Hi Danielle Interesting observations,I especially liked the one about the supermarket aisle system,I think it is generally accepted here that there is no system,it's really a free for all,more like fairground dodgems 😅😅 Greeting people in the streets..many people do acknowledge you if you say hello or give a simple smile,but some think it is being too familiar and ignore you,you take your chances there.Everything else you noted is spot on,only tip if you feel like it ,it is not expected and you will not be made to feel mean,many before have commented about tipping in this country and have mentioned the fact that we have a minimum wage here in the UK but not in the US,and there they rely more on tips to make a decent wage. Good video Danielle Best wishes to you and yours Alan
Alan, Thanks for the kind comment and the information. The tipping thing is very true, it's about the way our systems are designed differently. I like the phrase fairground dodgems too! Thanks again!
I don't know what kind of restaurants you've been to, but I don't know anyone who was a waiter or waitress in the US who was more than barely surviving on tips.
The saying hello when walking thing is generally part of the country code in the UK. Meaning, that when out walking in the countryside, where few people are about, you generally say hello, otherwise it's not done.
John Ashtone what is weird John is that we’ve had a Lidl and Aldi opposite each other up in the midlands and now down here in south east and the Lidl is like an ocean of tranquility compared to the utter chaos of Aldi. What is equally odd is that I analyse these things 😩
@@Eoin6661 Up in the North we have an Asda, Lidl, Aldi, Icelands and Home bargains literally right next to eachother (behind the police station funnily enough) and Aldi is chaos, Lidl is a peaceful chaos, Asda is absolute chaos, Iceland is peaceful, Home bargains is medium chaos and the police station I'm sure would be chaotic if they sold anything other than overnighters in the holding cells.
John Ashtone depends on the size - near me the Aldi is quite small as another supermarket got very pissy about how close it was to their site, threatened to not build its massive new store & leave the area so the planning for it was quite small so now it’s about 2 trolly width aisles passing people is near impossible
We are a queueing nation, so much so that without a good queue we get all confused. That is why there are no rules in a supermarket, until you get to the checkout when order is restored.
I've been to North America 3 times and everywhere I went there was a queue like England apart from a bar, club or pub then it's every man for themselves. We don't tip that much here because the waiter's or waitresses get paid minimum wage unless there under 25. In America I think they don't get paid. And the barber's someone mentioned I know who was in the shop before and who comes in after then when s(he) says next please when it's my turn I march to the chair.
@@SchaeferFamilyAdventure by North we typically mean Northern England. We will make the distinction between North of England and Scotland. That said I do like spending time in Scotland.
A country thing, or if it's REALLY early morning and there's only a few other people about on the outskirts of the city/town ^^ I've been nodded at and greeted a few times in the early hours and I live on the outskirts of a city
Yes. If you're on a nice country walk or walking the dog people usually say morning/afternoon or give nod, but in a town it's usually not practical. And in a busy city you're worried about attracting the attention of some nutter or a possible mugger.
The 'waving when driving' isn't a wave, it's a way of saying thank you! Because you can't say thanks to someone who's in a car, we just raise a hand. For me, growing up in England, it's just become a reflex
British towns were designed for horses & carts, but now we have so many cars and other vehicles on our roads and streets that we need to cooperate and sometimes allow other drivers to do things, even if we have the right of way A small wave of your hand is a way of saying thankyou
I hate when drivers don't acknowledge I've let them through. Sometimes I'm about to cross a road and see a car coming, step back onto the kerb and allow the car through rather than expecting it to stop for me. 40% of the time I get absolutely no acknowledgement.
We do this in the US as well, it’s just less common. Often we have to let cars filter in from our highway system and if the person is really nice they will give a little wave to the car behind them.
Haha, good point! By apologizing were are just fitting in! If we could just say sorry with less of an American accent we would just seem totally English.
@@randomyoutubechannel2470 I did see that once, can't remember if it was in the UK, Canada or US, but a frozen food dinner company was forced to change the name of a product to 'Chips and Fish' as it was decided that it was too deceptive to put the smaller portion first! I can't remember if they appealed that or not, as I haven't seen it recently.
Restaurant serve staff in USA are often paid horrendously low wages and depend on tips to supplement their hourly pay. In the Uk serve staff are paid at least minimum wage, it’s nice to tip but not necessary. Good or just friendly service would merit a tip, especially in more formal settings.
