The generations are most split on swearing and slow walking
People playing music or videos on their phones out loud is the public nuisance of the moment. So badly is Britain plagued by this audio menace, the Liberal Democrats have seen an opportunity to make political capital by proposing to fine perpetrators up to £1,000 for playing their entertainment out loud on public transport – a move which a YouGov poll found 62% of Britons support.
But is playing music and video content out loud the biggest public faux pas’ people can make? With the help of a preliminary open survey question, we drew up a list of common complaints Britons have about the actions of their fellow citizens to see which bother them the most.
The results show that almost eight in ten Britons (79%) say that people playing music or videos out loud on their phone speakers bothers them, including 41% who say it bothers them “a great deal”. Only 20% say they aren’t particularly phased by the imposition of other people’s media consumption.
While loud phone audio might be the most zeitgeisty irritant, it does not actually make the top five from our list.
In the top spot is failing to clean up dog poo, which gets the goat of fully 97% of Britons, including bothering 83% “a great deal”.
Littering is another major irritant, with 96% saying it bothers them, as does coughing or sneezing without covering up (88%), spitting on the ground (87%) and not making room for others to pass on the pavement (87%).
At other end of our list, just 11% of Britons told us that children playing ball games bothered them to a significant extent. We included this option following the launch of a recent campaign in London to take down the thousands of “no ball games” signs across the capital, with the results finding 88% finding little to no offence in kids playing ball games in public places.
What bothers the genders and generations differently?
While young people might be primarily be seen to be the main perpetrators of loud music and video intrusion on public transport, most people from across all age groups find the behaviour bothersome. And though the youngest Britons might be less likely to say so than the oldest (72% of 18-24 year olds vs 85% of over-65s), there are far more generationally divisive behaviours.
Swearing sits atop that list, with only 24% of 18-24 year olds saying it bothers them but fully 77% finding the practice uncouth – the results mirror a recent YouGov study that delved into more detail on public attitudes to swearing.
Older Britons are also notably more likely to be bothered by those who ride bikes or scooters on the pavement, and those who likewise leave such two-wheelers lying in the middle of the pavement.
For their part, it is walking-related crimes that are more likely to exercise young people, particularly those who walk slowly, which 65% of 18-24 year olds find bothersome even if only 17% of the over-65s say the same. Most younger Britons (80%) are also annoyed by those who stop suddenly while walking, compared to 52% among the oldest generation.
By contrast, the biggest differences between genders are more hygiene-related. Women prove notably more bothered by people spitting on the ground, at 94% compared to 79% among men. They are also more likely to be upset by coughing or sneezing without covering the mouth or nose, swearing, and smoking.
How much does people playing music out loud on public transport annoy you? How do you feel about other people's behaviour in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
