What should a tourist do in central London if they get harassed by drunks?

Question

I gotr harrassed while trying to read a map by two guys who were standing in the entrance of Barbican tube at 11:30 pm, Friday. They looked like city workers and were drunk. I walked away before they got worse. If I had told the police would they have seen it as too trivial since no specific threats were made?

Answer 1

Smile politely and walk away.  Never ever try and engage them in conversation because either they will think

1. They're in with a chance

or

2. You want a fight

It's the same as bad behaviour in children - ignore the bad behaviour and they will get bored because they are not getting any attention.

Answer 2

Carry on walking and dont talk to them..

Alot of british people drink, its something they do down here dont worry they wont hurt you most of them anyway.

If your a tourist be very careful at night make sure ur in a busy area with lots of people as you dont know what crazy people are in the world

Answer 3

you did the right thing walk away... dont bother calling 999 as the police would have taken forever to deal with your problem and if they did deal with it they would just send in the plastic police.. yes we have a law now that says you cant have an opened bottle of booze on a train/bus but who is gonna enforce it...??? its not gonna stop drunks getting on the train/bus

Answer 4

Get drunk and harrass them back.

Answer 5

I know it is hard but the best thing to do is ignore them until they get bored, and make sure you are in an area which is well lit up.

unfortunately we do have a culture where on Friday night it is seemed as normal to become silly drunks and harass people.

Sorry you had to deal with that. x we are not all that bad!

Answer 6

well as long as your not hurt you should be fine! One thing about England is they sure do love to drink its there culture. Just make sure you watch all around you

Answer 7

No, you should have reported their drunken behaviour to the police.  What has happened to you is what is classified in English Law as a 'verbal assault'.  Here in England a verbal assault is a criminal offence - you have rights and protections in English Law no matter who you are or where you come from.

As a Londoner I can only say I'm sorry your day was ruined by a couple of drunks - how dare they?

Answer 8

The Police would not have taken it very seriously I'm afraid, there are more serious things going on in London, such as drugs, shootings and stabbings.  Stiff upper lip and walk away they were just idiots and don't deserve your time!

Answer 9

I understood there are by-laws in certain public places banning alcohol, especially on the tube. In my opinion you have the right to go about your business without being harassed and should have reported them.

Answer 10

Unfortunately the City turns into a bit of a bear pit on a Friday night.

You did the right thing in walking away, but for future reference if you report it to a nearby policeman or the Underground station staff they will usually take it very seriously.  Don't bother ringing 999, this is for emergencies only and they probably wouldn't respond to you if nobody was hurt or threatened.

I would like to apologise to you on behalf of the millions of decent Londoners who can have a drink without behaving like a moron.  Hope it didn't have too negative impact on your stay and that you enjoyed yourself.

Answer 11

You can be assured that the Police would have taken it seriously.

"Drunk and disorderly" or "conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace" are taken seriously by Courts and Police.

You are entitled to travel without any hindrance and the Police would have been very helpful. You would have contacted the City Police for this area - and they certainly don't take any nonsense from drunken city workers.

We even changed the rules last week, to make it an offence to have an open bottle / can of alcohol on any part of the tube network, so they would have been in double trouble.

If you have ever the slightest bother in London again, just call 999 or 112 from any phone - or go to a member of staff if you're at a tube station - they can radio for assistance immediately - and they don't want drunken idiots harassing them either.

Enjoy your stay, won't you, please!

Alun Hill MCIJ, Travel Journalist and Broadcaster

http://www.IslondonExpensive.com

Answer 12

Say " Hello Iain xx , I know you from answers".

He he.

Answer 13

I think you did the right thing as they didn't persist in harassing you. Why waste your holiday time on idiots?

Answer 14

You totally did the right thing.......walk away and don't give the time of day. Engaging with them would have been a bad idea.

I'm a total freak magnet, seriously, I am - I'm a tall, blonde American teenager, and every time I'm in London I get bugged either by drunks or your run-of-the-mill wankers. At Christmas last year I had a drunk guy flash me (full monty) on the street while I was on my way to Paddington Station. It was only like 8 in the evening.... Another time I had a guy in broad day light come up and say something extremely crude, and then he followed me all the way from Buckingham Palace to Victoria Station! He was like 40 and I was 14. I told a police officer & she was v kind. If you go to them calmly and point out a legitimate concern, they will help you. Yet another time I jumped on a bus going the wrong direction when a dude wouldn't leave me alone. I made the mistake then of looking right at him, and he seemed to take that as encouragement to keep at it. Ugh.

I've learned to avoid eye contact, be mindful of my surroundings at all times, and keep an arm over my bag.... I also like to listen to my iPod whenever I'm roaming about because it's a good excuse to pretend I can't hear them....

When ever you read a map or do anything that would id you as a tourist, try to be as discreet as possible. Just stand against the wall, out of the way.

I hope you have an awesome time in London. It really is an amazing city, despite the occasional drunk or wanker....

: )