Strange

'Polite' Britons died on Titanic

by Marisa Olivia | January 22, 2009 at 10:49 am

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According to a BBC report, researchers have found that British passengers were more likely to die in the Titanic disaster, because they queued politely for lifeboats.

A behavioural economist says data suggests Britons in that era were more inclined to be "gentlemanly" while Americans were more "individualist".

Women with children had a 70% better chance of survival than men in such an environment, he told the BBC.

The study was conducted by David Savage of the Queenland University of Technology.

He said that in testimonies from inquiries in America and Britain just after the event, there were a lot of statements from women saying their husbands put them on lifeboats.

Mr Savage said: "There was one gentleman who was rather wealthy... who went back downstairs after he put his wife on the [life] boat... put on his tuxedo...went back upstairs and smoked... with the idea that if I am going die, I may as well die as a gentleman and well-dressed."