'morning Abe
I have a question for you. (Though if you're very weepy at the moment then you'll probably cry for the state of your fellow countrymen)

There's a load of Spanish kids wandering round my department at the moment. At least, I'm fairly sure what few words I recognised from their garbled conversation were Spanish, and I must say I've not been impressed by their conduct so far.

I got into the lift with a woman who was getting off at the 5th floor. As soon as the doors opened the door was immediately blocked by two Spanish girls bent on boarding the lift. The poor woman had to practically fight her way past them to get off and even said "Can you let me get out first, please?" I don't speak Spanish, sadly, but from the tone of their voices I got the impression their conversation between the 5th and 7th floors was along the lines of "what was her problem?"

I've just been to get a cup of coffee and a large crowd of them were clogging up the refectory. They seem to have been captivated by the sandwiches on sale, as they disrupted the very orderly, typically British queue to quite literally press as many of their faces against the glass as possible whilst one of them seemed to be translating the contents of the sandwiches to the rest of them.

Now, I know they're only young, and I realise that I may simply be ignorant of cultural differences in this instance...but is this normal? Are Spanish kids normally this annoying or am I just finding their behaviour distinctly un-British?

*takes breath* Sorry, rant over.
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:50, 4 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I think this is normal teenage behavior.
IMHO
( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:53, Reply)

unfortunately this it true.
I have to fight my way through the corridors at school. Arrogant little shits think they own the world...
(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:57, Reply)

You may be right there.
Obviously I need to get this in perspective, having basically been a grumpy old man during my own teenage years. (And all my other years, for that matter...)
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:57, Reply)

I totally told off some kids for queue jumping at Water World yesterday
They even shuffled to the back of the queue, heads hung. I felt AWESOME.
( Labia Majora You keep on talking but it makes no sense at all, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:58, Reply)

I'm not racist but
the Spanish are a bunch of cunts every man jack of them.
( Undulating Tentacles of Love getting fun down to acceptable levels, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:58, Reply)

Well, thanks
I'm grateful you took the time to meet every man jack of us.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:00, Reply)

You were the best of a bad bunch.

( Undulating Tentacles of Love getting fun down to acceptable levels, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:06, Reply)

Thanks again
I'm glad to know I'll be the last one you'll kill.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:08, Reply)

They might be from South America too
But in any case, yes, it's a bit normal, sorry, we don't find it unpolite. The same when you are walking on the street and have a soft crash with someone, you don't turn and say sorry.

To give you an idea, we don't have a verb for "to queue" but we do have a verb for "to jump the queue". And in public transports and lifts, at the top of the doors, you can always read "please, let people out before getting in"

Sorry about that. I found it terribly difficult here at the beginning, the fact that everybody was so "polite" made me mad. It's so posh it seems unfriendly to me, and feels as if you were trying to build walls around you.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:59, Reply)

Of course we're building walls around ourselves
How else are we to keep the common folk out?

I take your point though, it's probably just a sign of our excessive politeness and the unwritten rule that people will form a queue whenever it seems sensible. (Though I still reserve the right to rail at people who don't see the common sense in letting people get out of the lift/bus/train first...)
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:03, Reply)

Yes, I do that too
I get very frustrated trying to go out of the train with my bike when there's a lot of people blocking the door. And I don't think they're all Spanish, no.

Then, I am, so I deal with it shouting and ringing my bike bell and asking them how they're planning to get in if I'm right there, with my bike, and they don't let me out, and that they have 10 whole minutes, can't they spare a few seconds!!??
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:10, Reply)

And it's times just like that
when I envy the ability of Mediterranean folk to yell at a complete stranger. I always want to, but it's just so unbecoming...
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:12, Reply)

You feel so liberated!
It has some problems, this being pasionate, sometimes. Like when I'm talking with Mark about something and he thinks I'm upset just because I'm talking loudly. Bah.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:22, Reply)

in Liverpool we don't queue
But it generally works. It gives you the opportunity to say "No, go on luv, you go first..." and smile at people and that.
Ok it sometimes means people push in and piss you off, but at least there's room for nice things, and they're spontaneous, not just because rules dictated so.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:05, Reply)

Yep, we're a bit like that
We don't like queueing, but we usually let go first nans and mums, so you feel quite good about being nice and all that.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:11, Reply)

it really bugs me when people do that on the train
diving to get on without letting people off, it's ridiculous.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 10:59, Reply)

In those cases, it's not even politeness so much as really basic fucking logic
viz., "If you let me off first, it will create more space for you and your MASSIVE BRIEFCASE and STUPID FAT HEAD, and fewer people are likely to think you're a TWAT."
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:05, Reply)

Except that it's fun to shoulder-barge them back off again.
If they apologise, laugh at them.
If they say sorry sarcastically, say, 'that's ok' is a sugary-sweet voice as this enrages them further.
If they have go, then retaliate as the mood takes you.
( thealternativefact, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 11:05, Reply)