Gerishnakov I know. I work for minimum wage here in Canada, (here in Canada 🇨🇦 it’s against the law to pay less than legal minimum wage) I’m not in a job that receives tips, I wish sometimes that I was. In the US some employers can pay criminally low hourly rates to wait staff.
Up here in Scotland, they way I've always tipped is to basically leave a couple of pounds as well as whatever you pence change is. Unless you have had an exceptional time. Take last night for example. I got a pizza delivered for £16.xx, I told the driver to just make it £18 and he gave me my £2 change form my £20. I don't think I have ever tipped, or seen tipped more than about 10% of the total bill.
TSotP I tend to tip to the nearest note just so I don’t have to carry change around, but its no where near as necessary as in America, which I think is better because here you get genuine looks of gratitude for tipping where as in America it’s sometimes even written on the bill so it’s more expected so they don’t give a genuine look of thanks when you tip them as your just paying what’s said on the bill.
The only thing I can think of similar to tipping, is like when some shops have the little box next to the cashier for tips I guess? Usually charity ones
Tipping used to happen more often when cash was used. Now, most payments are by card, usually contactless. Even in restaurants here you often just tap your card on the machine without having the opportunity to add a tip.
That good pay you give them doesn't seem to translate into friendly, fast, service, since everybody I've heard says that American servers are better than anywhere else they've been.
I live in Wales, I can't walk down my street without someone talking my head off. Now London, that's a different thing all together, people make a point of ignoring you.
That’s because there are 11 million people in London and people move in and out a lot. Unless you have neighbours that stay for years, you never get to know them. People from other parts of the country probably know their neighbours all around, apart from the big cities.
Not really, people just rush everywhere in London cos it's so damn busy. Once Londoners get out of London and the pace of life slows down we are as friendly as anybody else.
@@SvenTviking Our daughter has lived in London for the last 12 years. The people in the flat above and below have been there even longer, apart from the odd Hi, they have never spoken to her and she knows nothing about them. Her husband is a Londoner and sees nothing wrong with it, being a Welsh girl, she thinks its really weired.
I moved to Wales from England and found strangers’ constant need to strike up a conversation with me very weird to begin with. 4 years on, I still do 😂
Schaefer Family Adventure I like the American way of holding utensils. I don’t the way Europeans hold on to their knife or hold their fork. Just my opinion though.
There is no "American way" of holding cutlery. She is just describing the way her family does it, which stems from being so utterly right handed they can't scratch themselves with their left hand. Lots of people are like that, probably in Europe too, unless you have cops who hand out tickets for eating that way.
deezynar You’re wrong, there’s definitely a difference between the way Americans eat compared to Europeans. Obviously doesn’t apply to every single individual person, but generally speaking. Google it, it’s honestly a thing.
UK Tipping: • It is almost always optional, but appreciated. Nobody here is paid below minimum wage, so you're not stealing from anyone. • We usually only tip people who give direct, prolonged, personal service (hairdresser, taxi, restaurant staff, yes; shopkeeper, bartender, no) - you CAN tip others if you want though. • 10% is about right. You CAN tip more, but 10% is easy to work out in your head, so it is the default. • Try to tip individuals in cash if you can. This stops some (or most) of their tip disappearing into the business owner's account as 'card handling fees'. • At a restaurant with the little tray with the bill on, pay the bill, wait for your change, then turn the tray over and leave the tip underneath. It avoids looking like you're boasting, and discourages theft. The restaurant staff will collect it after you've gone. • A default tip might be added to the bill as a 'service charge' if you're in a big group (6+) at a restaurant. You CAN ask for it to be removed by speaking to a manager, but it is considered rude unless you had very bad service. For good service, just pay the bill, the tip is already included. For great service, don't bother asking to increase the service charge, just tip the difference as usual.
Tipping in Scotland is not frowned upon if you don`t. The only place i would tip and i live here, is a taxi or, the barman/barmaid. In the bars, the tip would be £1 and no more, in a restaurant, it would be 10% above your bill and in a taxi, it would be an extra £1.
