you must lead a very sheltered life if those are your top ten peeves. Try living in the USA for 24 hours. I recently objected to the behaviour of a young man i saw hit a small boy so har that he knocked him to the floor. The response was to kick my old man's ass. I declined the invitation but insisted if I ever saw such behavour again that I would fix him. Suddenly struck inarticulate, he pulled his pants from around his knees and swaggered away.

ray, Charleston, West Virginia, USA

The sorry truth about all this is that yes there are ignorant, self-centered idiotic youths out there who couldnt care less about their elders or fellow citizens, however there are also well mannered and kind hearted youngsters too who seem to be judged in the same way due to age! With regards to being public spirited on tackling such issues if any should occur in your presence, i'd say it would be best to stear clear and get the authorities involved. Many years ago it would have been quite safe to be public spirited, however in the present day does anyone really feel safe on the streets let alone to actually put a whipper-snapper in their place! I'd like to hear what Michael Randles feels on the matter, are you here old chap?

Gerald, Oxford,

It's actually against the law to be public-spirited these days and the police will crack down on it whenever they see it. Lay one finger on a young yob and you will feel the full force of the law. But, strangely, the yob won't.

Martin Evans, Newmarket, Suffolk

11. Bag-squatting. On a crowded train or bus, the practice of placing one's baggage on an adjacent seat and remaining oblivious to standing passengers until asked directly to move said item/s.

Stephen Powers, London,

It's not just about being a busybody. It may be that the other person is tired or having a bad day. I thought the Oscar-winning film, "Crash", portrayed that possibility very sympathetically, if, for obvious reasons, very melodramatically too. The point of the film was: don't immediately get sanctimonious with others when you don't know what else is going on in their lives that may have contributed to their behaving in an apparently anti-social way.

Shoes on seats may be "required" because of back-ache owing to badly designed seat-backs. A young man not surrendering his seat for the old or infirm may himself be infirm without it being obvious. People who don’t acknowledge you when you have held the door open for them may just be distracted.

The question to ask is: Would I have anything to say to this person if I didn't think he was being anti-social? Would I say "Hello" or wish him a "Good day"? If not, then maybe I can't complain if he is self-centred too.

Kevin, London,

Being a teenager, it is constantly assumed that I am rude and antisocial, and that the majority of the antisocial hates that have been named can be attributed to my peers. However, I do offer my seat to pregnant women on the bus or elderly people, but I have been found that I have actually offended someone in the process. As well as this how many people would give a fourteen year old mother their seat? It would seem that teenage mothers face more antisocial behavoir than most others. Although I do not have any children of my own, I recently looked after my cousin, a baby of less than a year old, and it may seem petty but I came to face with the dirtiest looks, and when I was attempting to climb some steps or maneouver the pram onto a bus no one offered any help or even moved out of the way.

Mary Hopewell , Loughborough, Leicestershire, England

Garry Newlove,47, intervened when a gang of youths were damaging a car outside his home on 10th August. They turned on him and beat him to death.
Moral : don't intervene unless you have the means to defend yourself if and when things get nasty. This is extremely difficult in the UK. What politician or political party will have the courage to change things for the better ?

Lewis Thomas, Slough, UK

A topical news item to press home the point that unarmed intervention can have fatal consequences : an elderly man was beaten to death in Warrington last weekend after he remonstrated with a group of teenagers for throwing stones. Six youths have been arrested and, if found guilty, will be punished. But the public-spirited old man is dead. The authorities may wring their hands and say that this sort of thing shouldn't happen - but it does and it will endlessly recur until misguided social policies are reformed to the benefit of the law-abiding.

John Dow, Slough, UK

One problem is that citizens do not agree on what is good behaviour. The people near where I live think nothing of shouting to each other. Folks I see in the street would probably take violent umbrage if I took exception to their spitting or jumping the bus-queue. Otherwise respectable people think speeding and pavement-parking is fair game. Others pay tradesmen and cleaners in cash; no invoice; no questions asked. And look at all the well-dressed fare-dodgers on the train when the inspector calls.

Paul Danon, London, England

T (London), I was going to say the same thing. Now, unless I'm positive woman is pregnant, I won't offer my seat if I think that there's a chance she might just be fat.

