Worst mistakes tourists can make in London?

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Feeling like a bag of crisps, but ending up with some hot fried potatoes.

[grahame]

Assuming that the gas-station attendant is trying to fleece them for fuel.  No sir, it's not because you're American.  Our fuel costs that much for everyone.  That's why you see so many small cars on our roads.

I happened to have taken a picture of a gas station a few days back in a remote part of the USA ... and converting prices from $ per US gallon to pence per litre, it costs just 52p per litre.

You could argue that everyone is fleeced in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) for their fuel (though not by the gas station attendant) ... or you could argue that it's highly taxed for reasons including to help us make sensible use of a limited resource.

[infoman]

and when callers ring into radio bristol from LA it
took me ages to work out where in the radio bristol aerial LA was

[bobm]

With Graham's current sojourn in mind I am sure we could compile an equally entertaining thread of faux pas made by visitors to America.

Years ago my father was on a business trip to Iowa and was invited to dinner at one of his hosts' house.  He commented how "homely" the place was only to be greeted with a stunned silence.  Apparently "homely" translates to "pokey"!

[Bmblbzzz]

and when callers ring into radio bristol from LA it
took me ages to work out where in the radio bristol aerial LA was

And El Dub, which must be on the Tex-Mex border?!!

[JayMac]

El Dub? I know zactly wur zat be.

Used to liv zur me babber din aye?

[TonyK]

and when callers ring into radio bristol from LA it
took me ages to work out where in the radio bristol aerial LA was

My former boss would occasionally ask after my movements for the day if I was wearing a suit instead of jeans and t-shirt. "Bristol Magistrates Court first, then I have to meet someone at the CPS."

If he had known that someone was Dave or that the venue was the Cotham Porter Stores, he might not have nodded so enthusiastically.

[Bmblbzzz]

and when callers ring into radio bristol from LA it
took me ages to work out where in the radio bristol aerial LA was

My former boss would occasionally ask after my movements for the day if I was wearing a suit instead of jeans and t-shirt. "Bristol Magistrates Court first, then I have to meet someone at the CPS."

If he had known that someone was Dave or that the venue was the Cotham Porter Stores, he might not have nodded so enthusiastically.

Just out of shot:

And they probably don't let the kids in there either!
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/cotham-school-banned-newsagents-shops-3358300

[grahame]

With Graham's current sojourn in mind I am sure we could compile an equally entertaining thread of faux pas made by visitors to America.

Years ago my father was on a business trip to Iowa and was invited to dinner at one of his hosts' house.  He commented how "homely" the place was only to be greeted with a stunned silence.  Apparently "homely" translates to "pokey"!

My daughter (aged 7 at the time) asking my then-American-girlfriend if she had a rubber ...

[Oxonhutch]

Or when we lived in the USA a fellow British expat female colleague doing her first aerobics class over there, at the end of one exercise session were ordered to land on their fanny.

"Godammit, Hutch", she said, "I damn near killed myself"!

[infoman]

For those from the USA its the bathroom,don't go anywhere the word Toilet.

[TaplowGreen]

15. Actually going to London. Get out and see the real United Kingdom.

Name me one place that better illustrates the  rich diversity of the United Kingdom in all its forms.That's a reality to be proud of.

[JayMac]

Name me one place that better illustrates the  rich diversity of the United Kingdom in all its forms.That's a reality to be proud of.

Taunton? Melksham? Plymouth?

[TonyK]

A member of the road crew of a fmous British player of keyboard instruments, on tour in the US and finding he was missing food from home when looking at the choice in the Native American casino that was the venue for that night's gig, could have chosen his words more carefully. Even said wistfully, "I could murder an Indian" caused a bit of an incident.
At least he didn't ask where he could find some faggots.

[JayMac]

I had two faggots the other night.

Maybe apocryphal but I've heard a story of an American tourist turning up at Paddington and asking for a ticket to Turkey. The clerk advised them to go to Heathrow. The American says they've just flown in to Heathrow and staff at the airport said to come to Paddington because there are trains from there to Turkey. After some confusion, and the tourist mentioning the English Riviera, it dawned on the clerk that the American was wanting to go to Torquay.

Americans and British. Separated by an ocean and a common language.