When you leave the bus in the south west you say “cheers drive” One thing I noticed on my travels to the U.S - a lot of people in restaurants seem to cut up all their food first then put the knife down transfer the fork to the other hand and eat away. As a Brit I found it fascinating, as over here that is what you do for a toddler when they are learning to use cutlery. ( that is not meant as an insult, just an observation of our cultural differences)
I was raised in America by Brits and a lot of my friends aren't taught how to use cutlery. Most won't cut their food first but will use their knife in their left hand. It always fascinates me because as a kid for me that wasn't allowed and now as an adult I'm thankful for it. By no means do I mean all Americans or that it's a bad thing.
Don't confuse living in London, or indeed the South of England with the whole of England. It is quite normal to smile and say, "good morning" etc here in the North where I live and elsewhere in England.
I live in midlands and I'll walk around everywhere and If I feel like it I'll just nod smile or even say "y'right haha" or someone will say good morning or good evening or such Pretty standard stuff tbh,
In the UK, we generally expect pedestrians to make their own decisions about crossing the road. In the USA there are (applied) penalties for jaywalking. (In France, pedestrian crossings are advisory, but drivers often see them as a challenge, while in Rome, the only safe way to cross a road is in the company of a nun.)
It’s so nice to hear lovely things about our country that we don’t even think about, we just take it for granted. It’s really nice to see someone come into the uk and like our traditions and want to fit it to the way we do things.
The waving while driving is more of a Thank You for letting me pass and it's technically not a wave. It's annoying when you've stopped for someone and they don't acknowledge the fact. Flashing your headlights also means the same thing generally.
Also, raise your hand when crossing at a zebra crossing when a driver stops to let you cross ( they have to by law ) is good manners or, if a driver lets to cross the road when no crossing is close by is also good manners.
It depends where you are. I live in a small village in the Midlands and people are pretty quiet here. You might say hello or just nod your head but not much else. People in some parts of England are very taciturn, other areas they talk a lot more. I've noticed that.
Depends where you’re living. I live in a rural area and everyone tends to say hello to neighbours and strangers alike. But big cities are different. Especially London.
Thank you for commenting! That sounds lovely - I have heard London can seem like a rather unfriendly place, but like you said - it is hard to cultivate a friendly atmosphere in a big city. :) - Danielle
Danielle, about the supermarket aisle system....I have a theory. I have visited relatives in America so I can compare and contrast. I think our 'chaotic' system boils down to the fact that our trolleys/carts have four non-fixed wheels (i.e. can rotate 360 degrees) that makes them super (to use a popular American adjective) manoeuvrable. You can weave in and out...no problem! American carts have 2 fixed and 2 non-fixed wheels which makes sticking to aisle lanes a lot more sensible.
Hi, I don't know whether you know, but it strikes English people as impolite when Americans say "can I get?" E.g. in McDonald's, "can I get a Big Mac?" The phrase should be "can I have?" or, ideally, "may I have?" "Get" means "getting something yourself". So strictly speaking, "can I get a Big Mac?" means "am I able to vault over the counter and pick out a Big Mac for myself?" If you want the shop assistant to get the food for you, it is "may I have?" You might notice this at some point.
What I'd say about tipping is that generally brits only really do it for serving staff at restaurants. Normally when you settle the bill you have the option to add a tip, for example, on the card reader. And in my experience, 10% is the goto tip. Whilst I don't think a waiter/waitress would be offended if they didn't get a tip, I think they would feel like they did something wrong and that's why you haven't tipped.
Interesting - I see lots of conflicting advice on here and from my friends as well. Not sure where that leaves us actually, but it seems like tipping is more common than we were led to believe.
@@SchaeferFamilyAdventure Additionally; a large part of the tipping culture in the USA is dictated by the weird (to us in the UK) concept of the 'tipped wage', where people expected to be receiving significant tips don't have the same 'minimum wage' rules as anyone else. In the UK, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or Living Wage (NLW) applies to all jobs, regardless of their sector. I would also argue that a large number of companies pay slightly above the minimum on a regular basis, so tipping doesn't become so much of an issue here and is based much more on the actual performance of the staff that served you.
