12 British Stereotypes Americans Believe (That Are Totally True)

8. We Love To Queue

This seems ridiculous to other nations, apparently, but in Britain there is nothing more sacred than knowing how to queue. Hell, it's not even about "knowing" how to queue - British people are just born with the inherent ability to do so. There is nothing more unnerving than watching somebody pushing in line, because it means that the foundations of normal life are being shattered before your very eyes whenever this decides to actually happen. When we visit other countries, Brits can often be seen staring at people in dismay when they decide that an orderly line isn't appropriate. This is because, in the mind of a British person, there is never a point at which an ordinary line isn't appropriate. Of course, if somebody were to push in or skip regular queuing procedures, only rarely would somebody comment on it, becauseĀ€

7. We Dislike Talking To Strangers

Americans are an overtly friendly bunch; just ask any Brit who's travelled to the States and encountered one in a lift or in line at a theme park or at a breakfast buffet. Americans truly do love to strike up a conversation in public, just because that's a good, honest and genuinely likeable thing to do. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except for the fact that British people f*cking hate conversing with strangers. Seriously: there is nothing more shocking to a British person than the moment in which a stranger addresses them on the street. It's almost always such a shocking instance that you have to do a double take to ensure that said person was really talking to you, and you're not just daydreaming or have been momentarily transported to Narnia. In Britain, talk to people you already know and that's it; them's the rules.
Contributor

Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.