You’re in a bar and someone lights a cigarette

MARK HASTINGS
British Beer and Pub Association
You should do what people have been doing for years in shops, cinemas, theatres, trains and other places where you can’t smoke: politely ask them to stop, and maybe point out that it’s now against the law. Many visitors to this country may not realise that the law has changed. Others may be just absent-minded. I think most people are extremely amenable to people who very politely point out that they’re not permitted to do something, and on 99.9 per cent of occasions the person will respond in exactly the way you’d expect them to: they’ll put out their cigarette. If they refuse, you could point out to the landlord what was happening and rely on him to take the appropriate action.

A man lets his dog foul a path in a public park

LESLEY MAIR
City of London Corporation
If you felt comfortable approaching the person, then have a relaxed chat with them and explain to them the problems of not clearing up after your dog. Children might step or play in it, and if it gets washed into the water system it can cause water pollution. It also gives a bad name to other dog owners.

If you don’t have much joy, most parks have a keeper, or on Hampstead Heath you can go to the Heath Constabulary. If you have real concerns you can take them to a council.

I’m not sure if I’d clean up dog-mess myself. It depends how brave you are.

A fellow train passenger puts his feet on the seat

KEVIN SHANAHAN
Detective chief inspector, British Transport Police
I would say, “Excuse me but would you move your feet?” The person is committing an offence: the bylaws say people must conduct themselves in a reasonable manner. They are making the seat dirty, and it’s intimidating to a certain extent. You may feel that you are likely to be intimidated, threatened, or even – God forbid – assaulted if you say something. You could complain to the conductor, but whether they do something about it is subjective, as they might be intimidated themselves. By all means register your concerns with staff, but call us only if you feel that the individual is aggressive and likely to be a threat to you.

You see a parent violently slapping a child

CLAUDE KNIGHTS
Training manager, Kidscape
If someone is out of control, they need help as well. So I would see what I could do to defuse the situation and protect the child if possible. I would be positive and ask if I could help – not to come across as a busybody, but as someone who cares. You should assess the seriousness of the situation. If they are not calming down, or if you feel threatened, you might involve a police officer if there is one near by. I always think, “If I don’t take this further the child is going to remain at risk, but if I’m wrong, I’m just wrong.” If more bystanders take an interest in abusers, then that might be enough to persuade them that it doesn’t have to be like this.

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