I live in Somerset (stereotypical farmer area) me and family almost never tip unless we actually go out to eat. Going out for a drink or anything more casual I feel like it's not necessarily required. Additionally in my opinion tipping is only required as a way to show thanks and not tipping is the standard
@@SchaeferFamilyAdventure Tip waiting staff in restaurants if they are good, and also cab drivers if they provide a smooth drive or are nice and sociable. Nobody else really unless they really put themselves out for you you'd drop them a fiver or tenner and tell them to get themselves some lunch or a few beers.
I only tip the hairdresser - I don't think they're very well paid. Also, despite my monicker, I am male and quite old, and the hairdressers are female and quite young.
Strangers don’t say “hi” when you walk past them because you’re living down south 🙄 Good luck going for a walk in the suburbs in Northern England without someone saying “good morning, nice weather today, isn’t it?”
Tipping: Restaurant servers if the service was really good. Bar tenders at the end of the night if the service was good, not when you buy each drink. Taxi Driver if they were on time and helpful. That's about it. Maybe a gift at the end of the school year for your kids teacher or a tip for your hairdresser at Christmas if you get your hair done but they're all very optional and not expected.
"Probably still apologising way more than I need to" Yep, you've reached the status of true Brit. Also the kiss greeting is more of a continental Europe thing.
Stu Burnell ooooo there’s a lot of cheek kissing in places I’ve been to in the south. I do at least, but I don’t really count that because I’m half Spanish and we kiss on the cheek whenever we meet someone new.
With trolleys (shopping carts) there is no system in England. Just be polite and patient and you will get used to weaving to get to where you need to be :D Also, saying sorry in England is often the same as saying 'Excuse me'. I say sorry all the time in the context of squeezing past someone in Tesco. It isn't an 'apology' more a point of courtesy to make someone aware you appreciate they are there.
Stranger interaction, depends on time of day, and location. In towns and cities things are quite different from villages etc. Supermarkets : There are goods on both sides of the aisles - there are no lanes. Cutlery etiquette : It isn't "continental style, it is the British style. Best to learn it quickly. US style is considered bad manners. Punctuality : varies by individuals, but again, a matter of good manners. Tipping : All serving staff are employed, and paid a salary. In some places an (optional) service charge may appear on your bill, but we have largely done away with the demeaning process of tipping as waiting/serving staff are no longer considered servants here, as they are in US. Greetings with kisses : A tacky habit we have taken from our neighbours the French. To avoid - offer handshake. Waving : We had roads before we had cars. many were built by the Romans. One driver often has to give way. A small wave from hand on steering wheel is all that it necessary. Same with pedestrian crossings. It costs drivers time and money to gear down and brake for you to cross. Consider this and acknowledge, even though they are legaly bound to stop if you have pressed the stop lights button, or have a foot on the zebra crossing (which are becoming rare now). Cheers, same as hi, or thanks, just a casual acknowledgement. Although you use our language, you still need to learn and understand our etiquette.
I would say, living in the East, that I do not look people in the eye when passing as I consider that as an intrusion into their privacy. In conversation even when brief I always look them in the eye. Aisle use for trollies are a free for all. Great observations. Tipping here is not a requirement. My observation is that you are a very nice family. Additionally, Danielle, you have the most calming voice.
I noticed when I visited Texas that when I had finished eating the waiter took away my plate even though the rest of our group were still eating. In the UK it's considered rude to take a plate before everyone's finished. (When Obama dined with The Queen if he'd finished first, there's no way his plate would have been taken away before The Queen's or everyone else's!).
Usually in a cafe/restaurant I just say "keep the change", unless the total comes to £9.95 and I am tendering a £10 note, in which I may give a £1 coin if I have been given good service.
@Caramel Cupcake Only smile at someone you pass by such as a neighbour everyday or, interact with shopkeepers. Its not compulsory to smile at everyone - they`d think you were after something.
It's amazing that I can tell you live in the south of England! We're much friendlier up north and we tip as our waiting staff are poorly paid. We don't kiss people we don't know up north, though. We see it as false and pretentious. Welcome to the UK! Cheers x
Hi Danielle, it's so good to hear such positive comments about our humble little country. Cheers! Also, your voice... it's mesmeric! You should do ASMR videos... Anyway, love from us here in Wales.
In addition to waving, drivers sometimes turn on their indicator briefly (for example if you have let them out from a side road onto the road in front of you) to say 'thank you', although this action is not in accord with the highway code.