I'm with the majority on papers on public transport, it IS a public service. Especially if the sudoku or crossword hasn't been started :)

That all said, in the last week I've had a man in a pub give up his seat because 'he didn't want a young lady standing', been given money for the tube when I didn't have the right change and had a cab driver pull over without being flagged because I was carrying a load of files down the street.

Nagging has its place (on queue jumping, especially), but I would say, our own good behavior (also giving money for the tube, offering directions to lost looking tourists and opening that door) is far more important as it is this that creates the 'norm'.

I think it was the Brownies who have the motto 'do a good deed every day'. Let's all keep to it.

Liz Ford, Manchester, UK

Has anyone mentioned chewing gum on the pavement? It's the same as litter but you can't brush it up or remove it without a great deal of trouble. Also, loud car stereos. LOUD car stereos with the window open. It's always rap music or dance music and I hate both.

Margret Geraghty, Bath, England

Another peril of being courteous - I recently offered a seat on a busy tube to a young pregnant woman. A look on startlement & embarrassment came over her face, and it was only then that I realised she was just overweight...

T, London,

I must say I find street spitting and littering extermely annoying especialy when there is a dustbin nearby. It is not only disgusting I feel but very mean as it causes many others discomfort too, and the young should surrender their seats to the elderiy out of respect it isnt that great a demand I think. Also it is true now you would get stares and curious looks for helping a stranger on the streets.

John A. Fernandes, karachi, pakistan

In response to Siri from L..A. - why have you included Russians on your list? When I visited Russia earlier this year I found them to be extremely welcoming. I have also worked with Russians in the past, many of whom are friends. Have you ever visited the country, or met any, to form your view?

K, London,

Playing awful, tinny-like music out of mobile phones at the highest volume possible whilst on public transport I find unbearable - have these people not heard of headphones (or decent music?). It winds me up so much that I do sometimes say something and have never been answered back.

I have to say though that bad manners are always far more noticeable than the good, and in my opinion the good far outweighs the bad. Since becoming a Mum, I'm always aware of how many people put themselves out to help get the pushchair on the bus, or help me from a train, carry my bags on an escalator, pick up dropped toys, smile and wave at my daughter etc.

Of course there will always be a few who don't acknowledge courtesy, but I do think that often this is down to people "zoning out" and not paying their surroundings attention - I was recently told off for walking out onto a crossing when the lights were against me thinking they weren't - not deliberately ignorant but it came across that way.

Anna , Birmingham, UK

Strange list ... why should only young people give up their seats for the afore mentioned ? What makes you as needy as these that you have listed ? or are basic manners just for the young ? Why is running a red light there ? Why not include drink driving ? Why would running a red light ... potentially fatal , be more annoying than someone putting their feet up on a seat ... worst outcome , dirty trousers !
And finally is slyly throwing your rubbish on the floor more acceptable ?

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

The newspaper thing is actuallly quite nice - it means that someone else can read it.

I have to say that I get upset by number 10 more than anything. I've even recieved dirty looks for attempting to be polite to people before (particularly by commuters on trains!), for example, saying "bless you" to a stranger who sneezes seems to violate some isolationist commuter code.

Hannah, Leamington Spa,

Why if so many of us seem to care about the decline in manners and loss of courtesy are we not joining together to do something about it? Haven't we tolerated the selfishness, the sleaze, the lies, the rudeness, the thuggery and the corruption for quite long enough? Of course the bank teller should have told the queue-jumper to go away and take their place in the queue but just like everyone else in the queue the teller also has a family to worry about. So lets have a CCTV camera above every teller position and a law that forbids such ignorant thuggery - we will then have the evidence to hand the police and CPS and a jury will have no hesitation in convicting.

John Swainson, Chippenham, Wiltshire

Eva, are you saying that the young like to slip though someone's phlegm on the floor; like to wade through litter; like to sit on a train where someone's boots have just been? Do the young like to read T-shirts with foul slogans on them, nearly get run over because selfish people park where they want to? I don't think it's a function of age at all. It's down to people generally getting ruder and thicker and not knowing how thick they are.

Nick Rogers, Seaford, East Sussex

There are too many rules in England, why should you not be allowed to smoke in a nightclub I mean nightclubs are the place you'd expect to find people smoking, the train is 300 years old and the seats seem like they're made of straw, why shouldn't you put your feet up and get a bit of comfort? The nanny state puts up thousands of traffic lights to dictate our lives , why shouldn't you put the v's up and jump the stupid ones?

