American Reacts to Mistakes Americans Make in the UK (Part 1)

[@amace539]

Standard British conversation: "you alright?" "alright, you alright?" "alright"

[@peterbrown1012]

In a lot of British pubs you can order and pay for your drinks on their app and it will be brought to your table, no tipping. British people do not want staff coming over once we have our order, we find it annoying to have our meal interrupted every 10 minutes, if we need something we will ask.

[@zo7034]

We dont even ask unless we have to, I would rather go to every empty table looking for a salt shaker than ask for one

[@tenniskinsella7768]

Or just go to the counter to psy

[@peterbrown1012]

@tenniskinsella7768 the point of my reply was that you don't have to go to the bar if you don't want to.

[@dib000]

​@@peterbrown1012that's only really in big chain pubs and a very recent adittion.

[@robertadavies4236]

​@@dib000Yep, table service in pubs is a post-COVID thing from when it was illegal to stand at the bar. I wouldn't necessarily expect it any more.

[@grabtharshammer]

You will find that most British Pubs in the major cities have a couple of US tourists sat at a table in a corner, covered in dust and cobwebs where they have been sat for years and years waiting for some sort of waiter to come up to them. It has almost become a tradition now

[@ronburden7236]

and,naturally,we NEVER laugh at their dim-wittedness,do We????.......

[@Anson_AKB]

german here, but in all those european restaurants i was at, people are allowed to sit and have a nice evening after eating (or even without eating anything) if they at least occasionally order a new drink. this, and the fact that many normal restaurants get the most income from beverages and not the food, are also the reason why there might be no free water (and many people prefer carbonated water which is not available from the tap) or free refills. And of course, you can't have a nice evening and chat with each other if a waiter appears every few minutes and interrupts your conversation. thus "good service" is to let you enjoy your time mostly undisturbed and not bother you too often unless you signal the waiter, including for getting the bill.

[@tenniskinsella7768]

I get water in any restaurant I go in

[@siloPIRATE]

Tyler’s not in the comments so he’ll never see this

[@Aloh-od3ef]

When he said pubs are a British thing. My first thought was, what about Germany? 😊

[@sweetieheart321]

Also, our waitstaff aren't dependent on tips for income, so they don't feel the need to continuously check you're happy

[@jonasarfwit427]

Restaurants are not allowed to charge for tap water (or corporation pop, I my family sometimes calls it. This is definitely an age thing.)

[@grahamgresty8383]

Yes, Tyler, all Americans should wear weird hats so the pub staff can identify them! It's not just the UK resturants where the service staff will leave you alone but all over Europe too. You could wear the hat there also and tell them the British told you to do it.

[@neuralwarp]

Those hats with the propellor seem to work well.

[@carlhartwell7978]

🤣👍 Tbf though, I'm not sure it's all that necessary, we can usually hear the voices and clothing... and yes I did say we can hear their clothing! Just remembering 'that scene' in Trainspotting... eek!

[@Ariadne-cg4cq]

Europeans go to pubs and restaurants to socialise with the people they are with. Not with the waiters. They DO NOT want to be pestered by the waiters every five minutes. They want to be left alone. The waiters should come when they are called. That is it.

[@Ariadne-cg4cq]

The tube only stops at stations. It does not stop just anywhere and only the train driver operates the doors. Passengers cannot open or close doors for safety reasons. The doors of trains which travel outside London and between other cities and towns can be operated by passengers but only when the train has stopped. A passenger can press the button to open or close the door. The reason is that sometimes if nobody is either getting on or off the train there is no need to open that carriage door especially in the winter when it can be very cold and windy. Most Europeans use public transport all the time rather than their car because it is much faster and less hassle. No need to look for parking in the centre of cities where parking is always a problem. I , for example live outside London but whenever I go to London I very rarely drive there. I take the train because it is faster and the parking is difficult and expensive. The train is much easier. I park my car at the train station and take the train which is much more convenient.

[@missharry5727]

With buses the driver will only stop at a bus stop if someone waiting there flags him down or if someone wanting to get off presses a button on one of the handrails to tell him. Saves time with unnecessary stopping and starting if no-one wants to get on or off.

[@aecides3203]

I can confirm I have seen American tourists get angry at a pub because they're being 'ignored'. Hilariously, they demonstrated this anger by telling the barman he wasn't getting a tip, to which the barman responded "I don't need it - I get a wage". Which, honestly, was a 0/10 customer service move but a 10/10 witty comeback. I will admit I'm kind of confused by the fact that they don't seem to catch on while they sit there patiently (or impatiently) waiting for someone to come and take their order, while watching literally every other customer in the place go up to the bar, hand over money, and come back with drinks.

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Yeah, self-awareness in their comedy and comings and goings isn’t very good it seems, or they wouldn’t make these same mistakes. Live and learn though.

[@mariospacagna2132]

You have to first know what we regard as a restaurant.. we certainly do not call fast food places like MacDonalds a restaurant

[@mariospacagna2132]

I think many American tourists do check youtube looking for advice.. especially the videos called Jess loves London who has lived in London for 10 years who I think gives the best advice for every subject for Americans coming to London/England

[@aecides3203]

@@mariospacagna2132 A pub is...nothing like a fast food place. Think of a sports bar, now make it far more comfortable and remove about 30% of the sports fans (or all of them, depending on the pub and if it's football season), add in tables and a traditional family menu of extremely varying quality and you're...more or less there. Pubs were traditionally a communal gathering place almost the entire working class would go to at the end of a long day's physical labour. You wanted a strong drink and a hot meal, both at a decent price, and so that's what they offered. But you don't use them for 'fast food' really - it'd be really unusual to ask a pub for a take away meal and they might not do it. It's somewhere you go, sit down, eat and have a few drinks and a chat.

