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Social Culture
The UK
is a multicultural society and therefore has many different cultural
influences. Overall it has very few strict rules or customs; however
there are certain standards and rules on how to behave in an acceptable
fashion. The British people as a whole are very accommodating and
willing to help. If you ever have any questions about any situation or
scenario, never be afraid to ask for advice or assistance.
For those of you who
are not used to 'western' culture, please click on the
links below for some hints and tips personal conduct!
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Personal Conduct
In 1922,
Emily Post compiled a list of popular etiquette for house,
business and politics with lots of specific advice: "A
young man walking with a young woman should be careful that his
manner in no way draws attention to her or to himself. Too
devoted a manner is always conspicuous, and so is loud talking.
He should not walk along hitting things with his stick. The
small boy’s delight in drawing a stick along a picket fence
should be curbed in the nursery".
Her list goes on and on; luckily these days the rules are no
longer so rigid but it is a good idea to use some common sense
when conducting yourself in the UK.
Manners are considered very important in the UK. When you are
first introduced to someone it is customary to shake their right
hand with your own right hand. You can also say “Nice to meet
you” or “Pleased to meet you”. |
It is
not customary in the UK to kiss someone when you first meet them. This
is only done among close friends or relatives. It is not usual to go up
to someone you don’t know and start talking to them without an
introduction first.
"Please"
and "Thank-you"
It is
good manners to say "please" and "thank-you". It is considered rude if
you don't. This applies to all situations. If someone helps you or gives
you something you should always say “Thank-you”. If you are asking for
something you should always say “Please”. i.e. “Please could you tell me
when the next bus is?” or “Please could you pass the salt?”
If
someone is in the way
If
someone is blocking your path and you would like them to move out of
your way, say” Excuse me, please” and they will move out of your way.
After they have moved out of your way, you should say “thank-you”.
Queuing
(Standing in Line)
In the
UK, people wait in orderly queues for their turn. This applies to all
scenarios such as queuing for a bus, queuing for cinema tickets, queuing
in shops. People do not like 'queue jumping / pushing in'.
Travelling on public transport
Do not
stare at people. Staring is considered rude in the UK. If there are
several spare seats, most people will choose one away from other people,
not right next to someone else. People don't touch each other often and
if they touch someone accidentally or if they stand on someone’s foot
they will usually apologise.
Yawning,
Coughing or Sneezing
Cover
your mouth if you are yawning, coughing or sneezing and make sure you
wash your hands if you have coughed or sneezed into them and did not
have a handkerchief or tissue.
Personal
Mannerisms
Do not
pass wind, burp (belch), spit, pick your nose in public or speak with
your mouth full. In the UK, these are considered to be unpleasant habits
and very rude. Do not put your feet on the table or on furniture with
your shoes on.
Personal
Questions / Comments
Do not
ask ‘personal’ questions of someone unless you know them very well or
they are your friends. This would include:
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Age,
"How old are you?",
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Children,” Why don’t you have any children?"
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Appearance or weight, "have you put weight on?"
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Relationships, “Are you married? Why aren’t you married? Do you have
a girlfriend/boyfriend?”
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Offensive jokes (especially sexist or racist jokes)
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Money, "How much do you earn?"
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Welsh, Scottish or Irish people do not like being called "English."
They are very proud of their individual country and their cultural
heritage.
Time /
Punctuality
People
in the UK expect others to be punctual. People will make an effort to
arrive on time. It is considered rude to arrive late. If you are running
late or cannot make an appointment you should phone the person you have
arranged to meet and let them know.
Mobile
phones
Mobile
phones are used widely across the UK and most areas have a good signal,
although in some rural or remote areas you may struggle to get good
reception. It is seen as polite not to engage in conversations in a bar,
bus or train and you should not have phones switched on in a church,
theatre or cinema as that is considered very rude. For safety reasons
you are not allowed to have your phone on in hospitals, petrol stations
or aeroplanes as the signal can interfere with electronic equipment.
