Trains, buses, trams, the London Underground, and the road network, all operate at full capacity during the busy rush hour periods and therefore a culture of politeness, while unfortunately not adopted by everyone, seems to be the best way that the Brits have of getting on with it.

Public Transport

People always apologize with a polite ‘sorry’ if they bump into anyone on public transport, and it is widely considered rude to stare at someone on a train or bus.

In general people like to respect each others privacy on public transport, so don’t be surprised if you are ignored if you try and start a conversation with a stranger. In the UK people who try to talk to strangers on public transport are often viewed with suspicion (unless asking for directions) particularly in the larger cities.

However, you will find that in moments of adversity people suddenly become quite open and talkative; a long delay while waiting for a train or a traffic jam in very bad weather and there is a sudden awakening of community spirit that you might find quite shocking.

The British use public transport very much like an extension of their own home. Do not be surprised to see people eating their breakfast, fixing their make-up or even clipping their nails. It is strange but somehow the Brits have managed to turn a very public space into an incredibly private one just by ignoring everyone around them.

On the Road

Britain has some of the safest roads in the world, but it wasn’t always like this. Over the last 20 years the use of strict laws has changed people’s behaviour to the point where many Brits now find driving in other countries incredibly stressful.

When driving on the roads take care not to drive too close to the car in front of you, and be careful when overtaking; most British roads are designed in a way to make this a very difficult manoeuvre, and you might ended up driving into one of the traffic islands especially designed to prevent this kind of behaviour.

Although you will be surprised to see fewer police on the roads, do not be fooled into thinking that you can drive how you like, the UK has more police cameras on its roads than anywhere else in the world. If you are caught speeding you will receive a penalty and a fine, you may even lose your license.

Drinking alcohol is strictly forbidden whilst driving and the police are regularly on the lookout for drink-drivers, especially in the countryside, where the distance between the pub and most peoples’ houses makes drink-driving quite common at the weekends and during public holidays, although highly illegal.

It is not customary to accept a lift in a car from a stranger, and it is rare to see somebody hitchhiking on Britain’s roads although occasionally some people still do. If you see a hitchhiker and you think that they look ok then feel free to stop and give them a lift, however if you are thinking of using hitchhiking as a way of getting somewhere don’t expect to arrive anytime soon.

By John Hillman

USEFUL WORDS

bump into someone = to hit by accident
stare at someone = to look at somebody for a long time
respect others’ privacy = not watching or disturbing other people
adversity = a difficult or unpleasant situation
ignore someone/something = to pay no attention to someone/something
speed camera = a machine which takes pictures of vehicles being driven too fast
drink-driving = driving a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol
hitchhike = to travel by asking for free rides in other people’s cars, by standing by the side of the road and trying to get passing cars to stop

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Alliteration
The repeated use of the same letter or sound, usually the first letter of successive words.  It is often used in poetic language and newspaper headlines and in common British colloquial expressions.

ship-shape = clean and neat; in good condition and ready to use
mish-mash = a confused mixture of different kinds of things, styles etc.
rat race = the way of people living and working in a large city where they compete in an aggressive way with each other in order to be more successful, earn more money etc.
chit-chat = conversation about things that are not important
wishy-washy = not having clear or firm ideas or beliefs
brickbats = insulting remarks made in public
zigzag = to move forward by making sharp sudden turns first to the right, then to the left
flip-flops = a type of open shoe that has a piece of leather etc. which goes between the big toe and the toe next to it
sing-song = a way of speaking in which a person’s voice keeps rising and falling
sob-story = a story that somebody tells you just to make you feel sorry for them, especially one that does not have that effect or is not true
pitter-patter = with quick light steps or beats
creepy-crawly = an insect, spider, worm etc. which makes you feel unpleasant when you think about it