[@mariospacagna2132]

@@aecides3203 I have no idea why you are preaching to me. I have been using pubs for the last 60 years !!

[@scrappystocks]

Being left alone without being bothered by staff while you sit in a corner reading a book or working on your laptop is also a bonus. In the US servers keep hassling you. In the UK it would be very rare and you will usually be left in peace. The other thing is no server or member of staff is expecting a tip so they don't annoy

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

A pub is more than a drinkery. It's the third place where you reside between work and home. Not just to get wasted, but also to meet people and have a good time. Actually not that different to a german kneipe in that regard, but still not the same.

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Absolutely. I NEVER want this to change.

[@annaheeldawes8608]

In British pubs/ restaurants a staff member will usually come and do a check in with the table about 5 minutes after the food gets to your table and ask if everything’s ok with the food.

[@cerdicw9998]

Back in the 1980s I worked in a pub in London. One day a very irate American man came up to the bar shouting that they had been sitting at a table for 15 minutes and nobody had come over to take their order yet. I explained that pubs don’t work like that, there were no waiters to take his order and he had to come to the bar. You could see the cogs whirring in his brain but he couldn’t seem to understand such an alien concept…

[@danielwhyatt3278]

LMFAO. Yeah that must’ve been also hilarious to witness him making such a mistake.

[@carlhartwell7978]

Just for clarity, a Brit can easily say 'are you alright?' or words to that effect when there is 'a reason'. It's about context, body language and type of enunciation. I say 'alright' as my standard greeting, but if for instance I saw someone in obvious distress, I could easily say 'are you alright?' But I'd say it in a totally different way! And tbh, in that case I can't imagine saying simply 'alright?' anyway!

[@JarlGrimmToys]

I think Americans hear “alright” or “you alright” and translate it as asking the question “are you alright?”. If a fellow Brit asked me “are you alright?” I would presume they thought something was wrong.

[@ronburden7236]

@@JarlGrimmToys excellent summary-Yanks have got a predisposition to adding/subtracting from everything-case in point MATH.....

[@watfordjc]

My pronunciation of "are you alright?" is rather different to my pronunciation of "y'a'ight?" "Howdy" and "how do you do?" both mean the same thing, and are both likely derived from "how do ye?" which is the olden way of saying "how are you?" I think I last responded to "howdy" with "good afternoon". I'm pretty sure my response wasn't "my plates are aching"... hmmm, I can't find any Texan/Cockney conversation skits on KZbin.

[@rjb29uk]

I think "are you alright?" morphed into "you alright?" into "yallwright?" and now "arright?" pronounced like 'R White' without the W, just "arr-ite". I think the US equivalent would be something like "how's it going" which I assume is a standard US greeting, and not and invitation to spill all of life's woes on someone just being friendly. Or maybe I've misunderstood "hows it going" for a long time.

[@Trebor74]

That's why I know say " 'ight?". It's to stop confusing americans

[@chrisplumb4284]

"You alright?" "Yeah, still breathing, mate" is a standard work interaction on a Monday morning.

[@luismorgan2422]

I found it a complete shock when I was in the US. The server came around about 6 times asking it everything was ok. In the UK they may come once to ask but they leave you alone. If you want more drinks etc you gral the attention of the waiter and ask them. I prefer our method of doing it. I was also totally amazed the bill was just given to me before I was even finished!

[@Brookspirit]

I remember on a holiday to Florida it got quite annoying how often the waiter kept coming over and interrupting our meal, he was also over-friendly. It's very different from the UK, it's much more relaxed.

[@nilocnolnah6788]

Yes. It’s all about tips.

[@kristin1980uk]

@@nilocnolnah6788I tip them to keep them away lol

[@scragar]

@nilocnolnah6788 So annoy people by constantly interrupting their meal in order to get more in tips? That doesn't make sense. I guess that's just a cultural difference, if I want something I'll take a look around and flag it to a member of staff walking by, expecting someone to hover around just feels creepy to me and would certainly be a big negative to my feelings towards a restaurant.

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Yeah I DEFINITELY would not enjoy the US waiter experience.

[@balasFTW]

In Europe if the waiters come near you and start taking your plates away that will be considered very rude (ex: if 1 person is still eating the main course and all the others are done with it, the waiter can only take away the plates after everyone has finished. They won't start serving the dessert if someone isn't ready for it). Another thing, in most European countries the public transport is very efficient. The tram, train, underground and bus will only stop if someone wants it to stop (reducing the amount of time wasted). If you are inside you must press the button to stop/open the doors when you're about to arrive or when you arrive (depending on the company)

[@sillyface6950]

As someone from the UK, the underground and other trains stop at specific places regardless of if someone is getting off or not. (For trains you have a button to open the doors but the underground is just automatic) The bus is the one that has specific stops but will go past almost all of them if not given any reason to stop.

[@lulusbackintown1478]

I was asked by an American couple in a pub whether they should tip or not. This was the standard order at the bar, take your drinks and someone will bring the food to you. Sensible people. Pubs usually have signs telling you what to do. It also depends whether you are eating in the bar or restaurant section. Bar is usually a more comfy chair area.

