BRITS BEHAVING BADLY

I always associate a British accent (at least an upper class one) with public propriety and good manners. It probably comes from watching too much Masterpiece Theatre. So it was disconcerting last night to hear, with every consonant crisply enunciated,

"Mummy, Timothy is pushing me."

"No, Mother, I am not."

"Yes, Mummy, he is."

coming from a pair of very young riders on the tour bus. I guess kids are the same all around the world--big brothers harass their little sisters everywhere. No matter how well they speak.