I do generally agree with this article but still England gets what it gives.

jbland, mondeville, France

Agree, except for the newpaper on the tube comment. People do this with the free papers on the London underground so that someone else can read them, its actually pretty bad tube ettiquette to take your finished paper with you and make the other commuters sit with nothing to read! I always appreciate it when people do this and I can kill a couple of stops with their discarded Metro.

Hannah, London,

It seems to boild down to... is society on a downward spiral in all kinds of ways? If so, what will it end up like, next year, five years, ten years time?
Or is there anything that can be done now, both by individuals and the collectivity to ensure that society stabablises in values, behaviour and in other ways, towards an upward spiral? Given that both downward and upward will directly affect all people, in all manner of ways..(that includes you and me).
That's the question... what can be done? it's a big one, but I think it 'goes everywhere' in its territory coverage and portention.

T. Bishop+, London, UK

My pet hate is people who refuse to move down the car, in the tube or bus. It would save a lot of CO2 if buses were used to their full capacity, and more people would be able to board at the first attempt.

M.Elias, Cape Town,

Re the man who put his newspaper between the seats and the window on the tube. I quite like it when people do this and see it as sharing / recycling. The speed with which the papers are picked up by their next reader would suggest that I'm not the only one!

KC, London,

But you are not allowed to retaliate and will get no support from the police if you do.

About 5 yr. ago an older man near here got fed up with kids throwing eggs at his windows and running away. He chased one in his car, caught up with him and as he knew where he lived, put him in the car, drove to the boy's home, knocked at the door and complained to the parents. At no time did he hit or hurt the child.

A few hours later he received a visit from the parents, accompanied by the police. He was eventually charged and received an eight month jail sentence.

British justice? Any kind of justice? What have we come to?

The police have got the Government by the short and curlies and can get away with whatever they want, and the CPS is like something out of Gilbert & Sullivan.

Peter Lloyd, BLACKER HILL, South Yorkshire

Alex Johnson, London,

Please don't stop leaving your newspapers on the seat, some of us appreciate the relief from boredom when we have finished our own and need something else to read while the train sits 100m away from the platform waiting to be released from our enforced confinement.

Rob, Birmingham, UK

I would like to add to this:
Bicyclists who don't think any road rules pertain to them, including pedestrian crossings.
People ramming themselves & people in front of them into already full lifts in the tube.
Couples having drunken rows outside in the middle of the night.
Children bullying on public buses (not that it should only happen in private, but that nobody ever steps in to stop it).
Oxford Circus! The absolute temple of minor, and sometimes major, transgressions. Just hearing the words makes me panic about drowning in litter, being barged to death by gross fat people, being spat on, sworn at, or stamped on.
Didn't Libby Purves write a book about all this sort of thing?

Victoria, London, UK

Surely queue jumping could be stopped simply by staff not serving the jumper? Send them to the back of the queue in front of everyone - that'd nip it in the bud.

Neil S, Glasgow, Scotland

I have travelled widely and lived for long periods overseas - indeed I now live permanently abroad. I have to say that the standard of behaviour, in general, within the UK has declined rapidly in comparison to many other nations. I believe that this stems firstly from declining educational standards (people tend to shout and act with false bravado to hide their own intelectual insecurity); secondly from the supremacy of individual rights (sometimes called human rights), over that of society in general. We are indeed human, but as such we are a 'pack' species and need a social group environment rather than a solitary one. I believe that the 'rights' of the social group we live within is as important (if not more so on occasions), than the 'rights' of an individual. Until this simple fact of nature is acknowledged and reflected in our laws and social values, the decline will continue.

Jonathan Mills, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

I would rank the failure to acknowledge courtesy as the worst of all behaviours listed and the one which most heralds the end of civility. Most of the other behaviour is just loutish and we will always have louts but the failure to respond to a door being opened or similar courtesy are rarely louts and too often female or old - both of which we are often told are the better behaved in our society.

Benjamin , Gloucester,

It's quite simple. If you don't like it, you can't stand on the sidelines. Social rules are enforced by society, which means it is up to all of us to say something, to take that risk, because the more of us do, the less it will happen. The problem is that the risk is blown out of all proportion because the media report each incident constantly and repeatedly, giving the impression that it is much more likely you will get shot than it really is, so we all live in fear. But if you don't like someone pushing in front of a queue, you should say something and not wimp out hoping someone braver will intervene. The true problem is sheer cowardice, which somehow is now re-labelled as 'prudence' - I'm sorry, but you have only yourself to blame.

