We don’t even have a word for jaywalking in the uk because it’s not a crime and never has been. It was literally a term made up by US car manufacturers to blame people who were hit by cars for being hit and then criminalise them.
Not quite! Technically (and 'I know', pedantically😃) the 'UK' DOES have a 'jaywalking' law... that's in Northern Ireland ! But you can say 'Great Britain' has NO 'jaywalking' laws.
I used to work with an American student, she told me how she had grabbed the arm of her British boyfriend because there was no green light when he was about to cross the road
The British Standard 3 pin socket is a masterpiece of design, in association with the plugs. There are in built shutters that only withdraw when the earth pin is inserted. Children would need to co-ordinate two itens to manage to make any contact. The plugs have shrouds on the pins that prevent touching live metal until almost fully inserted. It really is an incredibly safe design.
Yeah I was about to mention this as the video makes out the switch is the primary safety feature of the sockets but it's extremely difficult to make contact with the live contacts because of the third pin and that's the primary and pretty ingenious safety feature of the three pin socket, there's a good video on here about it actually from which I learned about it myself haha
Time to plug electrical pioneer Dame Caroline Haslett who designed the British safety standard 3 pin and shuttered socket, saving countless lives in the process.
It's interesting when people always talk about jaywalking because here, you're taught to look for and anticipate it as a learning driver, and you're tought how to cross safely from a young age as a pedestrian and it just works for us. The "look left/right" signs were actually put there mostly for foreigners and you'll very rarely find them outside of bigger cities.
I have lived in Spain for 18 years and I only found out last week that here in towns you can only cross on Zebras, and if there are lights you are expected to Wait! Doesn't matter if the nearest car is a mile away! I have Never seen anyone take a blind bit of notice of that, nor anyone getting fined. I did get shouted at by some woman when I crossed on a red, but at the time I just thought she was a looney! Lol
These folk would struggle to cross the road in my village. Only time we have lights is when the phone cables or plumbing is being dug up here in Scotland. Bad joke aside I suspect most of the locals would just give way up here. Most of the time we're in no particular rush.
The underground was originally hand-dug and the first metro/subway in the world, so the tunnels were limited in size, which is why the trains are smaller. Notably the Elizabeth line, which is technically not part of the underground, has a much larger tunnel as it carries full sized overground trains. BS1363 or the Type G socket has the power switch as a requirement, the socket/plug is fused, and has many safety features that simply don't exist in other plug sockets, notably the ground pin pushes open shutters that block off the live and neutral parts of the socket, so children can't shove things into them and all devices ground first.
The Tube being 160 years old, was built for shorter people (in general). People used to be shorter. The DLR, Overground & Elizabeth Line are more normal size. I think the Victoria line is also taller.
Not true about size of tunnel. The early 1863 tunnels were large and the trains normal in size. It was only in 1890 when the deep level tunnels were built that the trains needed to be smaller to fit the smaller tunnels.
The power switch is NOT a requirement. Unswitched socket outlets are available, and might be installed where you want to plug in something like a freezer that you dont want someone accidentally turning off.
As a waitress in the UK we always appreciate a tip we just don't expect it, a couple quid left on the table is always good but we do love the Americans with the 20%. No one will ever complain about a tip, we may feel awkward accepting it because we're not used to it haha also in most places tips are shared in some way
@@seanscanlon9067 sorry just noticed your reply. It is true that is not legally binding however I have asked many waiters whether they get it as a tip and all of them they said yes.probably there are some dodgy restaurants taking advantage of the loophole. It is highly unlikely any customer to refuse paying the service charge. I never came across any case they did that. It is actually better way and almost guarantee tipping vs american way.. By the way I have noticed yesterday the service charge has increased to 13.5%
The UK plug and socket is an incredible example of ingenious engineering. It's packed full of safety features and quirks that makes it one of (if not THE) the safest in the world. I think 'Tom Scott' did a good video on it a few years ago if you wanted another reaction idea. Almost all grocery stores will have a pretty decent selection of cheese. You'll always have the generic/standard cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, Emmental, red Leicester, parmigiana, camembert etc. You'll find about 4 or 5 different brands of cheddar usually, and they'll be separated into different maturities (mild, mature, extra mature etc.). Next shelf along from the generic cheeses they'll usually include a selection of more speciality cheeses from the continent. Some supermarkets might even include their own cheesemonger which will have a very sizeable selection of cheeses available, but this is rare as they usually opt for a fishmonger/bakery instead.
Tbf, that video is surprisingly interesting. I did wonder at first, what the fuck I was doing watching a video on plugs…plugs that I have in my house😂 but it was really good.
Our plugs also have insulation along half the length of the live and neutral pins, to prevent someone from touching the metal of the pins, while the plug is half plugged in.
The tube was opened in 1863 in the reign of Queen Victoria. The digging was done largely by hand so they made it at the minimum size needed. What many people don't realise is that that these subway trains on certain routes become overground trains as well. Tipping in this country is different because the servers get a reasonable rate of pay. If I want to tip, I used to leave money on the table, now I pay by card and ask for the tip to be added to the electronic receipt. In olden times the cold water came from the mains and hot water came from a header tank in the loft. The tank water wasn't safe but the mains water was safe to drink. If they were combined in a tap, the cold would be contaminated. Thus, separate taps.
@@drinkupmeheartysyoho That is true. However, I only tip like that in establishments I know and who definitely pass it on. On the receipt it also comes up as staff gratuities.
I normally just tip in cash and verbally say it’s a tip to there face instead of leaving it on the table incase someone try’s to take it before the waiter can
I am an American that has lived in the UK for twenty-four years. 1. Unless you are at Luton airport then no, you will not be hearing 90% foreign language. Perhaps 30%, if I had to guess. 2. The London Tube was finished in 1863, so it is pretty old. It survived, for the most part the WWII blitz and flooding. It is a masterful engineering feat for its time. But it is small and hot in the summer. 3. The British are very polite. Before I moved to the UK I was working in Cambridge and saw two bicycles collide. There was no fighting, rather, "oh, ever so sorry, are you okay"? This is changing a bit. 4. The light switches to work backwards...sort of...It sticks out on the top like ours flips to the top. It sounds backwards, but it is logically the same. Oh, and often the switch has a bit of red for the on-position. It is not for child safety because the little blighters can switch it on with little difficulty so we use those little plastic plugs. And this is pretty much the same throughout Europe with some slight variations. 5. Being able to turn off the power to that socket does same a bit of money as it stops the current. Likewise, all our appliances have a main switch so you can do the same by turning off the source of power rather than just turning off the appliance...it is required by law. 6. Please please please watch your bills when going to restaurants. Many will add a 12% voluntary charge, which means you have to ask to have it removed. Which I do, I don't want to be told what to tip and I want to give it to the server in cash because all those tips go to the whole restaurant and management. You don't have to give a tip, nevertheless the norm is 10%...and they are salaried. I usually give 15% because, well, I am American. 7. Cheese, cheese glorious cheese. In the USA most cheese is processed...pretty gross. We have wonderful selections are real unprocessed cheeses. And if you have not had 'real' cheese, then you have not had cheese. 8. When crossing a street look both ways...isn't that what your mamma told you. Do as you are told! 9. The hot and cold faucets, called 'taps' in England, are from original indoor plumbing. The USA used to have them too. The concepts was to ply and fill the bowl with water to clean. You do not leave the tap running. You can get mixer taps, which I have in my home, however you will see older taps all over. It also keeps the traditional look in many homes. You can buy new for both types. I did not hear about sinks in the bedrooms, as many homes had a sink in the bedroom for morning grooming...because in many homes there was only one bathroom, aka...loo. 10. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Feel free to j-walk...we don't fine people for walking. The land of the free is not always so free...
The reason for two taps is that in years gone by hot water was fed from a storage tank in the loft and the cold water is fed from the mains supply, it was to stop the mains from getting polluted from the stored water in the tank in a feed back situation, also to stop the mains water which is generally at a much higher pressure feeding back into the hot water system which would over flow the storage tank and damage the cylinder.
We've just removed our old emersion heater and water tank, we hadn't used them for years. The tank was disgusting 🤢 bit of manky water in there with loads of dirt, dead spiders and something that could have once been a bird or a mouse?
When I was a student nurse we were taught that the seperate tanks/taps that were insitu in UK buildings were there to stop outbreaks of Legionaire's disease, as it thrives in hot/warm water tanks, and water has been safe to drink straight from the cold tap in the UK for years. Not having the one mixer tap was a way of preventing someone from accidently ingesting water from the hot tap.
@@magdahearne497 can't be Legionnaires disease Magda with respect. That was only found at a conference of Legionnaires in the USA and In the aircon units some time I think in the 1970's and we've had our Taps as they are for upwards of 100 years. It's been mentioned above that the cold is fed from the mains and the hot from a cistern tank
As an English person who has frequently visited France, Germany and other European countries where they drive on the right, my solution to knowing which way to look when crossing the road is simple: LOOK BOTH WAYS. That way, whichever direction the traffic is coming from, you will see it.
as a matter of fact we are taught to always look both ways anyway... the most surprising thing about this video is the implication that american's DON'T look both ways before crossing a road 0.o
“Look right, look left” etc was the Tufty Club, a few years before David Prowse. His saying ended with “I won’t be there, when you cross the road.” And before him, we had Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) telling us to S.P.L.I.N.K. but I could never remember what the acronym meant. The Tufty Club’s advice was clearest, but was abandoned because (apparently) too few kids knew their right from their left.
@@davidhazel5854 Not to mention the Dark and Lonely Waters PSA's the Electricity Kills ones, the trains. I still remember all the CHarlie Says.. pity we dont have those today
When children are taught road safety here in the UK, they are taught to look both ways - in fact, to look left, then right, then left again. What grown up doesn't look both ways before crossing the road - What if someone was driving down the wrong side of the road etc?
@@magirusdeutzjupiter2234 It is a shame that London does hold all the major tourist attractions. But it is a hollow place to go. I gave up bothering with cities and accept I am not going to see Great works of art etc etc. and sometimes you find them anyway. Easter eggs! A Titian in a tiny church in Croatia, Pre Raphaelite stained glass in a church 15 miles from home. Treasure is not always in gaudy caskets And you don't see a country if you stay on the Tourist Trail
Tipping in the UK is generally done in sit down restaurants, not take aways. ie. Fish and chip shops, pizza places etc. In my whole experience, if you enjoyed the meal so much that you feel gratitude to the meal and service you get, then tip as much or as little as you feel. A lot of people just say keep the change, which may be a few pounds for e.g. Good video, thanks.
It also depends on whether service is included which may be stated on your bill. I ask if it’s not clear. Tips may not go directly to your waiter/waitress either but be split between wait staff.
@@marsy1480 I love to tip, what happens to it is unimportant to me. 25% minimum ,I once tipped this waitress once she had tears down her face, as she was so overwhelmed and grateful, that's the beauty of tipping.
Always tip a taxi or a barber, never tip a bus driver or a hair salon. If in doubt, don't tip if feeling awkward, then keep the change is the easiest rule to follow
The 2 faucets or taps are there for a reason but to get warm water all yoh have to do is put a plug in the sink as the water fills up. Its thats simple 😊
We love cheese in the UK. In most supermarkets there will be a full aisle just for cheese and in some supermarkets there will also be a cheese counter with more specialty cheeses where you can usually choose how much you want, like a delicatessen.