[@richt71]

I think the idea is in many European restaurants because staff don't need tips to keep you at the table ordering more drinks or desserts etc. In my experience many European countries take a very long dinner 3-4 hours isn't abnormal. Many brits do the international pretend to write a cheque in the air gesture when asking for the bill across a crowded restaurant! 😆

[@catherinewilkins2760]

Not surprising that there are no pubs like in the UK. It's the customer who makes the place, it can vary from pub to pub. The atmosphere can vary from the lounge to the bar (if they still have one).

[@tryhardfpv5351]

Don't forget the universal hand gesture to request the bill(signing in mid air above your head)

[@JarlGrimmToys]

The bill coming is the end of the meal. A lot of people like to sit for awhile after a meal, and maybe have another drink. It’s not unheard of people sitting there for the rest of the night drinking. Maybe more so in a pub than a restaurant. That’s not really a thing in the US. Where they want you to leave shortly after finishing a meal. Especially when you’re drinking free refills of fizzy pop.

[@KRm627]

What you will find that when you travel round the world the U.S really is the exception to the rest of the world - that is not to say that countries don't have their specific cultural ruals. As for train doors (this applies to most European countries) there is a safety feature on the doors) even if the button is lit up, if you press it before the train has stopped the door won't open for you until the train has stopped -You will have to press the button again.

[@scragar]

I think the train/tram/subway doors all work similarly, except the London underground. In the London underground the doors open automatically regardless of if someone pressed the button on some lines(those which don't go aboveground). This also causes confusion because tourists often don't recognise the pattern and/or start trying to tell other people to press the button mistaking how the doors work.

[@ronturner9850]

Just clarify when you go to a new pub for the first time and ask at the bar if it’s table or counter service for food. The drinks are always ordered at the bar which is your opportunity to say you want to order some food as well and then ask the burning question. Simple 😊

[@jerry2357]

Quite often, if you're sitting in the restaurant section of a pub, they will take drinks orders at the table, like in a restaurant.

[@ThomasDooley-lb1pz]

In the pubs that I was used to in the UK, there was no service at all. If you were in a group, drinks were ordered in "rounds" i.e one person asked all others what they wanted then went to the bar, ordered, paid and brought the drinks to wherever the group was. One person after the other in the group did this

[@GanetUK]

I tend to say "Alright mate." to people as a greeting, and it is said with a smile on my face and a smile in my voice, hope that helps.

[@nojsanger1]

"Are you alright?" "Are you alright!" But you are right about tones of voice, even here in the UK, it can mean different things as a friendly greeting or in mid-conversation for instance.

[@1889jonny]

Hi Tyler, if you order and eat food in a pub, then you'll be expected to pay for it when ordering at the bar. In a restaurant, you order everything from the waiter while you're sat at the table, but you need to ask for the bill.. it's just in case you maybe want to order something else, it's quite common in UK (also in Europe) to stay sat at the table, order snakcs, more drinks.. in fact go on for hours

[@geekexmachina]

I think the best tip in the end is there are always exceptions to any advice and its important to pay attention to whats going on, for example if you are sat in a pub and everybody else is going to the bar and bringing back drinks rather than waiting staff wandering about you can deduce you have to order from the bar. Occasionally a place does table service (for example some pubs with reserved eating areas and you would likely have been escorted to a seat .This person was unlucky usually more than 1 person is getting on and off the train so they would have pushed the button. The thing you have to beware of is there is an emergency stop system which if you use it without an emergency you will be fined. Trains will stop at all scheduled stops you just have to get ff at the right one, however some stops have to be requested if they are in the middle of nowhere. Its important to listen to the instructions . Alright can soundlike A'right, y'reet 'right, depending on accent, its often accompanied with a slight nod of the head, Some places this is ow doo, ey'up,

[@marydavis5234]

Evidently, Tyler has never been to a pub or bar in the US, there are no waitress or waiter, you go up to the bartender and order your drinks and food and you get up to get your drinks and the bartender will deliver your food to the table after ,it is ready

[@becky15675]

Also in the UK, there are request stops for trains (often in rural areas) so when the ticket inspector comes along, you tell him you need the train to stop at said request stop, otherwise the train will just barrel through (unless someone is waiting to get on the train. If you are waiting at one of these stops, you wave your arm so the driver knows to stop

[@Attirbful]

Not just in Britain. In Europe, we often spend entire nights at a restaurant. It is, so to speak, neutral ground for friends to get together, enjoy a nice meal, some drinks, in a generally quiet and pleasant atmosphere, and with great conversation without one of them having to host. Therefore, we may order dinner, drinks, a dessert, a coffee and what not in the course of hours and do take offence in a waiter giving us the check the minute we put down the fork and knife… We are used to have several items pile up over the course of the evening, not just dinner. So, one might decide an hour after finishing dinner that NOW is the time to order a dessert or coffee or liquor. The more every individual will consume, the higher the tip runs per individual (we also usually do not split bills) which is great, too, as a certain percentage of tipps are usually not expected…

[@Kalbot84]

If a waiter in a British pub/ restaurant brings you the bill without asking, it means you goofed up and are being politely asked to leave

[@scragar]

Sometimes it happens if they spot one person is putting their coat or similar, and they think maybe you're getting ready to leave already. Found out after one of the guy who we were with for lunch got a call from work, small emergency he needed to go back to handle, but obviously the waiter assumed we were all leaving and bought the bill.

[@101steel4]

We were laughing at a group of Americans in a pub in England. We heard them before they even came in, they were shouting like crazy😂 The came in and just sat at a table. After about 10 minutes of them shouting i couldn't stand it anymore, so said to them you have to go to the bar to get served. They couldn't understand me, being English 🙄, kept shouting "what" then all got up and left haha

[@colingregory7464]

The pampering thing in restaurants is a function of the tipping, in the uk usually a tip is given if the food is really good or something like that (pubs and some restaurants you pay as you order, rarely do you run a tab)

[@alisonmetcalfe9754]

There is a book called "Watch8ng the English'" where an anthropologist studies the Ennglish and she carries out this exact experim3nt in London, observing foreign tourists and timing how long it takes for groups to realise the cultural norm of no table service in pubs.

