's tube not chewbbbe
Choob 😂
NICK MOR The English invented the language
We say tyube, but some people hear it as chube and repeat it
your lucky you didn't experience a rude person standing on the left. There was a tourist with 3 suitcases so she blocked up the whole escalator and 3 different buissness men shook their head and cursed at her. I felt really sorry for her because she could barely hold all the suitcases.
Another rule you should've broke was walking slowly in the middle of the corridor
wow that is so sad! Taking the tube with luggage is so difficult
I love the idea of walking slow too!! I can't believe we didn't think of that - we had noticed that was something the city had rubbed off on us when we traveled to other places!
Larissa Zellmer you can eat on the underground it just depends on some people
Yeah it's not a written rule but people definitely prefer you not to do it! haha like the guy who moved in the video
I would imagine people walking slowly is annoying everywhere
Gloucester Road. My appendix burst on the tube there on Valentine's Day 2014. Avoided death luckily. Good to see the station of near death again
First World Traveller I had the same problem but mine didn't burst luckily
First World Traveller iiii
🤷♀️
First World Traveller to be honest, I don’t really care and this is too much information.
SimplyDiVine it's called humour. Look it up in the dictionary
"no one was mean to me"
out loud
London is very different from the rest of the UK. I’m from the north of England and everyone talks to each other on public transport, eats food, and walks on whatever side they want to.
Alicia Marie
Ohh yeah were about of north you from?
Maybe I can come to visit you 1 day 😀🤣
Lool
Being a Londoner I always thought it was standard procedure to stand on the right and walk on the left. Going to other places, to my shock people would stand on both sides of the escalator. Infuriating!!
Imon Meah I totally understand you! But that’s why it’s hard for tourists who don’t know 🤷🏼♀️😂
I went from London to Berlin last week. After a few days in London it was almost upsetting how the culture was different in Berlin.
Cant stand weekends - tourists that dont know how to behave.
Bro, that’s what’s my country doing
People don't talk to random people on the tube lmao, and no talking is not a rule.
Fizz it should be am almost a free speech absolute but people that talk to me deserve to die in a fire if am on public transport
You're both very brave. My pet hate is people that blast their music or put their feet on the seats. Of course, I don't say anything. I just quietly fume... Grrrrrrr :)
winnywin hahhaha thank you! And that's understandable!
winnywin feet on seats drive me nuts.
winnywin well I can’t complain when a hot guy spread his legs wearing a suit in front of me. I stare and bite my lip.
yous gon git dem cheeks took my nigga no shit Sherlock
winnywin pet peeve *
I see people eat a three course meal on the tube all the time. I didn't even know you can't eat on the tube.
haha I did too! It is not a written rule but if you do it the odds of you getting dirty looks is pretty high! I got dirty looks for just drinking coffee on the tube 🙈
Larissa Zellmer I don't think they're were giving you dirty looks for drinking coffee lol
That’s not true. You CAN actually eat on the tube. That’s why you don’t see any signs saying you can’t eat or drink on the tube.
1:56 No talking isn't a rule.
I've never seen anyone talk to each other on the tube. You can't make eye contact for more than 1 second. I remember I was on the Tube and a northerner from Leeds came and sat down next to me and started talking to me just casually.. I was like.. this is soo weird.. This has never happened in my life. I asked him if it was his first time visiting london.. he was like 'yep'.
Prasaanth Manohar I could tell it was the first time
Think they confused it with Japanese commuter trains. I talk on the tube all the time when I’m in London. Apparently in Japan it’s rude to talk on the train because it might wake up workers trying to take a nap. No joke.
It's more talking loudly. Normally people talk quietly, not at all or just whisper.
Its moreso talking to strangers, but yeah it still isn't a rule.
I wish people spoke to each other on trains. I feel very lonely in london.