Alison, London,

"The problem is to be laid at the door of the social libertarians, who have been telling us for decades and longer that our individual rights our more important than than those of our fellow man; and responsibilities towards others and society are only to be assumed if and when we feel like it. "

--- Spot on William.

Joe, Ontario, Canada

What annoys me is the loud, gratuitous use of four-letter words in public places. I generally say to the offender: "Please mind my earshot," which sometimes elicits "sorry miss" and sometimes futher offending words. But at least I've registered my objection.

Susan Chesters, Winchester, England

"I have always thought it verged on a public service to leave the newspaper so someone else could read it. Am I wrong? Am I slob? I am alarmed."

The Metro completely ruined that pleasure!

Geoff Cook, Bearwood,

I put my feet up, but am always careful to put a newspaper between my shoes and the seat. Have I sinned?

geoff, Bearwood,

Spain, the country where unpolitness was invented! A queue? What's a queue?
You know, not as so developed country as pretended.
It´s a long time I am thinking about starting somekind of social movement against minor social criminals! We are more and they are weaker!

Magdalena Comas, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

I think it's a lot less to do with this, or any other list. I think it is more about members of society, and as a consequence their kids; being all too tied up with the me me, thus respect for others is now viewed as somehow a lowering of ones self.

Rob, Bradford, Britain

I was a student in Canada a few years back. I was seated on the bus when an old man came aboard, as he walked past I got off my seat and offered it to him.
In no uncertain terms I was told that the day he took a seat from a lady was the day he might as well be dead.
The rest of the trip was highly embarrassing as every new person coming aboard glared at the young student sitting while an elderly man stood next to her.
The incident didn't make me stop offering my seat to others but the generational clash of good manners still makes me smile.

Christina, Copenhagen,

Eva, unless you're dead you're getting old too - it's a rather unavoidable fact of life. So why not be nice along the way?

Rose, Hawalli , Kuwait

These are just minor annoyances - the majority of which are unavoidable if you want to live anywhere other than on a desert island somewhere.

Shame the people in the bank couldn't do the same to the bank managers overcharging them for their banking services. If you ask me, the real antisocial behaviour - which tend not to be considered illegal - includes far more important and damaging behaviours such as the poor and downright shameful services offered by many businesses, especially in the financial services sector, the low wages many are expected to survive on and sexual and racial discrimination that takes place on a daily basis - to name but a few.

T R, London, UK

I totally agree with #10. I end up yelling "Thank You" at the person I just held a door open for, when they don't show the slightest recognition of my helpfulness, and thus completely destroying the premis of being courteous.
Another of my pet peeves are parents that cannot control their children in public. I have 3 girls myself and regularly get compliments on their behaviour - for them doing nothing more than what should be expected - have our standards slipped so far?
And Cell phones - I absolutely hate Cell phones.

Andy Duffield, Eugene, OR, USA

The public spirited citizen should be aware that they run the risk of prosecution by zealous police forces should they so much as drag the malefactor off their victim by the scruff of their collar. It is classed as GBH. Having been persecuted (sic) by our local police in this matter I would advise the public spirited amongst us to use their mobiles to summon the police and await the outcome. I appreciate that a young girl may be raped, an old lady mugged, or a young copper kicked to death as a result of this inactivity. They will have this on their consciences. However they will not be put through the legal mill for their pains.

W D Toulman, Walkington,

This is a problem in America too. Your top ten anti-social hates are pretty much mine as well. People in general have little respect for one another and I agree that there is definitely a "Decline of Civility" happening. I thought it was just NYC and the surrounding areas but cleary, it's bigger than that.

Being pregnant in NYC taught me alot about what is really wrong with this world. I can count on half of one hand how often someone offered me a seat on a crowded bus or train. I could tell you stories that are unbelieveable about how people have reacted to ME being pregnant...let alone what I see people do to others around them. The hostility is just amazing. But I conclude that it comes down to a lack of courtesy and a refusal for people to try to understand one another.

Teresa, New York, USA

I don't know what we can do, certainly not in the short term, as the problem has now become a deep-rooted one. It amounts to a lack of empathy and consideration, without which we can only sink into an alienated society. And that sense of civilized behaviour and, thus, of civilization can only come from within the family. On the surface, we are becoming a more educated society and at the same time we seem now to be a more thoughtless society. Where, indeed, then is the 'respect' programme of the government, upon which there seems to have fallen an utter silence?

