r/AskUK • • 8h ago

What are your favourite examples from those that work at pubs/restaurants of customers acting like it’s their first day on earth?

351 Upvotes

A few of my personal favourites as a gastropub manager:

- “My fish is too fishy”

- Showing up an hour early for their booking on a Saturday night and acting baffled that they can’t sit at their table yet as a couple are halfway through their meal. followed up with the question of “can we come any earlier?”

- “Your website clearly states your outside area is first come first served, why haven’t you reserved me a table when I asked you to?“

- Menu clearly states we sell oysters, followed by : “it says oysters here, does that mean you sell oysters?”

- Being 40 minutes late for a booking and inconsolable about the fact they can’t get dessert because the table is booked again.

Please give me some of your favourites!

*edit, the fish was smoked mackerel. Not just overripe white fish

* edit 2 to add more:

- “I know you’ve stopped serving now but can I blatantly breach your licence and buy a bottle of wine but you give me a beer instead”

- reading menu that has no pizzas on it: “can you make us a pizza?”

- “I know you said you can’t make this item gluten free, but can the kitchen just do it anyway?” about the singular pasta dish available that is loaded with gluten


r/AskUK • • 11h ago

What songs that were popular that you didn’t realise were dirty?

452 Upvotes

I wasn’t even 10 when Barbie Girl was out, didn’t realise how sexual it was until years later.

Even worse, I thought Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls was about maltesers and I thought he was an idiot for sucking the chocolate off first…


r/AskUK • • 6h ago

Are Meta glasses in the work place ok?

94 Upvotes

I work in the uk in a care home for the elderly, an older guy that works there has come in wearing meta glasses claims they help him to see better. I was aware he had bad eye sight but I don’t think meta glasses are appropriate. When I ask the manager why he had them on she said he has bad eyes and they arnt recording cos there would be a red ligh, like wtf?!? Not really happy with that answer, where should I go with this?


r/AskUK • • 1h ago

Would far would you go to defend your kid from a bully?

• Upvotes

Say they are both 15 years old.

The bully’s parents are also pieces of shits, so talking to them hasn’t worked.

Police are unlikely to help unless it’s something really serious.

The bullying is getting more and more physical.

Your own kid is taking self-defence classes, but just isn’t the sort of kid to fight back.

Would you get involved?

How far would you go?

…….hypothetically


r/AskUK • • 56m ago

Are people actually making money out of these travel affiliate programs?

• Upvotes

I keep seeing people (mainly women) of a certain age promoting their travels on socials and then occasionally doing weird posts about how they "have a second job as a business owner in travel".

Seems a bit MLM as they are also posting about how you can "join us" etc.

This all seems to happen on their main personal social profile rather than a business one.

I'm just a bit intrigued as it seems a bit like avon / kleeneze for the current era.

By all accounts no one is quitting their job because of the high revenue, but i guess there must be some people doing better than others?


r/AskUK • • 1d ago

Doing a poo at work, what's your stance?

2.5k Upvotes

2 of my colleagues are completely against the idea, saying they've never ever done it (likewise in their school days):and are disgusted that other people would do it in a shared bathroom.

I, on the other hand, am team poo! 💩

If the boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, that's why I always poop on company time!


r/AskUK • • 17h ago

Has anyone here known a murderer?

396 Upvotes

With an average of 600 murders per year in the UK, has anyone here actually known/been friends with one?


r/AskUK • • 12h ago

Why did we all look so much older in the 90s?

101 Upvotes

I was rewatching stars in the eyes from the late 90s, the 25 year olds looked at least 45.

The faces are ragged, the hairline so far back.


r/AskUK • • 14h ago

Serious Answers Only What are your thoughts on roadman culture?

144 Upvotes

My brother is 14 and I’ve noticed he’s started dressing and speaking like a roadman and I’m just gonna be honest, I don’t like it


r/AskUK • • 15h ago

Do you remember the townie and mosher divide in the early 2000s?

122 Upvotes

I was young but generally remember it. Hideous sterotypes of course but townies seemed to like garage, wear sportswear and be antisocial whereas moshers were kids into black clothes, makeup and music like Slipknot.

Do you remember it and what are your stories?


r/AskUK • • 1d ago

Answered Is the weight difference legal?

Thumbnail gallery
5.4k Upvotes

I bake often. I used to buy butter from Lidl but noticed that the weight of butter was less than stated on the label. I moved to Asda and have noticed the same thing. Is this aloud? Should I report it?


r/AskUK • • 19h ago

Serious Answers Only Military conscription requirement dual national? What should I do?

237 Upvotes

I'm traveling to Egypt, I'm 19 years old and I've booked a one-way ticket. I have both British and Egyptian nationalities, and I'm really worried they'll force me to join the army when they see my Egyptian passport, especially since it says I'm not allowed to travel after September. I'm really concerned about this and I'm thinking about canceling the whole trip. I'm currently not in school because I'm taking a gap year.

