What is the most "British" thing you’ve seen a tourist do?

[-]

Excellent-Law-218@reddit

I saw an Italian woman in a busy pub order a cup of tea. It came in teapot and she sat with it at the bar, drinking from a china cup. I've never seen it done before, it was aggressively British

[-]

Sausagedogknows@reddit

My brother, sipping tea in the Pyrenees.

Full adventure motorbike gear, union Flag neck scarf, just going full aristocracy having a cheeky brew on our way down into northern Spain.

[-]

LondonCollector@reddit

‘1 pint please’

‘Fosters, Stella?’

‘Yorkshire Gold’

[-]

Psychological-Ad1264@reddit

The neighbour's recycling bin blew over in the wind last night spilling dozens of cans of Fosters and Coors.

I'd like to think the whole street is judging him today.

[-]

Bottled_Void@reddit

What, just because he doesn't have a bunch of Gü ramekins to weigh the bin down?

[-]

pajamakitten@reddit

People throw those away? I thought everyone just accumulate them as snack bowls.

[-]

thecockmeister@reddit

Old neighbours got around this by filling the tote for the glass recycling with a mound of wine bottles. Much more difficult to blow away then.

[-]

HatOfFlavour@reddit

Get the poor guy a half brick to put on top.

[-]

TheKnightsTippler@reddit

When I was a kid I was really confused by the pub in EastEnders. People were always ordering Aegean Tea, but id never seen anyone actually drink Aegean Tea in real life.

I was an adult before I realised they were just asking for a G & T.

[-]

dweedman@reddit

Ironically the only person I know who I could imagine doing this is my mother and she's Spanish

[-]

Gormolius@reddit

My mum's also Spanish, and a pot of tea is her usual at the pub.

[-]

welsh_cthulhu@reddit

That's actually the most British power move I've ever heard of.

[-]

Lower_Helicopter_742@reddit

I once apologised to a mirror in Marks & Spencer.

[-]

UmbroSockThief@reddit

I have to resist the urge to thank the self checkout whenever I use one.

[-]

catsareniceDEATH@reddit

I do the same, alongside (very quietly) telling it to not be so impatient when I'm collecting my shopping and remembering my card and receipt.

However, considering your username, if there's not someone out there called 'giant/sportsdirect mug thief' out there, I will feel like we have failed as Brits as a whole.

Sorry.

[-]

AgileSloth9@reddit

Except from the slow as fuck ones at Asda.

[-]

lalajia@reddit

I thank them, and automatic doors too. Just in case.

[-]

alaginge@reddit

I once apologised to a 'please wait to be seated' sign at a restaurant I worked at.

[-]

Dazz316@reddit

Walking home very drunk one night, there were roadworks on my street and a sign said "access only". I said, fuck you I'm accessing it!....Sorry"

[-]

KeithMyArthe@reddit

LOL, my brother apologised to Adolf H. Itler when he backed into him and trod on his foot in Madame Tussauds

[-]

TheKnightsTippler@reddit

Once I thanked a tube barrier when it opened and let me in. I was tired.

[-]

notyourcocoabutter@reddit

I apologized for receiving a wrong number

[-]

GrumpyCatPerson@reddit

I bumped into a mannequin and apologised to it 😂

[-]

ThatGuyBob@reddit

I once apologised to a chair that I walked into. It’s in our DNA I guess

[-]

shb117@reddit

I once apologised to a pigeon I nearly walked into cause I was busy looking down at my phone

[-]

thebigperson8@reddit

I once apologized to some books because they were sticking out slightly and I brushed them as I walked past the table.

[-]

roamingnomad7@reddit

We've all been there, although I'm not classy enough to have done it in an M&S, sadly.

[-]

One time many years ago I was in Edinburgh and outside the main train station they had a large board with a picture of Edinburgh castle. Myself and girlfriend stood and watched these American tourists take a family photo of them standing at the photo of Edinburgh castle. I remember them being excited about it and as we walked past they said to us we thought Edinburgh castle was real. That's when I said to them if you turn around you'll see the real one, they all looked confused and the dad said wait there's a real castle? Yes behind where it's been sitting for hundreds of years. Even when I showed them they didn't believe me that it was the real castle.

[-]

JorgiEagle@reddit

You can’t just end the comment there?!? What happened? Or did you just walk off at that point

[-]

TongueDemon75@reddit

Further to the west on Princes' St there's a Vodafone shop with a panoramic photo of the castle on several windows. I've seen tourists standing in front of it taking photos. Turn to the south and you get the full castle in view 🤔.