Ahmed that makes me sad I’m sorry :(
I would talk to you
If you talk to someone in south London, you are either talking to an arsonist or someone who is a roadman
Same
You were BRAVE to do that first one.
none of these are rules. it's just a matter of people having respect for others. for example standing on the right helps people who are in a rush.and eating on the tube is fine as long as it does have a really strong smell because otherwise ur trapped in a train with smelly food.
your a fake user
I remember the time when we use to smoke spliffs on the tube.
Soap bar :D - Didn't smell as much.
Joker Joker loool no you didnt
Hahaha me and my friends do that. Our rule us after 11pm smoking is acceptable
Joker Joker I live in Canada and when I was a very young child smoking of cigarettes was allowed on the buses and trollies
Douche
People don't talk on the Tube because it's too loud as well haha. The same way no one talks to each other on the bus either or walking on the street, I'm pretty sure in other countries no one talks to each other unless they know them or have to
how boring
that's so sad lmao, british people are so boring.
Fam when we and my guys on the bus we blast music, do freestyles, smoke weed, talk loudly sometimes and we just get screw faces by people on the bus lmaoo.
Jordan Lucky you don’t have a full on convo with someone on the street and less your going the same way
Jordan Lucky 100% agree. Who would talk to a stranger???
Ahhh this video bugged me! I'm glad I wasn't there when you did this! ;D One that bugs me the most is the food, you can't really escape the smell, another one you couled have tried was getting on the tube before letting the people on the train off. That one is annoying too! But good video
Ashley Beale that’s a good idea! Haha thank you glad you enjoyed it!
But if you eat fish and chips in tubs it’s alright!😂because it’s English food culture
Mj derakhsh hahhhaha I like where your heads at
Larissa Zellmer
You girls are smart 👍🏼🧠
Fish n chips is originally from France.... yeah WTF that’s what I thought also
@@dannyboy1868 italian actually
Stop breaking our rules!! ;)
Noddy Mac hahahah sorry!!
You're forgiven haha
Stop breaking our BLOODY rules
phenomena17 fucking relax buddy. It’s a joke not a dick, no need to take it up the arse.
Rules are there for a reason so why break the rules on the London Underground
I would probably move away if i realised i was being recorded without telling me about it. And the thing with middle class brits is that they would tell the waiter they loved the food even if they hated it, that is if the waiter came down to ask how is the food. People from lower economic classes would probably tell you what's what even if it was in a nice tone like the gentlemen who asked one of you to move to the left when you were blocking their path.
Awesome video! Just came back from a trip to London and I wondered why these unwritten rules were in place. So funny to see people’s reactions to you breaking the codes of conduct!
Benjamin Outhwaite thank you!
The guy that said darling we stand to the right was direct with sarcasm, but civil and effective. In NYC it would have potentially been physical, so props to the Londoners for containing their fury. The man that jumped up and moved when you were eating was over the top though. If he had done that in an east coast city in the US the person eating would have said "okay great, more room for me"
Eating on the tube is the worst. At least you put it out there to inform. It’s just not done. Which is wonderful. Civilized.
The London Underground is way better than the NYC Subway .Kudos to the English man
Any British train is better than American Trains, Even pacers are better than an Amtrak train
It's just London and other big cities. Here in Essex, we talk to people on the bus too, I was talking to an old lady on the bus about the weather lol.
You guys are really brave to do this but also you are so nice and polite I couldn't imagine anyone being upset with you 😊😊 It was actually really nice to se you talking to that man on the underground 😊 So happy to find your channel, thumbs up and subscribed 😊😊😊
As a scandinavian that has been to London i was impressed how often random people speaks to each other in the metro.
Americans, this video is a good way of summarising you. Im not trying to offend you just shows how different your culture is to us.
Hardrive33 and we see how Brits are smh y’all live by the dumbest rules
@@DJ-sl6de At least we have manners unlike you lot in America.