The road crossing made me chuckle. On my first visit to the US I had to keep reminding myself to look the other way.. and I can tell you it's a lot harder than it sounds! I also tried to cross the road when there was a clear road with no traffic, and my American friend dragged me back and sternly asked if I wanted to get arrested.. me 😱
It's interesting to see how much England has clearly influenced Australia. Almost everything on this list is true for Australia as well. The light switches, the outlets, tipping, waiting for the train. I also always "jaywalk" if it's safe. And to any visitors, you definitely do not have to tip here in Australia! Some places have tip jars etc but waiters make a living wage and if there's no obvious tipping system in place they likely won't be able to keep the tips anyway. If tipping is an option it will be presented, but you don't need feel obliged like in the US. I do tip for Uber Eats etc though as I know those companies don't pay well.
London’s underground network is the oldest in the world: it was opened to the public in 1863, following three years of hugely difficult work, an impressive feat for the time. When 38,000 people climbed into the trains on that first day, some of the carriages didn’t even have a roof, and they were still pulled by steam engines. This meant that the smoke was at times overwhelming, and gas lamps were still used for lighting in corridors and stations.
To put this slightly in more context to people from the US... we were busy building the "Tube" which you were fighting the US Civil war. Just think of how you think of the world at that time.
Exactly this. The network of tunnels were created long before the population of London was anywhere to the size it is now and the trains were smaller too. That is why the tunnels are small. It would cost far too much to make every tunnel bigger.
We have 3 pin plugs in the UK. The top pin, as well as being an earth pin, is used to move protective covers which are internal to the other two pins. This really does make it much more difficult for kids to stick their fingers in the sockets or even pens, pencils or screwdrivers. Having said that, we still put plastic plugs over unused sockets when we have small children.
those plastic covers actually increase the risk because the earth pin on them is plastic and therefore prone to break off in the socket and if it does so it will leave the other two holes with open shutters
@@andrewjames3908 I have never come across any of them breaking and, even if they did, it wouldn't be something a child could have done, so any responsible parent would sort it out.
@@andrewjames3908 only the cheap junk chinese plugs made for us have plastic pins now. The few things well made in uk have a metal earth post but the top half has a thin plastic coating so when the pin is half in, you can't touch the metal and get shocked.
Health visitors, the dept of health, the dept for education, the NHS and fire safety officers have been advising parents against using those plug in plastic covers for several years now. I believe official statements were in 2016. They do not meet safety approval standards and therefore should not be used. There is a website called fatally flawed which has details about it.
We have mixer taps in the UK, but some sinks do have separate for hot and cold but it comes down to the fact that we have one of the cleanest cold water supplies in the world and perfectly drinkable. So you can drink a glass of cold water straight from the tap. If you have a mixer you would have to run the tap a bit to make sure you don't have any hot/warm water in there that might not be good for you before getting cold.
In the U.K. The housing stock is a lot older (21% over 150 years old). The hot water system when it was installed was a tank in the loft (often open) which fed a boiler which fed the hot taps this was considered unsafe to drink. *note when I went to convert my loft into a hobby room there was a dead bat in the old water tank*
That’s not why hot and cold are/were separate. The reason is that hot water from a vented cylinder is fed from a cistern in the loft, which is open to contaminants; that’s also why you shouldn’t drink from upstairs cold water taps if you have a hot water cylinder (it’s connected to the same tank). Nowadays, more people are opting for combi boilers or unvented cylinders, which are fed directly from the mains supply, so the hot water doesn’t contaminate the cold water.
I am amazed the two tap/faucet system seems so complicated to American visitors. Unless every plug has been stolen from every sink and basin in the UK on the tourist routes I can't grasp why. Sinks and basins have a plug. When the plug is placed in the sink or basin it stops the water running away, so you fill the sink or basin with water from both the hot and cold water taps to the temperature you prefer. When you finish your task you simply pull the plug out - which is commonly attached to the the sink or basin by a chain - and the water runs away. I have the single 'mixer' tap/faucet system and the two tap/faucet system in my home. There are advantages and drawbacks to both ideas. It is more convenient, I would say, to have a 'mixer' tap for a lot of uses, but I have also read that the two tap/faucet system is safter. It does not allow our drinking water - which we drink straight from the cold tap here in the UK - to become contaminated. Unless you have the newest design of the single 'mixer' tap/faucet which you can switch to produce boiling water, the 'hot' water supply running through 'mixer' taps, to put it simply, never has water hot enough to kill bacteria that builds up there, thus possibly contaminating our drinking water when we fill a glass with cold water from that same 'mixer' tap. PS Steve. Sorry you were so poorly. Glad to see you back and good to know you are now your old self again.
The whole concept of "jaywalking" was invented by the USA in the early twentieth century, and it doesn't exist elsewhere. The automobile lobby wanted to promote the ideas that roads were for cars, and pedestrians were only to be allowed on them only grudgingly and by the grace of motorists. So they pushed for the idea that pedestrians could cross the road only at marked crossings, and they coined the insulting term "jaywalker" to shame those who didn't ("jay" was a slang word for a stupid yokel). It also helped that it gave the police an easy excuse for stopping virtually anyone and issuing tickets if they were in the mood.
It's nice to see the Wandering Ravens again, they were the first reactors I ever subscribed too. They didn't fully explain the power out let's. You can't push anything into the live or the nutral terminals unless the earth pin is inserted as there is a little gate that drops down when the earth pin is removed.
I'm a Brummie now living is South Wales....can you imagine how many accents I've herad in my life literally thousands....I'm not sure what this par expected but they're clearly not the brightest
FYI: The "look left" road marking for pedestrians are usually only seen in Tourist locations such as London as to help foreigners remember to look out for vehicles coming from a spot they are unfamiliar with. In 95% of the country, this marking is not required and thus isn't used; seeing as us Brits know we drive on the correct side of the road 😉🤣
The "look left" and "look right" signs are very useful where there are so many one-way streets that you can never be sure from where the traffic will approach.
I live in the Yorkshire, very near a very large University. We don't have many look left, right, or the other way written or signed on the road. A number of times, on a very cold, rainy nights, I have had to watch out for foreign students running out in front of me, while I am driving in that area.
I have never grasped this hang up people have about sides of the road. It is not that difficult. I know Brits who stick to the tourist dives when abroad, because they are frightened to drive, and the Americans seems to be even worse. They all have the screaming abdabs, but I have Never heard anyone have the eebie jeebies about crossing a road before. Most Brits cope very well with the 'wrong side' after they have overcome the jitters. One thing I would Not like to do, and many of us do, is drive a 'wrong sided' car. I do not want to be sat on the wrong side driving. Visibility is bad enough in some cars already.
The tap thing is historical and relates to safety concerns about cross contamination. Hot water would have come from water storage tank in loft (roof space) in houses, so, would be deemed as potentially no longer being safe to drink. Hence the hot water was kept separate from cold to avoid anything in hot water being able to contaminate water in cold taps. In bathrooms the cold water in the sink was traditionally taken directly from mains water supply so you could drink if cleaning your teeth.
@@astrothsknot Nope, there is ONE supply from the solitary pipe entering the property, which is called the rising main. Direct connections are usually made to all the downstairs cold water taps and in some cases to all the cold taps in the house. These are all safe to drink from, albeit some of the supply is still likely to encounter lead piping somewhere along the run. Less so these days since a lot of mains lead piping was replaced by alkathene pipe in the 1980's/90's. Where this varies is in many older properties which may have upstairs cold water (bath, shower, sink, WC) fed from a separate cold-water storage cistern, often made from galvanised steel in the past, but now usually black plastic. They are still fed from the rising main and controlled by a ball-cock valve but the sitting water may be subject to contamination from dust and debris and in worst cases from dead animals in there, often birds.
@@colinmoore7460 My house is post-war, constructed around 1948 along with many in the area. Around 1990 there was mass works all over the region (NW) whereby old water mains piping was replaced by blue alkathene pipe. They replaced the main branch in the roadway and then individual supply pipes to each dwelling. I suppose it depends where you are in the country as to whether this was done and I suspect more rural properties might still be on plenty of old (lead) mains. Of course further back from the roadway supply, all the way to the reservoir, there might still be some lead and while there might be some way to find out, what can you do about it anyway? Personally speaking I fitted a good quality filter underneath the kitchen sink some 20 years ago or so, once these became available mainstream so I only use that tap for drinking, cooking, etc. I usually change the filter element once per annum.
I did live in Canada for a while (from UK) and the shock for me was how big everything was, the roads, trains, buses. Everything just seemed so wide. So I can absolutely imagine that coming from North America everything here would seem narrow and small
Great video. The tube is the size it is because of its age. Don't forget that it's the oldest subway system in the world. The trains themselves are obviously dictated by the size of the tunnels which were first built in the 1800s. The electric plug sockets in the UK are 3 pin plus the mentioned switch. The top pin is longer than the other 2 because as it goes in its hole it opens the access for the lower 2 pins. Belt and braces approach with the switch as well. Also building control states that BY LAW, that in the UK we don't have electric sockets (with the exception of 2 pin shaver only sockets) in the bathroom, light switches must be either pull cord if installed in the bathroom or a standard switch outside of the room. As far as I'm aware, older taps (faucets) were that way because of all older properties had water tanks that heated the water instead of boilers, necessitating separate taps before joint ones or boilers were invented. We only got rid of our hot water tank, aka immersion heater, (kept in what was always known as the airing cupboard, despite virtually no room to air clothes!) about 10 years ago. Our house was only built in about 1925 so it's no where near ancient!!!
When in America we found it embarrassing not knowing how to tip the various service staff. In the UK these people do not rely on tips to earn a living. Don't you have a minimum wage law?
I can confirm that light switches in the UK are indeed down for on up for off. As for the sockets, we have switches on the out let's, but also, whenever the plug is removed, a plastic cover comes down to cover the terminal holes. It helps stop items, such as little fingers, from being inserted into the socket.
I'd add that switched power outlets are usually on newer builds. My house is late 50s/early 60s and NONE of the power outlets are switched. It isn't mandatory even now, and you can easily purchase non-switched replacement outlet units.
Generaly light switches are down for on and up for off unless you have 2 switches to control a single light ,like for the light over the stairs which will have a switch at the bottom of the stairs and one switch at the top of the stairs.
Although London is more multicultural than anywhere else in the UK, in my own town in the north of England I hear many languages being spoken by fellow shoppers at the supermarkets. Most often Polish and Mandarin.
In Birmingham, I've occasionally heard Russian being spoken, often quite loudly. They probably assume no one around them can understand, which makes the fact that I learned the language in school rather fun. There's a Lithuanian shop in the city centre, where you often hear Russian being spoken by customers. Which reminds me: I never have put to the test their policy of giving a 10% discount to anyone who happens to be shopping there on their birthday. That was one nugget I overheard in there, a few years ago.
Yes, it's down to turn switches on and up to turn off in the UK. A child can't just push a finger or anything else into a socket outlet thanks to the protective tabs that drop down inside the socket, these tabs will only lift when the plug on your appliance is inserted into the outlet. A good supermarket will have a fairly wide selection of cheese and there are plenty of specialist cheese shops for a much wider choice.
Our waitresses usually get minimum or just above so like £11-12 an hour some people tip occasionally but that's $14/15 plus any tips,free health care, 28 days paid holiday, around 5 days sick with company sick pay. However when I'm in the states I tip them more than anyone else
The two taps isn't just in old properties. My house is only 4 years old, has mixers in the bathroom and kitchen but two taps in the downstairs lav. It's not difficult though, just put the plug in and mix the water to whatever temp you want. Crossing the road, just look both ways all the time. Regardless of road direction.
