Friends just got back from London vacation

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,162
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Their pound, which is like our dollar, is twice the value. 1 pound = 1.97 us dollars.

A burger king hamburger was $8 us dollars.

They have no "combo" meals. Everything is sold separate on the menu.

Gas is $8 us dollars a gal.
Few drive cars, however, they have an extensive mass transit system.
So to most, gas prices are moot.

They shared one fish n chips dinner in the hotel. Cost for one fish n chips = $36 us dollars.

People are thinner and in better health.
People walk much faster, like everyone is in a hurry.

For the most part people wear drab clothing. Grays and browns. Very few bright colors.

Gangs of young kids enjoy thrill killings using knives to stab to death random victims.
16 random youth gang stabbings so far this year. Its all the news over there. You hear nothing of it over here.
While they were there, a 16 year old girl was found stabbed to death in the hotel elevator.
A 4 star hotel.

No public tours of the Queens place, except when they are away on vacation.

They never heard of Wal-Mart over there.

Free universal health care.

Many museums are so large inside, they have bridges connecting different floors.
Kind of like in Harry Potter movies, except the bridges do not move.

The newly added attraction, "the eye", is like a huge farris wheel.
Each compartment holds 20-30 people.
Takes 30 minutes to make one complete revolution.
People have parties and get married while riding the "eye" (across from Big Ben).
You can get married at the top of the "eye", and divorced before you hit the bottom (joke).

Most attractions/museums are free of charge.

Allow three hours to go thru airport customs. Removing shoes required.

Note: This was some of their experience. Is this typical/factual???
 

TehMac

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2006
9,976
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Well, yes. Even the crime part, unfortunately. Courtesy of the British Labour thinking they know what's best for everyone.
 

txrandom

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2004
3,773
0
71
Damn, is good really that expensive? I'm going over there for 3 days in July. I may have to stock up on bread and cheese from France when I cross the channel.
 

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
5
81
Yep, better watch out if you're coming home with a kitchen knife. Its all illegal over there so nobody will get hurt.
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,162
136
Ps.
They ended up just using credit cards for purchases.
Less trouble in figuring out currency conversion
dollars to pounds.
Yes... they take visa.
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
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credit card companies add extra fees since they have to convert. Well both my AE and MC did. bastards
 

slsmnaz

Diamond Member
Mar 13, 2005
4,016
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Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
im curious what your definition of 'free' is

I guess since you don't get a bill afterwards they consider it free?

Originally posted by: sportage
They never heard of Wal-Mart over there.

I find that very hard to believe
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
19
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Sounds interesting, except for the stabbings part.

Did you happen to run into Bender's friend, Roberto?

HaHAAAAAAA!!
 

Pabster

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
16,986
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Originally posted by: Aimster
credit card companies add extra fees since they have to convert. Well both my AE and MC did. bastards

Should have used Capital One Platinum. No FETFs.
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,162
136
I understand "FREE", or no charge for the many museums or art galleries.
There was a charge for "the eye", and I think the "tower of London" also.

High food costs may have been because they produce little on their own.

In a restaurant, you can expect the bread to be from France, the drink from Italy, and so on. Most everything is imported, food wise.

Also, I wonder how they adsorb the "free healthcare' costs?


 

Bootprint

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2002
9,847
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Originally posted by: slsmnaz
Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
im curious what your definition of 'free' is

I guess since you don't get a bill afterwards they consider it free?

Originally posted by: sportage
They never heard of Wal-Mart over there.

I find that very hard to believe

But they do probably know what asda is.
 

QurazyQuisp

Platinum Member
Feb 5, 2003
2,554
0
76
Originally posted by: Aimster
credit card companies add extra fees since they have to convert. Well both my AE and MC did. bastards

It's not free for them. They have to buy/sell currencies to do transactions in them. They can make or lose money depending on the markets and so on.
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,162
136
Don't they smoke more over there?

Another thing I want to mention,
youth shoking is something they are trying to control.
Cigs do not have company logo's on the pack.
Just a large warning printed on the package.
And all cigs are stored out of sight, behind the counter.

The "no logo" thing sounds strange...
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,162
136
I wouldnt be surprised about the Wal-mart thing.
Why would they know or hear about our Wal-Marts?
Just as we never hear about the fad of youth gangs and random
thrill stabbings.

ps. They were really surprised to find bridges connecting different floors in the large museums and buildings, where as we have elevators and stairs in our buildings over here.

Now I get the Harry Potter moving bridge thing in the Harry Potter movies.
Strange to us, common to the Britt's.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
21,461
5,937
136
The health care isn't free, they pay for it every time a pound changes hands. Why the hell else would a big mac be 8 bucks?
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,472
1
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Originally posted by: sportage
They have no "combo" meals. Everything is sold separate on the menu.

:confused:

Combo meals have been available forever in BK and MCD.

Gas is $8 us dollars a gal.

It's closer to $9.

Few drive cars, however, they have an extensive mass transit system.
So to most, gas prices are moot.

The average number of people driving in London will be lower than the UK as a whole, but they still have a ridiculous amount of traffic there.

No public tours of the Queens place, except when they are away on vacation.

For Buckingham Palace, the State Rooms tour is only available during the summer, e.g. late July to late September. The Queen's Gallery is open most of the year.

They never heard of Wal-Mart over there.

They own ASDA, one of our largest food retailers. There was a big stink when the buyout happened, and ASDA's new retail methods/ideas are always referred to as coming from Wal-Mart. Generally, people aren't impressed. I'd be surprised if anyone hadn't heard of them over here. They even have the Wal-Mart name on the carrier bags that items are packed into.
 

Aluvus

Platinum Member
Apr 27, 2006
2,913
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Originally posted by: sportage
I wouldnt be surprised about the Wal-mart thing.
Why would they know or hear about our Wal-Marts?

Because it is the largest employer in the world.

And because as stated, Wal-Mart operates stores there under the ASDA name.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,472
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Originally posted by: sportage
Cigs do not have company logo's on the pack.
Just a large warning printed on the package.
And all cigs are stored out of sight, behind the counter.

I don't smoke but company logos are still on the cigarette packet. There is a warning which is about a third of the box front, at the bottom. I wouldn't say they're out of sight, definitely behind the counter but there's normally a large wall of them behind the cashier, spread across multiple shelves about 4 or 5 feet high. It's hard to miss.

 

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Jul 19, 2001
38,572
2
91
They have no "combo" meals. Everything is sold separate on the menu.

WTF are you talking about. Having eaten quite a few myself in the UK, thats totally wrong.
 

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Jul 19, 2001
38,572
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BTW, if thats what your friends told you about London, it sounds like they just like to complain... IMO

I've been lucky enough to visit London a few times and have loved it every single time. My only complaint is the shitty exchange rate, but thats not their fault.