Researchers polled the nation to discover the everyday “crimes” we’d like to see people apprehended for, which include not offering visitors cups of tea, playing music through phone speakers in public, and wearing flip flops in cold weather.
Other “offences” we’d like to see outlawed include smelly food on public transport, excessive public displays of affection, and bare feet in the office.
In fact, 61 percent of Brits polled believe that people who commit many of these “small crimes” don’t care about the world around them, and should be fined to teach them a lesson.
Some of us get so miffed about other people’s behaviour that we’d be willing to go further and put offenders behind bars – even if just for one night – to teach them what is and isn’t acceptable.
Despite wanting people punished for these offences, 66 percent of those polled admit to having “committed” these types of antisocial acts themselves in the past.
Over a quarter (26 percent) of the 1,500 respondents surveyed by TV Channel CBS Justice said that driving in the middle lane of the motorway should be a jailable offence, while 22 percent said that the consequence of letting kids run riot in restaurants should be a night in prison.
A staggering 82 percent said they’d put an end to restaurant rudeness by fining people who are impolite to waiters.
The research from CBS Justice also reveals that 86 percent of the Brits polled think people are less considerate now than they were in their parents’ day. In fact, three quarters of respondents said they’d happily pay their debts to society for these types of infractions, if it would serve as a warning to others.
We’re willing to point out when someone crosses the line, with 50 percent of respondents saying they’d even tell their friends off if they misbehave. A further 12 percent said they couldn’t be pals with someone who continually carried out any of these acts.
There were some splits in the sexes, as being rude to waiters is viewed as a crime by 27 percent of women and only 21 percent of men, while a third of men believe using a phone in the cinema should be a crime compared to only 27 percent of women.
Over-60s are most particular when it comes to using public transport, with 40 percent of this age bracket eager to see noisy behaviour in the quiet train carriage punished, compared to a 21 percent response from 16 to 29 year-olds.
Regionally, Leicester is the ‘criminal’ capital of the UK, with 83 percent of the local population confessing to these types of anti-social behaviour; nearly a third more than the well-mannered folk of Norwich (52 percent).
“This study shows that the British population has an abiding love of law and order – and perhaps a bit of a sense of humour about it all too”, said a spokesperson of CBS Justice. “Fortunately, UK viewers can see plenty of justice served on our new look channel, which boasts programmes such as “NCIS”, “NCIS: Los Angeles”, “CSI: Miami”, “Scorpion”, “Walker, Texas Ranger”, and “Gunsmoke”.
TOP TWENTY ACTS BRITS CONSIDER ‘CRIMINAL’
- Sticking used chewing gum to the underside of tables or desks – 37%
- Letting unruly kids run riot in restaurants – 36%
- Queue jumping – 32%
- Using mobile phones in the cinema – 30%
- Listening to music through phone speakers in a public place – 28%
- Noisy behaviour in the train’s quiet carriage – 27%
- Driving in the middle lane of a motorway – 27%
- Being rude to waiters – 25%
- Smoking and/or vaping whilst walking down the street – 25%
- Walking slowly in a group taking over the whole pavement – 21%
- Eating smelly food on public transport – 21%
- Not saying thank you when someone has held the door open for you – 19%
- Cutting fingernails (or toenails) in public – 17%
- Excessive public displays of affection – 12%
- Breaking wind in public – 10%
- Holding a dinner knife like a pen – 10%
- Bare feet in the office – 8%
- Wearing flip flops in cold weather – 7%
- Not offering visitors a cup of tea- 5%
- Letting washing up gloves fall in the water, sothey get wet on the inside – 5%
Reaching 26 million UK homes, CBS Justice is the TV destination for arresting drama. Join the world class team of compelling characters from the biggest global television library, with thrilling, investigative classics including “NCIS”, “NCIS: LA”, “CSI: Miami”, “Scorpion”, “Walker, Texas Ranger”, “Diagnosis Murder”, “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza”.
CBS Justice (formerly CBS Action) is available on Sky channel 148, Virgin Media channel 192, Freeview channel 39 and Freesat channel 137.
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