[@PolarBear4]

Restaurants here are usually a socialising thing which can last the whole evening. Unless your waitress/waiter tells you the table is also booked for a particular time, then basically as long as you keep ordering drinks and there's not a massive queue, you can chill with your friends/family and enjoy each others company without being hurried out. If the place is busy and you still want to hang out you may move and find a pub to chill in. Trains stop at every stop. There's just sometimes a button on the door to open/close it where if you don't, that door won't open. A lot of trains have buttons that light up which is a big hint you need to press it. Busses have a button which lets the driver know someone wants to use the next stop. If you're able, it's good practice to start walking to the door as the bus approaches the stop so you can get on/off quicker but if you're unable, the bus will stop anyway so you can get your things and get off. I've had it before where an elderly lady was being a bit slow and the driver didn't notice and a bunch of people shouted for him to wait for her to get to the door.

[@shininglightphotos1044]

Yes. I've called a restaurant, and asked to book a table for a particular time, but been told that "It's ok, but we will need the table back by ? time, as we have another reservation". This gives you the opportunity to decide if the time is enough for you, you want to alter the time of your booking there, or just see if a different restaurant has availability for you to spend all evening eating & drinking.

[@christineharding4190]

If you want food in a pub you'll usually find instructions on how to order at the top of the menu. When a train arrives at a station a bell rings and the 'open door' button lights up. That seems self explanatory to me. Open door buttons on the Underground are in case of system failure.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Our trams and buses here have both kinds of buttons. Usually red ones spread across the vehicle to signal to stop, and blue ones at the door to open that specific door. They tend to stop at every station anyway most of the time, but especially in winter they'll keep the doors closed until you actually want to leave. Heating isn't free.

[@DougBrown-h1n]

In pubs, there are only bar staff (behind the bar dispensing drinks) and a "pot man" who wanders round picking up empty glasses to return to the bar for washing. One of the key things about pubs (often overlooked by reviewers), is that they are fundamentally egalitarian in nature - it's a basic component that creates the unique, casually friendly atmosphere in a British pub. So no fawning waiters, thank you very much! In UK restaurants, should a waiter remove a diners' plate before others had finished eating, or present the bill before being asked for it, it would guarantee that no would be tip forthcoming. We see it as the height of rudeness. "Y'all right?" is a standard greeting on the UK. Much like the US, "What's up?" (the sky, clouds, tree tops), it can be confusing. Regarding train doors. In our defence, there is a very large, obvious button beside each door that lights up, saying "OPEN". So.......

[@TheCanadiangirl4]

I have a question about UK pubs. Does the queuing system still apply or is it a free for all? I don't want to get in the way of a British person and their drink.

[@DougBrown-h1n]

@@TheCanadiangirl4 It's a free-for-all' though that's one of the skills of the bar staff - they generally know who's to be served next. Being polite Brits, we may well point to someone else waiting, and tell the barman, "no, she was before me". The only exceptions are real long time regulars (like me!) who MAY get preferential treatment at the bar, as the staff know exactly what we're drinking, and can sort it quickly.

[@JivanPal]

​​​@@TheCanadiangirl4Orderly single-file queues aren't formed in pubs, but people generally exhibit the common etiquette of letting people that you know were there before you order first. Bartenders will generally keep track of this to the best of their ability, too, but will occasionally ask, "so who's first?", and leave it to the patrons to be honest about.

[@robertadavies4236]

It's an invisible queue. Unless there's a huge crowd at a very large bar, you know who was there before you, and the bar staff know the order that people turned up. You're not lined up one behind the other, but it's still a queue.

[@Ashtarot77]

@@DougBrown-h1n And being polite Brits, we'll probably say when someone points out we were there first, say, it's alright, and let them be served first 😅

[@limpetcarre1139]

Being a small British island just off the coast of France, we get a lot of French tourists. In France, if you sit at a table outside a bar a waiter will eventually come to your table and ask you what you want to order for drinks. Here French tourists will sit down outside one of our pubs and you will see them patiently wait for someone to come and take their order. We politely advise them "Service au la bar".

[@barrypegg3070]

The button on the train is not to stop the train, its for the doors to open. On some trains when the train stops at a station all the doors don't open automatically. What is actually worst is a few station have short platforms. I have been caught when the train has pulled into the station only to find that I have to run the length of 3 carriages to try to get to door that is going to open before the train pulls out.

[@matthewwalker5430]

I'm British, born and raised in London, and have used the Tube all my life. I wouldn't say you hitting the button on the Tube 'makes you look stupid'. I always hit the button, repeatedly, until the doors open, lol. The driver opens the doors but the button is there 'just in case' the automatic doors don't trigger (amongst other things). I don't know, maybe it's just me though - I just enjoy pushing buttons

[@stevebagnall1553]

It's usual in a pub to go to the bar, peruse the beers on show, ask the barman what he would recommend. This will automatically ensure a conversion which, almost inevitably another customer will recommend with the barman a drink to try. A good barman will give you a taster of a couple of beers so you pick whichever you prefer. My personal choice is hand pulled pale ale, usually somewhere around 5% alcohol strength. Many serve via electric pumps, this is a totally different taste as there is gas added to make it flow under pressure, all lager beers are served in this way, detrimental to the taste in my opinion, still, each to their own preference.

