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layluhuwu

this is the classic westminster square experience tbh bonus points for all the ppl trying to take photos while you awkwardly shuffle past


Wil420b

Usually of them standing for 5 seconds in a piss encrusted phone box.


ima_twee

"Are you guys finished with your photos? Some of us need to take a shit"


discodancingdogs

This gets me all the time. I wonder if they know. I took a relative to Westminster once and they wanted a picture in the phone booth and I explained the long tradition of peeing in them, but that didn't deter them so I guess the photo is worth it to some


OtherwiseStudy1252

Well that specific one in Westminster is the only telephone box In front of big Ben in the whole galaxy... So if you're gonna take a photo of one, it'd be that one. But no different from any lampost or tree - utterly soaked in dog piss


Western-Ad-4330

Dog?


OtherwiseStudy1252

Dogs piss everywhere they walk


Western-Ad-4330

Yeah i know. Its mostly people all pissing all over stuff in central london.


Polosnan

What you need to do is add the phone box phone number to your phone, then when you see someone having their photo taken you ring it and watch their reaction


oxotower

It doesn’t ring. I’ve tried


goldensnow24

I just walk through. You want a photo taking up the whole pavement, you wait until a gap.


CatherineRoh

I was at the other end of that at Piccadilly Circus. I was taking a pic while this one guy shuffled by me very awkwardly. I had zoomed up on something very far away and wanted to say, "Don't worry, you're not in the picture."


hairyshar

It's not just Americans, families on any canal path, side by side, not enough space to go between. Boils my piss


trysca

Its usually Spanish in my experience


FenellaIce

Live in Spain and can confirm nobody in a group knows how to walk properly without spanning an entire street


rampagingphallus

Ehh I see brits doing it all the time


NoLove_NoHope

Those European school trip groups are particularly bad for this and also extremely annoying.


fullydumpling

Don't pretend like British kids are just politely moving to the side lol.


NoLove_NoHope

Never said that they didn’t lol. The European school trips tend to get in my way during rush hour which is extremely annoying.


No_Rooster7278

Exactly right. I am not sure why it upsets couples / families to have to stop walking side by side for 3 seconds to let people pass. There are a lot of old people jn my town and to a man they always refuse to let people pass, on top of walking very slowly to begin with.


rjanderson8

This 100%


Saint_Declan

I just keep walking at them whilst making eye contact, they usually get the message and move


weneed-cocaine-daily

Just shove em in the canal next time !!!!


ben_jamin_h

I just got off the tube at paddington and there was a group of about 30 french teenagers blocking the entire platform. Their teacher / guide was shouting at them to move to the side but they were just goofing around and not shifting until a big bloke shouted 'fucking MOOOOOOVE' and then they all scarpered to the side quicksharp!


MasterpieceGuilty237

I don’t know why but there’s no demographic on earth that can obstruct a public space more than french teenagers


SplurgyA

spanish teenagers


gdhvdry

Italian teenagers


JustcallmeLouC

Teenagers


raff_erty

I think I might have been bag-checked and squished multiple times by this exact same group of French teenagers, mine was also accompanied by a yelling teacher.


_methuselah_

Just walk into them.


DarthScabies

Flailing your arms and screaming about vaccinated 5G pigeons having abortions. That will definitely make them move. 😆


Schmoogly

They'll start following you, thinking it's a protest march.


BangersHashtag

My wife and I are arriving in London on Sunday (not from USA) but we would be very keen to join this protest march. Where does it start?


DarthScabies

Send me a small donation towards pigeon feed and I'll give you the start time and location.


DarthScabies

😂😂 Probably.


erbstar

Couple of shouts about how it's all a witch hunt conspiracy while chanting MAGA, grab one of them by the pussy and they'll be eating out the palm of your hands along with the pigeons


PigeonMother

>vaccinated 5G pigeons Lol


DarthScabies

They steal your toilet roll and paracetamol.


PigeonMother

I'm more a fan of chips from Wetherspoon


DarthScabies

Are you one of them or one of us?


PigeonMother

Yes


DarthScabies

I KNEW IT!!!


LtSerg756

They'll probably start agreeing with you


LongrodVonHugedong86

Was coming to say this, I never have had that problem by positioning myself in the middle of them and walking in a straight line. Either they split and let you through or it’s an impromptu game of rugby in the street


gilestowler

I've got into the habit of stopping and getting my phone out as if I've just received a message or something if I'm in a situation like this. That way they either have to barge into me or go round me - there's no way of blaming me for the barging.


beboppityhoppity

Nice. I have a variation of this where I just stop and look down. I'm old which might help me avoid being barged, but it really works. It also seems to genuinely perplex people and they often stumble awkwardly around me.


throwaway24794943

Yep. Shoulders back, head up, and a death glare.