Help me plz yep we aren’t weak we like to kick people’s asses
Grateful Majesty where did kicking asses come from
@@DJ-sl6de America is so bad, as if they have anything good, American Trains are slower than snails, they are bins
British people usually do talk a lot it's just on a train or tube we don't usually because it's very noisy especially on the underground and if you were to talk to someone you couldn't really hear them
i go to uni in manchester and whenever i go to london i see a massive difference in how friendly people are. southerners are lot more reserved and kept to themselves compared to northerners
Where was the outro at 6:00 filmed? The place looks stunning
Ive lived in london most of my life. When i moved away - i found it very strange when people would talk to me on the bus/at the bustop. Getting used to it now
Ur channel will flourish
I pray for that
This was well done. And, I actually loved it because I found myself falling into all of these patterns eventually when I lived in London. I’m from the U.S. It didn’t take long for me to start looking down at other people, often tourists, when they didn’t follow ‘the way’.
HarvyDanger Films thank you! And I can honestly say the same. We forget what it’s like to not know how things work after being there for a while!
Clever girls! Learning is always a good way to break down misunderstandings and entrenched assumptions! Keep it up!
3:20 Class 465s IN THE BACKGROUND!!!! so glad my favourite train is in this
Press the door open button
You get fined quite alot😂And plus it's really dangerous. It will also disrupt the entire line.
We’re going a project. “Is it on parties?” Love him 😂😂
there is a unspoken rule that you don't talk to any random person on the tube because people get annoyed when you do so you probably annoyed some people when you talked to them
Can I just say, that Leslie is a typical southerner. People from the north are not like this I can assure you.
*People don't talk on the underground because of the noise of the train. You would have to talk over it.*
Some are listed some are just like you said unspoken
thanks for the comment!
"I" will see you next time !" I take it you mean "We" lol I'm a 64 year old Born and Bred London Male and quite often I speak to someone sitting next to me and I have had all kinds of fascinating chats that I would never have had otherwise. When I was younger in a NON-Multi-Racial London ( 98% White indigenous ) it was quite common to speak to complete strangers on Buses but now it's not the done thing and circa 2018 we have the recent phenomenon of "The Bubble" where Londoners with headphones on are in their own little world..lol We used to have a REAL Community Spirit back then and if, say, someone fell over nearly everyone stopped to help out.Now it;s the exception rather than the rule,I'm afraid...
I live in London and whenever I have to go on the tube my little brother screams the loudest he can and it really annoys me
Had to laugh at the bloke who moved away very funny I think one of the reasons people don't talk on the tube is they and that's all people, they don't know what language your going to speak back to you?
tony rant n rave I think you're right! One response we also got was that other people are listening and they don't want the whole car to eves drop on the conversation. There are many reasons, I guess! Haha
Seen many deaf people signing on the Tube
I don't get it about the whole no eating on the train because I do everyday when I don't have enough time to eat my breakfast
Somehow the unspoken rules of the underground made its way into a conversation between me and my mum. She had a revelation over why the atmosphere ends up so awkward around her there, she didn't know you're not supposed to really make eye contact or talk to people lol.
Not just in London any busy escalator you shouldn’t stand in-front of people walking in rush to catch their trains. Most annoying thing is in Edinburgh when tourist occupied the whole footpath and take pictures and forget about locals rushing about.
I love this video! So great!
jane & alexa aw thank you so much!
Try rush hour lol
Hi Erin and Larissa. I found this video a very interesting subject. I don't live in London, but have visited many times, and there have been occasions (specifically quieter times of the day) where people have spoken to me. Also some people have smiled as I've got on the tube. People often say this is a British or english characteristic, but I disagree. I think the no talking to others on the tube is a learned behaviour, that's been learned by copying others - social proof. I also think many people may feel embarassed to strike a conversation with a stranger with everyone around them listening in, and may be concerned they will be judged in a negative way. Being in a confined space activates a person's flight or flight protection mechanism and the brain is on high alert and scanning the immediate environment for danger. There are of course other factors too, such as some people reading, listening to music or just tired and don't want to talk.
My first time in London I kept standing on the wrong side some guy in a suit laughed and said it’s okay it’s your first time!