Nobody got time for that, I just use the hot in short bursts and burn my hands until the soap has gone or flit between burning my hands and then freezing them intermittently. Good times
To cross a normal British street, "Look Left, Look Right & Look Left again" before crossing the road, taught from the age of 5yrs, both at home & at school. I think, a one-way street would require just looking right, in that case.
Power outlets in UK have the switch as a safety feature as they usually (in my experience) need a little bit more force to flip so it's harder to accidentally switch them on also it saves a ton of money . I worked in a restaurant for 3 years & always loved American tourists as they tipped so well & for the most part were really nice.
Also the design of the plug. The top pin being longer opens up little trap doors in the outlets for the two bottom live pins. So more safety built right into the plug and outlet design. So even know folks with young kids spend a fortune buying plug covers, they aren't really necessary in the UK or Ireland.
I know it's not correct but plugs are left on now the kids are grown. It's rare for me to flick a switch now. Unless I want to kill the power to an appliance.
The thing with the light switch isn't that crazy. Some lighting circuits can be controlled by 1-3 switches, e.g. downstairs and upstairs. The position of the switch then varies depending on which switch you flip to turn the lights on and off.
One switch in my house got put on upside down so that one is the opposite way to the rest 😂 plus it's one where one of the switches controls an upstairs light that can also be controlled upstairs so one of the switches varies. Alexa switches most of my lights on for me now though!
I think the majority of people walking the streets around the landmarks will be tourists. Most people who actually live in London will be at home/work.
I’m in the UK and I would always tip 10% at least in restaurants and that’s standard. The difference is that it’s an extra and not to bring up a low wage. As a result waiting staff are attentive and friendly but not over the top. They allow you your space to enjoy your meal and are not in a hurry to get you out as soon as they can.
Yes even on buses (in most parts of uk buses have only one exit/entrance) everyone waits for people to get off before getting on. If anyone tries to push on either the driver or another passenger will usually politely remind them to wait first and the pushy individual will usually say sorry and wait
The london underground was the worlds first underground railway when they were the first built this was pushing the limits of the tunnel construction technology of the time. Some of the underground trains are crampt and also some platforms. The first section of the metropolitan line opened in 1863, so some of the tube is now 160 years old.
@@andrewjackson8089 I'm pretty sure they were steam powered from the start? The very first were windowless, unventilated and lit by gas lamps so quickly became fume filled! The first railed omnibuses were pulled by horses, though
Trains on the London underground come in two sizes. The original lines, the Metropolitan and the District known as the sub-surface railway, have trains that are the same size as on the national railway network. The rest of the system are small trains that run through bored tunnels that are lined with cast iron segments, which are 11ft 8.25ins internal diameter (newer lines use concrete lining and are slightly larger internal diameter).
the original underground is very old, probably why round and smaller. There is (was) a very little train that went from Waterloo to Bank - queuing behaviour there was phenomenal!
@@ascha2l The first underground railway, the Metropolitan, opened in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon and was powered by broad (7ft 0.25in) gauge steam locomotives. The first "tube" railway was the City and South London running between the City of London and Stockwell opening in December 1890 and powered by electric locomotives. The line between Waterloo and the City opened in 1898 powered by electric multiple units. It was built by the London and South Western Railway passing to the Southern Railway and then to the Southern Region of Britain Railways before passing to London Underground in 1994 when BR was privatised.
The hot/cold tap (faucet) thing is because of history: It's a hangover from when water was first plumbed into houses, and a cold tap was all you had. The cold water was therefore always fit to drink. But when they added a hot tap, this was fed from an internal tank, kept filled with cold water from a header tank, usually in the loft. These were usually - after 100 years or so (most houses in the UK are old... :o) - pretty rank, with dead rats or pigeons floating in them, so definitely not trustworthy to drink. And hence they were always kept well separated, to make sure the cold water didn't get contaminated. Mixer taps were banned, deliberately. There are still plenty of places that use that plumbing system, but the trend nowadays is for both to be fed direct from the mains, so both are safe to drink and therefore mixer taps are now allowed and becoming more common. (Though having said that, our house has modern plumbing, both hot and cold are safe to drink, but we still have separate taps in the bathroom washbasin... My Canadian wife hates it. :o)
I actually think it is way better. I now live in a hot climate where water is at a premium, yet we have those stupid single taps! I have to stand and watch decent water go down the plughole until it reaches temperature, whereas if I had hot and cold taps and separate tanks I would have hot!
The reason for the seperate faucets (taps) is because hot water used to be fed from a storage tank in the loft, which meant it wasn't safe to drink. The cold water faucet is fed directly from the water main.
I still have a feed tank in the loft that feeds the storage tank in the cupboard in the bedroom. We have a mixer tap in the kitchen and my hubby always leaves it in the middle. The amount of times I haven't noticed had had a glass of water to find I'm drinking water from the tank. I keep trying to get him to leave it on cold, but it's not happening after 30 years of asking. I want the darn thing ripped out and replacing with a combi boiler.
More and more people have just one tap. But if there are two taps, put the plug into the basin and mix the hot and cold to the desired temperature and wash your hands.
Sinks in the UK have two taps/faucets for Hot and Cold running water. The sink should have a sink plug to stop the sink so that you can run both taps/faucets to fill the sink with the personal required water temperature. After washing hands or face, just pull the plug to release the waste water. You can drink water straight from the Cold tap as it's fed by the water mains. Hot tap water comes from the Hot Water Tank which is situated upstairs. Mixer taps are recent innovations in New Builds and are optional in older homes.
Mixer taps are a total waste of water! I live in a country where water is metered and we are likely to have a drought when the heat kicks in, yet we have these stupid taps! I stand there fuming, watching perfectly Good water go down the plughole, while I wait for the heat to kick in. Drives me nuts. I have started catching the cold for the plants and I always clean my teeth while waiting in the bathroom, but it is not enough.
on the cheese point .I am currently collecting cheeses for my christmas cheese board but am house bound .my local sainsburys that delivers my shopping currently stocks 28 different cheeses and that will go up as the christmas cheeses become available lol
The British plug socket is compulsory. It’s widely considered the best designed plug and socket in the world. There are a few videos on UA-cam about it, worth reacting to!
We have numerous safety features built into our electrical systems, for instance the plug comes with a seperate earthing pin which has to be connected before the other contacts can be made.
Yep, switched sockets are fairly standard; sometime you can get un-switched single sockets that my be used with switched spurs. Also, our sockets have to have a plastic gate in the live and neutral holes which is pushed down and opened when the earth pin is inserted - that's why our earth pins are longer than the other two.
The tube was dug by hand, hence the tunnels aren't too wide, so the trains can't be wide. All modern tunnels use tunnel boring machines, so they can make normal sized tunnels, like for the new Crossrail/Elizabeth Line.
Originally cold water is supplied from the mains,hot water is supplied from the heating system via a cold water storage tank. With the advent of instant hot water GCH boilers one tap can be used for both but the cold is still direct from the main water supply.
I tip 10% (or 12.5% when it’s added automatically and I can’t be bothered to change it) at a restaurant in the UK but not at a cafe or pub where service is pretty minimal. I also always add £1-2 for a food delivery because I know they’re not getting paid enough.
general rule, if you get a menu then tip. Sometimes it will say "service is a discretionary 10 or 12.5%" or "service is included" on the menu or bill. Also hairdressers/barbers.
Yes, soap comes off easier in warm water. As someone else has pointed out, that's why we have a sink. Put water in the sink from both taps and use. It also saves water wasted from using running taps. Before the advent of central heating and 'instant' hot water where the water supply comes direct from the mains, we had a storage tank for heating water which would not have been considered fit for human consumption therefore the two tap system kept tank water separate from mains 'drinking' water. As for the wall socket switches and our three-pin plug system, as another poster has suggested please take a look at Tom Scott's videos on this topic. His explanations of why the features exist are terrific. Glad to hear that you're feeling so much better! Enjoying your voyage of discovery.
Normally when you have hot and cold taps there's a plug or bung you put into the bason fill it with a mixture of both hot and cold to was your hands, then pull the plug out when finished. 😊
I was at sea in 1978 when we sailed to Prince Edward Island in Canada. It was my first trip away. We were in a bar and after a few beers I was mortified when a barman approached us to explain that tipping was required for the waitress. Needless to say we had a whip round and got in her good books. Previously to this, the only tipping I had done was in restaurants.
The power in the UK is much more powerful than in the US, so it's more dangerous. Our plugs are designed to be ultra safe - there are whole UA-cam videos about them. We do not have many, if any, power outlets in our bathrooms because of the dangers of steamy air. The power difference is the main reason why electric kettles are a thing here and not in the US. In America, they'd take far too long to boil. 'On' is down. That's normal. You're weird 😀
Tipping is unecessary when staff are paid decent wages, that obviously isn't so in the USA. Some places have tipping facilities, but is not expected.The Yorkshire Creamery has a department mostly devoted to cheese. They provide free samples of about 30 (see their website).
A few snippets of information, when hot water was brought into homes it via a "back boiler" on the back of a fire and stored in a tank. Because of this it had to be gravity fed by a storage tank in the loft/attic. This tank was open and anything could get in. Therefore the cold water was "potable" drinkable and the hot was not. Having a mixer tap compromised the drinking water, things changed with combi boilers. Always tip in a restaurant 10% in my book. Btw British sockets even when turned on have a shutter to stop kids putting their fingers in, the long Earth/Ground pin moves the shutter out the way. The reason why the tube is small is because it had to be built under ancient architecture avoiding hundreds of years old sewage and plumbing etc. There's been fears that some tunnelling could compromise things like Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)
Victorian Britain had hot and cold taps for safety reasons, as the hot water came from a header tank, not the mains. The vast majority of housing stock in the UK is Victorian terrace, though these days most people have mixer taps installed as I have done (with the exception of the attic bathroom which has all the original features and they’re gorgeous)
Great video, really enjoy your content. In relation to tipping, I think a few people have mentioned it, if you have good service then people typically tip about 10%. It’s something I think has become more standard over the last 10 - 15 years.
I'm from Manchester! We don't have a tube system but we DO have trams :) these are like trains that have a slower travelling speed and they even drive along the street!
Light switches go the other way around because traditionally they would have a small red patch on top to indicate the switch it on, not possible to see upside down if they went the other way. It's another safety feature, for example if the bulb goes off but someone doesn't know whether the switch is on or off before trying to change the bulb
It is usual to tip for a meal in the uk when you have received good service. I usually tip around 10%, sometimes rounding the bill up. You do have to be careful though, as in some cases your server doesn’t get the tip, the restaurant owners take it, so I always check first. Other places I tip is buying a bartender a “drink”, giving a tradesperson a few extra quid when they do a great job and my hairdresser.
Historically,we had two water taps to prevent cross contamination from a domestic hot water storage system (which were notoriously dirty) and the cold water supply pipe (which served many properties). Mixing the two meant that potentially dirty water, bugs, bacteria or whatever could be drawn back into the clean water supply.
@@limehead4700 i worked in an old mill and i told all my staff never drink from the cold water taps in the bathroom as i'd had it drilled into me as a kid tho i never really understood why, one day i was up in the roof space and noticed the lid on the water tank had shifted (it got pretty windy up there) when i shone my torch in there were 4 dead pigeons in there, in various states of decay it was at that point i was glad of that advice and finally understood why
@@limehead4700 There have been taps on the mains cold supply in many properties for a while. I believe the regulations require a non-return valve to prevent contamination to other properties. In many properties the kitchen tap might be both the only mixer and the only mains tap.
