What’s a very British habit or attitude that people rarely question, but probably should?

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Shower-Haunting@reddit

That bowl in the sink.

Last time I used it was when I did an oil change on the wife's car.

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wizzard99@reddit

We have one in our sink. I hate it but TOH won't get rid of it.

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Pigeon-in-a-basket@reddit

Underage drinking, basically everyone I know has been getting drunk since 13 years old or younger

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Pigeon-in-a-basket@reddit

Eh, I feel like that's more of an American thing, to shame people for drinking underage, I am still currently in school, and drinking regularly is still very prevalent

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Pigeon-in-a-basket@reddit

Also bear in mind I am a younger gen z. I find lots of people saying underage drinking isn't really a problem in the UK anymore. I have no doubt it's better, but I still think it's an issue

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Melodic-Donut8140@reddit

46M. English born and always been a UK resident, but I've done a fair bit of travelling.

The most ridiculous aspect of Englishness for me is this morbid fear we all seem to have of a vaguely embarrassing social exchange.

No matter how important that conversation may be to a friendship, a relationship, somebody's health or well being, or just for the sake of honesty itself, time and time again, I have seen that us English would rather a friendship slowly died than endure a painful conversation.

Like for all the needless bullshit small talk conversations we seem to find imperative, us English just do not seem able to say what really needed to be said, and it's absurd, immature and frankly, just fucking absurd.

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DubManD@reddit

Moaning. It’s gone from moaning about the weather to moaning about the whole country.

The UK isn’t perfect but the number of people who get behind the foreign influencers to confirm that the country has gone to shite is staggering.

It takes a special kind of ignorance to believe that yet here we are.

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Spiritual_Fall363@reddit

Smoking in front of the f’n entry!!

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Known_Practice_4393@reddit

"At least you got a roof over your head"

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Diligent-Step-7253@reddit

"this country is a shithole, i hate it here and it’s a third world country, but i’ll drop my monster by the side of the road cause it’s already so bad nobody cares anymore and i can’t do anything about it. Fuck this country"

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Andika421@reddit

Small talk. ‘How are you, what did you do at the weekend, oh wait, I don’t really care and I will never ever talk to you about anything deeper than that or about the new episode of the Traitors even though I’ve worked in the same office as you for 5 years…’

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Diligent-Step-7253@reddit

I hate seeing that one mentioned because I genuinely care about what people around me have been up to. Just because i’m not in the mood to discuss why we’re alive or how life came to be doesn’t mean i’m the devil in human clothing and doesn’t mean i couldn’t care less about your life.

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mikolv2@reddit

Brits put down anyone who does well or does better than them instead of celebrating their success. Oh, you can afford to buy a second home? You're basically the devil now. God forbid you drive anything other than a small secondhand hatchback.

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jez_24@reddit

Taking someone doing better as a personal insult, a slight. It’s the self - centeredness

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EvenMathematician874@reddit

As an immigrant the entire class system thing is revolting. Especially when ppl use it to make themselves feel superior to others. It is so weird seeing it from the sidelines

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jez_24@reddit

Totally, you read some shocking things about how people with regional accents get treated at uni. Even Scottish students at Scottish universities ffs

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jez_24@reddit

Interpreting benign comments in conversations as an insult, dig, criticism, slight on your character somehow. It can be a bit exhausting to navigate this, I now overthink before speaking and it’s difficult to relax especially talking to strangers.

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NoMind5964@reddit

Dropping litter

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Ill-Door-8854@reddit

Not complaining in restaurants, you can be asked how the meal was and we always say yes it's fine, even though it tasted like dog food.

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2014R1@reddit

I just don’t go back, that should tell the gaff it was bad

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Mild_Karate_Chop@reddit

Erm , dont know how dog food tastes ..

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BamberGasgroin@reddit

I do. It's very bland.

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Lost-Activity6231@reddit

Then go online and make our real opinions known ala tripadvisor

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Derbadian@reddit

My German ex wife hated this about us.

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NewDate6115@reddit

Not calling out bad or problematic behaviour for the sake of politeness, and if you do, YOU'RE the rude one!

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AcanthisittaFit1066@reddit

If everyone went off at each other about their respective niggles it might be cathartic but ultimately creates bad feeling within groups. If you have to, normally best to address it when you're one on one.

Sometimes calling out truly bad behaviour from adults helps but not always. I was shocked seeing a woman on holiday in Austria calling out a bloke in a shop who was trying to persuade his mother that she needed decent walking boots to go up a steep mountain - mother was objecting forcefully. The woman said he was creating a bad atmosphere in the store. He was and should have let it go, but you could see he just wanted his mother to stay safe and tbh her butting in didn't improve the mood.

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NewDate6115@reddit

The people you describe were annoying but not malicious. I'm talking about people who do genuine harm but it's excused and anyone criticising them is the problem.

Like, one of my housemates is a troublemaker, a shit stirrer and a misogynist. He changed jobs because he only wanted male company, but still chose to move into our mixed houseshare. Because he didn't want me around, he told lies about me to the other housemates, and one of them believed him. I tried talking to him one to one and he wouldn't discuss it, so I confronted him in front of the housemate he lied to. And was promptly told "You're making problems." Oh so it's me causing problems, is it? Not the guy who tells lies and uses demonisation tactics because he can't bear to see a woman with male housemates who just treat her like one of them and don't other her?

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griffaliff@reddit

I've experienced this a lot in my thirties with a bunch of painfully middle class people. 'Mustn't bring up a social issue with someone, it'll feel awkward!'.

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Fun_Yogurtcloset1012@reddit

This is annoying

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tinabelcher182@reddit

Our deprecation. I don’t mind it generally but having lived abroad it really makes you feel like you’re a total depressed person with no self confidence… but we’re just British haha.

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7alligator7@reddit

I mean it doesn’t help that any pride or patriotism we show is seen as bigotry, down to our flags I mean colonising so many other places also doesn’t help

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bacon_cake@reddit

I don't think that's true at all. The latest lot of flag flying does have a bitter undertone.

But I've never felt bad about being patriotic. Genuine patriotism that isn't just for show - ie actually supporting and helping fellow Brits - is never looked down upon.

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GoldenSonOfColchis@reddit

There's an older bloke round the corner from me who's been flying a Union flag for at least the last 8 years I've lived here, and probably a lot longer than that.

No one has ever had a problem with it because, as you say, it doesn't have the bitter undertone that the recent "raise the colours" bollocks has.

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larneymel@reddit

I thought you meant in monetary value! Do other countries pay better for that car you’ve just driven off the forecourt?

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fussilyarrabbiata@reddit

That’s *depreciation!

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larneymel@reddit

Ooooooh TIL - and I had to really look to see the difference… thanks!

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Andries89@reddit

Banter actually being disguised bullying

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apurpleglittergalaxy@reddit

My family are the worst for this lol this was also rampant in schools during the early 00s, got called fat and ugly and got upset over it? You just can't take a joke 🤷‍♀️

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govnyuuk@reddit

If the other person bullies back in a playful way, then it's alright. Not everyone does that though, so you've got to play it by ear.

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HenryNeves@reddit

Sap

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Andries89@reddit

Just no need to be nasty is there

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fussilyarrabbiata@reddit

Normalising being okay with miserable living conditions. So what if energy bills costs a fortune now, wearing multiple socks and jumpers indoors in a deathly cold flat is “just the British way!”

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apurpleglittergalaxy@reddit

I was revenge evicted 2 years ago by a slum landlord and all my aunt could say when I went from living in a 2 bedrolm house to a static caravan was "at least you've got a roof over your head" normalising and invalidating people's misery and hard falls is something I really hate about British culture, also being told "it could be worse" yeah things could be worse but they could also be better lol

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theoneandonlyvesper@reddit

Being negative/complaining and normalising it cos it’s culture like no stay away from me if all you do is moan and moan and moan because it can actually affect your mental health by being negative

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apurpleglittergalaxy@reddit

But ironically we are a nation that prides itself on the "keep calm and carry on" motto so complaints even if they're legit are often met with blunt "get on with it" remarks.

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Particular-Scale5644@reddit

Tbf I work in a predominantly international setting and everyone complains all the time. Either they're acclimatising at a startling rate or we're far from alone in being miserable sods.

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FromAcrosstheStars@reddit

I'm from Hungary and people there complain way more than I've experienced in britain. Complaining about everything (especially the weather) is the national pasttime there

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h4baine@reddit

The negativity is intense. I lived there for 6 years with my husband who grew up there and we've since moved to the US. When we go back to visit friends and family we feel that negativity cloud hanging over everything. You're absolutely right about it impacting your mental health even if you do it in a joking way. Your brain doesn't know the difference.