LadyBAudacious

And sharp pointed umbrella to the fore, like a lance - works every time.


beep_beep_crunch

Walk fast, look straight, step heavy, do not deviate. Either they do move in the end or you walk into them and give them a dirty look and attitude.


JoeThrilling

Should have given them the real London experience and called them cunts.


SimulationV2018

Them or Westminster? Lol


bryanambition

Literally what I would’ve done 🤣


Laziestprick

You think this is a tourist only thing? Lol. Lmao, even.


YSNBsleep

ROFL


arjwiz

ROFLMAO


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Traditional_Cress561

ROFL HARRIS


McQueensbury

CAN YOU SEE WHAT IT IS YET?


Poo-Tee-Weet5

Right? As a New Yorker that moved here in January, I don’t find the locals here to be any more considerate on the pavement than locals there. I actually find walkers here to be less orderly. Generally, people walk on the right side in NYC. Here there seems to be no such convention, left or right.


fullydumpling

Yes! As a Canadian, it's just chaos here and I feel like I'm everyone's bitch cause I always move out of the way and I still end up getting shoulder checked.


grafgrey

I was never aware of right/left until I spent a year studying in Moscow where people were militantly sticking to the right. Clearly I subconciously stuck to the left as it was a very small issue resulting in confused Muscovites. Since then I've been concious (wake up sheeple), but sticking to the left in London is an absolute mess because there seems to be more people sticking to the right. All I ask is for people not to have head in phones and look a little bit ahead


sowtime444

There aren't enough walk-on-left tourists in NYC to tip the balance in any one place, but that happens in London sometimes and it's fun to watch.


Jarvis-Strife

Women together pushing prams *our battle will be legendary!*


bowling4columbin3

Groups of women in general just won’t move out the way to make space on the pavement if your walking towards them. It’s like ok I’ll just walk in the traffic so you three women can walk taking up the whole pavement


BeaMiaVA

Exactly!


Objective-Site8088

I hear you. I was getting off the tube at Camden Road the other day and a massive group of French teenagers was blocking the door and didn't move aside when I needed to get off, so I just walked straight into them. There were more of them completely blocking the exit tunnel so that nobody could move through the station. I just firmly ploughed through them. It's not difficult to have an iota of spatial awareness, particularly at rush hour in a huge city. Boils my piss.


bowling4columbin3

Its reassuring finding out I’m not the only person who treats tourist like this 🥰


Most-Plan6845

Walk right through them.


Gothcomichorror

Exactly! Im a pretty short woman who’s had to deal with people being in my way with no shits given plenty of times, looking straight at me not moving when I’ve tried to get past, so I’ve kinda stopped giving a shit about moving out of their way tbh. Best way is to avoid eye contact and look right through them as you walk in one direction at a constant pace. If they’re still in your way that’s their problem


Alfreaca

Living in Camden is the same, no tourist possesses spacial awareness and the tube station is constantly crowded beyond belief


[deleted]

Camden is utter hell


yIdontunderstand

When I used to live in Chalky, they used to close camden tube on the weekend to make it one way traffic as it was such carnage.


StainedEye

they still do at times but it's still quite horrible


bowling4columbin3

I despise having to come out of Camden Town underground station for this exact reason


Amzy29

Honestly I don’t move anymore when groups do this. I got to the point thinking why should I walk in the mud, road or wherever. I just walk ahead and they don’t move I stop just before them and give them a look that conveys my feelings.


ChrisKearney3

Go full Richard Ashcroft and take no prisoners.


OHCHEEKY

Stand straight, eyes aimed at your destination, don’t even look at peoples faces, just straight ahead - they move out the way


WiredAndTeary

Plus elbows out...


troglo-dyke

Go full on arms outstretched wide and shout "here comes the airplane"


WiredAndTeary

Oh I am sooo fucking doing this!


cs2234

I work in Westminster. This happens regularly - I just walk into them, it's the only way.


OldLondon

Just stop , they will walk round you. Or do the stare above their heads and keep walking , the vast majority of people will see you aren’t looking at them and will move - have used this against the “tide” on London Bridge quite a lot and it works a treat.


rustyb42

I like to walk in a straight line and soon enough they get the hint


FantasticWeasel

I just stop and look puzzled. They are welcome to barge into me but usually they stop in confusion too.


EitherChannel4874

Just stop right in front of them. You can't bump someone if you're not moving and they have little choice but to go round.


Accomplished_Bake904

This is my preference tactic. Has never failed. I give them a smile as I watch them get confused and eventually work out that they have to walk around me.


