GET BACK FROM THE QUEEN'S GUARD!

[snooper2]

I usually never post in caps, but sometimes it is appropriate

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[MineralMan]

1. Why on Earth would anyone do that?

That person is lucky he didn't get butt-stroked by the Queen's Guard. What a moron!

[HassleCat]

2. A line not to be crossed

They have to tolerate the mocking, but not the touching. Stupid tourists.

[Scootaloo]

3. How stupid do you have to be?

Not just stupid but also kind of an asshole. You never see British tourists hassling the men guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at arlington.

[Shankapotomus]

4. In his defense

how can anyone in that hat be expected to be taken seriously?

[Nitram]

7. And their "silly walk."

Sometimes tradition preserves stuff that is just plain silly.

[CTyankee]

12. Their country, their choice...

I was very quiet and kept my distance when I was there. Some things you just don't do...

[Nitram]

16. I'd never touch someone uninvited, but I'm just sayin'

[Johnyawl]

9. He's got an assault rifle with a bayonet on it.

You take that man serious I don't care how silly his hat is.

[Nitram]

10. Sorry, he still looks silly.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Good Youtube comment:

Really, folk. They're not audio-animatronics. They're not Disney cast members. They are armed guards in heavy, uncomfortable uniforms, powered by discipline and duty and drill, following a long line of tradition.

Disrespecting them is tacky. Screwing around with them to the point of interfering with their activities is seriously contra-indicated.

and

Yes, let's mock then touch the guy with the assault rifle and bayonet. Nothing bad could happen here. It's a damn miracle nobody's been killed by one of them yet.

[jberryhill]

6. Keeping away from her cyclists is a good idea too

:large

[cwydro]

8. Years ago, I watched a group of German tourists doing this. I thought they were American

because they were acting like such jerks. I was relieved when I heard them talking. They were total jerks.

No excuse to put your hands on anyone you don't know, but especially stupid to do it to an armed man.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. German tourists have a bad reputation.

[foo_bar]

13. what, for highly structured vacations?

[DavidDvorkin]

14. No, for behaving badly in other countries.

[foo_bar]

15. I hadn't encountered that stereotype before.

Or maybe it's true, perception-wise, or maybe it's true in England (I'm sure it is in France, but I think it's a continuum with American at one end and German a couple angstroms to the left...) My only perception was 1) they had shitloads of vacation time (26 days minimum) and 2) they often liked to ride bicycles, 3) then I moved to Germany which confirmed both prejudices. But maybe I was running into hippie eco-tourist Germans, not the salt of the earth folk you meet at the Olive Garden in Times Square or whatever.