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theoneandonlyvesper@reddit

Lucky you to get out

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Familiar-Woodpecker5@reddit

I’m older and I now excel these people from my life, even some family.

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SpartanSkipper@reddit

It’s some people’s whole personality isn’t it…

Is it because that’s the only way they can feel good about themselves?

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apurpleglittergalaxy@reddit

The stiff upper lip bullshit we do about people suffering with their mental health. I've had my Dad tell me to "grow a thick skin" when I've got BPD, Asperges and survived childhood trauma, abuse from multiple narcissists, bullying and suicide of a family member at a young age. I've had many people tell me and my sister that we're "too sensitive" "too woke" I've had people tell me to man up and so on I've been turned away from doctors when I've begged them for sleeping pills cos I'd had a breakdown following a burglary that my previous neighbour did. Self medicating is a huge thing with our culture as well, a lot of people smoke weed out in the open I've been to the Netherlands on a messy one twice and people didn't smoke weed as much as they do over here they might as well legalise it lol there's also the thing with drinking culture although that's died down with Gen zers I've noticed but yeah we are a nation that prides itself on the "keep calm and carry on" motto even though the war is far from over and it's going on inside people's heads.

British people are only sympathetic of mental health issues up to a certain point I think especially BPD it is widely misunderstood, doctors only refer you for 6 sessions of therapy and then you pay which some can't afford, on 999 what's your emergency there was an episode where a bloke who had PTSD was having a panic attack and paramedics were at a loss for what to do, lack of housing doesn't help either.

Anyway I'm sure this comment will get downvoted but idc mental health awareness is completely non existent in the UK.

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boudicas_shield@reddit

As an immigrant to the UK, I don’t like how you’re expected to hate yourself and put yourself down all the time. It feels like you’re not allowed to be happy or proud here; you’re always meant to be assuring everyone that you’re not getting “above your station” in any way. You’re always meant to be moaning about everything and anything good you achieve is supposed to be downplayed into oblivion.

It also connects to how you can’t have real conversations with anybody; somebody will immediately start taking the piss whenever you try to talk seriously, as if real emotions are too uncomfortable. I had to talk to my British husband about this, how he’d automatically shy away from any real feelings by deflecting the whole conversation into a joke. It felt very dismissive; thankfully he did stop doing that after we spoke about it a few times. But I still notice it a lot in other people.

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Neither_Process_7847@reddit

You arent meant to hate yourself or put yourself down, although Brit humour does tend to the dark. The culture looks down on bragging and values shared jokes. It's to my point of view rather deeper than plastic 'look how effective I am' cultures, that tend to encourage things like presenteeism rather than actual effectiveness, as it tends towards collective empathy and realism in the face of uncertainty.

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Honest_Presence_9619@reddit

This goes back to the War. We had this slogan back then of "keep calm, and carry on!" it was a way of saying "ok things are hellish, we're being bombed, we're all hungry and nobody has any money, but let's do the British, Christian thing and hold our heads up and not let it get to us"

Sadly that just devolved into the mess we're in now. Combination of nihilism and suicidal empathy.

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Mild_Karate_Chop@reddit

Suicidal empathy .. Whats that ?

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Neither_Process_7847@reddit

Far right talking point about why we should all hate immigrants.

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Mild_Karate_Chop@reddit

Ah I see , what Elon also says . Effing hell.

Well Christ had suicidal empathy then , they larp about Christian values and all that shebang. Jesus.

Thanks ,man

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GrandDukeOfNowhere@reddit

Actually it goes back to the French revolution: they blammed it on people over there being overly emotional and too permissive, so they invwnted the concept of The Stiff Upper Lip to stop that sort of thing happening over here

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dontevenremembermain@reddit

Wait, really? I knew all about those "their horrible tyranny vs. our peaceful democracy" proto-memes (example attached for context), so this makes sense, but I didn't know that's where the emotional repression mostly came from. Makes sense if it does, though.

!

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Ok_Shirt983@reddit

The keep calm and carry on posters were never used in public, they were designed to be distributed if we were occupied by the Germans.

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jayphelps57@reddit

Although the Keep calm posters did exist they were never made public in the 39-45 war

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boudicas_shield@reddit

Yeah I’ve often wondered if the keep calm and carry on thing has extended well past its usefulness.

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dontevenremembermain@reddit

Not WW2, it's an artifact of the class system IMO

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Lost-Activity6231@reddit

Politicians love this about us.

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mannyrerobate@reddit

With how things are going I think this is the best way.

You get Americans when you tell British people they're the best and special and number 1

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boudicas_shield@reddit

The thing is I am American and I see all the worst traits of Americans present in you guys, you just pretend they aren’t there. It’s unsettling, the degree to which you insist upon this.

In some ways you're actually much worse than we are, because you flat-out refuse to acknowledge problems or fault (e.g. racism), saying only that you aren’t American so have nothing to examine. I find it incredibly worrisome; it’s like you’re all in deep denial.

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Neither_Process_7847@reddit

Hang on, you've met British people who thought they were above reproach and from the best country in the world? You sure you aren't thinking of some other country that sounds a bit similar or something? Because the UK national culture is endless whinging and self deprecation with a leavening of self-pity. As for why people still talk Americans down despite that, go see the comment I'm responding to, Donald.

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Useful-Risk-4340@reddit

I agree Reddit (considering it isn't solely a UK sub obsession) is pretty hateful toward the US. To say there's a lack of real understanding would be a bloody understatement haha. In fact it's worse than that, they know nothing. I read the most embarrassing shit on a daily basis.

With that said, what you wrote is also inaccurate. I don't mean this to sound condescending, but you've become a victim of the same phenomenon. Social media just isn't a good place to obtain understanding of another culture or even what most people think. The mainstream media certainly is not, there's always an agenda and the UK and US MSM increasingly resembles the WWE in it's fakeness haha.

You have to remember most people aren't even on a site like this. And research found only 1% of social media users contribute. A single thread like this has a few hundred replies and of that a few were negative about the US. It's a tiny, tiny fraction of people writing nasty shit, ever. It's often said web anonymity reveals what is really thought but with so few people posting that is not true.

This is not an excuse, but I do see your complaint often and it does make me wonder; I'm not sure many Americans quite understand how much the US meaningfully shapes life abroad and how much US content is foisted upon Europeans. It really is inescapable, and for that reason the US is at the fore of many people's minds. That doesn't mean people actively care (or hate) though, IYSWIM. But that is why US conversation, relative to say Germany, overwhelms.

Unfortunately, distance lends itself to caricaturisation and with American-bashing being an easy "win" on social media idiots avail themselves. I never hear negative comments, or even comments, about Americans in real life, only irritation with US policy.

Personally, I started blocking stupid people online and found the magnitude of horrible and depressing content decreased significantly. Just something to think about!

From my understanding r/casualuk is a friendlier, more light-hearted sub if you fancy a switch. :)

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Mundo7@reddit

😂😂😂 “I anticipated the downvotes btw”

yeah that’s because you’ve just spouted a load of bollocks mate

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MeatyGary@reddit

I struggle to believe many Brits identify ourselves as being above reproach, and the best country in the Western World.

I can understand your point re: if a conversation descends into "at least we're not as bad at X as Americans", it won't lead to further self-reflection. But it seems a stretch to think we're so obsessed with the U.S. that we don't acknowledge any of our own problems, in the name of comparing ourselves to Americans.

To the particular example, I'd also say racism is something the majority of British people acknowledge is a real problem in our country, rather than flat-out refusing any fault.

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ImaginaryParrot@reddit

Agree with this except the last paragraph

People are far more concerned with being seen as racist than actual racism. It can be an incredibly awkward topic here

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Altruistic-Flan6128@reddit

With respect, I feel you might be missing the intentions of British pessimism and subtlety. The US and UK both have a superiority complex that’s hard to break out off until you leave for a middle or lesser power country.

I say this as a Brit who left the UK and moved to Canada, I work with plenty of Americans so the socio-cultural differences across the 3 groups were a surprising challenge to me.

I’ve been called out for self-deprecating when introducing myself, especially by Americans. I’ve been told it makes me look like I’m not confident and therefore not appealing. I am actually quietly ambitious, but I’m also just a regular human like the person I’m talking to. I’m not here to sell myself.

While it makes the go-getters ignore me (sometimes to our mutual detriment), I have noticed it does make some of the more nervous or quiet North Americans feel at ease. They’ve gotten along with me well and they open up much more because they don’t feel they need to put up a front. They tend to trust me more too, because I’m not presenting myself as a threat.