Hi Steve, I've lived in a 50s house and early 1900s house both separate taps just put the plug in and get water to correct temp , I work with a lady from Bangladesh and a Polish lady I live in Kent. 🙂
My biggest problem when crossing the road in California where my partner lives was that even when the traffic lights were red that drivers can still turn right yielding to the flow of traffic they wish to go in, also the width of the roads also left me feeling would I be able to cross the road in time.
Most counties in the UK have their own chees But then there are all the European cheeses as well. and all the different types of processed cheeses ie slices,grated etc.
I'm from the North East and stayed in a hotel next to Hyde Park (to see Pink at Hyde Park). I was shocked in a bad way. Driving in, a gang carrying machetes were trying every car door of cars stopped at a traffic light. Starting with the driver's doors first. It didn't get much better after that. I visited Hamley's toy store and an lgbt pride march went past with mainly men walking down the street wearing thongs (some were ill fitted), ball gags, whips, chains, masked people pretending to be dogs on leashes etc. I wouldn't go back.
I'm from wales and driven into London twice in my life, I actively avoid the place like the plague and hope I never have a reason to visit again, London is literally my most hated place in the whole UK lol
The great thing about those two saying London is a culture shock for them the best part is the fact its a culture shock for us in the uk outside of London as most of us go to London as tourists as well we don't go to London because its our capital we go for a day/ overnight trip as something out of the ordinary
I suspect that is true of most capitals. But London, certainly. I would not go there if you paid me. I have been, more times than I liked, because it was the only way to get to see my grandparents as a kid. Change trains in London. My father used to use any spare time to show me lesser known 'sights' as he was billeted there during the Blitz and his best friend from childhood was an East End Jew. Genuine Cockney His huge family would pitch a big Bell tent on my father's village Rec every Summer and come and go. My dad became friends and would lend the bike he had made himself out of bits to his pal for his stay, while he ran alongside. It lead to a Lifetime friendship, and us being seen as honorary 'family' So my Dad knew London, probably better than most people who live there now. We would scuttle up and down back streets in between trains, into and out of little known churches, that were always amazing, and he taught me the Underground! Got taken there on a school trip and the teachers got us lost. They put us on the Tube, and I was going, 'Excuse me miss, but this is the Wrong Line? This is the Northern Line and we need to be on the Central?' Totally ignored No apologies either, when we ended up out in Notting Hill or who knows where! Lol Not a welcoming city and o not one I want to see again.
When I was young I left the huge metropolis of Middlesbrough to visit London, I couldn't even find my way out of the tube station for half an hour. I later returned to my home town to realise it was not much more than a village.
London, much like New York, is one of the most international cities in the world. London even has a greater population. Of course, being near tourist spots will have even more tourists nearby, but it is a very diverse city.
The Tube was the first such system. The tunnels were dug by hand. New subway systems have been built later so they have the luxury. Where I live, people mostly tend to wait for people to get off. The electricity is double the voltage in North America; the power outlet is designed for safety and is a very sound design.
When you cross the road, it's simple... look right, look left, look right again. If it's a one-way road, you look the way that the traffic would be coming from. That was drummed into me before I even started school. 😊
Watch a Tom Scott video on British Plugs and outlet/sockets, we have the safest in the world. Power is higher than in US, ie 220-240 v as opposed to 110v in US.
I live in Birmingham in the UK. I tend to tip at least 10% when I have received table service, ie where the waiting staff take our order at our table. When we have to go up to the counter to order food e.g. in a pub, Starbucks etc, I don’t usually tip. I think that is fairly normal in the UK. From what I understand, US waiting staff really need a tip because of the shockingly low wage they receive. It seems to me that in the US the customers are paying in tips what the restaurant owners should be paying to their staff in wages. On the subject of jaywalking, I would find it so strange not to be allowed to cross the road where I wanted to. Love your channel by the way.
generally tipping is if you get good service, for example 6 friends go to dinner, their meals cost between £15-£18, so if you are each paying your own, its likely each person will throw in £20, and tell the server to keep the change
I can't imagine why it hasn't occurred to the couple that you put the plug in the plug hole instead of rapidly moving your hands between the hot and cold water streams.
It's because the preference is for not washing in water that now has your own dirt in it, for some people. I can't say I've ever put a sink plug in for as long as I can remember. Handwashing just involves washing hands under the running of the warm tap. There's no need to oscillate between the two taps because that would imply that the warm tap is too hot to begin with. If you do have a need for hot >40°c water, then I can understand the need to mix a bit of cold in. Otherwise, what need is there to have the warm tap any warmer than needed for hand drying.
As children, you are taught as a child how to cross the road. Wait. Look left, look right. If unsure, don't go. Car drivers are also taught about pedestrians. Also, the highway code has just changed to give pedestrians more rights on crossing.
There is an historical reason for this; it’s all to do with keeping your sword hand free! In the Middle Ages you never knew who you were going to meet when travelling on horseback. Most people are right-handed, so if a stranger passed by on the right of you, your right hand would be free to use your sword if required. (Similarly, medieval castle staircases spiral in a clockwise direction going upwards, so the defending soldiers would be able to stab down around the twist but those attacking (going up the stairs) would not.) Indeed the ‘keep to the left’ rule goes back even further in time; archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the Romans drove carts and wagons on the left, and it is known that Roman soldiers always marched on the left.
You might start to like cheese once you’ve tried all the different options there are available. And we’re so close to Europe we have tons more choice of Continental cheeses too.
Our light switches are based on physics we flick them down as we want the light to beam downwards from the ceiling light, and flick it up to make the light retract to where it came from, the plug sockets are the most innovative safest design ever made which why the rest of the world don't follow is bizarre, not only are they common its a building regulation
In the UK we just keep looking both ways to cross the road - easy - no stress! And in London that makes perfect sense. Also, never trust any vehicle to stop at a red light...... Try crossing the road in Italy on a pedestrian crossing!!!! There they don't slow for you even if they see you waiting!!! You step out and while they don't hit you - they simply adjust their speed.... So the whole thing is a suicidal leap of faith!
I live in Scotland 🏴 and this was so interesting. With tipping we would just leave it on the table… Also the tube in London is very small especially considering the amount of PEOPLE use them. It’s mostly cramped, but the actual subway system is huge and SOOOO complicated. It’s crazy.
London Underground first operated in 1863. It was already well established within 20 years. Victorian engineering meant the carriages were as large as needed and no larger. the UK also uses a narrower gauge of railway than the European continent and North American rail systems.
Another thing not mentioned about our plugs, kids would not be harmed if they put fingers in the pins, because if the plug was out the pins would be closed. Another safety feature we have here in the UK.
I find your views on British things really interesting 😊 I personally feel like London is a cultural shock compared to the rest of the Uk. It’s chaos - but the public transport system is really useful! In answer to your cheese question - in our household we have cheese with a lot of meals 😂 but yes you get your “standard” cheeses such as cheddar, feta etc in the dairy/cheese aisle and there’s quite often a separate counter with a deli that does different hams and cheeses like blue cheese, Stilton, Smoked cheese. You should try a proper. British mac and cheese. I tried an American boxed one once and didn’t enjoy it 😂 homemade macaroni cheese though - a comfort food for sure! With the taps or faucets - it’s definitely becoming more common to be joint one. I have separate ones in my house and looking to change all to joint as it drives me insane!!
I would reconsider that. Remember you will have to run it for ages to get the temperature you want and all that good water is being wasted. With 2 taps if you want Cold you have it, if you want Hot, Voila!
We don’t even have a word for jaywalking in the uk because it’s not a crime and never has been. It was literally a term made up by US car manufacturers to blame people who were hit by cars for being hit and then criminalise them.
The LAND OF THE FREE... Except, you are not free to cross the road..
Jaywalking just strikes me as very odd,.
Not quite! Technically (and 'I know', pedantically😃) the 'UK' DOES have a 'jaywalking' law... that's in Northern Ireland ! But you can say 'Great Britain' has NO 'jaywalking' laws.
We don't call it "jay walking" it's just simply crossing the road 😆
I used to work with an American student, she told me how she had grabbed the arm of her British boyfriend because there was no green light when he was about to cross the road
The British Standard 3 pin socket is a masterpiece of design, in association with the plugs. There are in built shutters that only withdraw when the earth pin is inserted. Children would need to co-ordinate two itens to manage to make any contact.
The plugs have shrouds on the pins that prevent touching live metal until almost fully inserted.
It really is an incredibly safe design.
London inner city is full of tourists always has been
Yeah I was about to mention this as the video makes out the switch is the primary safety feature of the sockets but it's extremely difficult to make contact with the live contacts because of the third pin and that's the primary and pretty ingenious safety feature of the three pin socket, there's a good video on here about it actually from which I learned about it myself haha
Just don't step on one with bare feet, else suffer Lego trauma
Time to plug electrical pioneer Dame Caroline Haslett who designed the British safety standard 3 pin and shuttered socket, saving countless lives in the process.
You also have to rember we use 240 volts compaired to the US 110
It's interesting when people always talk about jaywalking because here, you're taught to look for and anticipate it as a learning driver, and you're tought how to cross safely from a young age as a pedestrian and it just works for us. The "look left/right" signs were actually put there mostly for foreigners and you'll very rarely find them outside of bigger cities.
I have lived in Spain for 18 years and I only found out last week that here in towns you can only cross on Zebras, and if there are lights you are expected to Wait! Doesn't matter if the nearest car is a mile away! I have Never seen anyone take a blind bit of notice of that, nor anyone getting fined. I did get shouted at by some woman when I crossed on a red, but at the time I just thought she was a looney! Lol
These folk would struggle to cross the road in my village. Only time we have lights is when the phone cables or plumbing is being dug up here in Scotland.
Bad joke aside I suspect most of the locals would just give way up here. Most of the time we're in no particular rush.
We had Dave Prowse (aka the physical actor for Darth Vader) as the Green Cross Code Man
ua-cam.com/video/CLeK1LKZKiI/v-deo.html
The irony of 2 "foreigners" saying they were shocked at the amount of "foreigners" there are made me giggle🤣🤣
Well, they did visit Londonistan.
I'm guessing most of the English people weren't talking to one another!
Plenty British people speak more than just English, myself included x
Well, wasn't Burgerland
@@almac2598 cos its the greatest city in the world
The underground was originally hand-dug and the first metro/subway in the world, so the tunnels were limited in size, which is why the trains are smaller. Notably the Elizabeth line, which is technically not part of the underground, has a much larger tunnel as it carries full sized overground trains.
BS1363 or the Type G socket has the power switch as a requirement, the socket/plug is fused, and has many safety features that simply don't exist in other plug sockets, notably the ground pin pushes open shutters that block off the live and neutral parts of the socket, so children can't shove things into them and all devices ground first.
Yeh the London underground is actually 160 years old this year.
The Tube being 160 years old, was built for shorter people (in general). People used to be shorter.
The DLR, Overground & Elizabeth Line are more normal size.
I think the Victoria line is also taller.
Not true about size of tunnel. The early 1863 tunnels were large and the trains normal in size. It was only in 1890 when the deep level tunnels were built that the trains needed to be smaller to fit the smaller tunnels.
The deep tube (Northern, Central, etc) has always used oddly-shaped trains, while the lines near the surface (Circle, District, etc) use larger ones.
The power switch is NOT a requirement. Unswitched socket outlets are available, and might be installed where you want to plug in something like a freezer that you dont want someone accidentally turning off.
As a waitress in the UK we always appreciate a tip we just don't expect it, a couple quid left on the table is always good but we do love the Americans with the 20%. No one will ever complain about a tip, we may feel awkward accepting it because we're not used to it haha also in most places tips are shared in some way
You do get 12.5% service charge added on the bill.