I live in Anchorage Alaska and yes, the wave thing when someone lets you in when driving is important here as well. You also take your shoes off when you enter someone's house - something I found is not usually done in the Lower 48.
Loved this vid, the U.K. is a strange place indeed, best not overthink us brits, and yes the further from London you go the more friendly people get. Enjoy!
We tip in the UK if we get special, good or extra service in a restaurant or delivery driver. But lately, many companies are adding it to our bills without asking. The server might get this tip (but sometimes we are told that they don't), but normally it's added in their wage packet, so it means that they get taxed on the tip too. so it's much better to give the server a few coins or note, so they actually get all the money. If we get rude or bad service, we (most of us) don't tip. What annoys me in America, is you think you are getting something for free, but then you are told that the gratuity (tip) is mandatory. In the hotel we stayed at, we had really bad service, so they offered my wife a free massage for compensation, she then phoned me and said they wouldn't let her leave afterwards without paying a mandatory $20 tip, so I had to leave the room and go down there to pay them.. So That's Not Free and we felt ripped off!
Wow, I've never heard of a mandatory tip before! The only time I've ever seen that was a "free" meal I had once at a restaurant. The coupon made it very clear that they would appreciate at tip for the server though!
Ok.. Congratulation you picked everything up perfectly, in the shopping store for example you are correct we all over the place it seems but there's two unspoken rules of good manners. The first one is, if someone has parked there trolley at the same place you'd like to be then you always park your trolley behind them and wait until they'd Finnished never park your trolley in front of them blocking their exit and forcing them to go around you. So if they are there first you wait until their finnished. Secondly, although it looks random that people are continually dashing across from one side of the aile to the other.. we do scan up the aile and look for people's intentions displayed generally by the way they parked their trolley if it's pointed straight on it normally means there sticking to this side when do move on.. if it's tillted slightly towards the centre of the aile they will be crossing over the next they move forward. These are general rules everybody understands ( not rules ) as such.. we are trained very early as kids in the way, typical you will see many children in control of the trolley while mum walks behind directing them where she wishes to go.. so you see a few bumps of trolleys when a child of about 7 to 10 years old has control of the trolley and mum apologising very time this happens.
With point 5 as a former waitress we (as British - General observation as a native Yorkshire lass) you tend to tip 10% for great or exceptional service (example if your waiter/waitress went above and beyond the general standard) or 10% for bills (checks/cheques) over £100-£150. Restaurant and bar staff get paid at least minimum wage some get paid quite a bit more and from the different establishments I've worked in tips tend to be shared with the whole team (excluding managers and team leaders). Also Cheers is another word for thank you like thanks, ta etc
Interesting, nice video. I see how it must be difficult to try to fit in... from the outside you would think, we speak the same language and kind of cousins that everything would be pretty much the same. I am an Englishman but this year moved to Wales and there are some differences I am getting used to. In terms of the acknowledging people, yeah you are right we don't acknowledge people - the only time we do is if we are out in the park walking the dog, or climbing mountains etc. The shopping trolleys, yep there is no sort of lanes or anything, but what you do find is most people are using their peripheral vision whilst browsing and automatically move their trolleys as another person gets closer. It really is a thing. Apart from the old grannies who want to have a mothers meeting in the aisle - I had one the other day in Tesco - 4 people all with trolleys gathered in the cheese aisle all talking about the weather, blocking the entire aisle. But usually people just naturally move to give you space. With the tipping, we keep it very simple, the only place you tip is at a nice restaurant if you had a good experience, but check the bill first, if it has a "service charge" then you don't tip. In regards the kissing, it is not all that common here in the UK, I don't like it either. However if you go to France, Portugal, Spain, kissing is almost compulsory and freaks us English out... especially like you say.. what if you do it wrong and end up full frontal... I have done that many many times in Portugal. "Sorry". Thanks for sharing these thoughts, it was really interesting.
People who camp out in the aisles are the worst! The differences are bigger than you might think, but more than anything we've discovered that English people aren't all that different than Americans!
My observation as an american shopping in Tesco or any grocery store there, is the lack of organization of the products on shelves. I've never seen shelves so disheveled in my life. It was like a standard experience. That just stood out to me.
In Manchester we stop and have a full blown conversation with a stranger for as long as half an hour and not even exchange names, we're just friendly with each other.