Also side note I was at London Euston waiting for my train. I was sat next to a middle aged man reading a book. We had a conversation about university and his son. He congratulated me on university and said his son wishes he had studied there. It was great :)
It is sooo strange that in Australia you have to stand on the left on the elevator because the driving position is the left, when you are walking down the street with heaps of people, you need to walk on the left hand side because of the driving rules, London is also left hand driving but follows the complete opposite!
Honestly I’ve always hated the tube. It always leaves so fast
Taking on tube is like talking in a club while not in a party mood. It's too noisy to bother having a private discussion.
If someone spoke to me on the tube I think I'd have a panic attack.
PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING:
This video was created while studying abroad in London. It was a journalism class project surrounding culture. The intention was NOT to say that American culture is better than British, simply that it is DIFFERENT. The rules broken were things we did not know in our first few weeks in London. Things that other tourists would not know when first arriving in the country because of our cultural differences. I apologize if this video offended you. Please be mindful of your comments.
Larissa Zellmer i
Larissa Zellmer Has
Interestingly the escalator standing and walking sides are reversed in australia
My friends are always cracking jokes and doing the most on the tube for no reason.
London dwellers are EXTREMELY tense people. That's an unwritten rule
It's the same on the highways but clearly the US never teaches this at driving school. You only use the left lane to pass. Now, whats surprising is that the UK stands on the right and walks on the left when cars do the opposite.
Hi Erin and Larissa, interesting that you stand on the right side of the escalator there, we actually stand on the left side here in Melbourne Australia. Not sure about any Melbourne rule about not talking on the underground, though conversations could be fairly short, as we only have three underground stations here. I remember seeing a lady eating chips on the underground in Sydney and the train suddenly jerked resulting with flying chips spraying all over the carriage!!! Seeing people eating lemons on trains makes me squirm a bit!! One rule we do have here is no videoing on our underground, which is a pity, though I notice some have broken that rule, when I have been watching TH-cam. In Sydney, where I used to live, there are no rules about escalator standing and I have seen people transporting everything up to the kitchen sink on them. Many years ago, I was told about a man stumbling, with his coat becoming caught in the bottom of the Wynyard escalator in Sydney, This caused him to roll backwards with his feet in the air. Amazingly, the other people on the escalator just continued on their journeys stepping over him, as he frantically tried to free himself. Anyway, wishing you all the very best. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
Having a wee on the train is a big no no especially when it's packed people get really pissed off.
This was interesting to watch
My favourite rule is 'Don't lean on the glass'
*Lolololol*
If you want a conversation on the tube, take the night tubes, especially weekend nights
U are allowed to consume food on the tube only if it’s cold food.
Brilliant video so funny and I was born in Walthamstow which is where the tube was going with the eating bit. 👍
the only reason it is preferred not to eat aromatic food on any public transport is as some people are more likely to get travel sick, so it is best not to take chances even if only a minority get affected.
When I was working down there I noticed that they spoke very little, I think that’s a southern thing, up here in the north everyone are a bit friendlier and speak to one another
Yes and they complain more. No one bitches like a northerner.
The irony
Like you...bitchin now
It was morning rush hour and I was at the embankment tube station and two guys with big suitcases got on the escalator and stood on the right the part on the left was partially blocked ..I was on the left and there was a girl infront of me and she got some reason thought she can’t get thru the suitcases and just stood on the left and the people behind me were mad and were shouting and asked me to poke the girl infront and ask her to move I did and she said she can’t rly pass thru ..but lesson to learn never ever stand on the left during the rush hour
Suggestion: go through the door at the end of the car when the train is moving
This video was definitely eye opening, dont get me wrong, I am English, live outside of London, have been on the underground in London ages ago, but have also been on the Subway in New York City, and the contrasts between the two nations are huge, and I actually find some of our own traits annoying, I mean I am a friendly guy, and can come out of my shell a bit more within my own circle, but In America, everyone is like twice as friendly, and really outgoing and as a result of that over there I felt like them and acted like them too, I wish we were more like that here in Britain all the time, there was always some entertainment going on in the Subways, yeah you dont always want someone expecting money, but It makes the journey different each time, NYC was just awesome.. in my city we have trams, a bit different then the Underground or Subways, but similar once inside, them and yeah the atmosphere is strangely well British.. nobody dares say a word to another stranger the majority of the time... in NYC I must have spoke to a fair amount of people who I dont even know, I admire how friendly Americans are, honestly my impression is, they are twice as friendly as us here in Britain and I like that about them... hope you both had a good time while in the UK anyway ladies.
