Majority of Britons consider littering, vaping, and feet on seats unacceptable on public transport

• Nearly 10 in 10 (95%) British adults consider leaving rubbish behind or littering on public transport to be unacceptable. 
• Nearly 9 in 10 (89%) say vaping on public transport is unacceptable, while 88% object to playing music or videos out loud without headphones. 
• 8 in 10 Britons (81%) consider it unacceptable not to offer a seat to someone who may need it more, while 75% view taking video calls without headphones as bad etiquette. 

Anti-social behaviours face widespread condemnation
The polling shows near-unanimous agreement among British adults regarding severe breaches of public transport etiquette: 

• 95% of Britons state that leaving rubbish behind or littering is unacceptable, making it the most condemned behaviour tested. 
• 89% of the public view vaping on public transport as unacceptable, with 87% saying the same for travelling without a valid ticket. 
• 88% of British adults object to listening to music or watching videos out loud without headphones, and 87% condemn putting feet on the seats opposite. 
• 87% of Britons consider "manspreading," or sitting with legs or body stretched into a neighbour's space, unacceptable. 
• 81% view failing to offer a seat to someone who may need it more as unacceptable, while 75% say the same for taking a video call without headphones. 
   

Commuter courtesies and generational divides
While certain habits were identified as clearly anti-social habits, public opinion is more nuanced on general passenger noise and personal space:

• 64% object to drinking alcohol, while 56% view talking loudly with a fellow passenger as unacceptable behaviour. 
• 56% of British adults feel that putting bags on empty seats is unacceptable, though 18% view it as acceptable. 
• 77% object to eating strong-smelling food, compared to 32% who consider eating general food unacceptable. 
• Younger passengers aged 18–34 are significantly more tolerant across many behaviours. For example, where just 7% of those 55-75 think it’s acceptable to put bags on empty seats, fewer than half (45%) of those 18-34 feel the same. 
• Further, 62% consider doing hair or makeup on transport acceptable (compared to just 25% of those aged 55–75).

Notes:

• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,089 online British adults aged 18–75 across Great Britain. Polling was conducted online from 11th – 15th September 2026. 
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.