Oh how very true, many times waiting for a train home from Piccadilly or Oxford Road I have passed the time of day with fellow travellers, never get bored waiting for a train
*british person reactions!* 🇬🇧 (honest and not trying to say you’re wrong, nice to see different perspectives!) *1-* might be just because I’m in a smaller village, we always at least say hi to people passing them. *2-* we do whatever we want lol, just go through where you can (kinda works I guess!) *3-* that’s just us??? woah *4-* yep. obviously less in some situations but I guess so *5-* I found it quite a lot how much in the us you guys tip, normally only at restaurants maybe a few pounds *6-* more european or close-ish friends but sure, sometimes we do that (not a fan) and universal rule is go left 😂 *7-* yeah, it’s kinda a given to wave as a thank you to cars or flash them to let through and help out others, always stop when most convenient for either car and always at crossings if there’s people there *8-* cheers (v british) 😊😊
The point on tipping. We don’t tip because staff are paid fairly and are not exploited by their employers in the same way that seems to be the case in the U.S.A. I hope you enjoy living here, it’s good to have you.
Waving when someone let you in when driving, used to be a polite gesture that was used a lot in the U.S. when I was younger. And I still make a waving gesture when I need to change lanes or exit a parking lot and someone is nice enough to wait and let me. I do this to the extent of letting my window down and waving my hand outside of the window. Now a days the automobile windows are tinted a darker shade and my wave probably will not be seen by the other motorist that let me into the flow of traffic. Often now a days people don't give you that "Thank you" wave. Another loss in societal politeness.
Janice - interesting about the tinted windows. Can front door windows be tinted in the US? In the UK only the rear door windows and rear window can be tinted. The front door doors and windscreen have to be clear enough for you to be able to see the driver clearly (so that you can see if they are looking at you when making a manoeuvre in your vehicle).
I eat by swapping my knife and fork around when cutting/eating. Whereas alot of people in the uk don't. Been right handed, if i tried to put food in my mouth with the fork in my left hand i'd probably poke myself in the eye. Also if you don't give a thank you wave when driving, you can guarentee the other driver will mutter "you're welcome mate"
I never ever greet anyone with a kiss to the cheek. I really wouldn’t appreciate it lol. It’s more common to do it as a goodbye gesture, I suppose, but even then usually among family members only.
I barely enjoy hugging people, I don't want them to kiss me as well. It seems like some people are more comfortable with the whole hug and kiss greeting than others.
In supermarkets in the UK we have no system to avoid bumping into each other. Instead we constantly bump into each other all the time and then apologise. You are doing it right.
You are so right about the trolley chaos in supermarkets. Yes - poor punctuality is indicative is considered to be due to bad manners. I enjoyed your talk - Thank you.
@@rayjennings3637 There are rules in our house. I have to ask permission to go for beers and she has to say it's OK. She follows it up with "Don't drink too much." When I get home I pretend to be sober.
Regarding acknowledging people you pass on a walk ; Outside the "Home Counties" (where everyone seems afraid to speak to anyone they haven't been formally introduced to) it's good manners to say "Good morning/afternoon/evening to anyone you might meet. In the more rural parts of the country it's rude *not* to speak, and you (or the other person) might mention it if you've passed something they might find interesting. Typically it may be something like "There are Roe deer grazing further along, if you're quiet you might see them" or perhaps you might comment on how beautiful the wild flowers are. In the urban areas people don't expect you to speak because it's impossible to speak to everyone you meet. (And they'd probably think you were mad if you tried !) In the Midlands and North, people are generally more interested in chatting with strangers so you should be open to that when you're there.
There is literally no system for our supermarkets! lol It's chaotic, I would highly recommend online ordering, especially in high season around xmas time. Loved your observations
Hi Danielle, I really enjoyed your comments please don't ever think that we British can't take any criticism. Your views are valid and have great worth. If you lived further North I think you would find people allot more friendly, when I walk around my estate everybody talks to each other. We don't go in for kissing each other on the cheeks!! that's very French.
Thank you so much for commenting, and thank you for the kind words of encouragement! I am looking forward to traveling further North over the upcoming holidays - we have heard many wonderful things! - Danielle
Danielle if I may be so bold as to suggest that you visit the wonderful county of Yorkshire and in particular the seaside towns of Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey. We would love to welcome you and your family.