[-]

Smithy1619@reddit

Aye it's unbelievable how they can miss a big castle standing on the top of a massive rock it baffles me.

[-]

lesterbottomley@reddit

I once had US tourists ask me directions to York Minster in full view of the thing.

Rather than direct them I just pointed. Their reply?

"Is that it? I thought it'd be bigger."

York Minster is fucking huge.

[-]

pajamakitten@reddit

"Is that it? I thought it'd be bigger."

I am sure they have heard that before.

[-]

Competitive-Fact-820@reddit

huge and beautiful

[-]

BravoBanter@reddit

That’s what she said

[-]

Bottled_Void@reddit

They probably realised their mistake as they got closer to it. It's like it just keeps getting bigger, but you're nowhere near it yet. Same with Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

[-]

LAUK_In_The_North@reddit

I was once asked the way to the Vatican - whilst standing at the end of the road leading directly to it.

Just open your eyes and you can't miss it...

[-]

Latter_Can7625@reddit

Do you comment this regularly as I've read this before

[-]

the-bagging-area@reddit

Such a shame they built the castle so close to the railway though.

[-]

Dull_Hawk9416@reddit

That view if the castle is one of the most amazing (manmade) things I’ve ever seen

[-]

Smithy1619@reddit

Yeah it is stunning on a clear day even at night or Christmas festival when the city is all light up it's beautiful.

[-]

recidivist4842@reddit

My science teacher apologised to the waste paper bin when she kicked it whilst wearing her slippers one lesson. But then she was an alcoholic and likely pissed at the time. Used to disappear into the store room for 10mins at a time.... I wonder why 🤔

[-]

Left_Mushroom3184@reddit

I apologise to my car when I hit a pothole. I may or may not also give the steering wheel a little pat.

[-]

CaptCriollo@reddit

There’s a whole industry of high end afternoon tea establishments around Mayfair serving tea and sandwiches at over £100 a throw with tourists cosplaying posh Brits for Insta hits.

[-]

st2826@reddit

Last week i nearly bumped into the Morrisons cleaning robot and i asked who was going to move first me or him? 😁

[-]

Dreadheaddanski@reddit

They have cleaning robots in Morrisons now?

[-]

Glass_Chip7254@reddit

Not a tourist, but my ex-girlfriend (Spanish) eventually apologised after bumping into a hoover

[-]

PuerSalus@reddit

I was at a vineyard in Santorini overlooking the bay at sunset with my girlfriend. The table next to us was a bunch of middle/old aged Brits on a group trip. One man on the table was kicking up a fuss because they didn't have any beer (only wine and soft drinks) and said he would just leave and go back to the hotel.

To make it worse. Someone on his table said "We're not here for the beer, look at where we are, look at the sunset" to which he replied "I've seen better!".

[-]

OilAdministrative197@reddit

My uncle. Pasty ginger, sandles, black socks, too short hawaian shorts, wife beater, tiny tea towel on head, two coors in each hand saying spagetti bolonaise in an italian accent in france because he doesnt no the difference. Legend.

[-]

sweetbennyfenton@reddit

I told my fridge to shut the fuck up when its open door alarm kicked off. Then I apologized and said I didn’t mean it.

[-]

StereotypicallBarbie@reddit

Not the same thing but..

My friend from the US standing in the bathroom with her hair dryer in hand looking around so confused… still makes me laugh to this day.

She couldn’t understand where to plug it in…

calm down babes we don’t want you to get electrocuted! just dry your hair in the bedroom.

We took her to the seaside and to a fish and chips restaurant.. I’ve never seen someone so excited over a metal teapot!

[-]

olivinebean@reddit

I never considered how weird it might be to a foreigner (with inferior electrical regulations and power) to see me drying my hair in the living room.

[-]

Dornogol@reddit

Having a socket in the bathroom.is completely normal in continental euorpe too though

[-]

eques_99@reddit

I had a polish colleague who used to love telling people without being asked that her staffie wasn't dangerous but might lick them to death.

[-]

deenieweenie123@reddit

The only thing thats dangerous is her parps

[-]

Feelincheekyson@reddit

Wow relatable. I had two staffies growing up and I can still smell them to this day, 20 plus years later.

[-]

DarthScabies@reddit

Can confirm. Have a crop dusting Staffordshire. Sometimes she farts so loudly she makes herself jump. 😂

[-]

Burnsy2023@reddit

"He's only dangerous if you're water soluble"

[-]

milkteacuppa@reddit

I went to a lesbian bar in Kaohsiung and half the women were drinking tea. Much cheaper to order a pot of tea than a fancy cocktail.