The federal minimum wage for American employees is $7.25 per hour and has not increased since 2009.
@@mathlexx They are not legally binding though and are optional.
You can either pay it, not pay it or have it removed and pay your own figure.
The wages are so low it is not frowned on by the Americans
@@seanscanlon9067 sorry just noticed your reply. It is true that is not legally binding however I have asked many waiters whether they get it as a tip and all of them they said yes.probably there are some dodgy restaurants taking advantage of the loophole. It is highly unlikely any customer to refuse paying the service charge. I never came across any case they did that. It is actually better way and almost guarantee tipping vs american way.. By the way I have noticed yesterday the service charge has increased to 13.5%
The UK plug and socket is an incredible example of ingenious engineering. It's packed full of safety features and quirks that makes it one of (if not THE) the safest in the world. I think 'Tom Scott' did a good video on it a few years ago if you wanted another reaction idea.
Almost all grocery stores will have a pretty decent selection of cheese. You'll always have the generic/standard cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, Emmental, red Leicester, parmigiana, camembert etc. You'll find about 4 or 5 different brands of cheddar usually, and they'll be separated into different maturities (mild, mature, extra mature etc.). Next shelf along from the generic cheeses they'll usually include a selection of more speciality cheeses from the continent. Some supermarkets might even include their own cheesemonger which will have a very sizeable selection of cheeses available, but this is rare as they usually opt for a fishmonger/bakery instead.
It's not really incredible. I believe it.
Tbf, that video is surprisingly interesting. I did wonder at first, what the fuck I was doing watching a video on plugs…plugs that I have in my house😂 but it was really good.
Here's a link to the Tom Scott video ua-cam.com/video/UEfP1OKKz_Q/v-deo.html for anyone that's interested.
Our plugs also have insulation along half the length of the live and neutral pins, to prevent someone from touching the metal of the pins, while the plug is half plugged in.
needed because our 240 voltage can seriously harm you in comparison with the US's 110v
The tube was opened in 1863 in the reign of Queen Victoria. The digging was done largely by hand so they made it at the minimum size needed.
What many people don't realise is that that these subway trains on certain routes become overground trains as well.
Tipping in this country is different because the servers get a reasonable rate of pay. If I want to tip, I used to leave money on the table, now I pay by card and ask for the tip to be added to the electronic receipt.
In olden times the cold water came from the mains and hot water came from a header tank in the loft. The tank water wasn't safe but the mains water was safe to drink. If they were combined in a tap, the cold would be contaminated. Thus, separate taps.
You really should tip in cash, there's no guarantee that the employees will get that tip. Managers have been known to pocket the tips.
@@drinkupmeheartysyoho That is true. However, I only tip like that in establishments I know and who definitely pass it on. On the receipt it also comes up as staff gratuities.
If you tip with credit card it will be taxed..
@@neil5294 Only use a debit card
I normally just tip in cash and verbally say it’s a tip to there face instead of leaving it on the table incase someone try’s to take it before the waiter can
I am an American that has lived in the UK for twenty-four years.
1. Unless you are at Luton airport then no, you will not be hearing 90% foreign language. Perhaps 30%, if I had to guess.
2. The London Tube was finished in 1863, so it is pretty old. It survived, for the most part the WWII blitz and flooding. It is a masterful engineering feat for its time. But it is small and hot in the summer.
3. The British are very polite. Before I moved to the UK I was working in Cambridge and saw two bicycles collide. There was no fighting, rather, "oh, ever so sorry, are you okay"? This is changing a bit.
4. The light switches to work backwards...sort of...It sticks out on the top like ours flips to the top. It sounds backwards, but it is logically the same. Oh, and often the switch has a bit of red for the on-position. It is not for child safety because the little blighters can switch it on with little difficulty so we use those little plastic plugs. And this is pretty much the same throughout Europe with some slight variations.
5. Being able to turn off the power to that socket does same a bit of money as it stops the current. Likewise, all our appliances have a main switch so you can do the same by turning off the source of power rather than just turning off the appliance...it is required by law.
6. Please please please watch your bills when going to restaurants. Many will add a 12% voluntary charge, which means you have to ask to have it removed. Which I do, I don't want to be told what to tip and I want to give it to the server in cash because all those tips go to the whole restaurant and management. You don't have to give a tip, nevertheless the norm is 10%...and they are salaried. I usually give 15% because, well, I am American.
7. Cheese, cheese glorious cheese. In the USA most cheese is processed...pretty gross. We have wonderful selections are real unprocessed cheeses. And if you have not had 'real' cheese, then you have not had cheese.
8. When crossing a street look both ways...isn't that what your mamma told you. Do as you are told!
9. The hot and cold faucets, called 'taps' in England, are from original indoor plumbing. The USA used to have them too. The concepts was to ply and fill the bowl with water to clean. You do not leave the tap running. You can get mixer taps, which I have in my home, however you will see older taps all over. It also keeps the traditional look in many homes. You can buy new for both types. I did not hear about sinks in the bedrooms, as many homes had a sink in the bedroom for morning grooming...because in many homes there was only one bathroom, aka...loo.
10. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Feel free to j-walk...we don't fine people for walking. The land of the free is not always so free...
The reason for two taps is that in years gone by hot water was fed from a storage tank in the loft and the cold water is fed from the mains supply, it was to stop the mains from getting polluted from the stored water in the tank in a feed back situation, also to stop the mains water which is generally at a much higher pressure feeding back into the hot water system which would over flow the storage tank and damage the cylinder.
We've just removed our old emersion heater and water tank, we hadn't used them for years. The tank was disgusting 🤢 bit of manky water in there with loads of dirt, dead spiders and something that could have once been a bird or a mouse?
When I was a student nurse we were taught that the seperate tanks/taps that were insitu in UK buildings were there to stop outbreaks of Legionaire's disease, as it thrives in hot/warm water tanks, and water has been safe to drink straight from the cold tap in the UK for years.
Not having the one mixer tap was a way of preventing someone from accidently ingesting water from the hot tap.
Also, I think that lead pipes feeding upstairs water supply had an impact on water quality.
@@magdahearne497 can't be Legionnaires disease Magda with respect. That was only found at a conference of Legionnaires in the USA and In the aircon units some time I think in the 1970's and we've had our Taps as they are for upwards of 100 years. It's been mentioned above that the cold is fed from the mains and the hot from a cistern tank
@@CW1971 Just to note - an "emersion" heater wouldn't work, by definition. I think you mean "immersion" heater.
As an English person who has frequently visited France, Germany and other European countries where they drive on the right, my solution to knowing which way to look when crossing the road is simple: LOOK BOTH WAYS. That way, whichever direction the traffic is coming from, you will see it.
as a matter of fact we are taught to always look both ways anyway... the most surprising thing about this video is the implication that american's DON'T look both ways before crossing a road 0.o
i even look both ways on blocked off streets, its habit
we also had Darth Vader (as the Green Cross Code Man) giving us road safety adverts from 1975 onwards.
Look right. Look left. Look right again
“Look right, look left” etc was the Tufty Club, a few years before David Prowse. His saying ended with “I won’t be there, when you cross the road.” And before him, we had Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) telling us to S.P.L.I.N.K. but I could never remember what the acronym meant. The Tufty Club’s advice was clearest, but was abandoned because (apparently) too few kids knew their right from their left.
@@davidhazel5854 Not to mention the Dark and Lonely Waters PSA's the Electricity Kills ones, the trains. I still remember all the CHarlie Says.. pity we dont have those today
When children are taught road safety here in the UK, they are taught to look both ways - in fact, to look left, then right, then left again. What grown up doesn't look both ways before crossing the road - What if someone was driving down the wrong side of the road etc?
To be honest, London is a culture shock to most Brits as well. Its unlike any other part of the of UK.
As a Brit I would not go to London if you paid all my expenses, fed me at the Ritz, and put me up in the Savoy.
@@hogwashmcturnip8930 Great to visit the attractions its a must, apart from that I agree, I can not stand the place, for about 1000 reasons.
@@hogwashmcturnip8930 Ditto.
@@magirusdeutzjupiter2234 It is a shame that London does hold all the major tourist attractions. But it is a hollow place to go.
I gave up bothering with cities and accept I am not going to see Great works of art etc etc. and sometimes you find them anyway. Easter eggs! A Titian in a tiny church in Croatia, Pre Raphaelite stained glass in a church 15 miles from home. Treasure is not always in gaudy caskets
And you don't see a country if you stay on the Tourist Trail
I was just about to say that 🤣
Tipping in the UK is generally done in sit down restaurants, not take aways. ie. Fish and chip shops, pizza places etc. In my whole experience, if you enjoyed the meal so much that you feel gratitude to the meal and service you get, then tip as much or as little as you feel. A lot of people just say keep the change, which may be a few pounds for e.g. Good video, thanks.
It also depends on whether service is included which may be stated on your bill. I ask if it’s not clear. Tips may not go directly to your waiter/waitress either but be split between wait staff.
@@marsy1480 I love to tip, what happens to it is unimportant to me. 25% minimum ,I once tipped this waitress once she had tears down her face, as she was so overwhelmed and grateful, that's the beauty of tipping.
Always tip a taxi or a barber, never tip a bus driver or a hair salon. If in doubt, don't tip if feeling awkward, then keep the change is the easiest rule to follow
@@leesmith1350 I always tip my salon worker. Why is it you think we shouldn't? Im just curious!
@Amy Louise Simpson honestly personal opinion on my end, probably just because I don't use salons. So I never have haha 😅
The 2 faucets or taps are there for a reason but to get warm water all yoh have to do is put a plug in the sink as the water fills up. Its thats simple 😊
The way light switches switch on in the down position is due to how people tend to run their hands down a wall in the dark to find the switch.
We love cheese in the UK. In most supermarkets there will be a full aisle just for cheese and in some supermarkets there will also be a cheese counter with more specialty cheeses where you can usually choose how much you want, like a delicatessen.
Being old, I remember when the UK joined the European Community (now EU) and suddenly you could get Brie and Camembert in supermarkets!
The UK has more manufactured cheeses than France!!
The road crossing made me chuckle.
On my first visit to the US I had to keep reminding myself to look the other way.. and I can tell you it's a lot harder than it sounds!
I also tried to cross the road when there was a clear road with no traffic, and my American friend dragged me back and sternly asked if I wanted to get arrested.. me 😱
It's interesting to see how much England has clearly influenced Australia. Almost everything on this list is true for Australia as well. The light switches, the outlets, tipping, waiting for the train. I also always "jaywalk" if it's safe. And to any visitors, you definitely do not have to tip here in Australia! Some places have tip jars etc but waiters make a living wage and if there's no obvious tipping system in place they likely won't be able to keep the tips anyway. If tipping is an option it will be presented, but you don't need feel obliged like in the US. I do tip for Uber Eats etc though as I know those companies don't pay well.
Yes, all of the above is the same in New Zealand, too.
THey were both English colonies and The English (not British) are the largest ethnic group in Oz.
We taught our criminals the basics before sending them to the colonies.
Nothing worse than a poorly edumacated criminal.
@@RedversCross Scotland had a massive influence in Oz and NZ though.
A Faucet in Britain was one of Charlie’s Angels.
London’s underground network is the oldest in the world: it was opened to the public in 1863, following three years of hugely difficult work, an impressive feat for the time. When 38,000 people climbed into the trains on that first day, some of the carriages didn’t even have a roof, and they were still pulled by steam engines. This meant that the smoke was at times overwhelming, and gas lamps were still used for lighting in corridors and stations.
