The case for fining bad behaviour in public spaces

I was out of breath, dragging my suitcase with one hand and holding my phone in the other, noisily chatting on loudspeaker to a friend.

It finally dawned on me when I got to the station: I’d been having a loud, intrusive conversation in public, forcing strangers to hear every word. That’s not the gravest crime, but it is selfish and rude. Speakerphone conversations are much more intrusive than people talking in person.

Being noisy in public is selfish and the Swiss rightly frown. They’ve preserved something we’ve lost: the idea that public spaces belong to everyone and shouldn’t be treated like private rooms.

Fast forward to last Saturday. I was on a quiet, half empty train in Yorkshire. A man across the aisle politely asked if I’d mind if he took a call. He kept it short and was quiet. I was almost shocked by his courtesy. That little gesture was charming and remarkable.

Those good manners were only noteworthy because most of the time in Britain we see the opposite. The bus passenger blasting TikTok without headphones. The loud Zoom meeting while others try to read. The work calls at full blast, as if the rest of us are colleagues. Our shared spaces have become performance spaces for strangers’ lives.

Ireland has decided enough is enough and Irish Rail is introducing €100 fines for passengers who play videos or make loudspeaker calls. It will work, because the public is behind it. And I’m certain the British public would back the same move here.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about noise. It’s about whether we still care how our behaviour affects others, and about reclaiming public space as something genuinely shared. Life in Britain has become less civil, less respectful, and less considerate. This low-level coarsening is something we notice daily – it feeds the sense that our country’s in decline.

Smartphones have played a big part in this. They shrink our attention and chip away at empathy, desensitising us to the needs of others. Fines might feel heavy handed, but they also send a message: good manners matter.

The Swiss still frown at rudeness and Ireland is legislating courtesy, but is Britain brave enough to follow suit?

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Andy Preston is a prominent Conservative donor and was elected Mayor of Middlesbrough from 2019 to 2023, after running as an Independent.

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