Dick, Durham, UK

Having been hospitalised in the UK for asking a "yoof" to put out a cigarette on a no-smoking train. I have to say that I, too, would do the same again.

Kicked unconscious by the"yoof's" mates has made me even more determined not to let this chav underclass dictate the morals of behaviour and cause the rest of the population to fear retaliation for standing up against them.

I hope it will not be long before the decent folk of Britiain start forming their own vigilante groups to act against the rising yob culture and to stamp out these type of anti-social acts.

RW, Madrid, Spain

I have to say, I really couldn't care less if people want to put their feet up on the train as long it's not crowded. It doesn't bother me at all and I've been known to do it myself. There's more annoying things, such as playing loud music on the train.

I can understand having a go if someone litters or is terrorising someone, but anyone who tells people off for putting their feet on seats (unless they're train staff) or having a swear word on a t-shirt really is a busy body and should mind their own business!

Max, Chiswick,

Michael from London, I couldn't agree with you more. It's like there's some sort of mass brainwashing taking place within the urban areas of the country convincing kids that the sub genre of music which I have dubbed "Talking really fast but not actually rapping" rap sounds best blaring out of phone speakers which probably cost about 20 pence and will likely spontaneously combust under the strain of piping out tinny low quality ringtones (which for some reason continue to be popular despite being several times more expensive than even premium digital music downloads, whilst at the same time mananging to retain the "recorded off my mates car stereo" quality we apparently all know and love).

Neil, Liverpool, UK

Are you getting old, Dave?

Eva, London,

Yes, there is a lot of unpleasant behaviour out there, but the situation isn't helped by a series of nuisance restrictions from a nanny state that insists on imposing the 'mora'l code of a small sect of Islingtonite micro-Stalins on the rest of us. The smoking ban, for example, is a deeply intrusive piece of regulation in which the state has clearly exceeded its mandate, as are ASBOs. It is this state-driven social facism, rather than social libertarianism as has been suggested, that has devalued the currency of common courtesy.

Mike, London,

I had a delicious moment with one man who had his feet on a train seat. And what a peacock he was - polished and buffed to within an inch of his life.

I asked him politely to move his feet - which he did, if rather resentfully. Then I picked up the neatly pressed, cream linen jacket lying across his knees, wiped the seat and handed the jacket back, calmly pointing out than it anyone's clothes were going to be dirtied by his behaviour it was only fair that they would be his. He was far too embarrased to react.

Barbara, Croydon,

I commute by train, and almost daily have to contend with very loud iPods. I have found that if you politely ask the owner to turn it down, even the most 'rough' looking usually do, often apologising. Give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they do not realise it is annoying other travellers - and smile when you ask!

F Rose, Brighton, UK

Good to read an article that relates to what happens to my daily life in london. While I was in Tesco bagging my items at the self check -out, the next person did not wait for me to go but started scanning his items and let them roll into my way. Why does such simple horse sense not exist when it comes to basic civility in a 21 century city? Certainly, there are out there more horses' ass than horses and we'll have to put up with it. That is the grim morality of the day

julian, london,

I believe number 11 on your list could be "Throwing cigarette butts on the ground". I really do not understand the mentality of someone who draws a distinction between, say an empty coffee cup and a cigarette, believing only the former counts as something worthy of being carried to a bin.

LB, London,

David, you would hate Auckland. I have never once been thanked or acknowledged for holding a door open, making way for another car or showing some other courtesy.....on the contrary, people look at you like you're some kind of dork for making the effort, someone to be taken advantage of and trodden on. Eventually you give up trying......sad really......and yeah, the end of civility. Oh, and red light jumping, it's endemic here, along with disrespect for pedestrians.