I’d say American optimism is much better than British pessimism when you have a plan, feel confident and need some motivation. But it’s draining and depressing when things aren’t going to plan or you just want to unmask. The British pessimism and humility can actually help make you more resilient and accepting of imperfection. Neither side is definitively better or worse overall.

On the colonial past, that’s a tricky one. I don’t think the US has really have processed it either. Yes, there’s been a focus on racial justice, but compared to Canada and Australia, there’s much less acknowledgement on indigenous Americans.

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MaleFeministActuary@reddit

There is a lot of truth to what you are saying. The lack of celebration of the flag by middle class Brits is used to promote the idea of a superior culture which has moved beyond looking inward and is now liberal and outward focused. The great irony is that this is used to give the pretence of moral superiority, albeit from a more covert position.

Germans actually do a similar thing in terms of their racism towards Eastern Europeans, they act as if because they were Nazis and killed innocent people, that their atonement for their ancestor's sins makes them morally superior because they know what it means to have been racist and more past that.

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Upper-Lime-3493@reddit

“Up to 95% of the UK are thought to have impostor syndrome… the remain 5% are often referred to as ‘cunts’.”

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Kind-Strain4165@reddit

Ironically that 5% are the probably the ones that should have it.

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rootbt@reddit

The worse thing is this just reassures me that I don't have imposter syndrome!

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stevee05282@reddit

God that's resonant hahaha

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CriticalArcadia@reddit

I'm English and I think this is one of the worst national character traits, I'm glad someone has pointed it out. It has got to the point that nobody ever has a meaningful conversation with anybody about anything. It's truly debilitating. People end up never getting to know others properly because everything gets turned into a joke, it's actually quite rude and dismissive. It has driven me mad for years.

I hate to say it but I actually think this character trait alongside our now cripplingly low productivity rate makes me think that contemporary Brits are a bunch of lazy people. Low productivity and dismissing anything serious or profound as a joke is a way of avoiding effort which means a lazy attitude is prevailing. As I say I don't like to think this of my fellow countrymen but it's true.

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ignatiusjreillyXM@reddit

There is a lot of good insight here - it goes alongside an acceptance of mediocrity, too.

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julemeister@reddit

I think there is a fine line between bragging and being above your station. Brits don't like people boasting. If you got it, people know, if you don't people don't care. If you are a decent person that's what we care about. I'm perfectly happy and have wealthy friends and poor friends. It really doesn't matter.

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Free_Ad7415@reddit

You are so right.

I am a happy and confident person and have been known to say ‘I’m good at x,’ EVERY time I do it someone will make a point of being like oh gosh oh REALLY like I’ve committed a cardinal sin.

We’re allowed to be good at things!? It’s like there is a pathological response to put everyone back in their place.

My friend did it to me the other day, I objected, ab actually he then admitted he was trying to practise being more positive about himself, especially in front of his daughter. He said he never says anything good about himself which is think is crazy

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h4baine@reddit

I've always been surprised at how surface level my husband's relationship has always been with his parents. Not a ton of depth, connection, or vulnerability. When my MIL cries she literally runs away and that has resulted in us missing saying goodbye to her when moving to another country.

I wouldn't say my parents are the paragon of well-adjusted humans or anything but there has always been depth and emotional intimacy. The lack of that and of earnest encouragement and praise really surprised me comparing it to my American childhood.

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bibonacci2@reddit

I think this is hard to get to grips with. We are very self deprecating but it doesn’t mean we see ourselves as he saving low value, we just value humility highly.

Being good, successful and humble is valued.

As Kipling wrote:

“ If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same “

A persons successes aren’t down to them alone, neither are their failures. Showing humility in the triumphs and stoicism in the disasters is how we like it.

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Mild_Karate_Chop@reddit

Kipling also wrote Mandalay.

I don't think humility , is valued per se in this context . We value conformity in the social sense .

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PitchOk1448@reddit

Just out of interest, what point are you making about Mandalay? I don't think it's unhumble really. It's just about a cockney solider who experiences vivid life in the east and ends up thinking (his life in) England is boring and rubbish, isn't it?

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MaleFeministActuary@reddit

I second this. The cynicism and self-depreciation is one thing, the inability of Brits to sit down and have a proper looking into their eyes and connecting on a deep level is depressing about this place. Anything beyond pisstaking and inevitably it's "that's proper weird mate, u sure u aint gay, lets watch the facking footie and ave a pint"

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Champagne_Bunnny@reddit

As a native born person I hate this too. Let's change it.

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mrggy@reddit

On a similar note, the weather's really not that bad here! Most of the country barely gets below freezing in the winter, the summers generally stay at a pleasant temperature, with days above 35 being rare. Sure it rain, but not even proper hurricanes. It rarely even thunderstorms. Just a measly drizzle. The weather here is really quite mild. People make too big a deal out of the weather, especially when they hear you moved here from abroad

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aspannerdarkly@reddit

Everyone everywhere suppresses their emotions and avoids “real conversations” at least some of the time. It’s part of being an adult. Nobody wants life to be a sequence of toddler tantrums from their various acquaintances about stuff they can’t help with and that doesn’t even matter to them. Different cultures may tolerate this to varying degrees and I guess we’re towards one end of the scale but I think the general idea is pretty universally understandable.

As far as minimising your own successes goes, that’s partly modesty and partly the polite realisation that not everyone may be as happy as you are in that moment. Forcing your emotions on everyone else is an imposition.

Defusing with humour isn’t merely an avoidance strategy, though - more often than not it can give perspective and help people see things in a different light

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boudicas_shield@reddit

The thing is, I come from an incredibly emotionally repressed culture. You have to pick the right moment to talk seriously, preferably with a drink in everyone’s hand so they can stare into that instead of looking into your face, so you can have a serious talk with the tabletop while the other person happens to be there and also responds to the tabletop. While everyone takes long gulps of booze in between words.

That’s what I am used to, and it still didn’t prepare me for a culture where everything gets turned into a joke after three sentences, no matter how carefully you try to approach it.

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cleb9200@reddit

I don’t think culturally it’s that reductive, but I can see how the inference would be made by anyone less familiar with the history of British culture. In the past pathos and self depreciating humour became ways of dealing with life’s horrors. Coupled with a background of celebrating humility, and distrust of conceited vanity, but by trying to defuse the pompousness of that stance by making it a bit more silly and fun and laughing at ourselves and how crap we are. It isn’t entirely serious.

It’s a similar deal with the Nordic countries, who I happen to think we share a slightly convergent cultural evolution with. It’s like everyone who hasn’t been to Finland thinks they’re the most humourless and repressed people on earth but you go there and they’re actually the funniest bastards on the planet

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cleb9200@reddit

It’s because a lot of bad people weaponise that pride for political gain and we simply do not want to be associated with bigotry

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Low-Cauliflower-5686@reddit

That's a a common working class sort of thing. I often don't say where I go on holiday, everyone else goes to Spain or Blackpool, I go to more odd places.

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Krismusic1@reddit

Deep down we are proud and self assured. Don't tell anyone though.

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haidee9@reddit

Totally agree with you it leads to a lot of passive aggressive behaviours as people feel frustrated because they're not saying how they feel or what they mean . I hate all the weird indirect ways of behaving and saying things. I teach neurodivergent children (and neurodivergent myself) and trying to teach them how to speak their emotions, voice what's wrong makes you realise how many grown adults can't do that . Also makes you realise the social mind field of indirect communication.

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knight-under-stars@reddit

Using units of measurement that have not been commonly taught in school for decades.

I'm mid 40's and was never taught any imperial measurements. The fact that most people my age and even younger measure bodyweight in units that none of us were ever educated in and could not use outside of one niche usage is fucking insane to me.

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grouchy_fox@reddit

You still get some old folk saying "what's that in English?" When you give them a metric unit. Mate, I gave you it in English. You're asking for American nonsense now.

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Sweet_Confusion9180@reddit

For this reason, I feel equally inept in both measurement systems.

I can conceptualise ~5ft or 6ft in my head. But anything much bigger nope.

I know what 1 meter looks like, but couldn't tell you how far 50mt or 100mts is.

Same with stone. I can think of a 10stone person. Can't tell you what that is in lbs or kilos.

1 kill, easy to conceptualise... 40kilos... no idea.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Well you’re doing better at it than I am

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theonetruethingfish@reddit

This. I lived through the change from imperial and decimalisation and the old measures made absolutely no sense to me.

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Dennyisthepisslord@reddit

Drinking is/was a obvious one. Especially those people who get violent on it.

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ok2888@reddit

I think the UK just has a violent culture in general. It seems so normal and almost expected here for young men to get into dangerous fights on nights out. There are even those who will walk around in groups actively looking for people to beat up.