[@gordonsmith8899]

Waiters in the US hover around the tables for two principal reasons: 1. To gain your attention in the hope you will leave a good tip.* 2. To ensure you move on as soon as the diners have finished their meal** * Tips are essential to make up their wages. ** Turn over of customers. I joined a Canadian cousin and her son in France some years ago and one afternoon we stopped at a local restaurant for coffee and a snack. We sat and chatted but after we had drunk our coffee and eaten the snacks I noticed my coz was getting uncomfortable, I asked her what was worrying her . She said she thought the waiter was waiting for us to go. She was genuinely surprised to learn we could sit there for as long as we wished, the fact that the little girl waitress popped her head out of the door from time to time was simply to check whether we wanted anything else, or, if we had left, to clear the table. Eating in Europe is for pleasure.

[@johnderbyshire]

Two of the pubs I frequent most often , in England, do have table service, if you want it. One is a Railway themed establishment which has a single signal on each table, so if you want service you set the signal so waiters/waitresses can see that you are ready to be served, you can still go to the bar if you wish to look at what beer or cider they have that day and purchase you drink of choice directly from the bar. The other is mainly bar service but the staff do walk around spotting anyone that needs serving.

[@PorridgeDrawers]

Many pubs have separate dining, that's normally table service, but where it's the bar combined, you either order through their app or order at the bar.

[@joshualiley]

You may be served at the table in a pub at certain establishments, you can normally tell if they are going to come to you if there is a desk at the entrance, usually with a sign saying "wait here" on it. If you are seated by a waiter or waitress, most likely they will come to ask for your order, if you seat yourself, you will probably have to order by yourself at the bar

[@seanmc1351]

pubs in england, or the resturant, do not try to turn tables, if you book at 8pm and the close 11pm, you can stay at the same table, not one will rush you out you can sit, buy drinks after the meal, and have to shout for your bill end of the night

[@lillired857]

Pubs are primarily drinking establishments, and we pay our staff a living wage(in theory) in this country, so we dont work for tips. A pub isnt a restaurant, its a pub that serves food.

[@pheart2381]

Pubs that have a specific dining area usually have waiting staff,but a lot of the time you ask for the menus at the bar. Sometimes there are daily specials written up on a blackboard somewhere that arnt in the printed menu.

[@AnnDavi-c7w]

This is like weekly deja vu. Pubs. You alright? The Tube. Pubs. You alright? The Tube. Pubs. You alright? The Tube.

[@EmilyCheetham]

You don’t press a button to get the train to stop. However you might need to press a button to get the door to open. Not all train doors open automatically.

[@alansmith3781]

Some UK pubs have a bar area and a separate restaurant area, with different menus. In the bar, you might order food at the bar and pay for it when you order (you might be given a wooden spoon with a number on it to identify your table). But in the restaurant area, you will be served at the table and pay at the end. (sometimes they give you the bill when requested, and you might pay them or pay at the bar)

[@Pinchton]

In pubs you usually pay for your meal at the point of order (before you get your meal)... at a restaurant you usually pay at the end of the meal. Trains usually stop at most stations but you have to press button to open the doors, buses you have to press the stop button to request the next stop. Some train stations are request stops and you have to inform the conductor beforehand so he can inform the driver stops there.

[@erinspeller4025]

"Are you alight/okay?" and "How are you?" have the same answer: "yes, I'm fine" or "yeah, I'm good" - we ask to be polite or as an ice-breaker (small talk), but don't actually want to now how messed up your life is... If you are visibly distressed, then being asked "are you alright?" will need to be answered with a "I'll be fine in a minute/just having a bad day" (i.e, leave me alone to get over my panic attack) or a quick explanation if the person asking CAN help. For example; answering that you are lost is a good answer, because the person asking may be able to help. Answering that your dog just died will just ruin the day of the person asking and they will not be able to offer any support in this instance

[@danielferguson3784]

Pubs are not primarily restaurants, but bars that may sell food. Nowadays more seem like restaurants first & pubs in name only. Pubs were really social centres, comfortable home from homes, where locals can socialise, discuss local affairs, in a relaxed atmosphere. Brits drink & eat at their own pace, they like their privacy. You alright - how's it going- what's up? More often just 'alright', just a greeting. Train drivers tell riders by intercom where & when the next stop is, except on the tube which stops at every station. Some overground train s do not stop at all available stations, but however only tube train doors open automatically.

[@johexxkitten]