Rubbish
Wherever
you are, do not leave any rubbish behind. Littering (dropping rubbish)
the streets is not acceptable, is viewed by most as being a disgusting
habit and is also a criminal offence. The average fine is around £100
plus any costs the court awards. Use litter/rubbish bins if there are
any, if not, take your rubbish with you and dispose of it when possible.
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Dining & Tipping
In the UK, we eat with the fork in the left hand, held face down
and the knife in the right hand. Do not put your knife in your
mouth. Dessert is eaten with a dessert spoon or a dessert fork.
There may be several pieces of cutlery at your place if you are
having more than one course. If this is the case, use the
cutlery on the outside first. There may be a side plate on your
left hand side; this is for eating bread rolls. Put some butter
on the side of this plate. It is polite to tear bread from the
roll and add butter to it as you are eating it, not to cut the
roll in half and spread butter on each half. |
Paying
for food & drink.
Pay for
drinks as you order them in cafés, pubs and most types of bars. In
restaurants, the drinks can be added to the bill and you can pay for
everything at the end of your meal.
Asking
for the bill (check)
In a
restaurant when you want to pay, ask the waiter or waitress, “May I have
the bill, please?" If the bill says "service not included", it is usual
to add about 10% to the bill. In some restaurants, a 10% service charge
is automatically added to the bill. You should check the bill to make
sure you don’t pay twice.
Payment
Methods
You can
pay by cash, cheque or a debit or credit card. Most restaurants and
cafes will take most kinds of debit or credit cards, but if you are
unsure you should check. You will either see a sticker denoting the
kinds of cards they accept in the window or by the cash desk or you can
ask a member of staff before ordering. i.e. “Do you take Switch / Visa?”
If you pay by cheque, you will need your bank guarantee card (usually
your debit card) to validate the cheque.
Tipping
(Gratuity / Service Charge)
It is
common to leave a tip (Gratuity or Service Charge) in several
situations, although you should not feel obliged to do this if you
cannot afford to leave a tip or if you think the service was not
satisfactory.
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Restaurant / Café
It is customary to pay 10% in a restaurant or café, although
this is only expected if there is waiter service. If it is a
takeaway or self-service establishment you will not be expected
to tip. Sometimes the restaurant or café will automatically
include a tip (service charge) on the bill. Your bill may say
something like, "A discretionary 10% service charge has been
added to your bill" or you may just see at the bottom of the
bill that 10% has been added. You can always refuse to pay this
tip if you were not happy with the service. If the tip / service
charge is not included, the bill will usually say, "Service
charge not included.” If you are not sure, ask.
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Paying by Credit Card
If you pay by credit card you should check your credit card
receipt before you sign it. Sometimes there will be a blank
space for you to write the amount you wish to leave as a tip and
a space for you to write the total amount. Either fill in how
much you want to leave as a tip or draw a line through the blank
space. Make sure you fill in the total amount before you hand
this receipt back to the restaurant staff. This will help
prevent against credit card fraud.
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Bars
In some bars the member of staff will hand you back your change
on a little silver tray. This is known as a tip tray. You can
leave some of your change as a tip if you wish (probably if the
bar person has given you very good service), although this
practice is more frequent in London than other towns or cities.
Again, you should not feel obliged to leave a tip if you do not
wish to.
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Hotel
If a member of hotel staff gives you special service, you may
want to give a small tip (perhaps 1 pound or so). This special
service would include a porter carrying your baggage to your
room when you arrive, or if a doorman finds a taxi for you, but
again do not feel obliged. Smaller hotels would often not expect
a tip.
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Hairdresser's / Beauticians
It is common for people to leave a small amount, maybe one or
two pounds as a tip, depending on if you think it was a good
service or not.
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Taxi
It is common to add about 10% to the taxi fare, but again you
should not feel obliged to leave a tip.
