Sally

The kids that come are reasonably polite - they just see "sure" or "I'll take a Coke" as a legitmate answer to "would you like a drink?"

I sometimes find Americans rude when they are ordering food but some of it is the difficulty of making oneself understood to assistants with no English. I am having to learn how to bawl out the order with multiple hand gestures too.

Partystar

Yes, I've noticed a lot of rudeness, lack of please & thank you, saying 'I need...', 'Give me a...' & I can't stand it.

I also hate the way some people don't even say 'Bye' on the phone, they just put it down. This last one I've noticed happens here, but it never happened to me back home. I did notice it in US TV programmes & films, but disregarded it as a made up Hollywood thing, but it's not. Has anyone else noticed this very strange behaviour?

Yosser

Tuesday night, the 12 year old was playing a football match, it was a chilly night, I goes off for a piss at half time, bunch of 8th graders standing around by the crapper door trying to get some sort of shelter from the cold north wind.

My first reaction was "oh f@ck, here we go getting ready for a barrage of abuse...instead one lad held the door open for me...the 2nd lad said "sir I believe someone is using the restroom"...and we all started chatting about the game...they were VERY polite and respectful.

Back in Blighty they would of jumped me and stole me f@cking wallet.

lauriejane

My own observation from several visits to the UK, is that Americans in general are just not as polite as people from the British isles. Maybe it's all the space Americans have to be obnoxious without as easily offending as they might on a smaller area of land, like an island. It reminds me of Oscar Wilde's remark that America was the only place that had gone from barbarism to decadence without an intervening civilization. Thanks for being here, British people and others from the UK--we obviously need you!

anabella

Definitely a British thing.. Having lived in the UK for many years now when I go back to Spain I say please and thank you a lot myself and I think I sound really silly.. people there only say thank you when they really mean it, not on every other sentence.

For Brits to say thank you is a bit like for Americans to say "have a nice day", 99% of the time they don't mean it, it is simply a manner of speaking, they obviously don't care if you have a nice day or not..

Andrew Cross

On the whole most Americans I have met through work have been very polite...and I love it when they call me ma'am...tee hee...

Partystar

When I say thanx, I mean it, unless it's followed by...for nothing!

Sally

It can be quite amusing during a simple purchasd in WH Smiths or somewhere to be saying "thanks" at each point of the transaction

Sally

Sometimes they even say Miss

Partystar

I love it when the kids call me Miss Liz.

snowbunny

It is instilled a lot in the South although it is a constant battle to keep it in the vocabulary without daily beatings. I had to stage-whisper to my little one "TRICK OR TREAT" and "THANK YOU!" as she would go to and from a door; but to be fair to her most kids got a bit overwhelmed by all the free candy that they usually went to a door and grabbed and ran.

AdobePinon

I'm more irritated by people who write 'pls' on the net. If you can't be arsed to say 'please', don't say it at all.

BigDavyG

Soz about that m8

AdobePinon

Pha-Q 2.

mozoo

The one word over here that aggravates me the most is "HUH?"

I've instilled in my daughter the words "please", "thank you" and "pardon/excuse me". Her friends always thought that was funny or lame. To that end, I have earned myself the nickname of "Nazi Mom".

However, her friends know that they won't get very far with me if they don't use those polite words if they want/need something. One of her friends actually earned a nickname from me ... Heather Huh. That name has stuck with her ever since - everyone now refers to her as that

I have had numerous comments about my daughter's politeness and good manners from her friends' parents and school teachers. Hopefully that will carry her in good stead when she applies for jobs. As I've said to her - those polite words won't cost her anything to say and she might just get rewarded generously for her efforts. It seems to be working