Just in case one doesn't know how to act in England, reminders are routinely issued, both verbally and visually.
Everyone is familiar with "mind the gap." However on Sunday and Monday, Bill and I were struck by just how many directives were being issued by public announcement systems on all matters of behaving with decorum in public. We were told how to cue (queue?) up in the elevator (lift) upon exiting the subway. Crosswalks were painted with the words "look right" or "look left." But our favorite imperative was issued upon arriving at the Oxford train station. We had to take the lift to a bridge that crosses the tracks. A number of people had lined up ahead of us with their suitcases in hand. As the last two travellers entered the crowded elevator, the elevator exhorted those passengers to "stay calm." When the elevator returned to carry us and another couple to the street level, we noticed that we did not receive such an admonition. Did the previous group test the patience of an elevator waiting to close its doors? How did it know?
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