Vol. 1: things Londoners love to complain about
Complaining about things is a typical British trait, it helps to unify us together in a sense of collective dread. Complaining is a key part of the daily ritual when living in London, a ritual some may say is a vital source of stress relief, and we could not agree more!
This week in Things Londoner Lover to Complain About…
Transport
If you’re lucky enough to live in London then you will probably already know that complaining about public transport is pivotal to this shared experience, and therefore a shared topic when having a good olde moan. It is also a great filler topic, i.e. when interacting with other humans in the activity of mundane small talk just talk about how abysmal the trains are, and you will immediately bond. Magic.
Queue Jumping
If there is one thing we will not tolerate in London is a queue jumper, and we don’t mean those loud groups of people that pay to skip a queue to get into a club. We mean those of you that purposefully push in, or even ignore an entire queue in the first place. Queueing in Britain is an institution. And if you even think about doing any different please expect lots of passive-aggressive noises and complaints heading your way.
The weather
Londoners are renowned for their confusing, yet passionate, love and hate of the weather. We hate the rain and the wind, but we also really, really don’t enjoy the sweat that perfuses from our every orifice when riding the tube in the summer – especially, no offence, the Central Line, Bakerloo Line and Northern Line. You are the devil.
We complain whatever the weather. And that’s exactly how we like it.
Uber Surcharge
Uber was the shining light in the darkness; it was the noble stead that took you home whatever the time. It was a revolution. But now Uber seems to relish in making us pay more money for the pleasure of riding in a Toyota Prius; or, to use their terminology they now will charge us a ‘surcharge’ when they are ‘busy’.
This was once limited to big events and occasions such as Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, or of course on New Year's Eve. Now that pesky surcharge pops up its head whenever it feels like it. Add that on top of the Central London fee and the clean air fee and we might just revolt and start taking those garish tuk-tuks all the way home instead.
Pigeons
They are everywhere and they are savage. Rats of the sky. Pigeons never watch where they are going, and they most definitely never watch where their poo is going. That is all.
Have you got any pressing complaints of your own?
Click here to send us your complaints titled ‘Your Fix: Things Londoners Love to Complain About’ .
The Cinnamon Club had completely flown under the radar for me. It is in a pocket of London I rarely visit, and even if I did, the building’s exterior gives little indication of what’s inside. But now that I’ve discovered it, I already have plans to return with my husband - and in my mind, a list of friends I would recommend it to…