To think this is ridiculous and a bit racist?

[JessieMcJessie]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-36733450

Have read and seen this story in several places now, including a filmed segment on Sky News. Chinese tourists have been coming in large numbers to Kidlington and taking selfies etc in residential streets. Some reports of them ringing doorbells to ask to use toilets. Locals apparently "baffled" and have not been able to find out why they are coming because "they don't speak enough English". Theories being bandied about such as "it's mentioned in an episode of Inspector Morse" and "maybe something to do with Harry Potter?".

So the great and good of the national press are filing reports left right and centre and not one single one has been able to find a bilingual English/Mandarin speaker in the Oxfordshire area to just bloody ask the next coach load who turn up? Much more fun to stay deliberately in the dark and treat them like a freak show eh?

What a load of nonsense.

Kidlington isn't remotely picturesque that's bonkers. They must mean Woodstock or something.

JessieMcJessie I find your user name 'a bit' racist and 'a bit' homophobic as well!

What are you talking about louisa? Jessie was my late Dad's nickname for me and I'm Scottish.

I do see what you mean Jessie. I am quite sure that some of those Chinese tourists do speak English, so why not just ask them?
The problem is that a great percentage of the British public do not have the time or inclination to persevere when communication is difficult, or perhaps someone has a 'funny' accent.

As a local (but not from Kidlington) it's been amusing a lot of us because Kidlington is so, so non-descript. There is nothing of any interest.

Initial theories were all to do with TV stuff that might have been filmed there.

Speculation and mystery is more fun than tourists-get-a-bit-ripped-off-on-their-way-to-Bicester

Isn't there a hint of condescension in the OP's suggestion that the locals should call out an interpreter (or that local Chinese people should somehow be on hand to deal with the situation) instead of laughing at people who are, quite frankly, behaving badly? Would she feel the same about a bunch of Brits behaving the same way in Asia: that the onus is on the locals to solve the problem because the poor foreigners are clearly completely naïve and helpless? If she does not feel that, what exactly does that say about her opinion of Chinese people?

Don't they only turn up in Thursday? I think that is what I read. So, they might have to wait until next week.

These PARTICULAR Chinese tourists-NOT the Chinese race- are appallingly bad mannered.

So erm if the locals don't speak Mandarin and the tourists don't speak English. How can anyone know that it's the use of the toilet that is required?
Maybe across the UK there are coach loads of Chinese people knocking on doors because of a mn thread last year involving a gazebo