When I was at uni, most nights out you would witness some type of fight and sometimes people would get really badly hurt. Even if you aren't confrontational or violent (like me) you can still get into incidents just by coming across the wrong person at the wrong time. Close friend of mine and his brother were recently attacked in the middle of a town centre in broad daylight, in front of both their parents, by a group of 10 men. His brother lost 2 teeth and my friend had a severe concussion. The reason they were attacked? For having skin fades. Genuinely.

A couple of friends who did a year abroad in Spain and the Netherlands both went out regularly and said they never saw a fight or even an argument. Then as soon as they come back to the UK you just see someone getting their head bounced off the pavement.

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Dry-Clock-8934@reddit

I’m pretty sure people getting violent while drinking is questioned

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Time_Trail@reddit

not nearly as much as most other countries tho, it seems to be kinda expected

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Dennyisthepisslord@reddit

Really isn't. Seen as par for the course that police will be busier when people drink.

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soulsteela@reddit

Indeed, there are police who you will see start randomly searching for drugs just before kicking out time , nicely in the custody area processing the pot head instead of fighting pissheads.

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PadHicks@reddit

Yeah, so that violent people can get arrested and charged, because it's not acceptable.

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funfun151@reddit

The Streets - Irony Of It All still absolutely nailing it after all this time.

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nogeologyhere@reddit

I'm gonna batter ya, c'mere!

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bife_de_lomo@reddit

You're repeating yourself. But that's okay, drunk people can't help that.

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LoveGrenades@reddit

This is an important one I think. I remember as a young guy I met a Japanese friend at Uni when I was out drinking and he told me he didn’t drink, when I asked why he said “because I get a bit aggressive when I drink which is unpleasant for other people so I don’t do it.” And it was kind of a shock to me because I had never met a young British bloke who abstained because he acted like a prick when he got drunk (and there was no shortage of those guys around).

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Western-Caregiver897@reddit

The lack of understanding when it comes to compound interest / inflation and genuinely acting surprised that things are double the price compared to 20 years ago.

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Empty-Question-9526@reddit

Because wages have not risen to match.

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MojoMomma76@reddit

That isn’t true. British food prices are amongst the cheapest in major economies

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

I was shocked at grocery prices in the US. They are often paying the equivalent of £4 for something that costs us £1.49

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MojoMomma76@reddit

I’m in the US at the moment. It definitely depends where you shop. Whole Foods, HEB etc very expensive, Walmart and other budget chains less so - but still more expensive than home.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Over 20 years, average price increases of less than 50% are the target. You’re only framing it the way you are to hand wave away the 30% price increases we’ve experienced in the last four years.

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ChipCob1@reddit

Do people from every other country have this nailed down?

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Milky_Finger@reddit

When it rises too fast too suddenly in France, they all go outside and revolt. Clearly the French as a collective can tell when systematically something is wrong with increasing costs.

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Milky_Finger@reddit

The self deprecation and crabs in a bucket attitude is now getting so detrimental to our productivity as a country that 90% of our country's issues can come down to these two things.

We don't work, and those that do don't feel compensated enough. And so there's this dichotomy of "I deserve more but I am not allowed to say that because everyone around me would resent me"

We need a serious conversation about this because we fell off the world stage and we can't get back on it until we start celebrating productivity and merit.

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Garth-Vega@reddit

Best comment I have read for sometime. The death of aspiration is what gets me and I retired very early as my next step for more salary and responsibility would have reduced my take home pay, meanwhile I see not working as a lifestyle choice and did I read it correctly that some families receive more in benefits than minimum wage?

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Neither_Process_7847@reddit

It's not actually true.

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

There is also this sad belief that everyone with "nice stuff" is being swept around on a white river rapids of debt.

No. Some people are just rich. Deal with it.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

This is not the cause of 90%of our issues. 90% of our issues are caused by a complete inability to build housing. But if you really wanted to do as you say and celebrate merit and productivity then I’d bypass whatever psychological complex you think we all share and start tweaking the tax system. If we ease up on taxing income and start aggressively taxing wealth hoarding, then the rest should follow.

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inevitablelizard@reddit

Cultural hostility to the idea of improving anything would be my answer and that's basically the same thing as you're describing. Crabs in a bucket but at the society level, not just the individual.

Want to clean up your town of litter? "No point, it'll get filthy again and you'll never clean it up. Don't bother."

Want to do up this community garden or park? "Nah, that sounds gay. And the kids will just rip it all up". Of course doing something about that problem is out of the question

Want school meals to be healthier? "Bunch of middle class wankers, that food never did us any harm". As if decent cooked meals are a middle class thing somehow.

Many other examples but these are the ones that spring to mind. It's as if our self deprecating humour and cynicism goes too far. To the point that shit is just treated as the natural order of things.

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SkyPilotOne@reddit

People will probably start celebrating productivity when they are rewarded for productivity.

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balf999@reddit

NIMBYism. I'm sure it exists to an extent in lots of places, but it's much worse here.

A few home owners can stop any new houses being built near their houses by complaining, which is completely crazy. And most peole don't seem to understand that that's why house prices are so unaffordable in the UK.

It isn't because of immigrants, it isn't because of old people not down-sizing, it isn't because of rich, mean landlords (or at least, none of those are close to being the main factor) - it's because we make it so difficult and expensive to build new houses, so supply can't keep up with demand.

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fixed_grin@reddit

Yeah, London built 5,500 homes last year. In the Depression, it was 60-80,000 a year, for a smaller and much poorer population, that mostly rented from landlords. Because that was before the planning system was created in 1947.

That system is both the way NIMBYs succeed, but also it means people now think of "I can block construction around me" as part of their property rights. The downsides of construction are extremely local, the benefits are diffuse, so a system that devolved permission to individual projects was always going to implode.

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balf999@reddit

Yes, exactly. It's the problem of hyper-local (and debatable, but very visible) downsides versus diffuse (and slightly harder to undestand) benefits.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

I’ve had multiple instances now, of some of the most left wing people I know happily and proudly revealing to me that they’re attempting to stop a building project. And their faces when I’ve said “oh I didn’t realise you were a NIMBY!” It’s like they never connected the dots.

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MrLewk@reddit

NIMBYism

What's that

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AdDependent5136@reddit

Not In My Back Yard - ism.

"They should build more houses, but not near me!"

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MrLewk@reddit

Ah right, thanks!

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Due_Reserve7065@reddit

Complaining about spouses/kids! It drives me mental.

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ToughImprovement276@reddit

The way the that my boss and some other managers at work talk about their wives and kids is fucking disgraceful.

Of course I have no idea what they’re like as partners or fathers, but I’d hate to be spoken about the way that they are in my office. Even as self-deprecating jokes it’s really not okay.

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theoneandonlyvesper@reddit

Need to knock their head and make them aware it’s just uncomfortable to hear and plus we’re a stranger to them

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

It's when all conversations just turn to kids and family by default. It's obnoxious and you need to understand the social cues when people aren't interested.

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theoneandonlyvesper@reddit

It’s like if they don’t complain they haven’t live yet. I would just simply tell them if they don’t like it then get a divorce or something and then they’ll usually be shocked

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Dutch_Slim@reddit

Because they are venting to you to prevent a confrontation at home, not asking for your opinion on the state of their relationship.

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theoneandonlyvesper@reddit

It might feel uncomfortable, but talking to them could actually clear this up way faster than keeping it in

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Dutch_Slim@reddit

This plays into the comment above about people not saying how they feel. So instead of telling his wife her messiness annoys him, he comes to work and vents to you instead, because it’s not going to lead to a difficult conversation about how busy she is, how she feels he doesn’t help round the house etc.

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Psychological-Bag272@reddit

Oh, my ex boss did so much of this. He would say his wife is messy, doesnt respect him, asks silly questions...then said "I am just moaning really she is a great woman!"... lol

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MACintoshBETH@reddit

Shooting down anyone that is successful. It’s like we enjoy mediocracy as long as we’re all in the same boat

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

Also, having "nice things" and living large is obviously you living on the never never and a sea of debt.

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King_of_Wales@reddit

Bank opening hours are 10am to 4pm, closed 12-2pm for lunch. Monday to Thursday only. Random wednesday off. Assuming your town even has a bank anymore.

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

Also collecting medication, the pharmacist is "on lunch" for a whole hour and you can't do anything with prescriptions despite the shop being open.

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RainbowPenguin1000@reddit

Sunday trading hours.

People talk of saving the high street and yet opening times are restricted on 50% of the weekend days.

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docju@reddit

It’s worse in German speaking countries and France where the only shops you will find open on Sundays are generally in train stations.