To put this slightly in more context to people from the US... we were busy building the "Tube" which you were fighting the US Civil war. Just think of how you think of the world at that time.
Not strictly true mines had a (sort of) underground - trucks pushed along a track before the Tube😏
Exactly this. The network of tunnels were created long before the population of London was anywhere to the size it is now and the trains were smaller too. That is why the tunnels are small. It would cost far too much to make every tunnel bigger.
@@thomascarroll9556 I don't think that mines had first class smoking compartments though.
@@jackwalker4874 😂😂😂
haha - the one thing that won't "shock" you are our plugs!
We have 3 pin plugs in the UK. The top pin, as well as being an earth pin, is used to move protective covers which are internal to the other two pins. This really does make it much more difficult for kids to stick their fingers in the sockets or even pens, pencils or screwdrivers. Having said that, we still put plastic plugs over unused sockets when we have small children.
those plastic covers actually increase the risk because the earth pin on them is plastic and therefore prone to break off in the socket and if it does so it will leave the other two holes with open shutters
@@andrewjames3908kids can also insert them upside down leaving the live and neutral exposed.
@@andrewjames3908 I have never come across any of them breaking and, even if they did, it wouldn't be something a child could have done, so any responsible parent would sort it out.
@@andrewjames3908 only the cheap junk chinese plugs made for us have plastic pins now. The few things well made in uk have a metal earth post but the top half has a thin plastic coating so when the pin is half in, you can't touch the metal and get shocked.
Health visitors, the dept of health, the dept for education, the NHS and fire safety officers have been advising parents against using those plug in plastic covers for several years now. I believe official statements were in 2016.
They do not meet safety approval standards and therefore should not be used.
There is a website called fatally flawed which has details about it.
We have mixer taps in the UK, but some sinks do have separate for hot and cold but it comes down to the fact that we have one of the cleanest cold water supplies in the world and perfectly drinkable. So you can drink a glass of cold water straight from the tap. If you have a mixer you would have to run the tap a bit to make sure you don't have any hot/warm water in there that might not be good for you before getting cold.
In the U.K. The housing stock is a lot older (21% over 150 years old).
The hot water system when it was installed was a tank in the loft (often open) which fed a boiler which fed the hot taps this was considered unsafe to drink.
*note when I went to convert my loft into a hobby room there was a dead bat in the old water tank*
That’s not why hot and cold are/were separate. The reason is that hot water from a vented cylinder is fed from a cistern in the loft, which is open to contaminants; that’s also why you shouldn’t drink from upstairs cold water taps if you have a hot water cylinder (it’s connected to the same tank).
Nowadays, more people are opting for combi boilers or unvented cylinders, which are fed directly from the mains supply, so the hot water doesn’t contaminate the cold water.
@@ajdo1991 With the advent of air source heating, I think, we maybe returning to a hot water tank situation
@@stephenlee5929 I doubt it because vented cylinders are inferior to the unvented cylinders that are now available.
I am amazed the two tap/faucet system seems so complicated to American visitors. Unless every plug has been stolen from every sink and basin in the UK on the tourist routes I can't grasp why. Sinks and basins have a plug. When the plug is placed in the sink or basin it stops the water running away, so you fill the sink or basin with water from both the hot and cold water taps to the temperature you prefer. When you finish your task you simply pull the plug out - which is commonly attached to the the sink or basin by a chain - and the water runs away.
I have the single 'mixer' tap/faucet system and the two tap/faucet system in my home. There are advantages and drawbacks to both ideas. It is more convenient, I would say, to have a 'mixer' tap for a lot of uses, but I have also read that the two tap/faucet system is safter. It does not allow our drinking water - which we drink straight from the cold tap here in the UK - to become contaminated. Unless you have the newest design of the single 'mixer' tap/faucet which you can switch to produce boiling water, the 'hot' water supply running through 'mixer' taps, to put it simply, never has water hot enough to kill bacteria that builds up there, thus possibly contaminating our drinking water when we fill a glass with cold water from that same 'mixer' tap.
PS Steve. Sorry you were so poorly. Glad to see you back and good to know you are now your old self again.
We aren't constantly "jaywalking", no such thing in the UK, we are capable of crossing the road ourselves, called being an adult :)
The whole concept of "jaywalking" was invented by the USA in the early twentieth century, and it doesn't exist elsewhere. The automobile lobby wanted to promote the ideas that roads were for cars, and pedestrians were only to be allowed on them only grudgingly and by the grace of motorists. So they pushed for the idea that pedestrians could cross the road only at marked crossings, and they coined the insulting term "jaywalker" to shame those who didn't ("jay" was a slang word for a stupid yokel). It also helped that it gave the police an easy excuse for stopping virtually anyone and issuing tickets if they were in the mood.
It's nice to see the Wandering Ravens again, they were the first reactors I ever subscribed too. They didn't fully explain the power out let's. You can't push anything into the live or the nutral terminals unless the earth pin is inserted as there is a little gate that drops down when the earth pin is removed.
Yes, I really like the Wandering Ravens and they were one of MY earliest favourite channels too... 😊👍
I live in the UK and was born in Wales. It still surprises me how many languages I hear daily in a small non tourist town.
I'm a Brummie now living is South Wales....can you imagine how many accents I've herad in my life literally thousands....I'm not sure what this par expected but they're clearly not the brightest
Its not Jay walking ,thats a bird . we call it crossing the road ,and as the Uk is a free country we can cross a road with out getting a fine
FYI: The "look left" road marking for pedestrians are usually only seen in Tourist locations such as London as to help foreigners remember to look out for vehicles coming from a spot they are unfamiliar with.
In 95% of the country, this marking is not required and thus isn't used; seeing as us Brits know we drive on the correct side of the road 😉🤣
The "look left" and "look right" signs are very useful where there are so many one-way streets that you can never be sure from where the traffic will approach.
@@djtwo2 they will quite often have look left or look right on the road if it's a one way street in a city centre somewhere, even outside of London.
I live in the Yorkshire, very near a very large University. We don't have many look left, right, or the other way written or signed on the road. A number of times, on a very cold, rainy nights, I have had to watch out for foreign students running out in front of me, while I am driving in that area.
I have never grasped this hang up people have about sides of the road. It is not that difficult. I know Brits who stick to the tourist dives when abroad, because they are frightened to drive, and the Americans seems to be even worse. They all have the screaming abdabs, but I have Never heard anyone have the eebie jeebies about crossing a road before. Most Brits cope very well with the 'wrong side' after they have overcome the jitters.
One thing I would Not like to do, and many of us do, is drive a 'wrong sided' car. I do not want to be sat on the wrong side driving. Visibility is bad enough in some cars already.
I live in Blackpool (a popular tourist town by the sea) and we have those road markings but only in a few areas
The tap thing is historical and relates to safety concerns about cross contamination. Hot water would have come from water storage tank in loft (roof space) in houses, so, would be deemed as potentially no longer being safe to drink. Hence the hot water was kept separate from cold to avoid anything in hot water being able to contaminate water in cold taps. In bathrooms the cold water in the sink was traditionally taken directly from mains water supply so you could drink if cleaning your teeth.
you're forgetting that the supply for hot and cold water has different types of pipe even now and drinking the hot water would poison you.
you're forgetting that the supply for hot and cold water has different types of pipe even now and drinking the hot water would poison you.
@@astrothsknot Nope, there is ONE supply from the solitary pipe entering the property, which is called the rising main. Direct connections are usually made to all the downstairs cold water taps and in some cases to all the cold taps in the house. These are all safe to drink from, albeit some of the supply is still likely to encounter lead piping somewhere along the run. Less so these days since a lot of mains lead piping was replaced by alkathene pipe in the 1980's/90's.
Where this varies is in many older properties which may have upstairs cold water (bath, shower, sink, WC) fed from a separate cold-water storage cistern, often made from galvanised steel in the past, but now usually black plastic. They are still fed from the rising main and controlled by a ball-cock valve but the sitting water may be subject to contamination from dust and debris and in worst cases from dead animals in there, often birds.
@@WG1807 Some older buildings may still have lead pipes, but your spot on about newer buildings or completely refurbished, but if in doubt...
@@colinmoore7460 My house is post-war, constructed around 1948 along with many in the area. Around 1990 there was mass works all over the region (NW) whereby old water mains piping was replaced by blue alkathene pipe. They replaced the main branch in the roadway and then individual supply pipes to each dwelling. I suppose it depends where you are in the country as to whether this was done and I suspect more rural properties might still be on plenty of old (lead) mains.
Of course further back from the roadway supply, all the way to the reservoir, there might still be some lead and while there might be some way to find out, what can you do about it anyway?
Personally speaking I fitted a good quality filter underneath the kitchen sink some 20 years ago or so, once these became available mainstream so I only use that tap for drinking, cooking, etc. I usually change the filter element once per annum.
I feel ridiculously proud of our on/off switches 🤔
I did live in Canada for a while (from UK) and the shock for me was how big everything was, the roads, trains, buses. Everything just seemed so wide. So I can absolutely imagine that coming from North America everything here would seem narrow and small
Great video. The tube is the size it is because of its age. Don't forget that it's the oldest subway system in the world. The trains themselves are obviously dictated by the size of the tunnels which were first built in the 1800s. The electric plug sockets in the UK are 3 pin plus the mentioned switch. The top pin is longer than the other 2 because as it goes in its hole it opens the access for the lower 2 pins. Belt and braces approach with the switch as well. Also building control states that BY LAW, that in the UK we don't have electric sockets (with the exception of 2 pin shaver only sockets) in the bathroom, light switches must be either pull cord if installed in the bathroom or a standard switch outside of the room. As far as I'm aware, older taps (faucets) were that way because of all older properties had water tanks that heated the water instead of boilers, necessitating separate taps before joint ones or boilers were invented. We only got rid of our hot water tank, aka immersion heater, (kept in what was always known as the airing cupboard, despite virtually no room to air clothes!) about 10 years ago. Our house was only built in about 1925 so it's no where near ancient!!!
You're forgetting that shaver sockets are only 110v like all us electrics whereas uk is 240 v as standard
When in America we found it embarrassing not knowing how to tip the various service staff. In the UK these people do not rely on tips to earn a living. Don't you have a minimum wage law?
I can confirm that light switches in the UK are indeed down for on up for off. As for the sockets, we have switches on the out let's, but also, whenever the plug is removed, a plastic cover comes down to cover the terminal holes. It helps stop items, such as little fingers, from being inserted into the socket.
Or playdough 😂😂
Yeh all the light switches are down for on and up for off I'm high af and was sat in bed watching this I went over to them and my mind was blown 😂😂😂
I'd add that switched power outlets are usually on newer builds. My house is late 50s/early 60s and NONE of the power outlets are switched. It isn't mandatory even now, and you can easily purchase non-switched replacement outlet units.
Generaly light switches are down for on and up for off unless you have 2 switches to control a single light ,like for the light over the stairs which will have a switch at the bottom of the stairs and one switch at the top of the stairs.
Although London is more multicultural than anywhere else in the UK, in my own town in the north of England I hear many languages being spoken by fellow shoppers at the supermarkets. Most often Polish and Mandarin.
In Birmingham, I've occasionally heard Russian being spoken, often quite loudly. They probably assume no one around them can understand, which makes the fact that I learned the language in school rather fun. There's a Lithuanian shop in the city centre, where you often hear Russian being spoken by customers. Which reminds me: I never have put to the test their policy of giving a 10% discount to anyone who happens to be shopping there on their birthday. That was one nugget I overheard in there, a few years ago.
