We asked people from other cities what they think about Londoners

Most people migrate to London after they graduate uni, and the general consensus is that the city changes them irrevocably. But how? We asked people from everywhere else in the UK for their myths and legends about the capital. This is what they said:

Londoners really love going on about being from London

Ellie, 20, from Bridgend in Wales, says: “The thing about people from London is you always know they’re from London. It’s like a compulsion where they have to tell people.”

Londoners are rude and deeply unfriendly

Welsh Ellie says: “People from Wales are much nicer, I feel like Londoners don’t really care about each other. Maybe it’s because there’s so many of them. And they always complain about the tube. I literally don’t care about your Oyster card.”

20-year-old Jen, from Leicestershire, says: “The London accent is just so grating, and everyone is so rude. No one thanks the bus drivers. Everyone is always rushing off to brunch or to work in the City, and they’re all hyper-trendy. Everything is about 20 times more expensive in London. I’m not entirely sure Londoners realise that there is a world outside London. The only redeeming feature of the Londoner is that they’re generally quite fit.”

Londoners are cool and fit

Jane, 20, from Armagh in Northern Ireland said:”I think they are always very cool. They know a lot about random shit that you don’t. Londoners won’t share their food with you – they aren’t generous – but they’re banging in bed so it’s all good. They have sexy accents too.”

22-year-old Adam, from Barrow-in-Furness, says: “The biggest preconception about London before moving here is that it is unwelcoming. Generally, I have found Londoners to be pleasant people. I think the unfriendly image probably comes from the pretty awful experience of using the tube during busy hours — but I challenge you to find a Northerner who isn’t prickly at 8am on a Monday morning. Night outs are ok. The choice of ‘night’ is incredible but the expense is something I’ve yet not fully been able to get over. It is a very good-looking city. Maybe that is just because there are more people and by default there are more fit people.”

Florence, from Devon, agreed: “I think it’s generalising quite a bit but they definitely care more about their appearance. I like beardy men though so I can’t complain. Both my brother and sister live in London and when I go visit them I honestly don’t know how they do it. They grew up in the countryside and went to uni there – supposedly better with better career opportunities.”

Londoners only care about jobs and money

Florence also told me: “That’s all people in London seem to care about – career. I don’t know if it’s just the Shoreditch vegan hipsters but they seem to have no real common sense of anything important. I just don’t think they spend enough time thinking about the people around them – I don’t get how they can’t talk on public transport or even look at each other- it’s like everyone is guilty or competing London definitely has great things to it – the gigs and fancy burger places and the fashion. But after a few days you miss the overalls and wellies and the smell of pig shit.”

Londoners are arrogant as fuck

Lucy, from Hampshire, told me: “My boyfriend is a Londoner and you’d think he was born in Bethlehem the way he talks about the city. It’s like being born in South West makes you a Demi God. I’m not saying he’s not kind and funny and friendly and decent but dear god why do Londoners think their city is so great and that that by default makes them the leaders of the western civilisation?

“I genuinely think he believes he discovered jungle and garage music and that’s definitely a by-product of being a London boy. And yeah he can be a bit rude or at least a little obtuse: I reckon that’s because in a city it’s a race for survival whereas in the countryside we’re all wanting to help each other. Anyway, I don’t know if he’s a perfect example of a Londoner but he’s born and bred and he’s a pain in the arse.”

Kyle, from Cambridge, said: “The biggest problem with Londoners is they think they’re so great. They’re just so arrogant. London ain’t that fab, and neither are they. They’d push you down the stairs to get on the tube. I mean, sure I’d bang most of them, but that’s neither here nor there.”

Max, who hails from Stratford-Upon-Avon, says: “I’ve met some great people from London, and I’ve met some absolute dickheads. There’s a degree of confidence which Londoners have about them which can turn to cockiness and means that when you meet a dickhead from London they are the biggest dickhead you’ve ever met and it kinda builds up the ‘arrogant southerner’ stereotype. Saying that I’ve met people who think they’re the absolute shit because they’re from the North and that attitude annoys me as much as people thinking they’re the shit because they’re from London. People can be proud of where they’re from without thinking that pride allows them to see themselves as better than anyone else.”

Londoners move everywhere very fast all of the time

Burnley born Lucy said: “I’ve been to London like 3 or 4 times but I think of London I think of the tube and there they are always running around very fast like little ants and they get grumpy if you get in their way. They don’t like helping lost little northerners such as myself, but they’re also too reserved to say anything rude so they just stare you down instead. I can’t decide if I like the accent or hate it, it is marmite, but I once kissed a Londoner and he had a thick snake-like tongue, which was pretty gross.”

Londoners are afraid of social interaction

Proud Brummie Ciaran said: “My favourite memory that epitomises Londoners is one which took place on a day trip to LDN a couple of years back. As a proud Brummie, I pride myself in being friendly and always being there to help any tourists lost in my city. But when I was lost myself around Trafalgar, I tapped a woman on the shoulder to ask for directions and in her thick cockney accent, she screamed “TAKE MY BAG! TAKE MY BAG! I MEAN NO HARM!” and ran away crying into the horizon.

It was a very bizarre but hilarious moment which highlights to me that most Londoners are terrified of new people and find comfort in the things that they are used to. This has always stood out to me as a definitive personality trait of a certain group of Londoners. It’s not my fave accent either I’m not gonna lie, it’s very generic and normal. Give me a Scouse or Welsh accent any day. I’ve never found London lads particularly amazing looking, but I just love northern lads and I do think it’s true that the more northern you go, the nicer people are…”