Some general rules of etiqueete while in London

People in the UK are generally polite and quite respectful of others, although when you’re fighting through crowds of shoppers on Oxford Street you may not think so. Here are a few tips to fit in with the local mentality during your visit.

* Greeting people A handshake will do or even just saying hello or hi, leave the kissing on cheeks for your great Aunt and never use on male friends unless you want to start rumours or a fight

* Riding the Tube As a visitor, particularly with an American accent, you can get away with engaging a stranger in conversation, locals wouldn’t do this with each for fear the other person was some kind of nutjob. If you see 30 people in a Tube carriage staring off into the distance its normal, people just protecting their personal space and not interfering with anyone else’s. When using the escalator’s to get to the trains, if you don’t feel like walking stand to the right side and let people who are most likely in hurry come through on the left. Standing two abreast and talking to your mate on a crowded escalator is a no-no.

* Queueing In a country with such a high population density as the UK a few unwritten rules are needed so situations don’t turn into a ‘Chinese fire drill’. Queueing has become essential for order, so if you’re waiting for a bus, looking to pay for something in a store or waiting to get in somewhere they’ll probably be a queue and you need to find the end of it and take your place. Pushing in at the front is definitely seen as something foreigners do.

* Pubs Probably the key to being excepted by people in the UK is not being shy about buying a round of drinks in a pub. If you go out in a group don’t sit there and let other people start buying round after round of drinks and leave with out getting one yourself even if its good for your wallet. The quickest way to being thought of as a good bloke is to get to the bar early and get your shout, and don’t forget there’s no need to tip the barmaid/man, they’re not expecting it and people at the bar will think you don’t no what you’re doing.

* Saying Sorry If someone bumps into you on the street or treads on your toe the normal British response is for you to say ’sorry or excuse me’. It doesn’t mean you were at fault, it’s just a way of saying you realise it was an accident and unintentional and there’s no need to have a big argument, get aggressive or embarrass the person who is at fault.

* Lovely weather we’re having The ideal British neutral subject to talk about with strangers or people you vaguely know. People talk about the weather all the time and if you want to avoid an awkward silence without getting into religion, politics, etc, always mention the weather and people will understand where the conversation is going.

* Behind the wheel One area where the polite ‘after you’ mentality doesn’t exist is on the roads. London’s roads are clogged and if you chose to drive you have to show some aggression behind the wheel or you won’t get anywhere. Nothing will upset the drivers behind you more than seeing you being ultra courteous to the cars up ahead and giving way all the time. On crowded roads there are times to give way and times when you just have to go for it. Road rage incidents happen and driving like an old lady in rush hour is one of the things that can set it off.