[-]

pickindim_kmet@reddit

My parents take a kettle and tea bags in their case when they go abroad

[-]

Auzurabla@reddit

They were probably Canadian. We sprinkle sorrys everywhere

[-]

lesterbottomley@reddit

The three peoples who are famous for it are the Brits, Japanese and Canadians.

For the first two it's often put down to living on a crowded island. No idea where it comes from with the Canucks though as that explanation obviously holds no water there.

[-]

Auzurabla@reddit

Because we were settled by the British and French? We're still pay off the Commonwealth so actually being here in the UK feels much more like the social norms I grew up with! Humour is also similar to the British.

The other one I've heard is that when being outside in winter can kill you, you have to figure out how to be polite with the people you're snowed in with lol

[-]

Sea-Ad-527@reddit

Try and speak the local language in the most British accent possible.

[-]

theModge@reddit

My daughter (5) told me off for apologising to an Italian girl (also small) in English. We've been working on her speaking Italian when she's there - her mum is Italian and she can speak it, but she always forgets. This small girl fell over my foot and I said sorry in English, my daughter reminded me to speak Italian (still just about better than her but it's getting very close, unless I improve she'll be better soon )

[-]

b1gb00tych33ks@reddit

Bro trying to humble brag something that’s entirely normal anywhere else in the world

[-]

hairychris88@reddit

How is that a humble brag?!

[-]

b1gb00tych33ks@reddit

Is quite obviously a humble brag. It’s like those stories that go my child’s class had to write what they wanted for Christmas and my son (4 years old) wished for world peace and an end to starvation

[-]

hairychris88@reddit

I work with kids of that age and OP's story strikes me as being entirely plausible to be honest.

[-]

b1gb00tych33ks@reddit

It’s not that it’s not plausible, it’s that it comes off as braggy even though it’s expected for a child to speak their parents’ native language(s)

[-]

theModge@reddit

Does it help clarify if I add her mum is Italian. We try to have her speak Italian to her mum, but in England both of them often forget, especially as me and her mum (mostly) speak English to each other.

I wasn't so much bragging as thought apologising for her falling over my foot was very British. The language point was just a brits abroad forget to use the local language.

I'm aware speaking a second language is common : I work at a university and it's not unheard of for me to be the only person speaking my first language

[-]

IMissMyGpa@reddit

You already had (when I read the comment) noted that your daughter's mother is Italian so speaking Italian and your language should more or less be expected by that age so good on you for clarifying that it was in all honesty, a bit of a humble brag.

Unless you meant how you are almost better than your daughter was what they were referring to and then I think that they don't know much about language acquisition...

[-]

b1gb00tych33ks@reddit

Yeah I only speak 4 languages, raised on two, learned one as a teen and one as an adult but yeah I know nothing about language acquisition

Of course I wasn’t talking about that

[-]

NoFewSatan@reddit

Where's the humblebrag?

[-]

Spudbanger@reddit

Really? It's normal for five-year-olds to speak Italian anywhere in the world?

[-]

b1gb00tych33ks@reddit

Two languages obviously ya muppet

[-]

BenidormBarry@reddit

OI PABLO UNA BEERO FOR ME AND THE MISSUS PLEASE LUV.

ALSO ONA SOSIG’ TA.

GREASY ARSE.

[-]

CulturedClub@reddit

I was in Paris and the Yorkshire man in front of me at the hotel reception said "can I 'ave the key for numero eight please" . At least he tried.

[-]

Sea-Ad-527@reddit

Username checks out.

[-]

BenidormBarry@reddit

practicing my spanish for this summer 😎😎👊👊🇬🇧

[-]

GetCapeFly@reddit

My dad went through a drive through outside Malaga airport. He decided to shout through the ordering system to a perfectly capable English speaking Spanish member of staff “cheese-a-bur-ger—an and ch-ips-a”. Like the extra volumes and syllables would help the situation. We pulled through to the window and I only hope my look of pure horror was taken as the apology it was meant to. I wish he had attempted Spanish.

[-]

FlorianTheLynx@reddit

One can only hope it was his burger that got a-flob-ad in.

[-]

Environmental_Run973@reddit

My dad 100% did you all tell him but he carried on?

[-]

Itchy-Gur2043@reddit

Or speak English in an approximation of the local accent

[-]

yoloswaggins92@reddit

Angrily accusing the Spanish staff at our hotel in Mallorca of stealing a wallet, demanding the police and the CEO of the hotel be phoned immediately, holding up a massive queue of people at the check in desk, then storming off without an apology when said wallet was found in said Brit's bag.

[-]

BewareTheMoonLads@reddit

“MY WALLETS GONE….MY WALLETS GONE….”