As a General rule of thumb, if the table has a marker, number, name (it is Usually a number, make a mental note of this, it identifies where you are sitting) then go to the bar and order & pay there... BUT wait for your drinks, don’t order & walk, you will be expected to take your drinks back with you. Then the food will be brought out to you. We are allowed to stay in the pub all night, a whole group of friends can order drinks throughout the night, chat, drink, usually at some point either meals are ordered or platters of sharer foods where the food hits the table and everyone who is paying into the food “pot”. (You can be not hungry and not eat anything and therefore not be in on the food bill). Or you can choose to go to the bar and order your own food, then you pay for just you.... ie. we often go out as a group of 10-12, this is usually like 4 couples and few singles. Now in most cases each couple will buy food for themselves, pay at the bar and the singles will order alone. Or everyone says they’re not big hungry, or your going for a curry later (often done after the pub closes) so they decide to get a table order of fries, nachos, wings, chicken nuggets type finger food, everyone works out how many portions to order (these platters often say on the menu it’s recommended for 2/3/4 persons) so decide how many to order and everyone who is eating & split the cost, and those eating will just throw £5/£10 etc on the table and decide who goes up to order for the table and they take the money to the bar. Same with drinks, you can sit down and “go rounds”. In which case every member in the round buys drinks for everyone else in the round. I don’t usually do rounds because I don’t drink alcohol & i drink slowly. After our first drink on arrival My husband and most our friends will be on round 3 before i have my second drink. Also some pubs (not all) will give soft drinks for FREE if you are “Dez” (designated driver) I usually drive my husband there & home plus a couple of friends who live in our direction so the pub sometimes gives drinks free cos I just brought them 3-4 customers. So you can be in there drinking, eating, chatting, sometimes they have a juke box, pool table or darts, some have gambling machines... all earning more money for the pub... you are NOT chased out the moment your fork is put down... But most pubs, if you sit at a table, don’t get drinks or food, you obviously look confused & sound foreign, the people at the next table will lean over & just say “you need to go to the bar to order food & drinks”. Or just ask a server after they drop off food or are retrieving dirty dishes (don’t stop them when they are taking food out to a table, that’s obviously rude & they’re trying to remember to table number they need and where that table is located). OR just ask at the bar as you arrive... SOME pubs have an ordering APP, some do have table service, so your won’t be looked down upon for asking a sensible question politely.

[@rogerwitte]

In a pub, you usually pay when you order. The correct reply to 'Alright?' is 'Alright?'. There's only one batch of tube trains with door buttons. But given the passenger throughput on the tube, their ony impact was to increase the dwell times at the platforms; the door opening was delayed by the passengers' reaction times. So London Underground stopped ordering buttons on their trains and disabled the buttons on their existing trains. However there are trains in London with functioning buttons eg the overground and dlr.

[@siloPIRATE]

Trains will stop at whatever stations they’re going to stop at. If the button is required to open the door they’ll beep and the light around the button turns green. They’re red otherwise

[@karengarrow5579]

Pub is short for public house which was founded in Victorian times where men used to congregate after work to unwind women were not allowed in these establishments during those times sometimes they had rooms upstairs where sometimes brothels operated and some customers would utilize these services discreetly It was only in the 70s it changed to abbreviation of pub

[@BnaaUK]

We do have boats as a kind of public transport. There are several isles that you take ferries to.

[@nickjeffery536]

Trains don't have a button to stop - they will stop at the scheduled stations regardless of whether anyone wants to get on or off at that station - but the doors don't open automatically. They are instead operated (from inside or outside) by pushing a button to open them... there is also a button to close them, although any open doors will close automatically once the train is ready to set off.

[@tomclifton1607]

Lots of pubs have a restaurant section where there's full waiter service, plus a bar area where you order food and drinks at the bar. There, you take your drinks back to your table yourself but they'll bring the meal to you. In others it's counter service only.

[@philipdouglas5911]

Trains have a locking mechanism on their doors that is centrally controlled. It is illuminated green when unlocked and there is a sound to say that this has happened. Most trains are so overcrowded that someone will do it for you if you don't. Pretty well the same in Europe too and is designed so that doors cannot be opened whilst trains are travelling at speed.

[@EwanMarshall]

Right, so in the UK we have pub/resturant combinations too, hslf of the area is more of a pub, the other half is a waited resturant. The easy way to tell, is the half that is the resturant, there will be a stand with a please wait here to be seated sign and the wait staff will take you to a table. And yeah, we get the attention of wait staff if needed and that includes for the bill at the end.

[@Dan-B]

Sometimes someone will come to your table and take your order in a pub (usually a smaller independently owned pub) but it’s way more standard practice to order at the same time as you order your drinks at the bar.

[@WaltonPete]

All carriage doors open automatically on the London Tube when you're underground but where the Tube extends overground on its outer reaches you may need to press the button. Overground train doors usually only open using the button to avoid inconveniencing seated passengers with incursions of unwanted weather.

[@alanblackwell9486]

We don't have waiters in pubs. Usually you would take your drink with you from the bar, table service is very rare.

[@coltsfoot9926]

Many Brits struggle with the ordering protocol at a strange pub. Even if it is a restaurant, there's no guarantee, so I always ask a member of staff. They're normally happy to help, as it makes their job easier when people follow the "house" rules

[@dib000]

I have never struggled to order in a pub in my life 😂🤣😂

[@JarlGrimmToys]

One of my local pubs has 2 different set of rules depending on which side of the pub you sit. On the left side its restaurant rules. You wait at the desk and a waiter will take you to an available table, or your reserved table. Then take your orders and bring them to your table, and when you’re finished you ask for the bill. But if you right it’s pub rules. You can sit where you like, and go the bar to order.

[@olwens1368]

@@dib000 Me neither.

[@BillCameronWC]

Mostly it’s like she said for getting your bill at the end of a meal, you have to ask for it, but in some bigger cities where they generally get much higher customer levels, you might be given a time slot for your meal, generally two hours or perhaps even for 2 1/2 hours (which should be adequate for most people I think), when you’re making your table reservation (& often it is very advisable to make a reservation, not just turn up ‘on spec’ as although they may be able able to accommodate you, you might have to wait for a while until a table becomes available, or they may simply tell you they’re fully booked). Within the time slot allocated then it’s up to you to have your meal and pay up a little ahead of the end of your time slot at the latest. This even happens in the small town where I live, particularly at busy times of the year when there are many visitors/tourists in town - in the summer in the quite touristy town where I live it gets pretty busy, in the winter it’s a lot different as although very few places close in the winter it’s still usually less busy, except for periods like Christmas or Easter. As for trains, the driver/guard controls when the door can actually be opened once the train has come to a full stop at a station, the door button then usually is illuminated by the guard to signal that the train doors can be opened when a passenger wishes to exit or enter the train. It’s very simple once you are familiar with the system, and is an obvious safety feature to prevent doors being opened when the train is still moving or when there may be other reasons, for example the train comes to an unscheduled stop away from a station where there are no platforms.

