Deportment for Beginners

Standards of good behavior vary by culture. What is worthy of reprimand in one doesn’t raise an eyebrow in another. In an attempt to forestall misunderstandings, VisitBritain, a marketing group working with the UK government, has released some tips to help the citizenry play nicely with others. Personally, I appreciate that Canadians are included in the list of nations with idiosyncrasies worthy of particular mention.

I know that Brits, like Canadians, will be subject to the frivolous complaints of jealous rivals when they host the 2012 Olympics. With these tips in hand, I’m sure they’ll do a great job of communicating clearly. Of course, should the visitors become just too much of a burden, then they’ll also have a quick reference for how best to provoke the interlopers.