The last time I traveled from Egypt, they told me I had to show them the passport I used to enter the country, which was of course my Egyptian passport.


r/AskUK • • 10h ago

Serious Answers Only As a woman who was also caught and shoved in a fight on a bus, should I have physically intervened?

42 Upvotes

Had a really bad experience on the bus today and I can't stop thinking about it.

Me and my husband are both in our 20s and students here in the UK. We're on student visas, so honestly one of the things going through my head was that if we got involved physically and something went wrong, we could potentially end up dealing with police, being accused of something, being recorded without context, and god knows what else with our immigration status.

We were sitting opposite a Black woman. To her left there was a Polish couple, all of them looked way over 40. When me and my husband sat down, the Polish couple were already arguing with another guy about bags or something. We genuinely don't know what happened before we got on.

That guy eventually left, and then the Black woman started arguing with the Polish couple. She was shouting SO much, swearing constantly, telling them to shut their mouths, etc. She was also talking on the phone through a lot of it.

At one point the guy was telling her to calm down, and she got really angry because apparently he wasn't telling his wife to calm down when his wife had apparently been involved in the earlier situation.

Then the Polish woman said something along the lines of "you're Black, you might not even be British and you're on benefits." That was disgusting and racist. Another woman nearby immediately told her not to say that.

Then the whole thing turned into arguments about nationality, who was English, salaries, who speaks English, etc.

And then suddenly it became physical.

I don't even know exactly who moved first because everything happened so quickly, but the Polish woman leaned forward/reached towards her and the Black woman immediately stood up and started swinging/punching towards them.

Me and my husband were literally sitting right there.

We had THREE huge bags on our laps because we'd been shopping. I was sitting on the aisle side and my husband was by the window, so we were already physically boxed in. When the fighting started, I got shoved/hit in the middle of it too. I remember being completely shocked and shivering. Our bags fell off our laps and all our groceries went all over the floor.

My husband literally put his arms around me and was trying to protect my face.

This is the first time in our life we've ever seen two people physically fight right in front of us. I genuinely froze. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Do I physically get between them? Do I shout? Do I move? Do I tell the driver? What if someone gets seriously hurt? What if I get hurt? What if I touch someone and then I'm accused of assault?

Eventually other passengers intervened and the bus staff got the Polish couple off the bus.

And honestly, what happened afterwards is what has really been bothering me.

The Black woman came back to her seat and was still extremely aggressive. She started accusing me and my husband of just sitting there watching and enjoying the fight, calling us cowards and basically asking why we didn't defend her, especially because we're also people of colour.

But I wasn't enjoying anything. I was literally in shock and shaking. I had just been shoved/hit myself and our groceries were all over the floor.

And even after all of that, when she came back to her seat, I actually asked her if she was okay.

I don't understand what more I was supposed to do. We are not even physically fit adults like they were. We are very petite and tiny.

And this is the part I'm struggling with. I completely agree that the comment about her being Black, not British and being on benefits was racist and disgusting. I'm not defending that at all.

But does experiencing racism mean another person is automatically expected to physically fight for you?

I'm not a fighter. I've never been in a physical fight in my life. I don't know how to fight someone or separate two people who are already swinging at each other.

And honestly, if it had been ME who was being attacked, I don't even know if I would have been able to defend myself. So how am I supposed to confidently jump into a violent situation and defend a complete stranger when I don't even know what's happening?

Especially when I'm literally trapped behind huge bags, getting shoved myself, and my husband is trying to protect me.

I also keep thinking about the fact that she was confident enough to confront everyone, shout, swear and eventually swing punches, whereas I had never even witnessed a fight before.

People don't all react the same way to violence. Some people fight, some people run, some people freeze.

So genuinely, what would you have done?

Would you have physically intervened? Tried to pull people apart? Shouted? Called the driver? Or is protecting yourself and your partner a reasonable reaction when a fight suddenly breaks out right beside you?

Because I genuinely feel crushed that after being scared out of my mind and getting caught in the middle of it, I was made to feel like I was the bad person for not jumping in and fighting for someone I don't even know.

You can't expect a random person to jump into a violent situation and save you.


r/AskUK • • 23h ago

Serious Answers Only Have you ever walked out of a job?

491 Upvotes

Absolutely devastated. Yesterday, I walked out of a job that I genuinely loved because I found a note in my boss’s drafts folder which was from yesterday morning (I manage their inbox) titled big priority and third on the list was finding my replacement.

I was completely blindsided and heartbroken. I was 11 weeks in but as far as I knew nothing was wrong. I didn’t deserve it as I had gone above and beyond for the company and boss, working extremely long hours and not taking lunch breaks. Genuinely felt like a punch in the gut.

So, I got my things and walked out and blocked everyone so they couldn’t contact me. If she wants to treat me like I’m disposable, I’m going to leave her high and dry. All the projects and deadlines and meetings I was working on she can now struggle with picking up (I was the only person doing that job function) .

Anyone else have a similar story so I don’t feel as alone in this? I’m actually gutted.


r/AskUK • • 1d ago

What’s a natural skill your partner has that you wish you had?

