Hundreds of Brits took to online forum Quora to reveal their pet peeves after one tourist asked what counts as a 'cultural faux pas' in London
HUNDREDS of Londoners have revealed the most annoying things that tourists do in the city - from not being polite to holding up commuters on the Tube.
Brits have taken to Quora, a question and answer site to answer 'what are some cultural faux pas in London', with nearly 50,000 people curious to find the things that grind Londoners' gears every single day.
Unsurprisingly, we Brits hate it when visitors are impolite, skip queues and of course don't understand the social etiquette of the Tube.
Unsurprisingly, Londoners HATE it when tourists behave badly on the Tube - including standing on the wrong side of the escalators and making eye contact.
The issue has hit the headlines in the past, when someone developed a controversial 'Tube Chat' badge for commuters to wear to encourage talking.
Needless to say, it wasn't a hit.
One irate Londoner perfectly explained how visitors should behave, saying that the Tube 'is not a social networking site'.
He added: "It is a functional transport system full of busy people who are trying to get to their destinations as quickly as possible, not a place to try and make new friends.
"People do not want to stop and talk to you on the Tube, and they also do not want to have to ask you to move out of their way.
"As such, you should observe one very basic and obvious rule - do not obstruct passageways.
"This means that you do not stand on the left hand side of the escalator (a crime which should be punishable by summary execution, frankly).
"Also, don't hang about in platform exits looking at maps. (There are maps available everywhere, and if you don't have your own, you'll find plenty more on the platforms).
"Finally, allow people to get off the train before you try and get on."
And one man from New Zealand revealed how he learnt the hard way, after innocently trying to strike up conversation on the Tube when sightseeing.
He warned: "I intruded on the mother country when I talked to someone in the tube. After some breezy small talk, presumably being polite, they said: 'You’re not from England, are you?'
" 'No,' I cheerfully answered, 'er… why?'
"I was prepared to launch into the ‘origin of the species’ talk.
" 'You’re talking to us.'
"Me '…!'
"Then I noticed that everyone else on the train was either reading, listening to a device, staring at the floor, ceiling or… us.
"How was I supposed to know? There are no ‘no talking’ signs."
To visitors, the Tube may be a novelty but for Londoners it's a quick way to get around the city.
It's a VERY clear rule that you should always stand single file on the right of the escalators, which means that other people can dash up the left hand side if they need to.
Standing side-by-side is just madness, and a clear pet hate of Londoners.
Irmani Smallwood said: "When using the tube, please obey the stand on the left signs, otherwise you will upset commuters and people trying to get from A to B.
"We know you are having a lovely time discovering our fabulous city, please don't make it harder for locals to make it all work. A missed tube can really screw up a schedule."
Posted Henry Watson added: "I think many tourists see it as a rule that no one really pays attention to and they’re not harming anyone by standing on the left, but if you want to make a Londoner angry, that’s certainly one way to go about it – not to mention the fact that you’re slowing down the people who think they’re important (and fit) enough to walk up or down the stairs."
One Londoner summed it up in one sentence: "please don't faff around trying to find your ticket at the barriers during rush hour or you will be hated; make sure you have it in hand as you are on the escalators on the way up to ensure a speedy exit for everyone."
We Brits are well known for being impossibly polite, so it's only natural that this was pointed out by several users, who say tourists should remember their manners when they visit.
Alx Klive explained: "In general, Londoners, like all Brits, are exceedingly polite, and are generally brought up not to make an exhibition of ourselves.
"We therefore look unfavourably on people being impolite, brash or selfish."
Rebecca Oliver added: "British people are obsessive about manners. Most sentences in public situations should end or begin with "excuse me", "please", "thank you" or "I'm sorry".
"Sometimes if you are moving through a busy public thoroughfare you can use all of these in one long sentence, as in "Excuse me please, could I just get past, I'm sorry (passes person) Thank you".
"This is normal. It is also normal to say thank you when in a shop at the counter at least four times.
"It is also normal to thank a waiter for pouring a drink at your table in a restaurant, removing plates and presenting you with the bill."
One user called Kevin Spinks summed up the importance of waiting in line perfectly, describing queuing in Britain as "a religion".
He added: "Never cut in. Queues exist frequently only in the minds of those in the queue.
"For example when you approach a bar with the intention of buying drinks you should make a mental note of those people already waiting and those people who arrive after you.
"Therefore you know your place in the queue.
"If the barman tries to serve you ahead of someone who is before you in the queue you should point the barman towards the correct person."
Surprisingly, the most popular pet hate was posted by Londoner Phil Gyford, who replied "Not a faux pas, but a little error that many Americans make is to omit the "Street" or "Road" etc from names.
"They might say they went to a shop on "Goldhawk" when they mean "Goldhawk Road".
"That's fine when your city is full of uniquely-named "1st St", "Avenue A", etc, but doesn't work in London.
"It sounds very strange to British ears and can be confusing because no one knows exactly where you mean.
"You say "I'm staying on Pembridge" and you could mean Pembridge Villas, Pembridge Road, Pembridge Gardens, Pembridge Place, Pembridge Crescent, etc."
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