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The more I've travelled, the more I realize people are basically the same everywhere. I'm an American married to a Brit - wherever we've gone, I'm treated very well. You can find dumb rude ones in every culture. I find that the more accommodating I am, the better I'm treated. (Now I realize others may have had awful experiences as an American and I do not discount that.) I usually get bombared with questions because many Brits either have friends/family over here or wish to come.
The more I've travelled, the more I realize people are basically the same everywhere. I'm an American married to a Brit - wherever we've gone, I'm treated very well. You can find dumb rude ones in every culture. I find that the more accommodating I am, the better I'm treated. (Now I realize others may have had awful experiences as an American and I do not discount that.) I usually get bombared with questions because many Brits either have friends/family over here or wish to come.
I think the old myths about English people being polite, and prim and proper, are just that.
Myths.
I experience many rude, ignorant people too, wherever I travel in Britain. Maybe i am just getting old, but i think people's attitudes have really got worse in the last 10-20 years.
There are very many ignorant people out there.
Thankfully, they are still in the minority, although the figure is rising I think.
TBH, so far as I'm aware, there's no major anti-American sentiment in the UK.
At the airport, well, I suppose most people are in a hurry at an airport to either get home, or on their trip.
If they thought you were holding them up, some of the more ignorant people may have had a go.
On the streets of London ?
In my experience, London is not exactly what you would call a "friendly city".
OK, I'm going to get a hard time from Londoners now, but remember, this is a visitors perception. I realise there are many different areas, and suburbs, I mainly refer to the central parts, where tourists are likely to go.
again, most people in London during the day are trying to get either to, or from work, and are on a mission.
They won't suffer fools gladly.
If you are in the way, they'll eat you alive.
Driving in London is a nightmare. Even if you are hopelessly lost, you need to drive like you know where you are going, and drive like a Londoner, or you won't be going anywhere fast !!
I'm sorry you had a bad experience of the UK, i can assure you we aren't all like that.
Maybe next time you come back, you should visit Edinburgh, we have the world famous Edinburgh International festival in the summer, and the whole city is particularly "tourist friendly" during that time. You haven't lived until you've seen the Royal Military Tattoo on the Castle esplanade.
You will be warmly welcomed, I can assure you of that.
Also, many areas away from London are great, Yorkshire is lovely, as is Cumbria, Devon/cornwall are divine, and the people are real nice.
London is a bit like NYC, it's nice to see it, it's pretty spectacular, but it's not an indicator of the rest of the nation.
I lived in the UK prior to the US. Over the last few years in particular I couldn't bear how rude people were. And I lived in the North. I never particularly noticed the North/South divide (my husband is a southerner).
A lot of people are just rude, but it's become the acceptable behaviour not to say please and thankyou or let people through doors etc
Worst places I found were people working in shops and kids on the streets everywhere, especially if I went into Newcastle.
So basically a lot of people are just rude-doesn't matter if you're American or not!
Almost the whole world hate americans, that's a fact.
It's like people from the second largest city in a country always hate on the largest,
they can't stand their attitude "We're the biggest and the best".
That's exactly the kind of attitude I always experience from americans,
and you're not even the biggest or the best although you would like to think so.
Not talking about every american citizen out there because I know there are
plenty of sophisticated and educated americans too that knows the truth
but the general american citizen is like that, from my own experiences.
How ironic. You lecture us, and you're the one that comes off as smug, arrogant and basically full of you know what. Perhaps it's time to get off your high horse and get to know people on an individual level as opposed to their nationality.
As for the OP's experience in London, I'm sure Brits have found NYC, Washington DC and other major cities in the US to be impersonal, and, at time, hostile. However, one cannot judge the whole of our country by the Big Apple or DC. Just as we cannot assume a general anti-American feeling in the UK because of a few jerks in London.
One of my clients at my prior job was transferred to England for about 2 years -- Chester I think it was. His accent invited a lot of opportunities to brawl in pubs. Other than that he didn't have any issues, but it got to the point where he had to be pretty selective about where he went to get a pint.
The problem was, that "kind of pub" was distressingly common according to this guy. And no, he's not the kind of person to instigate fights by word or action, so it wasn't him either. If his account is accurate, he had more violent or near-violent confrontations in 2 years in England than he had in all of his life leading up to those two years. And I've heard similar accounts from other people who have visited England too (and to some extent, all of the British Isles), so it wasn't just him.
The problem was, that "kind of pub" was distressingly common according to this guy. And no, he's not the kind of person to instigate fights by word or action, so it wasn't him either. If his account is accurate, he had more violent or near-violent confrontations in 2 years in England than he had in all of his life leading up to those two years. And I've heard similar accounts from other people who have visited England too (and to some extent, all of the British Isles), so it wasn't just him.
Pubs are often places where people go to drink and fight. Alcohol, anger and aggression are a bad cocktail. It's best to avoid the more provincial pubs where most of the patrons are locals who have been coming to the same pub for years. They are not likely to be welcoming to outsiders, but the same situation would apply to a foreigner walking into an all-American bar in Texas.
Pubs are often places where people go to drink and fight. Alcohol, anger and aggression are a bad cocktail. It's best to avoid the more provincial pubs where most of the patrons are locals who have been coming to the same pub for years. They are not likely to be welcoming to outsiders, but the same situation would apply to a foreigner walking into an all-American bar in Texas.
Granted, I'm a woman but I'm American and my experience in pubs has been nothing like that. I've always felt very welcome in even the most provincial pubs. Plus, my brother has been out to tons of pubs when he's been visiting here because he goes to the football with my husband. He's never had any of these problems.
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