Peter James, Auckland, New Zealand

my top ten british annoyances
1) people who walk very slowly in front of you and tut when you rush past
2) tutting in general
3) people who expect you to give up your seat on public transport and therefore dont say thankyou
4) SPITTING a disgusting and unattractive habit
5) people who do not control their children in public places
6) People who take a very long time at cash machines even when there is a very long queue and then stand at said cash point arranging the money in their purse
7) when people who bump into you expect you to say sorry
8) women shouting obscenities to men
9) beeping horns in a traffic jam it achieves nothing
10) people who do not park straight and therefore when you pull into your space (straightly) there is no way of getting out of your car without touching theirs and they always happen to be sitting in their car when this happens

Hannah, Brum,

I agree with a lot of the above but it is worth noting that social rules are always in a state of flux and there may well be generational tension. Take the example of the 'littering' incident concerning the free newspaper. There's a well subscribed to school of thought that it's the done thing to leave free papers on the Tube for others to read when you've finished. You must have noticed that they get read by numerous different readers. As for squaring up to people - I do but I'm over 6ft, in my 20s, male and can run quickly. I only do so to people who I at least match physically. Is that cowardice or prudence? What price a place in the queue?

P, London,

I wholeheartedly agree. I must say at one point I was a social libertarian and was constantly conscious of upsetting my 'fellow man' for fear of infringing his social rights. Now, I simply don't care.

Many of the children I teach have no concept of please or thank you and use them only when it is essentially beneficial to them. Often excuses are made for their ignorance by claiming their lack of politeness is due to the way they have been raised. I partially agree with that, but all, including children should be aware of their social responsibilities and by doing so finally end this woeful attitude that has arisen. I encourage the use of manners in my classroom and have on occasions ignored children who have failed to use them. This does seem harsh but it is often the only way to affect the rising sense of egomania that is clearly affecting us. People need an identity and by not having one have become slightly paranoid. Paranoia = egotism = no understanding of consequence.

Ben, Liverpool, UK

I mentally gave up in 1986, when a man in a Roman collar and grey hair, who I assumed was a cleric and not merely an actor, alighted from a train at Cambridge and wandered off without slamming it behind him.

Last week I pointed out to someone that, as the sign said, they really shouldn't be using flash to photograph the fragile Chinese paintings in the special exhibition at the British Museum. I think I got away with it.

As for Tim's dilemma, perhaps the best choice is to immediately ask "Well, what's the question, maybe I can help? Then you won't have to wait at all." Just make sure everyone in the branch can hear the ensuing conversation.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

Manners are good, undeniably, but I can't help but wonder if some people take it to slightly extreme lengths. If my shoes aren't that dirty, and the seat opposite isn't needed, why shouldn't I make myself comfortable?

Littering, queue-jumping, and spitting are all quite disgusting, but I'm almost certain that I'd never confront anyone about it. Courtesy may be quintessentially British, but so is not making a fuss.

Anna, Isle of Wight, UK

I recogise what you say in this article. I admit I'm a bad citizen on buses, when teenagers are playing loud music and smoking. Only when they are alone I sometimes say something. When they are in group, I don't dare. It has become too dangerous (especially with those groups of 20-somethings behaving as if they are still kids). What annoys me most however, is that busdrivers don't intervene anymore. It is their role to maintain order. Unfortunately, that doesn't really work with double-decker buses. In Birmingham, the upper deck of buses has become a lawless zone after 9pm: you can buy drugs, people smoke, tehre is loud music.

I sometimes wonder whether it would help if we took revenge: start playing loud opera on our cellphone, or start singing, when one of those teenagers starts playing their noise

stephane, birmingham,

What has really changed is the feeling that you will be supported if you attempt to maintain civilised standards of behaviour. Unfortunately, our politically correct police and judiciary are more concerned with the so-called 'human rights' of the transgressors of societal norms rather than with those who attempt to maintain them.

Nicholas Lee, Windsor, UK

I wholeheartedly agree. I must say at one point I was a social libertarian and was constantly conscious of upsetting my 'fellow man' for fear of infringing his social rights. Now, I simply don't care.

Many of the children I teach have no concept of please or thank you and use them only when it is essentially beneficial to them. Often excuses are made for their ignorance by claiming their lack of politeness is due to the way they have been raised. I partially agree with that, but all, including children should be aware of their social responsibilities and by doing so finally end this woeful attitude that has arisen. I encourage the use of manners in my classroom and have on occasions ignored children who have failed to use them. This does seem harsh but it is often the only way to affect the rising sense of egomania that is clearly affecting us. People need an identity and by not having one have become slightly paranoid. Paranoia = egotism = no understanding of consequence.

Ben, Liverpool, UK

recently i was a good citizen and chased a thief who has just robbed a certain camping store, having recovered the jackets i returned to the store expecting to be praised!!! However, the shop assistant grabbed the coats off me grunted thanks and returned to the shop, no "let me get the manager to thankyou". i risked personal injury to do my civic duty and in return received a grunted thanks from an inconsiderate shop assistant!!!

