Which social traits are considered to be the most unacceptable in Britain?
Brits are renowned for their politeness. In fact, there are certain social traits that would be considered rude in Britain, and only in Britain.
To find out which seemingly-minor social habits Brits deem as the most unacceptable, we conducted a survey of 2,000 nationally representative participants on the topic.
The data discovered that queue-jumping is considered to be the UK’s number one pet peeve, followed by people looking at their phone mid-conversation, and chewing with their mouths open.
Other offences to get you in a Briton’s bad books include not holding the door open behind you, outstaying your welcome at someone’s house and (how very dare you) refusing a cup of tea!
The top 16 rudest British habits, ranked in order of annoyance, are:
1. Queue-jumping
2. Staring at your phone instead of listening to the person that’s talking
3. Chewing with your mouth open
4. Not holding the door open to the following person
5. Someone staring at you
6. Not offering to buy a round of drinks at the pub
7. Ordering something in a shop whilst on the phone
8. Someone outstaying their welcome at someone’s house
9. Sitting next to someone on public transport when there are other seats available
10. People gossiping about others
11. Taking the last of anything (food, drink etc)
12. Not offering to take your shoes off in someone’s house
13. Not letting another car merge into a lane on the motorway
14. Complaining about a terrible service
15. Calling someone unannounced
16. Refusing a cup of tea
Complaining about bad service made number 14 in the list, suggesting we’re in an age where speaking up about terrible service is considered one of the ultimate no-gos.
We experience, first-hand, patients who feel guilty or rude speaking up if something has gone wrong with their healthcare, but this is a feeling that needs to be combatted. Speaking up when something has gone wrong health-wise could save your life.
It can feel incredibly daunting to speak up and raise an issue if you’re unhappy with a service or treatment you’ve received. This is especially true when it comes to healthcare, with many Brits not wanting to cause a fuss or take up any more of the NHS’s precious time.
However, it’s important to remember that making a complaint about substandard healthcare is not rude, and it could end up improving your health. Doctors and nurses only want what’s best for you, so if there’s something that can be fixed, they want to help. Speaking up could save your life.
If you have experienced substandard medical treatment which has led to avoidable pain or suffering, then we can help. Speak to a member of our friendly legal team for free legal advice by visiting our medical negligence hub here.