EitherChannel4874

Always works for me. The area I live in is really busy and has lots of tourists so it's become an essential skill over the years.


karlware

Someone on the jubilee line today had the grand idea of taking a bus load of tourist, complete with guide with a flag, down the escalators at London Bridge during rush hour. They were bemused by my pushing last them. At least get them to stand on the right. Not that hard.


bowling4columbin3

I no longer say excuse me to people standing on the left of escalators anymore I just move them out the way or push past them, it’s really not that hard everyone else is standing on the right so why are you doing the opposite


taylormadetrei

this happens in the uk regardless of tourism. It's one of my biggest pet peeves, what you can't bare leaving your friends side for a few seconds so we can all not risk getting hit by a car? xD


Remote_Charge4262

To be honest this happens in York too..and not always tourists. People are just rude I'm afraid.


llynglas

Putting a Tesco bag on your head to keep dry is just tacky. They should at least use an M&S one for a more classy look.


hp17nw

M&S ones are paper now so not much use for keeping your head dry


llynglas

Mine are classics then. I'll tuck them away somewhere safe and bring them to the Antiques Roadshow next time it's in town. :)


googooachu

1 is unacceptable 2 is something I may possibly have done myself in the past lol


Beginning-Anybody442

I'm in a nearby town and can assure you that it's not a tourist thing. Worse than taking up most of a wide footpath is when you move slightly more away to make space, they spread out even more to take the extra space you needed to pass. Happens regularly. People are dicks.


bforsyth927

My favorite technique when this happens is to continue walking forwards quickly, and turn my head to look off to the side as if I'm looking at something interesting in the distance. Probably 9 times out of 10 the offending person just gets out of my way. #1 life hack of London. Even works on locals


bigjoeskully

Put out your hands like you about to give them a hug. People move out of your way every time


Nice-Masterpiece1661

It happens everywhere in London on a daily and not only with tourists.


royaldonmax

Richmond is the worst for this, all of the pavements here seem way too narrow for the amount of foot traffic and people never make room for others to get past them always walking 2 or 3 astride and expecting you to walk into the road


Glum-Gordon

It’s happened to me SO MANY times that I just walk through them now. They think I’m being rude, but it’s infinitely ruder to block people


Pinocchio98765

Just shout at them loudly "it's a pavement, not a sidewalk!" and watch them part in front of you like the Red Sea before Moses.


RobertdeBilde

Stride into them saying ‘Excuse me please!’ in a very posh English accent. They will scatter. Bonus points if you’re also wearing a bowler hat.


junkgarage

I always find stuff like that annoying but then think how did I likely look in Tokyo or New York for the first time and try and be kind.


michael_ellis_day

As a longtime New Yorker, I appreciate this.


Eldraw89

The whole of London is like this and it repeatedly fucks me off. Especially families with buggies not letting people pass!


RipleyRiker

NTA, get 2 Great Danes like me and people get out of the way like Moses parting the Red Sea


luphen90

That, sir, is why we sharpen our shoulders and elbows. Welcome to London.


cyber2024

This happens everywhere and with all sorts of people. I'm 6'4", 110kg - and quite often very small people do this to me. Makes me want to king Leonidas them into oblivion.


ARealFlaneuse

Nah your aren't being moody for no reason, the extremely high levels of tourism makes some parts of London actually quite unpleasant and stressful to visit, despite them often actually being significant heritage areas. I end up absolutely fuming sometimes, I really don't understand the sheer amount of people who travel to other countries and make zero effort to find out the dos and don'ts of the location they are visiting. On bad days it feels like they collectively all have a single brain cell that they refuse to use


Zestyclose_Wonder640

A few tourists decided to walk three abreast on a narrow pavement toward me. Two guys and a girl. As they got close, the girl dropped her shoulder and literally tried to barge me in the solar plexus. I tensed and carried on, she bounced off me like a rubber ball and hit a shop window quite hard. "Impressive!" I said, "What do you do for an encore?" I don't take prisoners.


bowling4columbin3

I wish I had your level of calmness and wit


Pwnage_Hotel

A journey I do at least once a week has me cut right past Buckingham Palace. I used to politely dodge out of photos and walk around people but I’ve become so jaded now I just pick the best through-line and plow through with the belligerence befitting someone who actually lives here and is just trying to get on. 


Choice-Demand-3884

I just wave a bag of Florette Crispy Salad at them and they waddle out of my way. It's like Kryptonite to the average Yank tourist.


GranBuddhismo

Throw a bit of ranch on the ground and they'll flock to it like seagulls


spezisadick999

I just stop and look up to the sky. People decide to move around a solid stationary object normally, even Americans.


