Things You Get Free with an Accent

Note to all Americans living in the UK: Our accent gets us free stuff!! Fancy that. We actually get a break here for being American! Apparently us sounding like movie stars seems to impress someone. So I've decided to take note of the things I seem to be able to get away with here that English people can't seem to do, because we should always know how to be able to push the English around, right? you know... all those Revolutionary war grudges we hold, right? ;-)

So, a general rule should be acknowledged for all Americans going anywhere... free water is not a rule outside the US. In fact, drinking tap water or a restaurant serving free water is practically unheard of anywhere else. (This is the same for taking home your left overs after a meal as well). So, yesterday, when I drank all the water in my water bottle and wanted to fill it up in a non-existent drinking fountain I found myself stuck. But here's where my 'I sound like a movie-star accent' finally came in handy. I strolled up to the counter, kindly asked if the guy would fill it up for me, he smiled and took my bottle happily. And to this exchange my English housemate commented, "That only happened because you're not English."

Well finally! We Americans are finally getting a break for something, and if I only get my water bottle filled up for free because I'm 'naive', I'll go for that. So, for the rest of the year, I've decided, if it's not too rude, to try and ask for things when I need them and see what happens. Maybe I'll get it, maybe I won't, but I suppose there's no reason not to try, right?

PS, everyone should shop at Primark when in England.... just FYI.