[@garygalt4146]

Our local garden centre restaurant has a little button the give you when you order. You get a table and when the waiter brings your food. They have a phone on the tray that maps them to your table. Indoors or outside. Modern times.

[@mrmessy7334]

Not all pubs have numbers on the tables, sometimes when you order food at the bar they will give you a wooden spoon with a number on it that you put in the little pot on your table.

[@CaffeineKing]

Actually, I never thought of it that way. Yes, you go up to the bar and you order at the speed your table wants to be drinking. (In fact, slightly ahead. Go get your round when the others are *almost* finished).

[@cerdicw9998]

Tyler, yes we have boats as well. We are on an island…

[@SriGutta]

"You alright?" is a very misunderstood British gambit. Iris a way to greet, gauge the mood, assess the need of the moment in 1 question. If a stranger asks the question, you just deadpan a response a move on. If an acquaintance asks the same question, you assess if they are close enough and empathetic enough to hint at your true feeling, when a friend asks, you decide if you want to open up or not. If you decide to open, you don't just blurt out everything, you hint with a measured response, something along the lines of... 'yeah...I'll get through' or 'yeah...it's been a slog'. This gives the other person the option to walk away or decide to really find out about you. A single innocuous phrase has a lot riding on it.

[@brentwoodbay]

The phrase "You awright" was not used in Britain when I left there in 1973, and when I visited there a few times in the 70s. It took me by surprise when I finally returned in 2008! The same as baked beans for breakfast!

[@duckweedy]

Same is true for many eating places. Many you have to go to counter and make your order, Usually you can tell because there are table numbers on the table,

[@thomashavard-morgan8181]

When I go out for food, I want to enjoy the food and the company of the people I am with. I do not want o be bothered every 5 minutes, a meal out is supposed to be relaxing and a moment for you to catch up with your friends or family. It's a much slower experience eating out in the UK.

[@frankhooper7871]

The trains where you need to press a button to open the doors are not an issue; but the older trains where you had to open a window and reach outside to open the door were what got me when first coming back to the UK. At cafés, you have to read the room as it were. At some, somebody will come to the table and take your order; at others you have to order at the counter and then they'll bring you your coffee etc; and at others you order at the counter and they give you your coffee to take back to your table yourself.

[@notch7139]

The good old “slam door trains” - diesel trains. It’s a bit weird having to wind down the window to open the door They’ve all been withdrawn now

[@davehopkin9502]

If you ordering food in a pub then you will need a table number, unless its a "Carvery" where you buy a ticket on entry and take it up to the buffet style counter - if you are just buying drinks then you just go to the bar order and pay. In a resturant to get the bill, just catch the waiters eye and gesture by rubbing your thumb against the first two finger tips, they will understand the "cash" gesture and nod. "You alright" or "Alight" is used as a greeting (and no we dont want you medical history!) "are you alright" would be used if you had concerns for your well being.

[@viviennerose6858]

Buses nowadays do require you to press a button to request the doors open at the next stop. However, when waiting on the street at a bus stop check on the sign to see if itvsays 'request', in which case you need to stick out your arm to show the oncoming bus driver you need him to stop. If not a request sign then the bus will stop, even if no-one at the stop needs that bus, though someone might be getting off, of course. Complicated until you get used to the system, so if your bus is approaching stick out your arm anyway! Of course if bus is full, and nobody on the bus wants to get off, then the bus will go sailing past. Very frustrating especially in rush hour, when that can happen a few times. Tube/underground trains open their doors automatically at each stop. Overground trains do require you to push the button, once the train is fully stopped.

[@stephenveldhoen]

Here in Canada 🇨🇦 when your on trains the doors will open up for you at each station and they will announce it as well. Buses you must press a button to ring the bell for your stop.

[@crystalclearUK111]

On most of the London underground, the doors automatically open in general so no pressing required. On trains, doors are either automatic, or you get up for your stop and hear beeps at the door, press the silver and flashing green button next to the door and they open.

[@grenvallion]

Its pretty normal in the uk for pretty much every shop that sells food or drink where you can sit down. Everything from coffee shops to pubs, require you to gk to the counter buy what you want.

[@carolineskipper6976]

The big issue at the end of the meal is often then once you've ordered everything you are likely to want, the waiting staff pretty much ignore you, so catching their eye if they are busy can be a tricky process. We like being ignored to get on ith our food- it's just that bit at the end which can take longer than expected. I tend to avoid this by asking for the bill when our last orders are served.

[@evawettergren7492]

Good idea. It has happened that I had to sit for a lot longer than I intended while trying to get the bill... From now on I will also ask for it along with our last order. Thanks for the tip.

[@EmilyCheetham]

Or some pubs and restaurants you pre pay for your food and then they bring it to the table and leave you to eat in peace.

