In a viral post, the Hendrix family from Chicago lamented British bad manners. But I beg to differ – people in London are just ‘big city polite’If you are an American hoping to ingratiate yourself with the local people while on a trip to London, I have some tips. First: smile at strangers on the train. You have to really try to hold eye contact with them; if they scuttle off at the next stop looking terrified, chase after them, asking how their day is going. Londoners love that. They also love it when you stand in the middle of the escalator, blocking their way; that is a great ice-breaker. If all else fails, loudly inform everyone that you are from the US. Everyone loves Americans!The above is a hypothetical extract from whatever guidebook the globetrotting Hendrix family – who are from Chicago – must have read before visiting the UK recently. “We’ve travelled the world … but we’ve never felt such coldness as we did in London,” the aspiring influencers lamented in a viral Instagram post about British manners. “In a week there, not a single smile greeted us – not on the streets, not on the trains … For our kids, who are used to warm waves and friendly interactions, it was unsettling.” (Bizarrely, the post went on to say how much nicer the French were in Paris.) They then posted another video, showing their children getting on to an escalator in London and asking whether Londoners are “really mean”. Continue reading...