Watch: Tourist poses with Buckingham Palace horse by grabbing its reigns — bad idea

The Royal Guards are NOT just some whimsical tourist attraction?

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Like these guys!

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There’s Maccers everywhere mate.

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Oh I agree, good for him. But at some level, a soldier in a breastplate on a horse with a sword…All of that is not about making him a more effective protector for the Queen. So at some level it really IS there for the amusement of the tourists.

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You need some Suffolk Punch!

See here for more info than you need about the differences between many types of draught horses in the 1800s

This soldier appears to be part of the Household Calvary Mounted Regiment and does not carry modern weaponry. Per Wikipedia this specific regiment is “tasked primarily with ceremonial duties,” which is really pretty obvious, given the uniform and armor.

It’s up to debate whether a unit that’s purpose is to perform ceremonial duties in front of the public is a “whimsical tourist attraction” but it’s obviously dangerous and disrespectful to touch the horse’s reins under any circumstances.

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True but it’s sad that mickey D’s is the ONLY place they want to eat. We make it a point to sample local foods. (Examples: Verona: baby octopus boiled in milk. Barbados: flying fish sandwich. Manila: Street vendor food.)

Yes, fair enough! :grin: Their role here is not practical in any sense. But still deserving of respect and boundaries, anyway. If nothing else, never touch someone’s horse without permission. That’s basic, but most people have nearly zero real world exposure to horses, so I guess people don’t know this.

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She should have known. She asked the horse for permission but it answered “Nay”

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Yeah I’m worried this is going to become an increasingly common phenomenon. They’re probably going to have to start arresting and fining people for it to stop.

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The trooper certainly bridled at her actions.

Or charging them.

Especially a young trooper who may have had only 20 weeks training.

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It is, pretty much, the exact response one might expect from a man with a naked sword and a shiny helmet upon fucking with his horse isn’t it? :grinning:

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Fun fact: McDonald’s often adapts its menu to cater to local tastes. You can get all sorts of tasty dishes that’ll never make it to America, all while sitting in the familiar McDonald’s setting. For people who are reluctant to expand their pallette this is basically the simplest way to dip a toe, so to speak.

Source: have eaten McDonald’s in dozens of countries; although I’m happy to try local food often my travel companions aren’t so open minded

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Heineken for breakfast at McDonalds in Prague. Fun times. Oh and mayo for fries.

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I knew you couldn’t get beer in American McDonald’s, but mayo? Really?

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It is good that the police over there have less guns. I am amazed that dumb tourists haven’t been shot by sentinels at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

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“I’ll have a Big Mac and Fries to go.”
“Do you want beer with that?”
“No, that’s make my food soggy.”

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Really. First tried it in the Netherlands. It’s awesome.

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They don’t let just any greenhorn join the Queen’s Guard. It’s an elite unit.

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Oh, I know. I was surprised it wasn’t available on fries in the US.

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