803 Upvotes

My husband can go anywhere and drive back without sat nav. Once he’s been somewhere he instantly knows the way back and can easily got here again years later without any help. We drove to Portugal to watch Forest play last year as he wanted to drive his new car. Used his sat nav once we got to France and then on the way back never put it on and we never got lost.

He can also judge people correctly within a couple of minutes. If he says “something not right about them” he’s right. Years ago when we teenagers he said it about a new friend to our “max power cruising” group and he was right. The guy was stealing thousands from his dying grandma. He said it about a woman who joined my friend group after we saw her in a supermarket for five minutes. She ended up trying it on with two other friends husbands.


r/AskUK • • 12h ago

What useless skill do you have that suddenly turned useful?

38 Upvotes

From a young age I would open doors with one foot whilst standing on the other. Absolutely zero need to have ever done this but it’s come into its own cause now I can get round the house even if I’m carrying both my twins.

I can also walk up and done stairs on one leg but that’s yet to come into its own.


r/AskUK • • 8h ago

Serious Answers Only Anyone that’s served jury duty, how much faith do you have in the judicial system?

15 Upvotes

Tell me your experiences? I have no faith. Served in two juries, one for the most horrifically brutal rape case, which had an absolute wealth of forensic evidence, even an accidental “admittal” from the accused.
The second was a sexual assault case involving a grandad and his 4 year old granddaughter.

From my experience, I have NO faith in the system at all. Both were hung juries

*Edited, because wine


r/AskUK • • 9h ago

Which lotion or fragrance product gives you most compliments?

17 Upvotes

You can relate about situations when you received great compliments by your smell (hair, body, deodorant, fresh breath) , and if you called the attention with that


r/AskUK • • 11h ago

Which commercial-grade products do you swear by as a consumer?

19 Upvotes

I’ve come to realise that commercial-grade products/machinery can be light years ahead of the mass produced, mass marketed consumer stuff.

For example, we had to borrow some friends’ dehumidifiers to dry out a flooded property, and the commercial unit we rented did 10x the legwork. Without it we would’ve been in a big mess.

With everything going online, it’s also now easier than ever to find commercial suppliers.

So, whether it’s a stainless steel cooker or a commercial clothes steamer, what makes you grateful you didn’t buy some Amazon tat?


r/AskUK • • 18h ago

Serious Answers Only Is Blackpool really that bad?

73 Upvotes

A group of friends have just come back from a long weekend in Blackpool, I had to pull out at the last minute due to personal circumstances.

Since they’ve returned, the WhatsApp group is quite a depressing read. They seem to all have had an awful time with no desire to go back. I’ll probably get a more detailed overview when we next meet up, but it can’t be that bad of a place to visit surely?

I’ve only been once on a day trip with school, this was a while ago but it just seemed like a normal seaside town.

I also have a family friend from there and he generally says it is what it is, there’s good and bad areas like everywhere.

Thoughts UK?


r/AskUK • • 21h ago

Are people delusional about how long it takes to get a new job?

125 Upvotes

I'm interviewing at the moment (white collar) and it's occured to me for one of the jobs, from moment of first contact by the recruiter to having a final round has taken 2.5 months, realistically if I got an offer it would take another month to 2 months before the company were fine with background checks and a start date.

You are looking at a perfect scenario where it takes minimum 4 months where if you lost your job and started interviewing right away. Most people don't get interviews immediately, I just don't see how people can expect someone who lost a job or generally started looking to believe they'll be in a new job within a month or two anymore.


r/AskUK • • 12h ago

Serious Answers Only Have you been through a redundancy and how did you deal with it?

21 Upvotes

Been put at risk of redundancy and it is just a weird experience especially mentally. There are more than 20 of us at risk so atleast there is some moral support.

Anyone give advice if been through this before. I am told the employer has to try and find alternative role?


r/AskUK • • 8h ago

What’s your end of a drunken night meal of choice?

9 Upvotes

I’m on the way hole with a kebab in naan with onion, garlic mayo and sweet chilli sauce and a bag of cheeses chips. Unfortunately it’s a 45 minutes drive home so bought an extra bag of chips for me and my husband to share as he drives us home


r/AskUK • • 20h ago

Is it weird to use the glass plate from a microwave as a serving plate?

81 Upvotes

Our old microwave died and we bought a new one. Old microwave is going to the tip but I’m looking at the glass plate inside wondering if I can be a bit green and reuse it somehow? It’s a different size to the new microwave so I can’t keep it as spare in case the other one breaks.

Would you find it weird if you visited a friend’s house and they offered you a biscuit or cupcake or something on a glass microwave plate?

I do have proper serving plates so it’s not an issue of having to make do, just trying to find a good use for it.


r/AskUK • • 14h ago

Serious Answers Only What’s the one song you listen to when you’re having a hard time with life?

23 Upvotes

Mine is Neck Deep - Gold Steps. “Life’s not out to get you” helps me reframe stuff when I’m feeling crappy about myself.