In east London I have been snubbed a few times for saying "excuse me" rather than "excuse me please". My children have similarly been disciplined for saying it wrong, even when they were very young. East Londoners are unusually polite people (save on the tube) and will apologise profusely when you bump into them, and for other surprising reasons, for example, when their child cries after falling off her bike onto the pavement. But, in order to exist authentically in east London, you probably will not want to annoy anyone, so it's best to learn the language and be polite. Alternatively, "sorry" can also be used, but it is less likely to get a response.
This song from Dizzy Rascal (from Bow) is appropriately called "Excuse Me Please". To make this song even more hilarious, the term following "excuse me please" is "f**k it" -- you always have to be doubly polite, even when you are swearing!
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