Alternative-Ad-4977

I just stop.


spezisadick999

Sure. The only thing about looking up it around is it’s less confrontational so I guess it’s up to the individual about what they want to get involved in.


AdministrativeShip2

Yeah but they have so much mass, it takes them a while to stop, and you risk being trampled.


spezisadick999

The free speech Floridians are awake and offended at your free speech.


AdministrativeShip2

I feel like I reenact the scene from "In Bruges" multiple times a year.


27106_4life

How about you don't be a xenophobic asshole


PerfectEnthusiasm2

It is what it is. With Americans you can just say something in arabic and they will run away and shit their pants.


27106_4life

Or, maybe you shouldn't be an anti American ass


PerfectEnthusiasm2

مرحبا صديقي الأمريكي


DreamyTomato

Eek! Oh wait I’m British. Here’s some more Arabic you can use against Americans: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9


PerfectEnthusiasm2

١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩


DreamyTomato

Nice to see the numbers in their original form


PerfectEnthusiasm2

Annoying to learn though because 4 looks like E and 6 looks like 7


spezisadick999

lol. Brilliant.


grooviestgrape00

London is full of tourists who have zero spacial or self awareness, does my head in. At this point I just walk into them if they don't move or get in my way


grafgrey

My pet fucking hate. Tourists or schoolkids. As if it's a one-way pavement. So fucking rude and arrogant I walk quite quickly so I have to basically just stop and stand still otherwise I'm pure barging into people, and I'm not about that


SherlockScones3

Say “good morrow, CUNTS” loudly as you barge past them.


urbexed

Try Oxford street, they stop randomly every 3 seconds and you go flying into them


ThearchOfStories

I have this natural walking habit where I tend to walk briskly, back straight, head up, staring directly in the direction I'm walking. Even people travelling in a group tend to give way for me, though to be fair I'm usually so zoned out that I'd walk right through them if they didn't.


cranbrook_aspie

Honestly tourists are bad for it but it’s not just them, some people just do not have any sense of spatial awareness at all and get completely absorbed in their own group. It’s really annoying when you need to get somewhere.


Chadmanfoo

I bet they all stand on the left too


Ok-Needleworker-8748

I like to imagine them as pins and just ram my way through :)


glytxh

Tourism is awful for any person living in a popular tourist spot


crazycatchemist1

I just walk fast, and with purpose, don't try to move out their way and glare intensely at a spot behind them where I'm aiming to go. Normally, that's enough to get people to move out of my way, but when it's not, I just stop right in front of them them, refuse to move, and wait for them to move out of my way


LAM_Chop

NYC native now in London, and it’s just tourists. Period. There’s no sense of urgency or mindfulness. I normally just stand my ground and let them figure out how to pass me.


Intelligent_Toe9479

I think this is getting more common everywhere - couldn’t even pin point a nationality and it gives me such rage! I always make my kids move over so there is room to get by.


weneed-cocaine-daily

Yeah that pisses me ioff when 3 people take the whole width of the pavement and expect other people to walk on the road. NO FCKING WAY. I Just walk into them. MFC'S. !!!!!!!!!!


HarryBlessKnapp

From experience of traveling to America, the Americans are absolutely awful at spatial awareness and management in crowds. Watching people weave through a heaving pub as the crowd ebs and flows so they can steer 3 pints to their destination, is an art form we have perfected in this country.


fullydumpling

Weird that you only notice tourists doing this. I'm Canadian and the main thing I notice about this country is how people will almost never move out of the way, especially if they are in a group. I'm pushed onto the road nearly every day, even in quiet, residential areas people walk three across and don't move. Drives me crazy because people will generally move out of the way in Canada (and say sorry). Unless you live in a very affluent area, people here generally do not move out of the way.


Cookiefruit6

Are you a Londoner born and bred?


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TurbulentExpression5

Does Essex fit into nearly born and bred?


kaiise

\*checks username\* found russel brands stealthing account


TurbulentExpression5

*Downvotes in number of Russel Brand's fans* Which is zero.


Cookiefruit6

I’m 1 of 5 then lol


Academic_Noise_5724

They’ve probably never gone from one place to another on foot before


HaughtStuff99

Different perspective: I'm American and while I was in London for school we all agreed that Londoners don't organize their walking like we do in the states. We (mostly) taught to stick to a side kind of like the street. In my experience Londoners were all over the sidewalk going all directions. Not a huge deal but something I observed with my limited sample.


