THE results of a poll by Canal & River Trust has resulted in it learning that there are bad manners on the towpaths, they being at an all-time low, and things need to be improved.
We are not told how the poll was conducted, how many responded or who they were, but the Trust admits that the top 'bugbears' were cyclists speeding, not cleaning up after dogs, people taking too much space, people not having an awareness of personal space and people not concentrating on where they're going because they've too busy looking at their phones.
Be considerate
Visitors to towpaths are now being urged to be considerate to other members of the public when on the towpaths and brushing up their outdoor manners.
The poll is part of its Share the Space, Drop your Pace campaign, asked people what irks them when in public places and whether they themselves are guilty of a few when out and about. The research reveals what the public believe constitutes common courtesy in 2016, including ‘modern manners' such as not invading other people's personal space and not having your music too loud on headphones, with a spokesman from the Trust explaining:
Being guilty
"However, many of us admit to being guilty of the things that annoy us, with only one in five of those surveyed saying they never use their phone while walking on a public walkway (18%), while more than one in five admit they've bumped into people or had a near miss because they been looking at their phone while walking (21%).
"The findings also point to a national tendency for ‘manners mirroring' with more than three quarters of the public admitting they are only polite to a person if that person is polite to them first (77%). With 1 in 3 people (33%) believing that general politeness is at an all-time low, the Canal & River Trust wants to make the towpaths a haven for good manners. The Trust is asking people to take the lead and set the example for good manners by pledging to improve the harmony and politeness on the nation's waterways.