Clare Foges writes about how British politeness can sometimes put people, especially women, at risk. She notes that a campaign called "Take Five To Stop Fraud" encourages Brits to end phone calls abruptly with scammers rather than being courteous. The article highlights a survey where 53% of British respondents stay on scam calls due to politeness concerns, compared to 43% in the U.S. Foges argues that women are particularly at risk because they're conditioned to be nice and polite even when it's dangerous, recounting an incident where she felt compelled to meet a stranger for drinks despite feeling uncomfortable.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
A Brit, even if they are alone, forms an orderly queue of one.
asserted
they → form → one
No one waits their turn like us.
asserted
one → wait → us
No other nation says ‘thank you’ more than us either – fact.
asserted
nation → say → us
In no other country is ‘sorry’ scattered through conversation like confetti: ‘sorry for brushing past’; ‘sorry, do you have the time?’
asserted
you → scatter → time
But it can also work against us.
asserted
it → work → us
A new campaign warns that British courtesy is being exploited by fraudsters who keep us yakking on the phone, all the better to scam us.
asserted
who → warn → us
A survey finds that 53 per cent of us stay on calls, unable to bring the thing to a conclusion for fear of looking rude.
asserted
cent → find → fear
Meanwhile only 43 per cent of Americans do the same.
asserted
cent → do → same
Presumably once the penny drops they bark a ‘see ya later, punk!’ a la Dirty Harry.
asserted
they → drop → Harry
And so the Take Five To Stop Fraud national campaign is encouraging us to ‘master the art of impoliteness’.
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campaign → stop → impoliteness
Fronted by Strictly’s famously sharp-tongued judge Craig Revel Horwood, we are being encouraged to jettison concerns about being polite; to treat unwarranted callers with the same derision as dancers who have just delivered a lacklustre cha-cha-cha.
asserted
who → front → cha
A spokeswoman from the campaign said the aim is to give people ‘permission to put protection before politeness’.
asserted
aim → say → politeness
It is sound advice that we should all heed – and women most of all.
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we → heed → all
Despite decades of feminism, the belief that girls should embody sugar, spice and all things nice still lingers.
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girls → embody → sugar
Yes, if you talk about the ‘societal conditioning of women’, you sound like someone who would blame getting a parking ticket on ‘the patriarchy’.
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who → talk → patriarchy
Somewhere along the line we imbibe the idea that the highest female quality is niceness – and this means women are polite when they really shouldn’t be.
asserted
they → imbibe → idea
I have long wondered how many crimes perpetrated against women happen partly because a woman is too polite - to say no, to act on a sense of unease, writes Clare Foges
I have long wondered how many crimes perpetrated against women happen partly because a woman is too polite – to say no, to act on a sense of unease, to reject the offer of a walk home.
I wonder because it almost happened to me.
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it → wonder → me
While on a trip overseas about 15 years ago, I met a friendly Canadian man at a hostel.
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I → meet → hostel
We played a board game, had a beer – that was it.
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that → play → beer
I gave him my number because that’s what you do when you’re travelling: ‘If you’re ever in London, let me know!’
asserted
me → give → London
Did I fancy a drink?
asserted
I → fancy → drink
Here was my first opportunity to say ‘no’.
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opportunity → say → ?
It was a cold evening, I was tired and wanted to head straight home from work.
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I → want → work
I’d only met the bloke for an hour or so before.
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I → meet → hour
In the same situation a man would have ignored the text message.
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man → ignore → message
But up popped Miss Polite, a honey-toned inner voice: he’s so far from home!
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he → pop → home
It would be rude not to meet.
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It → meet → ?
In a West End bar one drink turned into three.
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drink → turn → three
I was bored and longing to go home – but Miss Polite over-ruled such rudeness.
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Polite → long → rudeness
It would hurt his feelings, after all.
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It → hurt → feelings
I would stay until last orders then bid him farewell.
asserted
I → stay → farewell
When time at the bar was called, I started making my exit.
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I → call → exit
‘We must do it again when you’re next in town,’ I fluffed, though, again, this was the last thing I wanted to say.
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I → do → town
He started insisting on walking me home.
asserted
He → start → me
‘Honestly, that’s really kind but it’s not far and it’s well-lit,’ I protested.
asserted
I → ’ → ?
But he carried on insisting, it felt awkward and Miss Polite over-ruled yet again.
asserted
Polite → carry → ?
He’s trying to do the gallant thing!
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He → try → thing
So off we went.
asserted
we → go → ?
At my door there were a few excruciating minutes when I tried to bid him goodbye, door key in hand, while he stood rooted to the spot.
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he → be → spot
He was starving, he said.
asserted
he → starve → ?
…and 41 more, not listed.
The Aporia