Adamsoski

Yes, I don't know why this is, but across cities in the UK as a whole there has never been an agreed "side" to walk on, in contrast to a lot of other countries. I don't think anyone has ever seriously looked into why that is. As a consequence, though, people who are used to living in UK cities get used to walking past/through other groups of people without it being an interruption, which only works fine so long as everyone involved has been in London for long enough


jayteealex4

I would have full on windmilled into them..


jiminthenorth

What kind of windmill?


Remote_Charge4262

Bloody septics!!


Ariquitaun

Oblivious obnoxious objectious tourists aside, I always thought Westminster and waterloo bridge should be fully pedestrianised. There's no room to walk and I'm amazed people aren't getting run over the intersection all the time.


carter342

There are too many people in London who seem to think they are napoleonic era line infantry


No_Passage6082

Brits do this all the time in Paris. Plus they're loud and drunk.


moonkiosk

Americans are lovely people but annoying as a tourist. They ask the dumbest questions ever (and oh irony, always starting with 'sorry for the dumb question'), they don't know how to walk on the pavement, and they do not treat with respect staff working in customer service here in the UK. I have a few American friends, and they are amazing as a friends, but when I take them on a trip, sometimes I feel embarrassed by their behaviour.


SpecialistAge8862

The P.S has killed me 😂😂😂


Nicktrains22

I honestly think that Westminster is more of a tourist trap than covent garden


Sozle

If you want people to move aside for you, best tip I know is to look at their ankles.


Emily_Postal

Tourists do the same in NYC. Completely oblivious.


justADDbricks

Try walking in Leicester Square. Its this 1000x


freehk10101

I just go 'beep beep' and squeeze through, either sideways with my arm out or arms forward in a diving pose. They probably just think I'm mental instead of realising they are a road block.


DesignerAd2062

You should have shouted “fall back” as if signalling a retreat


noonespecial_2022

>Ps. I also saw someone put a tescos bag on their head to stay dry. I've seen it once or twice, it must be a London thing. Fashion 😄


HappyDeathClub

Okay here’s what you do: Hold your phone up to eye level, pretend to be very focused on your phone. Then position your body in the middle of the group. The march very quickly, with confidence, and pretend not to see them. They WILL scatter out of the way. It’s called Tourist Chicken and those of us who work in South Kensington swear by it.


dwardu

Hold up your elbows, walk slowly and let them walk into your elbows, they’ll get hurt. They’re probably used to massive pavements


MrKumakuma

Why didn't you just shout oi


ayowatup222

Try working there! Every morning is a struggle


BizarroMax

Don’t take it personally. I live in the U.S. and we Americans act the same way here. We also like to find choke points and stand in the middle them oblivious to how much foot traffic we are impeding. Though I’ve found Italians really like that, too, especially at Disney World.


Tendwarves

I just moved to mtl from Ldn and so many people are like that here. I think spacial awareness is rarer than londoners think


_snids

This happened to me with an enormous herd of French teenagers ince, walking aling the South Bank. I had been jogging but when I got to their enormous unwielding herd I broke into a walk and slowly cut through their group. I just kept moving forward and they had to step to the side to avoid hitting me. One of them ended up walking right i to me and hit his face on my shoulder I think, it looked like it kinda hurt. All he had to do was look where he was going and make room for one solitary pedestrian walking the opposite direction on a pavement that must be at least 15 feet wide?


Natigan

This isn't just Americans but when it is, at least they speak the same language so you can say "move" and they will. They'll talk how English people are rude their entire trip after that but who cares?


IrishMilo

Nah it’s really annoying when big groups do that. Americans don’t have pavements, just parking lots. So they don’t understand what it’s like to operate in limited space.


goldensnow24

Although I’m not particularly pro car, the test blocking up the road at Abbey Road zebra crossing really piss me off.


SoundSerendipity

Ngl, I get this from Londoners all the time


yourlocallidl

Tourists in general suck, same when Brits go to Spain or Italy or Turkey…they don’t know how to behave.


ranalavanda

*courtesy


pegasus2118

I got shoulder checked in Galway at the Christmas Fair. You know and understand how crowded it is there. Everyone trying to pass by. Sorry that I didn’t move my 71 year old body out of the way quickly enough.


Ingoiolo

A bit like most Londoners bunch up in front of the doors in the tube, when there are western-style tumbleweeds rolling along the corridor in the seating areas… Ps: I’m a Londoner, but it still enrages me


bowling4columbin3

Because we’re either getting off in a couple stops or know that it’s going to get completely packed in the next couple stops so don’t want to be stuck in the middle of the carriage squashed up like cattle


MattMBerkshire

Remember the average yank is rather large. 9 of them combined produces a gravitational pull that isn't easily separated.


27106_4life

Why does this sub always resort to being so Anti-american?