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stevoknevo70@reddit

The Sunday trading restrictions for alcohol off-sales are the same as Mon-Sat 10am-10pm - it used to be you couldn't buy before 12.30pm on a Sunday but that changed in 2009 (I remember years ago you could buy from 8am weekdays/Saturday but can't remember when that changed?)

The supermarkets, where I am at least, do open/close slightly later/earlier than the other days, but it's nothing like English Sunday trading - we were in Northumberland last summer and my wife said we could nip to ASDA for whatever at 3.50pm, I said you'll be lucky the trading hours are different here...her and the kids all aghast that ASDA was indeed closing at pm! Tesco/Aldi 8pm and Lidl 9pm here.

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

Everyone dicks on England without looking at Northern Ireland. Trading doesn't even start until 1pm.

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docju@reddit

Haha I haven't tried to buy alcohol in the morning in years (or ever) so no surprise I am 16 years out of date. Yeah I think opening times are a bit different on Sundays but nowhere near as restrictive as in England. I don't know if that's a legislation thing or just a small Sunday concession for tradition.

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Striking-Two-746@reddit

Yeah, I lived in Germany. The bakery and pharmacy would be open on a Sunday and that’s it. Luckily they both sold wine. 🤣

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Counter_Ordinary@reddit

Medicinally

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CosiDuci@reddit

Same in Austria. And these shops are packed full with the queues lining up from the tills to the end of the Supermarket

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cgknight1@reddit

That is an English and Wales thing not British.

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

I have good experience of both. The situation in Scotland really isn't that much different or better.

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Jin-shei@reddit

Also Northern Ireland! Opens at 1pm on a Sunday

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RainbowPenguin1000@reddit

True. Fair point

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pocahontasjane@reddit

I'm in Scotland but my English husband is still surprised that the shops are open all day on Sunday.

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cgknight1@reddit

As someone from "down south" so am I. The flip being my partner is surprised the estate agents are open on a Saturday in England (maybe that's not across all of Scotland but is in the bit I know).

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

Northern Ireland is a right laugh. Shops can't open until 1pm on Sundays. They didn't even have Sunday pub opening until 1989.

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MangelBallbag@reddit

Wait so booze hours are restricted but shops open all day? I've been to Scotland multiple times and never clocked they're not restricted hours, I just expected it.

My Scottish girlfriend blew my mind the other day telling me bank holidays are basically optional and people tend to work them and have the days off added to their holiday allowance.

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doraisexploring27@reddit

I’ve lived in Scotland for three years now and it still shocks me that our local Tesco is open normal hours on Easter Sunday! I remember in England everywhere was shut

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medistuffandthings@reddit

The other side of that coin is not being able to buy booze after 8. That was a difficult evening the first time I went to Scotland.

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Big_white_dog84@reddit

In shops. After 10pm. Not in pubs.

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lacksfocusattimes@reddit

I think it’s 10pm

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medistuffandthings@reddit

I may be confusing it with a delectable mint chocolate product.

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Striking-Two-746@reddit

I don’t know which part of Scotland you were in but legally you can buy alcohol in retail stores, including supermarkets until 10 pm. I never had an issue when I was living in Glasgow.

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medistuffandthings@reddit

Edinburgh. I was pissed at the time and I've never run the risk of being caught short since!

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Bossman_Mike@reddit

I've lived half my life in Scotland and half in England. Really not too bothered about the English Sunday trading laws and they have never caused me any serious hardship, but I do think they could be suspended more readily for special occasions e.g. the last Sunday before Christmas.

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GraphicDesignMonkey@reddit

Our local bus company have a discounted £10 day ticket that gets you a big saving on getting the bus to the city, and using the city buses too.

But only on a Sunday. Limited buses, and closed shops. So, it's completely useless.

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Tarjhan@reddit

Pretty sure Sunday Trading was instigated to offset the advantage of large chains that typically operate outside of the high street.

Think it’s something like 300 square meters of shop floor. That’s why all the supermarket local/express stores are so pokey.

And, before you go wishing mandatory Sunday hours on retail workers, let’s pass a law that mandates double pay for Sunday shifts.

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dennis3282@reddit

Why?

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Tarjhan@reddit

Why what?

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dennis3282@reddit

Why pass a law enforcing double pay on Sunday if the point is we are trying to normalise Sunday opening and encouraging places to open. Sunday should be just another day.

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Tarjhan@reddit

Yeah, I wasn’t clear on my intent there. My bad.

The Sunday Trading Act is * “An Act to reform the law of England and Wales relating to Sunday trading; to make provision as to the rights of shop workers under the law of England and Wales in relation to Sunday working; and for connected purposes.”* Link

If we are to diminish or eliminate the regulation, there needs to be some provision for the parties the rules are there to protect.

Currently people who work in stores affected by the rules ( I checked, anything over 280 m²) have the statutory right to opt out of Sunday working. Smaller stores are largely unaffected (which has been the direct cause for the scourge of Tesco Metro/Express, Sainsbury’s Local, Asda Express and so on - which skirt the legislation whilst still strangling out the high street by outcompeting independent retailers using buying power of a much larger corporation). Though some planning restrictions might still have effect.

If you’re serious about saving the High Street, you need to make it advantageous for retailers to open on Sunday and that necessarily means the Supermarket chains to withdraw their stranglehold on the high street.

Supermarkets outside of the High Street are partially restricted to give smaller retailers a niche which was subsequently swamped by the smaller “express” format.

Almost all supermarkets have abolished any kind of premium for working Weekends and some have begun to mandate a level of weekend (and/or late night availability - university, childcare othwr responsibilities be damned). They acknowledge the value but don’t want to pay the price so they threaten termination for not meeting the needs of the business.

I guess I’m saying there should be different considerations entirely for large scale operations but I’m not really a policy guy, I’m just worried that removing the guard rails such as they are will lead to the final death of the high street and push more and more people into the pay drudge of a capricious and ever changing rotas that don’t give you any time to actually live and large corporations should be made to pay for their dominance one way or another.

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ChangingMonkfish@reddit

I’d add to this that it makes no sense that the NHS doesn’t run a full service 7 days a week. If you get sick at the weekend you’re more likely to die.

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Gallusbizzim@reddit

You aren't more likely to die due to a weekend schedule. They run emergency cover at the weekend, so if you get an op during the weekend you are more likely to die because you are really ill to begin with.

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saccerzd@reddit

Is it not that there are generally fewer / less experienced staff / surgeons etc also a factor?

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pajamakitten@reddit

They run emergency cover at the weekend

But that leaves us quite stretched and mistakes get made because of that, same goes for night shifts and bank holidays.

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Melodic-Tutor-2172@reddit

You can see an out of hours GP by calling NHS 24. Have done it a few times when ill at weekends but not A&E worthy.

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ChangingMonkfish@reddit

Yeah but I mean the WHOLE NHS. For me there’s no reason for it to run a lesser service at weekends.

I don’t mind paying more tax to fund it.

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Gallusbizzim@reddit

Really because staff get paid unsocial hours during the weekend, on Sunday, depending on the band you are on its pay plus 60-100%. It would cost a lot to have regular staff cover everwhere.

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BugAdministrative683@reddit

there are no restrictions on sunday trading for a vast number of shops though.

https://www.gov.uk/trading-hours-for-retailers-the-law

It's only shops over 280 square metres / 3000 square feet that are restricted.

If a shop smaller than than is closed it's due to the owners.

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CrustyHumdinger@reddit

Tied into religious mumbo-jumbo that still pervades attitudes and laws

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biedernab@reddit

Retail opening hours no longer make any sense, it worked when more women were housewives and could actually go shopping in the week but now the majority of people are at work (people with the biggest spending power at least) at the precise hours that the shops are open. It would make more sense to have high street shops open something like 11am to 8pm week days so people can actually shop after work. There's so many independent shops near me that I feel would do so much better if they were open when people were getting off the train from work.

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Kizzieuk@reddit

Sod that, not everyone works or keeps the same hours as you, I am a early bird like many, and by 11am my shopping is long over. also people finishing shift work also need to shop early morning. Employ more staff for early/late shifts.

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biedernab@reddit

Fair, I don't really know why I was assuming they'd have to do it on one shift, I'm sure there's plenty of students etc who would be glad of an evening shift. I was just pointing out that the current setup is based on a model of society that doesn't really exist anymore

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Dolgar01@reddit

It’s not as easy to change as you think.

People make huge assumptions. I used to work in a bank in a smaller town. We kept standard opening hours but never had any customers on a Wednesday afternoon as people assumed we did half day closing on a Wednesday.