I live in the north and we often pass people on the street and acknowledge each other, and as for supermarkets I get stressed as well and try to shop on a night people often get "trolley rage" lol
Love this.....some very interesting observations! I never really thought about the supermarket situation before. Maybe it’s because your trolleys/carts don’t easily manoeuvre around so you have to keep going straight. I notice this when I go to Costco over here in the U.K. 😊
Num 1 is a London thing, I’m from the midland and live in London over 20 years and yeah I realised that when I moved down , also they don’t Q up at the bus stop, it’s a free for all, they are very bad a Qing up in general tbh ...
I’m English and have an American wife so your observations resonate so much. I was especially very moved by this part about waving in the car to show thanks, most people do it except newcomers who catch up after a while. It’s a lovely tradition and shows some respect for people and the quaint road systems created by older, tight lanes.
The first point you mentioned about acknowledging people as you walk past . This is something I noticed when travelling down to the south of England, I'm from Yorkshire in the north and we say hello to everyone you walk past (most of the time) and when I work down south o have learned not to do this and to walk straight past people as people in the south seem too busy or too rude to say hello.
Everyone does this round here in east of England, friends and family...I hate it to the point that I start worrying about it when I’m about to leave them. Too touchy feely for me
Kissing on the cheek is just a thing that came in with the nouveau riche in the eighties and has carried on with the pretentious ever since. I think anywhere north of our lovely sprawling diverse Capital you may well encounter a different response!
I love how positive you are about the differences and how respectful of the two cultures. The reason for the knife and fork differences is that in many countries knives used to be an expensive item and there might only be one on the table with everyone cutting up the food at the beginning of the meal. I remember here in Greece that waiters would only bring a table one knife and that people would cut up the food on the plates nearest to them. This still happens today, even though there are more knifes, perhaps because the tradition of big sharing plates in the center of the tables also continues. Thanks for you video!
I would normally only round up the nearest pound, provided the ride wasn't bad and they weren't rude etc. It's certainly not expected to tip them, but perhaps for longer one-way trips if you're paying like £45 or something you'd make it 50.
With taxi drivers I usually pay with a note and say keep the change. I never tip waiting staff, they are on an hourly wage where taxi drivers earn per trip not per hour and if they have a quiet day they may be down.
Depends, some taxi drivers try ripping you off with the price anyway, if you don't know what the usual price is, you could be paying double, especially at the weekends after the pubs shut.
Just to let you know don’t say cheers as a substitute for ‘don’t worry’ or ‘it’s fine’ only for saying thanks but it’s more common for a man to say cheers than a woman do don’t feel pressure to use the phrase as not many people do as much anymore in London. The phrase cheers is most common amongst middles aged white men
As far as I'm aware it's only Aussies and Brits that use the word c*nt as a term of endearment. It can be quite a culture shock for any Yanks that head over here.
@Bilbo Baggins Well I am a Londoner as well as an Essex boy so maybe that explains it but I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're not either of them. Your probably a northerner and so if anything mate I pity you and feel sorry for you. Don't worry about my background mate, worry about your own background.
Tipping system usually just applies to sit-down meals; but don't tip for fast food. Tip up to 10% for good waitress/waiter service in a non-fast food restaurant (but look at the bill first because some places add a 10% "service charge" to the bill - do not pay the "service charge" if you're not happy with the service you received, it's not obligatory). Don't tip a bartender unless you've just put an order in for a lot of drinks - then tip a couple of pounds for taking up all that time and stressing them out when there are a lot of other customers waiting to order their drinks. Outside London, tip taxi driver up to 10% if you want to (if it's a large amount tip less than 10%).
I'm glad you said that. I've never understood the whole "don't talk to people in public just because you're not their best friends or relatives" thing that so many UK citizens seem to talk about on RU-vid.
Wendy Bendy it’s so they don’t know you dislike them, just because you don’t get on doesn’t mean you should exclude them from polite social behaviours. :) It’s just the culture in the UK.
Great video. Very polite family and very true about English culture. Certainly from my experience visiting America, Americans do make far more effort to engage in conversation and be sociable which I found a massive positive compared to our English culture. Also, yes we do say cheers a lot in this country as a thank you gesture.
