5 Culture Shocks You’ll Run Into In London
By Judy Lee ‘17
Being dropped into a strange place is great, I’ve found. It not only gives you an appreciation for something new, but something you may have had along. Studying abroad in London has definitely allowed me to appreciate the states while growing fond of the land beyond the pond. Here are a few things that struck me while I’ve been here this past week:
1. Crossing The Street
In London, drivers have the right of way. This was a huge shocker to someone who grew up where drivers had to respect pedestrians on the street. Instead of assuming the driver will watch for you, you are responsible for not getting run over in the streets. However, most Londoners are fearless and don’t even pay attention to the walk signals, instead opting to walk whenever a car is not in sight.
2. Transportation
The London Underground (“Tube”) is way more efficient and wide-reaching than the Metro near Los Angeles. It is what makes accessing almost the entirety of the city so easy. And with the Oyster card also valid on buses around the city, nothing that too far from reach. There aren’t many parking lots in London precisely because the system is so developed and expected to be the main mode of transportation for most.
3. Restaurant Service
Tipping in London isn’t like it is in the United States. Usually, unless there is a service being directly provided (a waiter/waitress actively serving you, a haircut, a cab ride, etc), a tip is not necessary. In fact, usually the tip will either be incorporated in to the check to begin with, or won’t be needed. When it is needed, it is usually 10% of the bill or in the case of cabs, rounding up to the nearest pound. This can be really cool when you don’t have to tip, but also horrible when the wait staff aren’t waiting on your every move (getting a water refill is a struggle).
4. Tax
Like the tip, taxes are incorporated into the final bill as is and range about 20% of the entire meal. This pre-incorporation also applies to clothing—what you see on the price tag is what you will see and pay at the register.
5. Grocery Store Portions
The grocery store portions in London are TINY compared to the United States. They seem reasonable upon remembering how big the stomach actually is, but after seeing jumbo sized items in the U.S, it’s a strange thing to see packages with exactly a cup of something instead of 5 servings of it.
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