Would i do it again? Yes but I guess that is the difference between being a good citizen and not

Ben, London,

Years ago my granny and grandad were sitting at the lights when a car a few ahead of them rolled down the window and tipped a huge number of cigarette ends onto the floor. My granny, outraged, got out of the car, walked up, scopped them all off the floor and threw them back through the window to a round of applause from all the other drivers.

She has inspired me to similar guerilla anti-littering tactics such as following people who drop fast-food cartons and picking up chewing gum and giving it back. People dump rubbish outside my house so I go through the bags, find their address and take it back to them. Rather than just leve it outside their empty house I have posted it all back with a note telling them not to dump rubbish. I have also asked people who answer the door why they thought it was okay to dump rubbish when their house looked so clean from the door. All were grovellingly sorry.

I do ocasionally think I am going to get beaten up one of these days.

psf, London, UK

Surely one answer would be to legalise firearms as that way the playing field is suddenly level again.

After all if you tell a guy in the bank to get to the back of the queue and he doesnt like it surely he would think twice about pulling a gun if the likelihood is that most of the rest of the customers will be armed as well!! Or even just have armed bank staff.

I remember a story about a random drive by shooting when some guys in a car thought it would be fun to shoot at a crowd outside a nightclub. Sadly for them the crowd though the appropriate response was to fire back!

Life is too interesting to worry about things like shoes on seats since most trains are never cleaned properly anyway. I had to get on a train in London that had just emptied out a crowd from Glastonbury - dirty shoes was the least of anyones worries

Richard, London, England

The question is, 'is it too late?'. I found it very difficult to confront 'social vandalism' in South London where, until very recently, I lived, because I knew that, if it did turn nasty, there was no help within any kind of distance that I could run. What this means, effectively, is that 'they' have the upper hand.

I have since moved to Dubai where the authorities tend not to be so tolerant of this kind of behaviour. The fact that there is no tax here was a pull, but so too, in a very real way, was the fact that there isn't really any crime (except for criminally bad driving skills). There's no magic to this. If you behave obnoxiously you go to jail then get kicked out of the country. Not having this kind of person here contributes to the authorities getting away without charging tax - they also, of course, cost any nation a lot of money in law enforcement and 'cleaning up'.

We can't really send our social detritis 'home'. We have to come up with another solution....

Tom, Dubai, UAE

Brilliant - sounds like the internal monologue of Mark from Peep Show. However, I totally agree. I often think of myself as a young Victor Meldrew, but society seems to be going down the drain through a lack of respect for others and failed cultural intergration.

Danb, London,

I too am someone who will not hestitate to tell a litterer to pick it up, I rage against incosiderate drivers, and I boycott that shop with the oh-so-amusing rearrangement of the letters of an Anglo-Saxon four letter word on the basis of its sheer tacky vulgarity. But I am worried I am now a Secret Yob as I am that man who would put a free newspaper on the ledge in the tube, or the seat next to me. I have only seen one person get upset by this, and he was an American, and so Knew Nothing. I have always thought it verged on a public service to leave the newspaper so someone else could read it. Am I wrong? Am I slob? I am alarmed.

Alex Johnson, London,

Well, being Russian, I wonder why Russians in general have become an anti-social hate?

Alexey, London, UK

I am becoming more and more willing to step in and say something if I really feel there's cause - perhaps a function of getting older and being less tolerant, but also because I'm increasingly aware that vandalism today means pettty crime tomorrow, which is turn means armed robbery next week. It's up to everyone!

Carolyn, Oxford,

My candidate for the anti-social list is:

Anyone using mobile phones as speakers on public transport (i.e. not using ear phones) and so subjecting everyone else to poor music choice.

Mind you, I'll only tell them to turn it off if they look reasonable and on the balance of probabilities, not carrying a knife!

michael, London,

The greatest transgression today and, worse yet, the uncoolest, is to be seen as being "judgemental". From this all else on your list follows.

The margin between socially annoying and outright criminal behaviour used once to be controlled by shame. Since this has gone out of fashion the gap has been closed by increasingly loutish behaviour at one end and endless legislation (e.g. ASBOs) at the other.

