blowfly

I don't think it is Arkon. There are really some places that are like that,not everywhere but country oz can be like that.

bridie

Must admit I've noticed that Aussies dont tend to say "excuse me" in the supermarket, they just stand behind you waiting for you to get out of the way and if you say it to them they look at you all blank.

Once I was in a shop and these three people just stood there and ignored my polite "excuse me", so I said it in a really loud voice and barged past. The bloke said "No need to be like that" so I replied "Well get out of the way then!" Hormones!

Amazulu

Overall I find manners to be the same in both Countries. I think the driving thing is not rudeness, rather that UK drivers are overly polite. Driving standards in the UK are very high.
I find that shop assistants here rarely say thank-you, so I don't either.
As for kids giving up seats, I find this about the same in both Countries.

Dorothy

When the shop assistant doesn't say thank you as he/she hands back my change and receipt I make a point of saying very clearly "You're welcome". They usually mumble some kind of thanks or look at me like I have six heads. Either way, makes me feel better.

yanH

I've got to say that in general I think people are more friendly and polite in Oz than in the UK. Drivers don't tend to let you out but I think thats just poor driving standards rather than deliberate rudeness. What I haven't run into here is the shop assistance not saying a single word to you whilst serving you because they are to busy talking to their mate. This was a regular occurence in the UK.

OzTennis

'When did you last beat your wife'.

'Do Aussies have manners?'

OzTennis

blowfly

This is just the same in Rocky no difference at all.

Hutch

Crikey! I do believe you're right. But then, as we've all worked out now, it seems to have nothing little do with geography. The nearest BE 'member' to me, who lives just 6km from here, has views that are diametrically opposed to mine...

steandleigh

After almost three years, my findings are:

Australian children have a higher standard of manners than UK children - in terms of minding their P's and Q's and of general respect for their elders, their surroundings and what is expected of them - when my kids friends come 'over', I am always really pleased to see and hear this, glad my kids have 'linked up' with such nice kids and equally glad that my kids measure up to the same standard.

Checkout chicks here suck - the times I have been told the amount of my purchase / I hand over the cash / I then get the change and reciept thrust into my hand without a kiss-my-arse or anything. Not good.

Waitresses/bar staff/life guards/telephony peeps (telstra/ergon/centerlink/DIMA/trades)/teaching staff/etc etc - all good, without exception. I have never made a call / queried something and encountered rudeness or lack of manners.

I have a little theory though - what you give is what you get (apart from with the checkout chicks of course, who are pissed off with the whole world, it would seem)

It's nice to be nice and it comes back ten-fold, in my experience.

Wendy

I always stike up a conversation with the checkout people, I ask them how they are going and can honestly say that 95% of them always respond in a nice way, they always say have a good afternoon/evening or whatever.

I used to work at morissons in the UK, so know just how crap a job it is hence my being 'overfriendly' with them But it nearly always gets a positive result

Hutch

Ever pulled?

M J

Can someone explain what a BOGAN is please ?

Hutch

Chav - Australian version thereof. Usually has a mullet, drives a souped up ute, eats in KFC six days a week (Sunday's special, that' Maccers day), wears sleeveless vest and swim shorts year-round, has a girlfriend called Raylene.

steandleigh

Hi Wendy,

thats the really odd thing: I always get the "Hello, how are you" - "good thanks, how are you", "yeah, good thanks" bit and then shit all at the end. Downright rude.

The "How are Ya"? is programmed into them from orierentation/pre-service training day and the finale of "Thankyou" (when giving receipt and change) is long forgotten!

I will however reitterate that it is the ONLY bad manners I have encountered in 3 years.

M J

Mmmmmm Sounds real attractive !! Its clear i might have to learn a whole new lingo!!!