Why do people think Londoners are rude?

[beejeez]

I'm obviously biased as I'm originally from London, but why do people think Londoners are rude?

I was there a few days ago and it was so great to be back. I find true Londoners so friendly (OK, maybe not when commuting in and out of work, but definitely the rest of the time).

If you talk to them then they are really friendly back!

Probably because people are friendly when commuting elsewhere. I'm northern but go to London often. There is little eye contact, no one smiles at you and everyone seems in a rush compared to my home town where you say hello to people you just walk past regularly.

YANBU, although as a Londoner, I automatically take on an entirely different personality as soon as my Oyster Card touches the gate. I revert to my normal friendly self as soon as I exit.

I feel anyone in a very large busy city is the same as a group, individually I do not think anyone is ruder or nicer anywhere just because where they are from

I find large cities tiring and I do live in one

Everyone talks to you in Glasgow

London is particularly bad for tourists dawdling and getting in the way of people who are in a hurry. Happens in other places too though, not just cities - I grew up in a pretty market town and the hordes of tourists and day-trippers can be very frustrating if you’re trying to get somewhere or run errands.

YANBU, although as a Londoner, I automatically take on an entirely different personality as soon as my Oyster Card touches the gate. I revert to my normal friendly self as soon as I exit.

This, although I do make an effort to smile at children, tourists, and people with dogs. Just for fun.

Yeah I think that's it. It must be really annoying if it's your daily commute and you keep getting stuck with tourists.

I don't know. I live in Northern Ireland and no one talks to you in central Belfast during commuting time and people are far more guarded/less truly friendly here then the SE where I'm from (understandably given the history) but people keep saying to me "it's much more friendly here isn't it?". I just nod, baffled.

Yes, in London no one talks to you on the street but you're passing hundreds of people at any one time. How do people expect the mechanics of that to work?

I don't think it's rude not to smile at people and chat to them though. I don't owe anyone a smile.

I never really understood this cliche. I lived in london for 20 yrs and never found anyone rude. People are going about their lives as normal. And as for this no one talks to you on the tube, well I’ve done plenty of other short trips on rural trains around the UK (eg 30 min ride from small town to a city) and people don’t there either!

I left London after two decades and moved to a very small town. Within six weeks a random man told me to fuck off when I politely asked him something. Never once had that in London!

This.

I grew up in the south, studied in London and hated it. It was very cold and unfriendly, very hard to get to know anyone but I assumed that was just city people.

Then I worked in Newcastle for 6 months. Totally different vibe. I didn't make a single friend in London in 6 years. I have two long term friends in Newcastle.

Everyone in London always seems in such a rush so they'll focus on exactly where they're going with very little time or consideration for others IMO.

I have found the further north you go from London the slower the pace of life is. I don't think I could keep up down there!

Born in and lived in London my whole life. I’m friendly and so are most people I know.

I can find London a bit cold though, because it’s so busy you don’t really get the chance to be friendly with others, especially in the more touristy parts. You’re trying to get from A to B without losing your shit most of the time.

I couldn’t live anywhere else though 😬

I have found that on the tube especially, there is no allowance for the normal range of humanity. Having taken my kids (not travelling during rush hour) there twice last summer for days out, people will huff and puff and literally shoulder barge my kids to get where they need to go. We followed the rules about standing on the right and tried not to get in anyone's way but we had to walk at the pace of a 4 year old who refused to let go of my hand. My eldest was in tears after someone bashed into her & didn't even say sorry. I have also seen blind and disabled people being shouted at for taking too long on the escalators, etc. So yeah, that is some evidence for why people view Londoners as rude.

I lived in London all my life until I moved to the North ten years ago and I don’t see any difference. People don’t talk to you on the tram anymore than the tube.

Absence of charm and conversation is not rudeness in my opinion.

There was plenty of conversation in London during the 2012 Olympics on the London Underground. Every time Boris Johnson's voice was heard in an announcement, there was a groan and discussion about how useless he was/is.

Here in my part of the North Yorkshire dales, if you walk past someone, they smile and say hello. Whether you know them or not!
This is not the case with Londoners.

Herein lies the problem! People like this ⬆️

I’m a northerner living in a london suburb. I think to us northerners people in london are rude because northerners are used to having chats with people on trains, saying hello, smiling. London is a fast paced city and the only time I’ve seen people chatting, or had people chat with me is when there’s a dog! A dog always gets people talking.

It's polite detachment. I'm northern and lived for 20 years in London. It's lovely going about your life in London without having to strike up a convo with everyone lest be thought unfriendly. I find that intrusive.

Most Londoners are the same when commuting but are kind and helpful when needed.

People not used to such a big city kind find it overwhelming, Londoners are actually very helpful and friendly. But sometimes you have to be the one to start the chat or asks for help.
Its also full of tourists and temporary visitors - i wouldn’t class them as Londoners
once you find your neighbourhood or area you live within that and people are very fiiendly.

Because thats what people are expecting so thats what they find. There have been loads of studies done on confirmation bias which shows that you get what you expect. So, if you expect a group of people to be unpleasant before you meet them, thats exactly what you'll find because you are throwing out subtle but signficiant body language and a way of coming across that isnt condusive to people reacting well to you. Same with studies on teachers being told certain kids in class are disruptive and lack potential- they treat them differently and then get the results they were told to expect (lots of studies on this). Self fulfilling prophecy is a real phenomenon.

It’s really not rudeness, it’s dancing to a different beat. The tube’s the really boring bit, trying to get from A to B on a journey which could well involve a couple of changes and take an hour. Longer if there are delays so you’re always scurrying against that possibility. Tourists, welcome as they are, slow things down.

I find in general cities are less friendly places than towns - not specifically London, but l assume it is as people are just in more of a rush