rudeness

AlethiaSi · #1 02-03-2004, 03:17 PM

hey- ok so i'm studying abroad in london right now- i came over with three friends sand have made a lot of other american friends and British friends... and i consider myself a pretty friendly person... but i have found british people to be incredibly rude... not everyone of course- but on the whole i would defiantely say that they are the most rude people i've ever come across... americans may be obnoxious... but at least we are courteous.... has anyone else ever noticed this?

Dionysus · #2 02-03-2004, 03:18 PM

Yes, Britains suck.

DeltAlum · #3 02-03-2004, 03:19 PM

I disagree.

Lady Pi Phi · #4 02-03-2004, 03:25 PM

I disagree.

I hate to say this, but you might find they are being rude to you because you are an American. While that is no excuse for rude and disresepectful behaviour, that might be the reason.

AlethiaSi · #5 02-03-2004, 03:29 PM

yea i know what you mean- but most of the time- i haven't even opened my mouth.... they can probably tell by my manner and dress.... its just so frustrating... its making me not want to be here anymore....

for instance my best friend is a politics major-and today her professor in one of her pol classes completely bashed the united states the entire time- not using one example of another country... she was completely offended and is pretty upset now...its like...we don't bash your country... ughhhhh i'm so frustrated...... i hope i just get used to it- but i don't want to- i don't think its anyway to treat people- some cashier the other day said that london was the rudest city in the world.... thats terrible..... blah

Rudey · #6 02-03-2004, 03:32 PM

Ask them if they're upset because they no longer have colonies, native women to rape, young men to kill, and lands to plunder.

-Rudey
--And the French are worse by far.

DeltAlum · #7 02-03-2004, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
Ask them if they're upset because they no longer have colonies, native women to rape, young men to kill, and lands to plunder.

-Rudey
--And the French are worse by far.

Is that why they're our ally in Iraq?

Rudey · #8 02-03-2004, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Is that why they're our ally in Iraq?

No they're our ally because the US is the only global superpower and while the sun set on Britain long ago, they would rather move away from what is dragging the rest of Europe down.

-Rudey

sugar and spice · #9 02-03-2004, 03:47 PM

OK, so are people actually being rude to your face or is it just stuff like professors making jabs at how much the U.S. sucks in class? If it's the second . . . well, at least now you know how Canada feels.

I've never been to Britain so I can't really weigh in, but none of my friends who have gone have had anything close to a negative experience.

Rudey · #10 02-03-2004, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sugar and spice
OK, so are people actually being rude to your face or is it just stuff like professors making jabs at how much the U.S. sucks in class? If it's the second . . . well, at least now you know how Canada feels.

I've never been to Britain so I can't really weigh in, but none of my friends who have gone have had anything close to a negative experience.

Canada just doesn't matter.

-Rudey
--Like New Jersey kinda.

AlethiaSi · #11 02-03-2004, 04:02 PM

its a little bit of just plain rudeness and also jabs in class (with my friends class anyway)..... they just don't move out of the way- its little things and big things... maybe i'm just too sensitive... idk- but in the news and stuff the people are WAY against the war in iraq- there is a committee being set up to investigate the intelligence given to tony blair before he decided to help the u.s.... its a pretty heated debate- like no one likes him here... not a good situation... and you can't even mention bush.. its bad enough that most of us can't stsand him... let alone have someone that doesn't even live in your own country criticize your president.... i wouldn't say anything about blair... (thats a different story though- i guess i can't blame them lol)

RedRoseSAI · #12 02-03-2004, 04:18 PM

I've always found British people to be very friendly and polite, but reserved. We Americans are used to outgoing friendliness - in the UK it's more subtle.

ISUKappa · #13 02-03-2004, 04:23 PM

I would chalk part of it up to the fact that London is just SUCH a large city and, like New York City, shortness--or rudeness--comes with the territory. And, yes, you usually can tell the Americans apart by how they dress--we're more casual than most. When I lived there, jeans were strictly for fashion, not every day wear (though that may have changed by now) and athletic shoes, excepting fashion ones, were taboo.

They have a completely different cultural mindset than we do as Americans. They tend to be reserved, dry and close-lipped where Americans are outgoing, open and boisterous. There's nothing wrong with either culture, it's just how we are. I worked at a very upscale restaurant when I lived there and I was hired because I was an American and knew how to give courteous service which was what the manager wanted. I thoroughly enjoy Britain, I would love to go back and live there, but I think part of it is because I'm not super outgoing, I have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and I enjoy British customs.

Unfortunately, at this time, America is not very popular with many world countries and you are going to find that mindset reflected in its people. It's just something you're going to have to deal with while you're over there. If you can, try and get out of London for a weekend--is there a Bank holiday coming up anytime soon? When you get out of the city, the attitudes of people have a tendency to change.

Sister Havana · #14 02-03-2004, 04:25 PM

When I was in London last summer I didn't get that impression at all. I will tell you where the people were extremely rude, though...Montreal. This is not a generalization of Canadians...I've been to Windsor, Toronto and Ottawa and in every case there people were very, very nice. (I had one of the best customer service experiences of my life in a drugstore in Windsor!) But I've been to Montreal twice (well three times, but I was a baby the first time so I don't remember much about it) and in both cases, many of the people I encountered were very rude.

Rudest US city: Ft. Wayne, IN. I was there for a family reunion a few years back and we got attitude EVERYWHERE...the hotel, the restaurants we went to, the stores. We weren't being bad customers or anything. Everyone we encountered had a chip on his or her shoulder.

GeekyPenguin · #15 02-03-2004, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sugar and spice
OK, so are people actually being rude to your face or is it just stuff like professors making jabs at how much the U.S. sucks in class? If it's the second . . . well, at least now you know how Canada feels.

I've never been to Britain so I can't really weigh in, but none of my friends who have gone have had anything close to a negative experience.

Ditto. One of my best friends just came back from a semester in London at City, and my study buddy spent a semester at Oxford. Both of them loved it and had no complaints about the British. The French, on the other hand...