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‘Is that normal in England?’: New Zealand vlogger questions British humour after Leicester street prank
A vlogger from New Zealand shared how strangers mocked him with a shoelace prank in England, drawing mixed reactions from online users.
A YouTuber of New Zealand origin has shared a video detailing a strange street encounter in Leicester, England, leaving viewers both amused and concerned. The vlogger, identified as Karl Rock, uploaded the clip to his Instagram account where it has already attracted more than 148k views.
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In the video, Karl can be seen walking along a Leicester street, narrating the incident. He explained, “The weirdest thing just happened to me here in Leicester in England. Just tell me if this is normal or what kind of people would do this. So these white kids walk past me and they go, Hey, your shoelace is undone. So I look down and my shoelace isn’t undone. So I said, Go away, because I knew they’re having a laugh. Then two adults walk past me and they go, Hey, your shoelace is undone. So I look down and it’s not. I thought maybe I was wrong. And then the whole family just stands there laughing at me, pointing at me saying, what an idiot. Just laughing their heads off really loud. Is that normal here in England to make fun of people walking along the street, especially tourists? And what kind of people would do that?”
Take a look here at the video:
Online reactions
The clip sparked a wave of responses online, with many debating whether the prank was harmless humour or outright rude behaviour. Some users found it hilarious while others called it unnecessary mockery.
One user wrote, “I thought the British sense of humor was top notch.. Looks like it's crumbled like the rest of UK” Another viewer said, “That is not funny. It is just rude and makes tourists feel unwelcome.”
Another comment added, “Karl, welcome to England. People love playing silly jokes like that, especially in smaller towns.” Meanwhile, someone else remarked, “This isn’t a prank, it’s childish bullying. No need to embarrass someone for no reason.”
Others tried to downplay the incident, with one person noting, “You’re overthinking it. Happens all the time here, just laugh it off.” Another user observed, “If you had laughed along, they would have respected you more. That’s how it works here.”
Another user said, “Not everyone in England behaves like that. It’s unfair to generalise, but yes, some people can be unnecessarily mean.”
