About cars with special signals
In ordinary life the statistics are roughly as follows: over 6 months, through London, packed with headquarters of various organizations, corporations and simply rich and influential people, drove 3 cars with special signals. This number does not include police cars and ambulances, to which everyone, even those stuck in traffic, must give way, carefully pulling over to the roadside.
About roads
In Britain, considered rainy and foggy, the roads are clean, there are no puddles, because water immediately drains into storm drains. Therefore, light trousers can be worn in any weather, without fear that black spots will immediately appear on them, which neither Tide Double Power nor Ariel can remove.
About pubs
Famous pubs can be found everywhere, whether in central London or in a small backwoods village. Children are categorically not allowed into pubs, sometimes even to read the menu, so those arriving with children are recommended to visit rural pubs in small towns and villages: almost all of them have a children's playground nearby... For example, in a village about 60 miles from London there is a pub, next to it a children's playground and a volleyball court with a permanently stretched net. The net is not taken down at night. By the way, after 11 p.m. alcohol is practically not sold anywhere in Britain. Strict adherence to established rules is something that was instilled in the British about 400 years ago and to which our people often have to specially get accustomed.
About children
One day a family came to a shop selling very expensive porcelain dishes. A child who was playing around, of course, immediately knocked down half of the dinner set. Seeing the green faces of the parents, who immediately calculated how much this “sweep” would cost them, the child burst into tears out of fear. The store management rushed to calm the child and the parents, the boy was given a chocolate bar, and the family received an apology: “probably, the dinner set was in an extremely unfortunate place.”
And here is how, for example, small children cross the road, not a busy highway but a lane: one escort in a reflective vest stands on the roadway and signals to cars, another looks after a string of children, a third adult closes the “column” from behind. Cars wait patiently. They do not honk.
About toilets
A piquant topic, as is known. The kind that seems indecent but is eternal. For example, take the toilet in a small town about two hours' drive from the British capital. This establishment in the town of Winchester contains: 2 rolls of white soft toilet paper in each stall; a working automatic flush and white toilet seat rims. For free.
About walks
Since the vast majority of forests, fields and rivers in Britain are private property, on which encroaching is strictly prohibited, a tourist wishing to take a walk must find a public forest. Such a forest always has a parking lot. Several paths lead from it into the forest. Fires are prohibited (except in strictly designated places), one may only walk. Then the paths converge back at the parking lot. The forest is marked on maps as public. People come here from surrounding towns to breathe the air. There are no bottles, cans or spontaneous dumps in the forest. In spring, small blue flowers bloom in the woods...
About registration
According to existing rules, foreigners coming to Britain for a long time must register with the police. The first time registration is centralized, but if later a person changes address, they can report this to any police station that is convenient for them (not the police). The registration procedure takes about 10 minutes. An ordinary district station, a little office, a photo of a woman ravaged by drugs and the sign “do not let drug dealers do this to your neighbors”. On the wall nearby is a stand with police station prizes won in various sports competitions. A smiling policeman. No queue. Since citizens of far from all countries go through the registration procedure, it is better to explain to the police officer that this is required. Otherwise, he will decide that your mobile phone has been stolen - the problem for which people most often contact the police. After that, the duty officer fills out a form by hand, stamps it and wishes you a good day.
About politeness
If you intend to build long-term relations with Britain, you need to remember a few rules of business and human etiquette. After a business meeting, you must write a letter, thank the interlocutor for the wonderfully spent time and emphasize that you look forward to a new meeting. The meeting itself is best planned in advance, 3-4 weeks ahead.
In Britain, they do not understand when negotiations, meetings or press conferences are attempted to be organized at a day's notice. Likewise, they do not understand why one needs to additionally call on the eve of an already scheduled meeting to confirm it again. Or, conversely, suddenly cancel it, citing some other meeting (unless you intend to insult your partner by considering him second-rate). The British will think that such people cannot organize business and life in general, and if so, dealing with them will be difficult in the future...
Svetlana BABAEVA.
RIA Novosti