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SympathyKey8279@reddit

Will never forget how shocked I was when I moved from Australia 9 years ago and learnt about Sunday trading hours. Had to get out of the habit of doing my weekly shop at 8am on a Sunday haha

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Low_Slide_950@reddit

This and things not being open in the evenings/early mornings. Why not have shops be open at times people could actually feasibly go???

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BecBan@reddit

English but have lived in Scotland 15 years and o forget that Sunday trading times are a thing. A pain in the butt for me when I’m visiting family in England but a delight for them when they’re visiting me.

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Champagne_Bunnny@reddit

Do the shops open normal hours up there on a Sunday too then?

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BecBan@reddit

The hours are still usually reduced by an hour or 2 on a Sunday but not to the extent of England. My local Asda for example is usually 7am-10pm Monday-Saturday but Sunday is 8am-10pm.

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Far-Act-2803@reddit

I work sundays and get fridays off. As i dont drink anymore (ex typical weekend binge drinker) it works out great. Fridays everyone is at work, cheeky trip to the peak district or similar and its gone 10am before ive even left? Great, nobody there. Need to go for a haircut, or get to the bank or finally remember to grab that prescription or phone the doctors? Great ive got all day to do it friday.

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OutlawJessie@reddit

My son works Sunday to Thursday, he likes having that one week day where everything is open and then a normal Saturday when the shops are open. Sundays when you just sat at home with nothing to do aren't welcomed by everyone.

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jimmywhereareya@reddit

I grew up with shops closing at 5.30 pm, closing half day on Wednesdays and not opening at all on a Sunday. And guess what! I survived.

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Virtual_Opinion_8630@reddit

Compare to countries like Germany and the Nordics

we have it ok

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Conveth@reddit

Oh I don't know. I often work in Denmark and the bigger supermarkets are open until 21:00 most nights.

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Particular-Bid-1640@reddit

I used to work for DHL with loads of European countries. Germany, Poland, and the Nordics take Christian events real serious

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Low-Cauliflower-5686@reddit

In certain parts of Germany shops closed every fourth Saturday

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Scared_Cricket3265@reddit

Similar to bank hours. My local branch is 9.30 to 4.30 Monday to Friday. Then 9.30 to 1pm Saturday but with limited services. I don't think they want any customers.

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aspannerdarkly@reddit

Those high street small traders wouldn’t want to spend Sunday working anyway.

I think it’s kind of nice to have an enforced day of doing nothing. If only my wife went along with it

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Melodic-Tutor-2172@reddit

I loved a Sunday shift as a student as it was a day I was free to work and could get a decent shift.

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Melodic-Tutor-2172@reddit

That d not British though as Scotland has no Sunday trading law. I can visit the supermarket at 10pm on a Sunday if I want.

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Low-Cauliflower-5686@reddit

In England you can buy booze before 10am and 10pm

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onionsofwar@reddit

Would it balance out? Paying staff for a day (maybe time and a half) for a few Sunday stragglers? Saving the high street needs a lot more than that because if shops aren't popular enough on Saturday they're not going to be busier on Sunday.

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MathematicianOnly688@reddit

I prefer them this way, people won’t actually buy more stuff so all businesses are doing is increasing costs.

It’s purely selfish on my part so I wouldn’t object too much if it were changed m.

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Fine-State8014@reddit

Big shops open until 5 at the latest is what jesus would have wanted

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ThrustersToFull@reddit

Yes but I feel changing it now would be pointless. The era of mass retail on “the high street” is dead as online ordering is considerably more convenient for the vast majority of people.

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NoFewSatan@reddit

But people constantly question that

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Warm-Marsupial8912@reddit

question it both ways. Plenty of people still want it a "day of rest"

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Alert_Big_2643@reddit

Form a crowd around the bar as trust the staff to get things right

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WhatsThePlanPhil95@reddit

'Open 24/7' should mean 24/7, not 24/6 and half a day on Sunday

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toastandjam97@reddit

Can tell lots of people here that haven’t had jobs where they have to work Sundays! People who work in bars, shops, cafes etc need a break as well on a Sunday! I think it’s a really nice thing that places are still closed/ have reduced hours on Sundays!

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one_pint_down@reddit

Surely there can be some legislation brought in to limit the number of days you can work in these roles each week? I doubt everything closing on Sunday is the only possible solution to this hypothetical

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Familiar-Woodpecker5@reddit

We really should abolish the silly Sunday hours.

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kink-of-wands@reddit

Littering. So much litter everywhere

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saccerzd@reddit

Passively aggressively 'dealing' with minor problems, antisocial behaviour etc, tutting and grumbling rather than actually addressing the issue directly.

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Another_Random_Chap@reddit

The Brits really are terrible at alcohol, and so many become aggressive, belligerent and violent drunks. The attitude that you can't have a good time without getting drunk is just so destructive.

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Equivalent-Muscle446@reddit

That if it doesn’t directly affect or involve you it isn’t your problem. People robbing in broad daylight and people just walk past. Saw a video a while back of people vandalising a bike shed outside a hospital and trying to steal the bike, people just walking past in broad daylight as the robbers were trying to damage the chain that locked up the bike. Things like that, we are all so disconnected from each other and self obsessed with our own lives.

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yingdong@reddit

Most of the time it just isn't worth it though as you might get beaten to death or stabbed for stepping in to protect er... a shed.

It's up to the police and the government to tackle crime.

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Equivalent-Muscle446@reddit

Thats the exact mentality that makes society crumble. Back in the day an entire town would group together to fight back against a thief or murderer. Pitchforks, wooden bludgeons etc.

This video wasn’t even a big guy or anything, just a generic guy you see in a full tracksuit and balaclava at a guess a teen or at most 20/21 due to his skinny build, yet people are okay walking by whilst crime is committed in front of them.

Its a different thing when talking about the government should tackle it, when we know how underfunded our services are.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Thats the exact mentality that makes society crumble. Back in the day an entire town would group together to fight back against a thief or murderer. Pitchforks, wooden bludgeons etc.

Yeah and innocent people would die. I understand what you’re saying but mob mentality is not the answer.

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Equivalent-Muscle446@reddit

Having pride in our country and banding together is absolutely the answer. Innocent people would not die when an entire group teams up. Imagine this crime happens and the first person shouts at them saying hey that’s someone’s bike you cant do that! Then that shout alerts more people and without hesitation everyone who heard the shout, lets say 5-10 people walk over and also condemn the thief. The threat of superior numbers alone will deter them and if they try continuing they can be easily detained whilst the police are called for making arrests.

Problem is we are taught not to be proud of our country, we are all divided, and if someone DID think it was wrong, they are scared to call out a crime for fear nobody else would help or back them up because we have this cowardly mentality throughout society.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

But you’re not accounting for misunderstandings and false accusations. By your logic I could just see someone I don’t like getting on their bike and shout “hey stop stealing my bike!” And a group of people would beat the shit out of them for me. Your thinking is literally medieval. Torches and pitchforks ffs 🤦‍♂️

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Equivalent-Muscle446@reddit

You’re taking it too far and not accounting for common sense, thats not my logic at all, bit different if someone you don’t like is dressed regularly not hiding their face compared to a tracksuit, balaclava and aggressively trying to break something.

You do not immediately ’beat the shit out of them’ use common sense a bit will you?

You’ve consumed too much movies and content. Smh.

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AdDependent5136@reddit

The problem there is the legal system. If you get involved and end up injuring the other person you're the one who's going to end up with a criminal record.

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Equivalent-Muscle446@reddit

Agreed! that is ridiculous, spoke to a supermarket employee where i’m a regular before and they had trouble with shoplifters regularly(not just little things expensive like entire baskets of meat or cheese or alcohol), i said to a staff member one day who is familiar with me and said can i help? If i stop the robbery and detain them, what would happen? … they told me i would most likely get in trouble with the police if any harm whatsoever came to the criminal. Well i obviously cant guarantee that not even a tiny scratch happens if they try to fight me and barge past me with the basket… so frustrating!

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Appropriate_Emu_6930@reddit

I think we drink too much. It’s insane.

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

I think lots of countries drink more actually?

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ElfBlossom17@reddit

According to 2019 WHO data

26 countries drink more (though not much more) ... and 162 drink less to a lot less.

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

💀

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propostor@reddit

It's a minor one but my American friend recently asked me if it's true that Brits commonly leave dishes on the drying rack without rinsing them, and he was quite disgusted when I told him "yes it's not entirely unusual".

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Green_Sprout@reddit

I'm sorry, what? in all my 40 years I have never met someone who doesn't rinse off the dishes.

The hell? Yeah I'll just leave this soapy mug here to dry, it'll be reet? I don't fucking think so!

