Deceptive! It's not the ping times from you to the target. It's only the times from somewhere else.

Via Whoisxy:

Pinging google.com [74.125.224.210] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.224.210: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=57
Reply from 74.125.224.210: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=57
Reply from 74.125.224.210: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=57
Reply from 74.125.224.210: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=57
Ping statistics for 74.125.224.210:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 12ms, Maximum = 12ms, Average = 12ms

From my PC:

Pinging google.com [209.85.143.104] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 209.85.143.104: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=51
Reply from 209.85.143.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=51
Reply from 209.85.143.104: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=51
Reply from 209.85.143.104: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=51

Ping statistics for 209.85.143.104:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 24ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 25ms

And as for going to a UK target, you get the reverse exaggerated effect:

Via Whoisxy:

Pinging bbc.co.uk [212.58.241.131] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=242
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=242
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=242
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=242
Ping statistics for 212.58.241.131:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 123ms, Maximum = 123ms, Average = 123ms

From my PC:

Pinging bbc.co.uk [212.58.241.131] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=243
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=243
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=243
Reply from 212.58.241.131: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=243

Ping statistics for 212.58.241.131:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 10ms, Maximum = 11ms, Average = 10ms

I'm now on Fast Path.