This reminds me of the soldier that was killed in Canada last year, while on ceremonial guard duty at the National War Memorial. They didn’t have loaded guns.
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Not from London, but I think its just a class of tourist, you run into them any time you go to any tourist place, the more popular it is the more likely you are to see self-important morons causing trouble. I think its because a class of tourist thinks that they are more important the the actual locals, or the locals are there to keep them happy and amused. They think whichever local they are at is actually a themepark put there for their amusement.
This is why when I’m on vacation I try really hard NOT to be a tourist, I try to be “just another guy” but in another location.
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In Yellowstone some jackasses do this with bison.
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And that is why we have the Darwin Awards 
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Does anyone know this idea that it is acceptable to mess with them got started? I know that there is this long-standing trope of them stoically ignoring your hilarious hijinks, but is there a specific source of that? As far as I can tell people don’t do that to other guards around the world.
No, they are not “Made of Bear Fur.” You Lie, Sir! They are made from the shattered dreams of Napoleon, and commemorate the damn good thrashing of his grenadiers!
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From Wikipedia
Until 1959, the sentries at Buckingham Palace were stationed outside the fence. This stopped following an incident involving a female tourist and a Coldstream Guardsman – due to the continued pestering of tourists and sightseers, the guardsman kicked the tourist on the ankle as he marched. The tourist made a complaint to the police and, despite sympathy, the sentry was confined to barracks for ten days. Not long after, the sentries were moved inside the fence
so it’s been going on for a while.
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