Londoners I found not effusive and more businesslike--which can feel cool, especially after basking in Italian warmth. However, I dug them once I hung out a bit. I bet once you are out on the street tomorrow actually hanging out, instead of dealing with airport/taxi-type people, you'll like Londoners very much.

I suspect this is it. When we finally dropped our bags off at the flat, and went out for some dinner, the wait staff were very friendly and nice. But, lots of sneers, dirty looks, brusque answers, and general lack of giving a shit if we lived or died from almost everyone between Heathrow and the flat.

We also experienced anti-USian sentiment in London (summer of 07). Still loved it and had a great trip, but it was a bit...chilly. The French we encountered while we were in Paris, OTOH, were wonderfully pleasant. Was the opposite of what I thought might happen.

I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city ... which, coming from a place where a comedian remarked that when you catch a cab into town from the airport you're both seeing the city for the first time, is a charming idea.

Sean, how long are you in London? What do you plan on doing while you're there?

Heh. No, I don't think that's it. It has nothing to do with the actual words being spoken, and everything to do with smiles, attitude, friendliness/helpfulness.

Sure, but its easier to be utterly achingly charming to someone if you can cuss them out with them standing right there and they don't even know it.

I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city ... which, coming from a place where a comedian remarked that when you catch a cab into town from the airport you're both seeing the city for the first time, is a charming idea.

The Knowledge! [link]

I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city

They have to take a test. It's called The Knowledge.

xpost!

I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city ...

Yeah, it takes lots of study to become a London cab driver.

eta: also x-posty, except my x-post was lame....

London taxi drivers are the BOMB DIGGETY. They're so cool, they even had their own TV series. Seriously, 2 times out of three I have to give directions for ten minute cab rides from my house. In London, you have to study the entire freaking A to Z and pass the Knowledge.

Of course, this would make me very grumpy, if I had all that in my head, but surprisingly I never had that experience.

I did have quite the culture shock moving to the UK, though. Definitely not as randomly friendly as Jamaica. We got a lot of MYOB looks. In Jamaica, we'd just say hi to anyone walking past our house, for no reason (and I was technically a shy kid). In London I was soon disabused of that as a fun way to pass the time.

But people were rarely outright rude to me when I needed help or anything.

Though there was one time I got spat at for being American...which, you know, makes you get really vocal about not actually being American.

My Jamaican cab driver had a "gas grass or ass" sign above the rearview.

It is nice in London to just be able to say, I want to go the the British museum, etc, without have to give them the address or tell them what it is near. They just know.