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Recreation
There are many restaurants & pubs in the
UK and they are a popular place to meet people and have a bite
to eat or a few drinks. You must be over the age of 18 to go
into a pub and purchase or consume alcohol. Some Landlords may
allow younger people into the pub (but they are not allowed to
consume alcohol) but this is up to the landlord. Men and women
are welcome at all times but you must be over eighteen years old
to purchase or consume alcohol. Please
Click Here for further
information on UK restaurants and pubs. |
Meal
Times
Main
meals in the UK are breakfast, lunch and dinner. It can be
slightly confusing sometimes, as depending on regional colloquialisms,
lunch (midday) will sometimes be referred to as dinner and dinner
(evening) will sometimes be referred to as supper. If someone invites
you round for dinner, this will mean that they are inviting you round
for an evening meal. If they invite you round for supper, this also
means they are inviting you round for an evening meal.
Being
invited to somebody’s home
If you
are invited to somebody's home for dinner (evening meal) it is nice to
take along a small gift such as chocolates, wine or flowers. It is
expected that you will arrive on time for these events. If you are told
the time you are expected to arrive is 8pm for 8.30pm, this means
you should arrive in between 8 and 8.30. Dress will usually be
smart-casual.
Smoking
Smoking
is now banned in many public areas and all public transport in the UK.
Sometimes smoking may be restricted to certain areas, for example some
pubs and restaurants will have a smoking section and non-smoking
section. If you are unsure whether smoking is permitted it is best to
check with member of staff. If you are in the presence of people who
don’t smoke, it is polite to check with them whether or not they object
to you smoking near them.
Drink
Driving
It is
illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol in the UK. If you drive
under the influence of alcohol or drugs you will be prosecuted.
Drugs
It is illegal to be in possession or supply all of
the following in the UK. Please
Click Here for further information regarding
the law on drugs.
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What to do in an Emergency
In an emergency situation in the UK, the number you dial is
999. This is the number for Police, Fire and Ambulance.
The operator will ask you which service you require and will
then put you through to the relevant service.
Call the police on 999 if: the crime is serious; the crime is
happening right now; the offender is still there or nearby or if
you saw the serious crime being committed. |
In the event of theft, criminal damage or
vandalism or theft or damage to a motor vehicle contact your local
police force. You can get this number from the phone book, directory
enquiries* or by
Clicking Here
*There
are now many directory enquiry numbers. They are 6 digit numbers and all
begin with 118. The different operators vary in cost so if you need to
use it you probably want to ask someone you know which one they
recommend or dial 192 and follow the instructions.
If you
smell gas
Phone
Transco 24 helpline: 0800 111999
Do not
smoke or strike a light
Do not
turn on any electrical switches
Open
doors and windows
Turn off
the meter at the control valve
If you
break down in your car
It is advisable to be a member of an association
such as the AA
or RAC.
There are various kinds of insurance you can take out so that in the
event of a breakdown, someone will come out to you and offer you
roadside assistance.
If you
lock yourself out
You can
call a locksmith who will come out and charge you a fee for opening your
door. You can find the details in your local phone directory. Other
useful services will also be listed in the front of the directory.
If you
are in trouble with the police
If you
should you get into any kind of trouble, it is advisable to co-operate
with the police. If you are arrested you are entitled to: see a
solicitor, have someone told where you are, read a copy of the Codes of
practice, which explains the procedures the police should follow in such
circumstances.
You can
be detained by the police only if they do not have enough evidence to
charge you and they have good reason to believe that they can obtain
further evidence by continuing with your detention. You cannot normally
be held for more than 24 hours without being charged or released.
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Relationships
In the UK, people are quite relaxed as far as relationship
etiquette is concerned. It is socially acceptable and very
normal for a couple dating to meet in cafes, bars or
restaurants. If someone invites you back to their room for
coffee or another drink, make sure they do not have an ulterior
motive if a coffee is all you are expecting.
I am sure most people are trustworthy, but unfortunately some
people may try and take advantage of your trusting nature due to
the differences in cultural backgrounds. |
If you
do arrange to meet someone you do not know very well make sure that you
are aware of your personal safety; Keep your personal details safe until
you fully trust your new friend; Arrange to meet in a crowed public
place; Let someone know where you are going; Take a mobile phone.
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