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Dimac99@reddit

I don't think it's normal at all, but I do think it's something that people see on telly and then some copy it. They don't want running water on a tv set if possible because it'll interfere with microphones, so characters never rinse dishes. It's like that weird way reality tv people hold phones and now all the idiots on the bus do it. That's not how a fucking phone works.

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jayphelps57@reddit

Yes the old 60s Fairy Liquid adverts showed soap bubbles on dishes as they were put on the draining rack

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No-Mechanic6069@reddit

This. In the 70s and probably 80s too. I’m always surprised at people’s’ insistence that this has never been normal when this topic comes up.

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Dimac99@reddit

That sounds like them showing off. They do like their bubbles! It's quite stomach churning to think there are people copying that though. Never mind the greasy gunk, the actual chemicals in washing up liquid are toxic.

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jayphelps57@reddit

I think this was much more common in the past I grew up with seeing others do it( not rinsing dishes) but have not seen it for a very long time

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Nah that’s crazy

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aspannerdarkly@reddit

I was going to comment about the whole British method of washing everything in the same bowl full of grease and suds and not rinsing it. I’ve always been on the side of my Asian acquaintances who do it all under a running tap.

I wonder if this relates to the historic absence of mixer taps (need to fill the bowl to get the right temperature)

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iamwiggy@reddit

mixer taps is the best answer to this thread

they're shit and make no sense, but they're everywhere

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Downtown-BT-83@reddit

We use a bowl in my house. We rinse everything before it goes in the bowl & after. We also don’t use drying racks in my house, instead we just dry it straight away.

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Derbadian@reddit

I don’t think that is common at all

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Virtual_Opinion_8630@reddit

I don't understand people who do that

why would you want soap on dishes

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Fantasy_girl_@reddit

You might be thinking you're making friends with someone, but they're just being polite. They will loosely agree to meeting up in the future, but not actually follow-through, they'll phase you out and won't take initiative to contact you. Just be honest and direct, please.

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Electric-aura3000@reddit

How everyones miserable all the time. It's depressing.

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Edible_Magician@reddit

Drinking, im considered less of a man because i dont get intoxicated at the weekends.

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Downtown-BT-83@reddit

An American friend once told me “Stop apologising for existing, you’re so British” so there’s that.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Ironic

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Upper-Lime-3493@reddit

Bus stop etiquette in some cases. If there is just a few people sure, but the amount of times I’ve seen buses whizz past crowded bus stops because everyone is waiting for someone else to put their hand out is funny yet really bloody annoying as well.

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docju@reddit

Related, but also people waiting at a crossing for ages because no one has pressed the button.

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Upper-Lime-3493@reddit

Yeah definitely, this is especially a big problem in London, literally ten people were all stood waiting at the crossing in their phones with headphones on etc… like isn’t it common sense to check to see if it has been pressed?

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docju@reddit

Some people just wait for a gap in the traffic rather than pressing a button. I don't understand it (there was a reddit post asking why people did that, and I think the response was to avoid inconveniencing drivers), but if the first person does that, the second person may come along thinking the first has already pressed it and it snowballs from there.

This also happens when waiting for lifts too.

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Upper-Lime-3493@reddit

Yeah the snowballing part definitely makes sense, but worrying about inconveniencing drivers doesn’t make sense to me either. They are there so you can cross safely, I get it if there is no cars then there really is no point pressing it, but during hours of moderate to high traffic spam the thing.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

Nah I’m not in a rush, and I know which crossings I can and can’t expect a gap at. I’m doing a kind thing by not slowing down drivers unnecessarily. Conversely, sometimes I’m already across the road and I see a pram or a wheelchair approaching the crossing. Then I’ll press the button as I walk away from it so that they don’t have to stand by the road waiting for the light to change for quite as long. There’s also a crossing I use on a busy road, right next to a junction that is really difficult to pull out of. Sometimes, I’ll press the button there just to pause traffic and let a stuck car out.

In aware that all of these little things shave only seconds off of some people’s journeys, but I see them as basic awareness, and they require zero effort from me. It’s the difference between me and people who stand in an entrance having a conversation.

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MrLewk@reddit

I always check if there's a group waiting and looks like it's been a while when I've arrived. If no one pressed it, I'll passive aggressively say "it would help if someone pressed the button" as I press it

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PersevereSwifterSkat@reddit

Accepting that swans will break your arm.

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AdDependent5136@reddit

It's just the one swan, actually.

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Unhappy_Performer538@reddit

Not rinsing off the fairy liquid after doing the dishes

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HenryNeves@reddit

What?

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Jaimalame@reddit

Ceo of "what". Just read the words bro

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AdDependent5136@reddit

Hey, I've got

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Responsible-Link5739@reddit

Fairy Liquid is a decades-old brand of washing up liquid (dish soap) in Britain.

We know a song about washing doshes, don't we, children? Join in if you know the words...

"Now hands that do dishes can feel soft as your face......with mild green...Fairy Liiii-quid.."

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Hour-Estate-2962@reddit

Lack of respect for teachers from parents. Also believing your 6 year old when they tell you something awful the teacher did before checking what happened with an adult.

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Lion-Resident@reddit

Racism

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Various-Program-950@reddit

Never leaving your home town. It’s usually the opposite - people questioning why you left.

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julemeister@reddit

Queueing for everything except at the bar. Ironically people get upset, me included, if you queue at a bar.

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

Stiff upper lip. Not complaining properly about services. We haev truly bad customer service. It is bad in other countries, but the UK is one of the worst I've experienced (as a Brit who has lived abroad).

We have this attitude of "it's not that bad" or "I don't want to be the dick or bring attention to myself". But sadly, that means businesses never change because it works for them. We still pay them, they get no trouble and life carries one.

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UniquePotato@reddit

Always moan immigration, but love buyer imported goods from foreign shops

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crispysnugglekitties@reddit

Putting a slice of cake in a napkin to signal the end of a children’s birthday party. I don’t like my kids eating gross smushed cake in the car on the ride home. Just serve it on a plate during the party.

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HenryNeves@reddit

What?

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No-Mechanic6069@reddit

When I was a nipper, it was standard to go home with a bit of birthday cake. It was never used as any kind of signal. That was when parents started turning up to take you home.

But that didn’t mean we didn’t get birthday cake at the party too. The whole blowing out candles and sharing cake is the central ritual.

I’m not sure where all that cake came from, mind.

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aspannerdarkly@reddit

Getting excited about supermarket meal deals for lunch

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Particular-Scale5644@reddit

Amen. Trash meals that were, for a moment, some kind of meme. Sames goes for Gregg's. I mean I like the odd sausage roll but it's nothing special.

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Maleficent_Owl_7001@reddit

No but it is pleasant. I'll take a coronation chicken sandwich, a packet of crisps, and ribena or a volvic water with lemon over the absolute rubbish sold in US supermarkets.

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aspannerdarkly@reddit

Exactly. I’m never quite sure if all the chatter about it is intended to be ironic, but maybe that’s being too generous

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Derbadian@reddit

I think there is a certain amount of unspoken irony about Greggs. And meal deals for that matter. It is cheap, accessible and is unpretentious. Nowt wrong with that.

Pret can fuck all the way off though

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Ahleanna-D@reddit

The UK office culture of the person whose birthday it is brings in the cakes for everyone else, instead of others bringing in treats for the birthday boy/girl. That took me a bit to acclimatise to - the first few times, it was hard to resist thinking, “Hey, it’s MY birthday, why am I supposed to bring stuff for YOU rather than the other way around?!”

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ceehred@reddit

That still happens? I remember that 25+ years ago. Despite the cost, as a junior employee in a company of near 200, I remember feeling embarrassed to push a trolley full of just cakes through the tills each year :-).

Nowadays, privacy rules mean employee birthday dates are no longer so public... which I prefer, since I don't like cake (or many of the people in the office who would be filling their faces and/or complaining about your choices!)

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Derbadian@reddit

Yeah, this “tradition” can get in the fucking bin. I’m pretty sure it didn’t exist 20 years ago

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Dimac99@reddit

My first proper office job in 2004 had it and the first birthday I encountered there was that of a man who had worked for the company since it had been founded 30 odd years prior and they'd been doing it all that time. So, no, it's not new.

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Derbadian@reddit

Really? I’ve only encountered it in the last 10 years or so. The 20 years of my working life before that, at various jobs at various organisations it was never a thing

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Dimac99@reddit

Maybe it's a Scottish thing that spread? I mistyped, the firm was at least 20, not 30 years old, but still. They had definitely been doing it since the 80's. Maybe they were the originators lol. Mind you, when they got taken over, the new company didn't have that tradition and didn't adopt it either.