[-]

yoloswaggins92@reddit

I know it was you, Alejandro!

[-]

Stressy_messy_me@reddit

Unfortunately super British!

[-]

TheOneTruJordan@reddit

There is text in the body of posts too y'know

[-]

Yuji_Ide_Best@reddit

An apology?! No no clearly they must feel like you embarrased them because the consequence of their actions clearly must be someone elses fault. Cant be their own.

[-]

Ecstatic-Low7929@reddit

Invade India loot it for 12 trillion

[-]

John_Catachan@reddit

You've seen a tourist do that?

[-]

cgknight1@reddit

Running The sun and wearing shorts in the Sauna in a mainly German hotel.

[-]

Sgtbuckles@reddit

A few years ago I was in Carrefour in Calais loading up on cheap European booze. The number of Brit men chucking pallets of the same lager you can get at home in the trolley was staggering. The best bit was, the pound was weak at the time so they were paying about 20% over the Tesco's price at home for the same beer.

[-]

FlorianTheLynx@reddit

I think we all have an accurate mental image of these men

[-]

scribblepiss@reddit

"Hello Trigg, what are you doing here?"
"You said meet us here at four o'clock..."

[-]

kevio17@reddit

Ask for directions to Lie-chester Square

[-]

zephyrthewonderdog@reddit

Saw a Brit at a hotel buffet tell a bunch of Russians to ‘stop bloody pushing and wait your turn’.

They ignored him obviously but I fell a little surge of pride.

[-]

EldritchSanta@reddit

I met some American tourists who were self aware enough to take the piss out of themselves and their own accent.

They were joking about the weird way place names are pronounced, and told me they were on their way to Chel-ten-ham. It was refreshing to meet Americans who didn't take themselves too seriously.

[-]

ketters@reddit

Self aware American tourists are honestly some of the greatest tourists about

[-]

zokkozokko@reddit

My wife and I were in a chippy in the Lake District and she mistakenly picked up a sugar shaker and put it on her chips. An American family who were watching closely did exactly the same. Two laughs for me for the price of one.

[-]

TheodoreEDamascus@reddit

A French lad suppressed my language, stole my land, and blocked me from any kind of education. I thought, damn Guillaume, you're going to fit right in

[-]

jflb96@reddit

Interestingly enough, the Norman dialect of French would’ve had his name be more like Willelm than today’s Academie Française-approved spelling

[-]

Longjumping_Car3318@reddit

We have a winner

[-]

Confudled_Contractor@reddit

You spelt whiner wrong.

[-]

Longjumping_Car3318@reddit

I don't think you get the joke

[-]

TheodoreEDamascus@reddit

Shhh, you'll be accused of throwing a paddy

[-]

Longjumping_Car3318@reddit

For shame, I have nothing against the Irish

[-]

shelbyeatenton@reddit

I actually don’t get it! Please would you mind explaining. Sorry!

[-]

captain_crackerjack@reddit

William the Conqueror. Or, to give him his original name, William the Bastard.

[-]

Longjumping_Car3318@reddit

The OP is making a reference to a) William the Conqueror, and b) the British Empire.

[-]

Adorable_Past9114@reddit

Bastard

[-]

best1taz@reddit

Que

[-]

ab00@reddit

Por Que?

[-]

oldboyincity@reddit

Get drunk, get loud, fight

[-]

BuildingControlUK@reddit

I was holidaying in Prague on a piss up.

A very well to do family came to one of the bars we were at and the mother said “may one sit outside” to the waitress

The waitress said “yes, more than one. There’s space for you all”

Always makes me chuckle

[-]

chainpress@reddit

Bunch of young Americans in a pub next to the Thames. One of them dropped a full tray of drinks coming down some stairs at a pub, and the rest of them went "whaaaaay".

[-]

darybrain@reddit

Spoke more loudly and slowly when someone didn't understand them. Also asked if chips came with their food.

[-]

Trippy_V@reddit

While in Croatia on a group trip, some Americans on the tour started talking to the tour guide about 'cutting short' the trip as they'd already had lunch and didn't want to stop again. The English bloke behind us gave my husband a nudge and said 'what a tw*t' in a voice just loud enough for them to hear.

[-]

darybrain@reddit

It's perfectly okay to say twit on the internet

[-]

Leftleaningdadbod@reddit

A friend of mine was working in a restaurant that had an ice-maker, this was in the late 70s, so it was big, like a counter in the side of the room. And expensive so not common. Anyway, she went to get a bucket of ice, waited while it loaded it, and yelled “ Thank you” !

[-]

When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!

Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.