KB, London, UK

Yesterday, on my usually quiet commuter train, a woman began an extremely loud conversation about her progress with the latest Harry Potter book. She was clearly audible, though we were at opposite ends of the carriage. After explaining how assiduous her partner had been in not revealing the ending, she proceeding to relate the entire plot that she had read so far and speculated about the rest. Irritating to those who don't care and just plain story-theft from those still to read the book. What did I do? Rather than challenge her, I put my ipod on to drown out her wearisome chatter and no doubt annoyed fellow passengers with the tinny music leaking from my own headphones. It is, indeed, a slippery slope.

clare, york,

I must admit shoes on seats are extremely annoying & are on the increase, also grafittis on anything & the constant scratching of public transport windows.
Street Spitting is utterly disgusting & far worse than smoking,in my opinion, it should be banned.

s ahmed, Cairo,

"William" has applied the story I was about to retell - a good samaritan on the way to his employment stopped to help a stranger in distress and died for his efforts - leaving behind a widow and young family - He was standing up for the values he believed in and paid the ultimate price. The young Dutch Backpacker shot 3 or 4 times spoke recently after his ordeal and suggested he would act the same way again if he saw someone in distress - he is obviously a young man of great moral fortitude.

The queue jumper in your article is typical of this type of behaviour, the list of anti social behaviour would more than fill this column....throwing cigarette butts from cars, littering, etc.

Yes. I agree, for those of us who still care, let's not give up !!!!!

Greg, Queensland, Australia

There have always been two Britains. The first is made of those stiff-upper-lippers who would go over the top of the trenches if ordered to, and will always give up their seat for an old lady. Then there is the other Britain, which would mug someone who has just been hit by a car, and pull a knife on an old lady who asked for their seat in a train. The second Britain is more in the ascendant these days, thanks to the media and courts, and their fetish for 'human rights'. Oh, for a return to the days when everyone knew their place.

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

The prevalence of overt anti-social behaviour may be a sign of polarisation stress at the fringe of society. For those having little but a preference for violence such acts can be a deliberate provocation in the hope of sorting a confrontation..

This type of behaviour and vandalism declined in parts of the US some years ago after local citizen-watch schemes of a pro-active type, with voluntary patrols came into being.

Perhaps the time has come to promote such an idea here, though the concept of vigilante might need to be redefined to the satisfaction of the correctness crowd.

dr venables preller, Warminster, UK

People think im mad when i chase cars down the road with bits of litter previously thrown out of the window.

If the polite majority dont stand up to the impolite then we will just be trodden on. The politeness we see in England is something to be cherished. Im currently in China, and while i love being here; spitting, pushing into queue and damned continuous smoking all make me appreciate politeness in England more...

Matthew, Chengdu,

I agree. Let me add a few for the U.S. (not in any particular order)

1. 15 items (or more) in a 10 items-or-less express-lane at supermarket (& those who suddenly discover they don't have cash or card to pay with & must pay by check - in same express lane).
2. Loud talkers on Cell phones in elevators, or in line at the local Starbucks, etc... broadcasting all their financial secrets (& those who don't turn Cell phones off at the Movie Theater).
3. Not signaling - and turning.
4. Eating while walking.
5. Giant SUV's parked on much more than alloted space.
6. Restaurnats that act as if they own the sidewalk.
7. Parents who let their children bahave as though at the beach - when clearly not at beach.
8. Tailgating - or driving extremely slowly.
9. Sweatpants, thongs, flip-flop sandals, tank-tops, and other back-yeard garden-beach attire worn to the office.
10. Those who feel it is perfectly ok to "borrow" a section of your newspaper - without asking.
11. Russians (in general).

Siri, Los Angeles, California

Amen, and amen. In Melbourne a few weeks ago a young father was shot dead by a thug. The thug was trying to force a woman into a taxi by her hair and when the passerby tried to intervene, he paid with his life. In the same incident, a Dutch backpacker was shot three times and another woman once. Both landed up in intensive care and are lucky to have survived.

As you say, an extreme response, but regrettably becoming more frequent.

The problem is to be laid at the door of the social libertarians, who have been telling us for decades and longer that our individual rights our more important than than those of our fellow man; and responsibilities towards others and society are only to be assumed if and when we feel like it.

Our moral compasses are no longer calibrated and, in the absence of a common pole, no longer aligned.

However, for those of us who still care, let's not give up!!

William, Melbourne, Australia