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Derbadian@reddit

I mean, in the last 10 years its become a thing. I’ve never joined in though. I’ve made a point of bringing cake in for people who I actually like though.

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lumiere108@reddit

Same, I still don’t understand😀

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Disgruntled__Goat@reddit

Easier to make sure people aren’t out of pocket. Rather than A buying cakes for B then B buying for C etc, nobody would remember whose turn it is.

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birchblonde@reddit

Because it gives you, the birthday haver, the choice of how you want to be celebrated. Want a giant chocolate cake? Have at it. Nothing at all? No one will notice.

The other way around, it becomes a popularity contest where some people are celebrated and others ignored.

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nogeologyhere@reddit

Yes, we seem to have automatically developed a startlingly egalitarian way of dealing with office birthdays. It's actually quite lovely.

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Publish_Lice@reddit

Is this a regional thing? Never heard of this. If it was my bday I’d expect others to do it, or do nothing at all.

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Derbadian@reddit

Been in the work place for 30 years and it’s only become a thing in the last 10 years or so.

Its a fucking shit expectation.

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Vehlin@reddit

Because people probably don’t know when your birthday is

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BoopingBurrito@reddit

Because it ensures there's no risk of a bullying incident with popular folk getting celebrated and unpopular folk being ignored.

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nildro@reddit

Banging on about Yorkshire gold like it’s a badge of honour to drink one supermarket fucking tea over another. I’m so sad for the fuckers on the British subreddits who proudly rep this arbitrary shit like McDonald’s be better than burger king like it’s a whole personality. It makes my brain hurt why be an npc just doing the meme like it’s a fresh thought fucking wake up wake up there’s a whole fucking world out there what are you fucking doing copying the last chud who said the words and got the up doots.

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FindYourFloww@reddit

Just generally being repressed emotionally. Repression leads to depression.

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Naquedon@reddit

Throwing litter everywhere. Every verge, every slip road… litter everywhere. Nobody will admit it but clearly most people do it.

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

"You alright" when you don't actually care. Baffles me still 21 years living here lol

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NoFewSatan@reddit

This is a common thing in almost all languages

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

I did not find that to be true to be fair.

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birchblonde@reddit

You’ve never heard a variation of ”how are you?” in any other language?

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

I have, but I'm talking about the whole interaction. Where I'm from when I ask "how are you" it is not done in passing and we are ready for a full on long conversation.

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

Not that deep, it’s just a small talk greeting lmao

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NoFewSatan@reddit

It's done in Italian, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin...

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Fine-State8014@reddit

Occasionally people will actually tell you how they are, which is terrifying.

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Psychological-Bag272@reddit

Haha as a foreigner I used to respond with "fine, thanks. You?" And then realised very quickly the other person didn't actually want to have a small talk and I just felt stupid 🤣

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Dead_Bones001@reddit

No, that is the correct response.
"You alright?"
"fine thanks you?"
"yeah I'm good"

End of conversation.

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Psychological-Bag272@reddit

Must be the Thai part of me that expects the conversation to be longer. 🤣

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JasonStonier@reddit

This is the perfect, expected, and legally prescribed response actually. You nailed it.

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Derbadian@reddit

It’s not that deep. It’s a greeting and not really meant as a question.

“Alright mate?” “Yeah, alright”

This exists in one form or another in most languages

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Friendly_Mud_4030@reddit

It’s not different to people in other Anglophone countries saying ”what’s up” I don’t get why it boggles peoples minds

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

Probably because people outside of anglophone countries exist and live here and we find it odd still.

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birchblonde@reddit

In French the equivalent is ”ça va?” The answer is literally to repeat the same thing back. It’s not that unusual

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

That's great, I'm not French

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SlightProgrammer@reddit

Well cheer up then, you've got that going for you

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

You are right. Not being French is a reason to celebrate

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Friendly_Mud_4030@reddit

Yea that makes sense but people from other anglophones countries act like it’s an alien concept.

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Own-Lecture251@reddit

We do care but in that moment it's not appropriate to say how you are. It's just like "hello". Although depending on who it is, we might not care all that much. E.g., someone you've just met.

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TheodoreEDamascus@reddit

British people are aware that underpants are things that go under pants.

Calling them pants, instead of calling pants pants 🤯

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JoannaCuppa@reddit

Because we call pants trousers instead. So underpants and trousers on. It's not hard.

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TheodoreEDamascus@reddit

Cool. They're still called UNDERpants

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JoannaCuppa@reddit

Well, we can call them pants if we want to, because the trousers are the things that go over the top of them. You'd have to be an American to confuse pants and trousers. Fortunately, we're British so that shouldn't be a problem.

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True_Two_6760@reddit

I think eating more fruit than they drink. Its a guess though.

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Toffeemade@reddit

Deference. The British are way to willing to accept others are deserving of respect by way of birth, class or status. Australia was like having my blinkers removed in this regard.

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WishItWasFridayToday@reddit

Queuing, lots of countries do not do it.

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Derbadian@reddit

That is one of our greatest qualities and I will fight and die on that hill.

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HenryNeves@reddit

Then you’re a bit silly, aren’t you.

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Derbadian@reddit

No. It’s inherently fair and just. Just today at my local Co-Op a women walked past a long queue to the counter and waited at an empty til and started kicking off because she was “there before other people”. The cashier told her to either get in the queue or leave.

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I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS@reddit

An instinctive resistance to change. Whenever something noticeably new is suggested, there's instant, almost automatic pushback against daring to suggest that there's anything wrong with what's 'always worked for us before'. People will instantly pick holes in any new policy or suggestion, either complaining that it won't make any difference or letting perfection be the enemy of good. So we end up with politicians who are too scared to even try anything different, and we stagnate.

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Lost-Activity6231@reddit

Accepting inequality as just the way it is/should be/has to be.

Hard line categorisation by chronological age.

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Familiar-Woodpecker5@reddit

Saying “sorry” for everything!

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MiposTaXoXamena@reddit

The difficulty to end a conversation that it`s obvious it is completed but both sides don`t want to be rude so they may keep talking until one is brave enough and says the magic word, "right"...

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BeanOnAJourney@reddit

Forming one long queue at the petrol station despite there being multiple pumps not in use.

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rustupidruudumb@reddit

'Dont beg it' culture, don't know if older generations had this, but as a older gen-z I felt like whenever it came to supporting people's achievements 'dont beg it' culture was so prevalent? But being supportive, hyping people up, supporting peoples dreams, talents, hobbies, just overall showing love to people was definitely shunned. I guess it's kind of crabs in a bucket mentality.

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idontlikemondays321@reddit

Making any subject a joke, no matter how serious it is. I think it’s one of our best qualities.

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Andries89@reddit

It's also a way to be collectively emotionally stunted

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idontlikemondays321@reddit

Sometimes yes but I’d take it over being miserable

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ScientistNational363@reddit

Being happily miserable….I like being happy obvs…but I like complaining about things, in a happy kind of way. This will make ZERO sense to people who don’t live in the UK.

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aspannerdarkly@reddit

Excessive self-deprecation of the national character to the point where it flips and they’re really saying “aren’t we special for being the only culture that does this silly thing”, when it’s actually a fairly universal human trait shared to a greater or lesser extent by most cultures.

Eg “I was trapped in a lift with 5 people for half an hour and all we talked about was the weather, it was the most British thing ever”

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spinners_888@reddit

The concept of queueing on the motorway or dual carriageway when you can merge in-turn.

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bonshui@reddit

"merge like a zip", my wife always says.

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signalstonoise88@reddit

But as any man whose fortunes have momentarily failed him will tell you: a zip won’t work if it has a bellend in it.

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bonshui@reddit

LOLZ

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MathematicianOnly688@reddit

I believe in the US there are actually signs saying that exact thing.

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thb202@reddit

On one hand I hate this trend, on the other hand it’s great - properly using the merge in turn in stow on the wold often takes 15 minutes off my sat nav ETA because all the other sheep decide to sit in lane one

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HeadBat1863@reddit

This new habit of getting several different Chinese takeaway dishes on one plate and then pouring curry sauce over the lot.

Absolutely disgusting. Makes me want to throw up every time I see it. What the fuck is wrong with these people? Animals.

[-]

ktitten@reddit

Complaining but equally not doing anything about the situation, and thinking that it won't be able to be changed.

[-]

Katena789@reddit

"It'll probably be fine" - a little bit of a too lax attitude to planning and execution, which I think has helped drive general degradation of public services and productivity - we are a bit too accepting of underperformance ...

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Orange0101010@reddit

Whoever you make eye contact with, you would greet them. For example, I would say "Alright mate?

"

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