Yes, it's down to turn switches on and up to turn off in the UK. A child can't just push a finger or anything else into a socket outlet thanks to the protective tabs that drop down inside the socket, these tabs will only lift when the plug on your appliance is inserted into the outlet. A good supermarket will have a fairly wide selection of cheese and there are plenty of specialist cheese shops for a much wider choice.
unless the switch has been installed upside down (like my managers office) or you have multiple switches that control the same set of lights
My work and home g ha ave them both ways
Our waitresses usually get minimum or just above so like £11-12 an hour some people tip occasionally but that's $14/15 plus any tips,free health care, 28 days paid holiday, around 5 days sick with company sick pay. However when I'm in the states I tip them more than anyone else
The two taps isn't just in old properties. My house is only 4 years old, has mixers in the bathroom and kitchen but two taps in the downstairs lav. It's not difficult though, just put the plug in and mix the water to whatever temp you want.
Crossing the road, just look both ways all the time. Regardless of road direction.
Nobody got time for that, I just use the hot in short bursts and burn my hands until the soap has gone or flit between burning my hands and then freezing them intermittently. Good times
To cross a normal British street, "Look Left, Look Right & Look Left again" before crossing the road, taught from the age of 5yrs, both at home & at school. I think, a one-way street would require just looking right, in that case.
Power outlets in UK have the switch as a safety feature as they usually (in my experience) need a little bit more force to flip so it's harder to accidentally switch them on also it saves a ton of money .
I worked in a restaurant for 3 years & always loved American tourists as they tipped so well & for the most part were really nice.
Also the design of the plug. The top pin being longer opens up little trap doors in the outlets for the two bottom live pins. So more safety built right into the plug and outlet design.
So even know folks with young kids spend a fortune buying plug covers, they aren't really necessary in the UK or Ireland.
In the UK we need the extra safety on outlets because we run higher voltage than the US (230V)
But if you prefer the No Switched outlet you can buy them quite easily - you just have a choice in the UK.
I know it's not correct but plugs are left on now the kids are grown. It's rare for me to flick a switch now. Unless I want to kill the power to an appliance.
Tips are up to you leave on table. Some places do add to the bill but vast majority don't and don't expect a tip.
The thing with the light switch isn't that crazy. Some lighting circuits can be controlled by 1-3 switches, e.g. downstairs and upstairs. The position of the switch then varies depending on which switch you flip to turn the lights on and off.
It triggers my OCD. 😂🤣😂 I have to run downstairs to turn the light off as there are 3 switches, and they should all be down!
One switch in my house got put on upside down so that one is the opposite way to the rest 😂 plus it's one where one of the switches controls an upstairs light that can also be controlled upstairs so one of the switches varies. Alexa switches most of my lights on for me now though!
@@barbarablair3225 was just about to say the same thing 😂😂😂
I think the majority of people walking the streets around the landmarks will be tourists. Most people who actually live in London will be at home/work.
And won't talk to you.
The English will be at work
and people confuse central London with the whole of London
I’m in the UK and I would always tip 10% at least in restaurants and that’s standard. The difference is that it’s an extra and not to bring up a low wage. As a result waiting staff are attentive and friendly but not over the top. They allow you your space to enjoy your meal and are not in a hurry to get you out as soon as they can.
Yes even on buses (in most parts of uk buses have only one exit/entrance) everyone waits for people to get off before getting on. If anyone tries to push on either the driver or another passenger will usually politely remind them to wait first and the pushy individual will usually say sorry and wait
The london underground was the worlds first underground railway when they were the first built this was pushing the limits of the tunnel construction technology of the time. Some of the underground trains are crampt and also some platforms. The first section of the metropolitan line opened in 1863, so some of the tube is now 160 years old.
And the early carriages were pulled by horses….
@@andrewjackson8089 I'm pretty sure they were steam powered from the start? The very first were windowless, unventilated and lit by gas lamps so quickly became fume filled!
The first railed omnibuses were pulled by horses, though
Good morning from Staffordshire England. Glad to hear your feeling alot better today 🙂
In Australia, we too flick the switch DOWN for ON
Trains on the London underground come in two sizes. The original lines, the Metropolitan and the District known as the sub-surface railway, have trains that are the same size as on the national railway network. The rest of the system are small trains that run through bored tunnels that are lined with cast iron segments, which are 11ft 8.25ins internal diameter (newer lines use concrete lining and are slightly larger internal diameter).
the original underground is very old, probably why round and smaller. There is (was) a very little train that went from Waterloo to Bank - queuing behaviour there was phenomenal!
@@ascha2l The first underground railway, the Metropolitan, opened in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon and was powered by broad (7ft 0.25in) gauge steam locomotives.
The first "tube" railway was the City and South London running between the City of London and Stockwell opening in December 1890 and powered by electric locomotives.
The line between Waterloo and the City opened in 1898 powered by electric multiple units. It was built by the London and South Western Railway passing to the Southern Railway and then to the Southern Region of Britain Railways before passing to London Underground in 1994 when BR was privatised.
@@ascha2l Waterloo and city line also known as "the drain"
The hot/cold tap (faucet) thing is because of history: It's a hangover from when water was first plumbed into houses, and a cold tap was all you had. The cold water was therefore always fit to drink. But when they added a hot tap, this was fed from an internal tank, kept filled with cold water from a header tank, usually in the loft. These were usually - after 100 years or so (most houses in the UK are old... :o) - pretty rank, with dead rats or pigeons floating in them, so definitely not trustworthy to drink. And hence they were always kept well separated, to make sure the cold water didn't get contaminated. Mixer taps were banned, deliberately.
There are still plenty of places that use that plumbing system, but the trend nowadays is for both to be fed direct from the mains, so both are safe to drink and therefore mixer taps are now allowed and becoming more common.
(Though having said that, our house has modern plumbing, both hot and cold are safe to drink, but we still have separate taps in the bathroom washbasin... My Canadian wife hates it. :o)
I actually think it is way better. I now live in a hot climate where water is at a premium, yet we have those stupid single taps! I have to stand and watch decent water go down the plughole until it reaches temperature, whereas if I had hot and cold taps and separate tanks I would have hot!
And if you want to wash your hands in warm water..... Put the plug in and run both taps 😅
We have British 13 Amp plugs in Scotland as well!
The reason for the seperate faucets (taps) is because hot water used to be fed from a storage tank in the loft, which meant it wasn't safe to drink. The cold water faucet is fed directly from the water main.
I still have a feed tank in the loft that feeds the storage tank in the cupboard in the bedroom. We have a mixer tap in the kitchen and my hubby always leaves it in the middle. The amount of times I haven't noticed had had a glass of water to find I'm drinking water from the tank. I keep trying to get him to leave it on cold, but it's not happening after 30 years of asking. I want the darn thing ripped out and replacing with a combi boiler.
Not any more
More and more people have just one tap. But if there are two taps, put the plug into the basin and mix the hot and cold to the desired temperature and wash your hands.
Sinks in the UK have two taps/faucets for Hot and Cold running water. The sink should have a sink plug to stop the sink so that you can run both taps/faucets to fill the sink with the personal required water temperature. After washing hands or face, just pull the plug to release the waste water. You can drink water straight from the Cold tap as it's fed by the water mains. Hot tap water comes from the Hot Water Tank which is situated upstairs. Mixer taps are recent innovations in New Builds and are optional in older homes.
Mixer taps are a total waste of water! I live in a country where water is metered and we are likely to have a drought when the heat kicks in, yet we have these stupid taps! I stand there fuming, watching perfectly Good water go down the plughole, while I wait for the heat to kick in. Drives me nuts. I have started catching the cold for the plants and I always clean my teeth while waiting in the bathroom, but it is not enough.
on the cheese point .I am currently collecting cheeses for my christmas cheese board but am house bound .my local sainsburys that delivers my shopping currently stocks 28 different cheeses and that will go up as the christmas cheeses become available lol
I bloody love good cheese. I'll take a cheese board over a sweet dessert anyday.
The British plug socket is compulsory. It’s widely considered the best designed plug and socket in the world. There are a few videos on UA-cam about it, worth reacting to!
We have numerous safety features built into our electrical systems, for instance the plug comes with a seperate earthing pin which has to be connected before the other contacts can be made.
In the UK we dont do much tipping because there is a minimal wage set, so people dont get paid so little.
Yep, switched sockets are fairly standard; sometime you can get un-switched single sockets that my be used with switched spurs. Also, our sockets have to have a plastic gate in the live and neutral holes which is pushed down and opened when the earth pin is inserted - that's why our earth pins are longer than the other two.
The tube was dug by hand, hence the tunnels aren't too wide, so the trains can't be wide. All modern tunnels use tunnel boring machines, so they can make normal sized tunnels, like for the new Crossrail/Elizabeth Line.
The London was the world’s first subway dug in Victorian times by hand.
Originally cold water is supplied from the mains,hot water is supplied from the heating system via a cold water storage tank. With the advent of instant hot water GCH boilers one tap can be used for both but the cold is still direct from the main water supply.
I tip 10% (or 12.5% when it’s added automatically and I can’t be bothered to change it) at a restaurant in the UK but not at a cafe or pub where service is pretty minimal. I also always add £1-2 for a food delivery because I know they’re not getting paid enough.
general rule, if you get a menu then tip. Sometimes it will say "service is a discretionary 10 or 12.5%" or "service is included" on the menu or bill. Also hairdressers/barbers.
Yes, soap comes off easier in warm water. As someone else has pointed out, that's why we have a sink. Put water in the sink from both taps and use. It also saves water wasted from using running taps.
Before the advent of central heating and 'instant' hot water where the water supply comes direct from the mains, we had a storage tank for heating water which would not have been considered fit for human consumption therefore the two tap system kept tank water separate from mains 'drinking' water.
As for the wall socket switches and our three-pin plug system, as another poster has suggested please take a look at Tom Scott's videos on this topic. His explanations of why the features exist are terrific.
Glad to hear that you're feeling so much better! Enjoying your voyage of discovery.
Normally when you have hot and cold taps there's a plug or bung you put into the bason fill it with a mixture of both hot and cold to was your hands, then pull the plug out when finished. 😊
I was at sea in 1978 when we sailed to Prince Edward Island in Canada. It was my first trip away. We were in a bar and after a few beers I was mortified when a barman approached us to explain that tipping was required for the waitress. Needless to say we had a whip round and got in her good books. Previously to this, the only tipping I had done was in restaurants.
The power in the UK is much more powerful than in the US, so it's more dangerous. Our plugs are designed to be ultra safe - there are whole UA-cam videos about them. We do not have many, if any, power outlets in our bathrooms because of the dangers of steamy air. The power difference is the main reason why electric kettles are a thing here and not in the US. In America, they'd take far too long to boil. 'On' is down. That's normal. You're weird 😀
Tipping is unecessary when staff are paid decent wages, that obviously isn't so in the USA. Some places have tipping facilities, but is not expected.The Yorkshire Creamery has a department mostly devoted to cheese. They provide free samples of about 30 (see their website).
A few snippets of information, when hot water was brought into homes it via a "back boiler" on the back of a fire and stored in a tank. Because of this it had to be gravity fed by a storage tank in the loft/attic. This tank was open and anything could get in. Therefore the cold water was "potable" drinkable and the hot was not. Having a mixer tap compromised the drinking water, things changed with combi boilers. Always tip in a restaurant 10% in my book. Btw British sockets even when turned on have a shutter to stop kids putting their fingers in, the long Earth/Ground pin moves the shutter out the way. The reason why the tube is small is because it had to be built under ancient architecture avoiding hundreds of years old sewage and plumbing etc. There's been fears that some tunnelling could compromise things like Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)
It was always my job to go to the coal hole and fill the scuttle 😂
And plague pits
This guy knows more about my country than i do. I salute you sir. I knew sockets and the tube but as an educated guess. Thanks for the pub ammo
Immersion
Victorian Britain had hot and cold taps for safety reasons, as the hot water came from a header tank, not the mains. The vast majority of housing stock in the UK is Victorian terrace, though these days most people have mixer taps installed as I have done (with the exception of the attic bathroom which has all the original features and they’re gorgeous)
Those plug’s really hurt when you step on them 😖😁
Great video, really enjoy your content.
