What it’s like to be British
⢠Worrying youâve accidentally packed 3 kilos of cocaine and a dead goat as you stroll through âNothing to declareâ
⢠Being unable to stand and leave without first saying ârightâ
⢠Not hearing someone for the third time, so just laughing and hoping for the best
⢠Saying âanywhere hereâs fineâ when the taxiâs directly outside your front door
⢠Being sure to start touching your bag 15 minutes before your station, so the person in the aisle seat is fully prepared for your exit
⢠Repeatedly pressing the door button on the train before itâs illuminated, to assure your fellow commuters you have the situation in hand
⢠Having someone sit next to you on the train, meaning youâll have to eat your crisps at home
⢠The huge sense of relief after your perfectly valid train ticket is accepted by the inspector
⢠The horror of someone you only half know saying: âOh Iâm getting that train tooâ
⢠âSorry, is anyone sitting here?â â Translation: Unless this is a person who looks remarkably like a bag, I suggest you move it
⢠Loudly tapping your fingers at the cashpoint, to assure the queue that youâve asked for money and the wait is out of your hands
⢠Looking away so violently as someone nearby enters their PIN that you accidentally dislocate your neck
⢠Waiting for permission to leave after paying for something with the exact change
⢠Saying hello to a friend in the supermarket, then creeping around like a burglar to avoid seeing them again
⢠Watching with quiet sorrow as you receive a different haircut to the one you requested
⢠Being unable to pay for something with the exact change without saying âI think thatâs rightâ
⢠Overtaking someone on foot and having to keep up the uncomfortably fast pace until safely over the horizon
⢠Being unable to turn and walk in the opposite direction without first taking out your phone and frowning at it
⢠Deeming it necessary to do a little jog over zebra crossings, while throwing in an apologetic mini wave
⢠Punishing people who donât say thank you by saying âyouâre welcomeâ as quietly as possible
⢠The overwhelming sorrow of finding a cup of tea you forgot about
⢠Turning down a cup of tea for no reason and instantly knowing youâve made a terrible, terrible mistake
⢠Suddenly remembering your tea and necking it like a massive, lukewarm shot
⢠Realising youâve got about fifty grandâs worth of plastic bags under your kitchen sink
⢠âYouâll have to excuse the messâ â Translation: Iâve spent seven hours tidying in preparation for your visit
⢠Indicating that you want the last roast potato by trying to force everyone else to take it
⢠âIâm off to bedâ â Translation: âIâm off to stare at my phone in another part of the houseâ
⢠Mishearing somebodyâs name on the second time of asking, meaning you must now avoid them forever
⢠Leaving it too late to correct someone, meaning you must live with your new name forever
⢠Running out of ways to say thanks when a succession of doors are held for you, having already deployed âcheersâ, âtaâ and ânice oneâ
⢠Changing from âkind regardsâ to just âregardsâ, to indicate that youâre rapidly reaching the end of your tether
⢠Staring at your phone in silent horror until the unknown number stops ringing
⢠Hearing a recording of your own voice and deciding itâs perhaps best never to speak again
⢠The relief when someone doesnât answer their phone within three rings and you can hang up
⢠Filming an entire fireworks display on your phone, knowing full well youâll never, ever watch it again