Non Stop thank you for your comment! We had a great time in London I can say without a doubt we’d both go back in a heartbeat! We both live in Los Angeles now though
Brilliant video!!
Thank you!
1) Standing on the right is stated however people usually tourists don't notice these things and stand on the left. The customers walking on the left are usually commuters. Personally if someone was standing on the left I'd politely ask them to move.
2) Talking on the tube. In England, especially London. People do keep themselves to themselves. If someone talks to me or engage in conversation. I will usually talk back and engage however if they come across as weird/creepy then I'd move.
3) Eating Smelly Food. I'm personally not fussed about it. Sometimes if it's really bad I'd politely ask them to close the container or I'll move.
Also I'd like to add a note for your third experiment, I believe this may be an unfair test as the man may have moved because he did not want to be filmed and not because of the smelly food.
The guy who said keep going darling was so patronising
Most Londoners are really friendly. You just have to be the first to initiate a convo.
The guy that moved seats when you starting eating moved because you were talking to your friend over the aisle so he wanted you to sit next to her
Oh I think I may have seen you doing one of these projects.
Where I live in the uk we don’t have rules so we can just eat in the train and do whatever we want really because we have tables on our trains and they come round with snacks/sweets and drinks and some food
Not talking on the tube is cause there are too many people and the quietness is the only way to get an ounce of privacy.
As a British person this hurts me
I've eaten Wasabi on the tube before as a Londoner. 😂😂😂People glanced but I did it in the corner when it wasn't rush hour. That was by luck for others as I'd still eat if I needed to. 😂💯
Other than standing on the left, because people need to get somewhere fast, the rest can and should be broken. Good video. 😂💯
Ryan Colaço haha thank you!!
The first one is write rule, the second one the tube is too loud, busy and we're tired, the third one people eat food but not a lot because one it's hard to eat on tube it might get a bit messy and we like our environment to be clean and who eats on the tube it's very uncomfortable. Nice video you guys are definitely brave.
Theres no rule that you can't eat on the Tube. The reason that guy moved was because you were filming him not because you were eating
She’s as two short planks. It’s obvious is she watched, there are signs on the escalators. CANNOT MISS THEM Miss Short Planks.
The thing is about us British is that we get really mad on the inside but, don't show anger on the outside... I've seen Americans that angry and shout at just about anything! It's quite hilarious to see the differences between us.
Very enjoyable video Ladies...:)
This gave me anxiety
I was so nervous when u started the rule breaking lol even though I know most will never say anything but just explode in their heads 😂 tbh it sounds bad but when I’m in the tube I’d much prefer if no one talked to me, I guess I’m just so used to not talking when I’m commuting that of ppl were to start a convo it would be kind of weird.
I’m shocked, the queen herself would’ve been ashamed
I kind of like these rules- keep to yourself, and be courteous of others. Wish America would adopt some of these...
We have some of those rules here in Spain too.
0:50 guy eating chips/crisps stands there lol
I feel like there is a confusion between 'breaking the unspoken rules' and being inconsiderate.
You shouldn't stand on the left because 1. there are signs telling you not to and 2. the left is for people who need to walk up quickly.
You are allowed to talk on the tube. That's not an unspoken rule. What is an unspoken rule is unecessary small talk with strangers. If I want to have a conversation with a stranger I will. But when I've been in work all day and want some peace and quiet the tube is not where I'll do that.
Eating. You are allowed to eat on the tube. It's just your hot food which may smell fantastic to you can make other people feel sick. It's like taking hot food into the cinema.