[@frankparsons1629]

That dates from the very beginnings when the only 'food' you could get at a pub was packets of crisps, pickled gherkins and pickled eggs, packets of peanuts, thats about it. Pubs (Public Houses) were places you sat around with your mates and consumed drinks. Then kids (with their parents) were permitted by law, that was the start of cooked food, around the very late 70's, and the menu was very restricted, scampi in a basket was the usual, maybe an omelette, then fish & chips appeared within a few years, if the publican's wife was handy and willing to cook, curries appeared, wow that was special. That was about it for a good few years. Its only within the last twenty plus years that it has taken off. I recall a pub in the middle of the countryside that we used to go in, run by the farmer, no bar, he just appeared at a serving hatch when he heard us come in, no food, just crisps. One time walking down the lane he rushed by us herding his few pigs shouting "You go in I won't be a few minutes!!" Pigs might look a bit slow but heck they can run faster than a man! Happy days.🙂

[@steelpanther9568]

The trains automatically stop at designated stations, you would only press the button to open the doors, This way only the doors where anyone is either getting on or off would be open, then before the train leaves the doors automatically closed, This system is mainly used on Metro Trams to get around huge Cities that have connecting metro link lines to other nearby towns & cities, Eg.. Greater Manchester in England, (or Blackpool if you prefer somewhere that is more expensive due to it being classed as a well known tourist destination), But in London, where it is a fast paced capital city, even though the train carriages have a button, the doors are automatically opened at the station to allow passengers to enter and leave as quickly as possible, 🇬🇧😎👍🏼

[@stephenveldhoen]

Here in Canada 🇨🇦 you have to go to the bartender to put your drink order in before sitting at a table. We don't have bars here. You also have to ask for the bill in any restaurant or pub. Just not at Fast Food Restaurants you pay at the kiosk or the cashier.

[@Fluffnugget78]

The pub situation varies massively from pub to pub. If you're just going there for drinks you will almost always go up to the bar, order your drinks, pay and take them back to your table, rinse and repeat for further drinks. In most pubs that serve food and you're eating there, they will quite often take your order at the table, although you will probably still order your first drinks at the bar like I described before. THEN you have pubs where you order via an app while sitting at your table which I still find weird as hell and extremely exclusionary of certain age groups that aren't comfortable with technology.

[@thomaslowdon5510]

The trains where you push a button Are commuter trains " local area " Short distance.. with sliding doors. Normal trains long distance have doors that open out like a normal door.... Pubs. You go to the bar before you sit down...then find a seat..or just stand at the bar...

[@heatherconnolly8658]

Trains are not request stops but many do have buttons to open the doors. On a bus you request the driver to stop by pressing a button

[@EmilyCheetham]

Some pubs will take your order at the table. But many you order at the bar. When you get to a pub alway ask if you should order at the bar or if they will take your order. Also some will also you to pay when you order, where others you pay at the end.

[@bernadettekenaghan3246]

When we say you alright we say it in a caring way too, if the person is in pain or has a problem and they need help with, when some falls over, we say are you alright

[@nadeansimmons226]

More often than not in NZ , Australia, UK and the rest of Europe the staff don't even bring you the bill. The customer goes up to the counter to receive the bill and pay. Only more up market restaurants will present you with a bill at the table.

[@Anahara1181]

Many pubs in the U.K. serve food, and I have found that most of them have table service, smaller ones may want you to look at a menu and then go to the bar and order your food, but they usually tell you when you request a table. I agree they don’t give you the bill until you ask, as we don’t request the bill until we are ready to go.

[@tinastanley3552]

In the pubs whete i live you order your food at the bar and drinks you either pay there and then or leave an open tab where you can carry on ordering more drinks till you are ready to leave and pay.

[@rocketrabble6737]

So when you go to a pub with a friend or friends you find a table, occupy that table, make a note of the table number (if it has one and you wish to eat), then one or two or whatever of the group goes to the bar to order drinks and food the waiting staff will bring the food to that table number. If the pub has a separate designated eating area then it will be likely to be more like a regular restaurant procedure.

[@chilledoutpaul]

with the bill situation very occasionly waters might bring your bill over automaticly but there is no rush to pay or leave and occasionly you will be asked if you would like your bill but then again no rush. Another cultural thing in the uk is, if there is a menu on a table service then there is table service if there is no menu but there is a list of food and prices above the servery then you go up and order your self.

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

A good way to see how a pub works is to watch some TV comedy or drama with scenes in a pub. A lot of British comedy series have scenes in pubs (there are a lot in "Only Fools and Horses", for instance, and "Coupling" was largely set in a pub). If you want to see a British tongue-in-cheek view of the "arrogant American" in a restaurant, there's a hilarious episode of Fawlty Towers called "Waldorf Salad". And yes - "'y'alright?" is a greeting, but a lot is in how it is said. Usually if a Brit is worried about you looking poorly they'd more likely ask "Are you OK?"

[@rayrichfield6326]

You only order at bar if you are just having a drink most pubs have eating areas and tables where you are only drinking

[@lexcas2327]

No waiters at the pub, typically. The bar staff may wander past your table, notice that your drink is almost done and offer to get a new one. Though, getting up, walking to the bar and ordering is standard

[@nickmontague8936]

On a bus, you press a bell to let the driver know you want to get off and the doors open automatically. On the trains, you have to press the button to open the door.

[@just_passing_through]

There is normally a sign somewhere on the bar that identifies the spot you order your food. It’s better than a server coming up twice when you aren’t ready, and is then nowhere to be seen when you are ready. You always know when you are ready to order, they don’t, so it makes perfect sense. Again, with 5he bill. You know when you are ready to leave. They don’t. Are you waiting 10 minutes after dessert, to then have a coffee. Do you still have some catching up to do, and want yo sit and chat after the meal? You tell them when you are finished, they don’t tell you when you are finished. A British person in the US would see the unsolicited delivery of the bill, as “we are finished with you…. Get out now”.