In relation to tipping, I think a few people have mentioned it, if you have good service then people typically tip about 10%. It’s something I think has become more standard over the last 10 - 15 years.
I'm from Manchester! We don't have a tube system but we DO have trams :) these are like trains that have a slower travelling speed and they even drive along the street!
Americans call them streetcars and trolleys.
Light switches go the other way around because traditionally they would have a small red patch on top to indicate the switch it on, not possible to see upside down if they went the other way. It's another safety feature, for example if the bulb goes off but someone doesn't know whether the switch is on or off before trying to change the bulb
It is usual to tip for a meal in the uk when you have received good service. I usually tip around 10%, sometimes rounding the bill up. You do have to be careful though, as in some cases your server doesn’t get the tip, the restaurant owners take it, so I always check first. Other places I tip is buying a bartender a “drink”, giving a tradesperson a few extra quid when they do a great job and my hairdresser.
Hairdressers, barbers, taxis. Restaurants if good.
@@rleitros9378 its more a "keep the change" thing with us brits my old barbers price list always ended in 20p to get those tips in
Historically,we had two water taps to prevent cross contamination from a domestic hot water storage system (which were notoriously dirty) and the cold water supply pipe (which served many properties). Mixing the two meant that potentially dirty water, bugs, bacteria or whatever could be drawn back into the clean water supply.
It’s to do with whether you have a water tank (old system) or get supplied directly from the mains (modern houses)
@@limehead4700 i worked in an old mill and i told all my staff never drink from the cold water taps in the bathroom as i'd had it drilled into me as a kid tho i never really understood why, one day i was up in the roof space and noticed the lid on the water tank had shifted (it got pretty windy up there) when i shone my torch in there were 4 dead pigeons in there, in various states of decay it was at that point i was glad of that advice and finally understood why
@@limehead4700 There have been taps on the mains cold supply in many properties for a while. I believe the regulations require a non-return valve to prevent contamination to other properties.
In many properties the kitchen tap might be both the only mixer and the only mains tap.
Love your channel Steve - many thanks!
Hi Steve, I've lived in a 50s house and early 1900s house both separate taps just put the plug in and get water to correct temp , I work with a lady from Bangladesh and a Polish lady I live in Kent. 🙂
My biggest problem when crossing the road in California where my partner lives was that even when the traffic lights were red that drivers can still turn right yielding to the flow of traffic they wish to go in, also the width of the roads also left me feeling would I be able to cross the road in time.
It's such a good idea, isn't it?
Most counties in the UK have their own chees But then there are all the European cheeses as well. and all the different types of processed cheeses ie slices,grated etc.
I’m Scottish and London was a huge culture shock, even for me, when I first visited 😂
I live in Devon - and it's a huge culture for me too! I tend to limit my visits.
I'm from the North East and stayed in a hotel next to Hyde Park (to see Pink at Hyde Park). I was shocked in a bad way. Driving in, a gang carrying machetes were trying every car door of cars stopped at a traffic light. Starting with the driver's doors first. It didn't get much better after that.
I visited Hamley's toy store and an lgbt pride march went past with mainly men walking down the street wearing thongs (some were ill fitted), ball gags, whips, chains, masked people pretending to be dogs on leashes etc. I wouldn't go back.
I'm from wales and driven into London twice in my life, I actively avoid the place like the plague and hope I never have a reason to visit again, London is literally my most hated place in the whole UK lol
@sweetrolls London is the only Briton that why all the rest of us are all getting shafted
I live in Essex but grew up in coastal Suffolk. I hate London lmao. Different universe.
The great thing about those two saying London is a culture shock for them the best part is the fact its a culture shock for us in the uk outside of London as most of us go to London as tourists as well we don't go to London because its our capital we go for a day/ overnight trip as something out of the ordinary
I suspect that is true of most capitals. But London, certainly. I would not go there if you paid me. I have been, more times than I liked, because it was the only way to get to see my grandparents as a kid. Change trains in London. My father used to use any spare time to show me lesser known 'sights' as he was billeted there during the Blitz and his best friend from childhood was an East End Jew. Genuine Cockney His huge family would pitch a big Bell tent on my father's village Rec every Summer and come and go. My dad became friends and would lend the bike he had made himself out of bits to his pal for his stay, while he ran alongside. It lead to a Lifetime friendship, and us being seen as honorary 'family' So my Dad knew London, probably better than most people who live there now. We would scuttle up and down back streets in between trains, into and out of little known churches, that were always amazing, and he taught me the Underground! Got taken there on a school trip and the teachers got us lost. They put us on the Tube, and I was going, 'Excuse me miss, but this is the Wrong Line? This is the Northern Line and we need to be on the Central?' Totally ignored No apologies either, when we ended up out in Notting Hill or who knows where! Lol Not a welcoming city and o not one I want to see again.
When I was young I left the huge metropolis of Middlesbrough to visit London, I couldn't even find my way out of the tube station for half an hour. I later returned to my home town to realise it was not much more than a village.
When crossing the road, you look at the direction the traffic comes from. If it comes from both sides, then look both ways.
London, much like New York, is one of the most international cities in the world. London even has a greater population. Of course, being near tourist spots will have even more tourists nearby, but it is a very diverse city.
English people are a minority in London. Also Birmingham and Leicester.
@@dcarbs2979 That isn't true, and I also assume you're equating White with English when you look at some of those stats, too.
The Tube was the first such system. The tunnels were dug by hand. New subway systems have been built later so they have the luxury. Where I live, people mostly tend to wait for people to get off. The electricity is double the voltage in North America; the power outlet is designed for safety and is a very sound design.
When you cross the road, it's simple... look right, look left, look right again. If it's a one-way road, you look the way that the traffic would be coming from. That was drummed into me before I even started school. 😊
Watch a Tom Scott video on British Plugs and outlet/sockets, we have the safest in the world. Power is higher than in US, ie 220-240 v as opposed to 110v in US.
Safest.... Except for when you drop one it lands prongs upwards.
Worse than lego!!
@@Rachel_M_ The thing is the power outlets are switched so no need to unplug. :)
I live in Birmingham in the UK. I tend to tip at least 10% when I have received table service, ie where the waiting staff take our order at our table. When we have to go up to the counter to order food e.g. in a pub, Starbucks etc, I don’t usually tip. I think that is fairly normal in the UK. From what I understand, US waiting staff really need a tip because of the shockingly low wage they receive. It seems to me that in the US the customers are paying in tips what the restaurant owners should be paying to their staff in wages. On the subject of jaywalking, I would find it so strange not to be allowed to cross the road where I wanted to. Love your channel by the way.
tips in the uk are generally potted up and split between all members of staff at the end of a shift or week depending on where you work!
generally tipping is if you get good service, for example 6 friends go to dinner, their meals cost between £15-£18, so if you are each paying your own, its likely each person will throw in £20, and tell the server to keep the change
I can't imagine why it hasn't occurred to the couple that you put the plug in the plug hole instead of rapidly moving your hands between the hot and cold water streams.
It's because the preference is for not washing in water that now has your own dirt in it, for some people. I can't say I've ever put a sink plug in for as long as I can remember. Handwashing just involves washing hands under the running of the warm tap. There's no need to oscillate between the two taps because that would imply that the warm tap is too hot to begin with. If you do have a need for hot >40°c water, then I can understand the need to mix a bit of cold in. Otherwise, what need is there to have the warm tap any warmer than needed for hand drying.
@@quantisedspace7047 What a lot of water you must waste.
With two taps ( not faucets) put the plug in!
Yes, all power outlets in the UK have switches as standard, whether you’re at home or in an office/business
They don’t.
How do you get onto a full train if people can't get off first to make space?
As children, you are taught as a child how to cross the road. Wait. Look left, look right. If unsure, don't go. Car drivers are also taught about pedestrians. Also, the highway code has just changed to give pedestrians more rights on crossing.
There is an historical reason for this; it’s all to do with keeping your sword hand free!
In the Middle Ages you never knew who you were going to meet when travelling on horseback. Most people are right-handed, so if a stranger passed by on the right of you, your right hand would be free to use your sword if required. (Similarly, medieval castle staircases spiral in a clockwise direction going upwards, so the defending soldiers would be able to stab down around the twist but those attacking (going up the stairs) would not.)
Indeed the ‘keep to the left’ rule goes back even further in time; archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the Romans drove carts and wagons on the left, and it is known that Roman soldiers always marched on the left.
In fact, it was Napoleon who started marching his troops on the right, to confound their opponents.
You might start to like cheese once you’ve tried all the different options there are available. And we’re so close to Europe we have tons more choice of Continental cheeses too.
So close to Europe, we are in Europe 😂😂
Our light switches are based on physics we flick them down as we want the light to beam downwards from the ceiling light, and flick it up to make the light retract to where it came from, the plug sockets are the most innovative safest design ever made which why the rest of the world don't follow is bizarre, not only are they common its a building regulation
Your right bro this is known as the tourist trap area therefore mostly foreigners visiting London you would meet on the street 😃👍🏻👍🏻
In the UK we just keep looking both ways to cross the road - easy - no stress! And in London that makes perfect sense. Also, never trust any vehicle to stop at a red light...... Try crossing the road in Italy on a pedestrian crossing!!!! There they don't slow for you even if they see you waiting!!! You step out and while they don't hit you - they simply adjust their speed.... So the whole thing is a suicidal leap of faith!
Yes! Lol the light switch & socket switches is everywhere & I'm pretty sure we can only have those electric points fitted x
I live in Scotland 🏴 and this was so interesting. With tipping we would just leave it on the table… Also the tube in London is very small especially considering the amount of PEOPLE use them. It’s mostly cramped, but the actual subway system is huge and SOOOO complicated. It’s crazy.
London Underground first operated in 1863. It was already well established within 20 years. Victorian engineering meant the carriages were as large as needed and no larger. the UK also uses a narrower gauge of railway than the European continent and North American rail systems.
I was amazed to learn, recently, that early tube train carriages were open with no roofs 😮
Another thing not mentioned about our plugs, kids would not be harmed if they put fingers in the pins, because if the plug was out the pins would be closed. Another safety feature we have here in the UK.
I find your views on British things really interesting 😊
I personally feel like London is a cultural shock compared to the rest of the Uk. It’s chaos - but the public transport system is really useful!
In answer to your cheese question - in our household we have cheese with a lot of meals 😂 but yes you get your “standard” cheeses such as cheddar, feta etc in the dairy/cheese aisle and there’s quite often a separate counter with a deli that does different hams and cheeses like blue cheese, Stilton, Smoked cheese.
You should try a proper. British mac and cheese. I tried an American boxed one once and didn’t enjoy it 😂 homemade macaroni cheese though - a comfort food for sure!
With the taps or faucets - it’s definitely becoming more common to be joint one. I have separate ones in my house and looking to change all to joint as it drives me insane!!
I would reconsider that. Remember you will have to run it for ages to get the temperature you want and all that good water is being wasted. With 2 taps if you want Cold you have it, if you want Hot, Voila!