To find most Brits bemusingly obedient?

[Torven]

Most, not all!

But most would queue themselves into an early grave if a perceived (not even actual) authority figure ordered them to.

Why do they obey the "you must scan your receipt before exiting the self service area" rule in supermarkets? No you don't, Sainsbury's isn't going to hold you hostage in a castle dungeon until you comply.

Another thread on here about "requiring evidence" if your kid is sick so they're "allowed" to be off school? All these folk scrabbling about taking photos of thermometers oh I HOPE THE HEAD THINKS THIS IS ENOUGH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. Tell the head to feck right off.

Most rules can just be ignored and if enough people ignore the stupid ones they'll disappear. You're making it worse for everyone by going along with them.

Thank you! Though I don’t get how this prevents shoplifting.

Make your mind up!

English people are British but not all British people are English! 🤦‍♂️

Either way, a lame bash the UK's people thread.

What receipt scanning barriers?!
I've never seen one of these in Scotland or Northern Ireland! 🤷‍♂️

This sort of tripe is often trotted out. Yet the racism that is on MN on a daily basis is somehow never seen by the majority on here. Funny that. Also the use of the word howling is very odd.

I don't think anyone is saying that there should be no rules, or that we should ignore all of them. It's more a matter of not blindly accepting any rule whatsoever, especially when it is clearly of no real benefit to our society as a whole.
For example, many (most?) secondary schools still insist that all pupils wear a tie. Why? What purpose does it serve? It's such an outdated thing. It's not like it's preparing them for the future workplace, because even in office jobs, ties are no longer a common part of the work 'uniform'.

Limit rules to things that actually have a clear benefit in specific scenarios.

(On that score, I'm not against having to scan receipts to exit a self-service area, because I can appreciate that it might help to reduce shoplifting and therefore keep the price of goods fien, which benefits us all.)

This. You sound like a total arse hole. Shut the door on your way out. Although I dare say you'll leave it open cos you're soooo cool.

I agree with you OP. Im actually a rule maker by profession. But the nonsense people follow is unbelievable. Lockdown 2 onwards was a joke. Once we understood the nature of covid in lockdown 1, with sensible guidelines in place, that should have been the end of it. Rules are for fools and are used as guidance by wise men.

OP you’re such an anarchist - shopping in Sainsbury’s.

Neither do I! Presumably, the problem with shoplifting is people scanning some items and not others, as opposed to walking blindly through. This does nothing to prevent that. Only reason I can think is to slow the process down slightly so the attendant can approach.

Nah. I'm Swedish but spent 30 years in the UK. You guys are anarchists compared to us (apart from the queuing, which we're good at but not in your league).

Take covid, some british media make a big thing out of how Sweden didn't have a lockdown. Except we did, just not written into law because it wasn't necessary. Chief science dude advises us all to stay at home, so we do. No laws or penalties or policemen with drones needed.

You like generalising. Not all people who shoplift are hungry, some / many are just scum and have no values. Nazism was partly enabled by rule followers, but its roots and causes are not dissimilar to those of Brexit.

Perhaps @Torven needs to spend time working in criminal justice and drug intervention programmes.

Telling a head teacher to ‘feck right off’ will never end well. I’d rather be an obedient Brit than one of life’s scumbags.

You're not being sensible, you're being rude. I have lived in countries other than the UK, and no-one was self-important enough to barge to the front of a queue. I found Spain and Italy to be quite laid-back in general, however not once did anyone walk past a queue in the supermarket because they found themselves to be too important to wait.

Can I shove you out of my way if you queue jump in front of me? I mean, I just don't want to wait my turn behind you so if you won't listen I assume you're okay with people physically removing you. Plenty will. 🤷‍♀️

I specified English re the schools because Scotland and northern Ireland don't have the same mad "justify yourself" requirements. It's common to take kids on holiday in term time, for example.

Re the "easier to just scan your receipt"... No. If no one does it, the barriers will be removed because they're not worth the extra cost and hassle to the shop. If you all do it, they stay and the rest of your life is a tiny bit of extra hassle every shop. The shop can't confine you and it isn't"criminal damage" to take the only path to freedom available.

Just the whole I’ll make life harder for people in their jobs, so irritating.

Not sure the op isn’t on a wind up with it all but still

That post (from the OP) was the first thing that made me laugh out loud on MN. If real, sorry but she must look such a twat, especially the silly little wave like it's such a cool, ballsy thing to do. 🤣

Re the "easier to just scan your receipt"... No. If no one does it, the barriers will be removed because they're not worth the extra cost and hassle to the shop. If you all do it, they stay and the rest of your life is a tiny bit of extra hassle every shop. The shop can't confine you and it isn't"criminal damage" to take the only path to freedom available

haha this is comedy gold! ok- why dont you start a campaign then- it might even make the daily mail. Start refusing to scan and encourage others in the shop to do the same, then report back how it went 😂

I seem to recall the victims of Grenfell were accused by Jacob Rees Mogg of being too willing to follow the advice of the fire brigade.

I take it you’ve never lived outside the UK OP? Travel a bit and you’ll see that all (well most) countries have good and bad bits. Your theory is coming across like one posited by a simpleton or young teenager . Sorry, but you don’t appear to be very intellectual 🧐 Educate yourself is my, very good, advice 🤭🤭🤭

I disagree.

I think wearing a uniform and looking smart puts you in the right mood for learning. I would bet if you did a straw poll of those who work from home half dressed against those working from home in smart attire the latter would be more productive.

@SerendipityJane

To be fair, when your building is on fire, you expect the fire brigade to give you the right advice. They are supposed to be the experts. If they are saying it is safer to stay in your flat, then I could see why a lot of people followed that advice. Because it is technically advice, not rules in that situation.

Yes, but how many would be wearing a tie?

I don’t have the data for that.

I like a tie. I like a blazer. I like shirts and smart shoes. I think uniforms are important as otherwise it’s a fashion show everyday and those without the income for the right brands are ripe for bullying. There’s a case for making sure uniforms aren’t too expensive. There’s also a case for looking at the uniform policy of any organisation and deciding that school or workplace isn’t for you and choosing to go elsewhere.

Kinda my point actually.

However, that being said, many years ago, in a Morrisons, the fire alarm went off. I had just joined the checkout queue. There was a fire exit just beyond the queue that everybody passed on their way to the main exit until I pushed it open and left that way. (Possibly years of being a fire marshal at various offices). Even when it was open, some people passed it to get to the main entrance. Thank goodness it was a false alarm.

Your thread title specifies BRITISH! You switch between British and English.

However, it's no better singling the English out either. The British as a whole are a family.

And, yes, schools in other parts of the UK require proof of genuine absence. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have the same schooling system. Scotland has a different one, but even they tried going too far with the Named Person's scheme which the Supreme Court ruled as illegal in current form a while ago.

In all parts of the UK, a parent or guardian is legally responsible for getting kids to school. In all parts of the UK, permission from schools must officially be obtained in order to take kids out during term time for a holiday. There are exceptions, but a holiday is not one of them.

It is up to the local educational authority to decide what sanctions they will use, if any. Its not an automatic fine or anything like that in some cases.

And I've never seen those exit barriers you speak of in Scotland or Northern Ireland! Where are you seeing them?

Shows how little you know then....🤷‍♂️