8 BBC INTERVIEWS: What kind of behaviour gets on your nerves?

get on my nerves

to annoy someone, especially by doing a particular thing a lot

get louder and louder

making a lot of noise

scream

to shout in a very loud high voice, because you are frightened, unhappy, angry etc

shut (somebody) up

to stop talking, or to make someone stop talking

within the vicinity

the quality or state of being near: proximity

a rubbish bin

a container that you put rubbish in; things that people throw away such as old food, dirty paper etc SYN garbage American English

Hello. City life 1 be quite impersonal,

Hello. City life can be quite impersonal,

so I try to smile 2 people

so I try to smile at people

and thank them whenever they 3 kindly

and thank them whenever they behave kindly

but some forms of 4 behaviour

but some forms of anti-social behaviour

really do 5.

really do get on my nerves

Today I’m talking to people about good and bad 6

Today I’m talking to people about good and bad behaviour. What kind of behaviour in public places gets on your nerves?

bad manners

impolite, not socially acceptable

Smoking within the vicinity,...

1 F Scott

when people listen to their music really loudly on a stereo when you’re on the train or in a lift

2 A Hannah

When you’re on public transport, like on a train, and couples start kissing in front of you.

3 E Gemma

people with loud voices. People, er, bad manners.

4 D Colin

Probably noise more than anything, actually.

5 B Chris

Well, screaming babies in, like, shops and just generally around...

6 C Alexandra

He was in a park recently and saw a person using a rubbish bin. (Scott)

1 F

He thinks people using their mobile phones on trains is bad behaviour. (Chris)

2 T

She thinks it’s bad manners when customers in shops and restaurants use their mobile phones. (Hannah)

3 F

She thinks it’s good manners to give up your seat on a bus to an old person. (Gemma)

4 T

As we get older we find it harder to tolerate bad behaviour but we also learn how to ignore it.

1 Chris

As you get older, you learn good behaviour from interacting with adults.

2 Chloe

I think when you’re young you don’t notice bad behaviour so much.

3 Hannah

When you get older you need to learn good manners because you need more people to think well of you.

4 Alexandra

I think old people believe good manners are important.

5 Colin

Yeah, I think it does. I think as you get older you become, probably, a bit more 1 of certain,

Yeah, I think it does. I think as you get older you become, probably, a bit more intolerant of certain,

sort of, 2 behaviour and, as, when you’re younger you’re probably not as aware of it.

sort of, anti-social behaviour and, as, when you’re younger you’re probably not as aware of it.

I think the older people, definitely 3 manners,

I think the older people, definitely appreciate manners,

good behaviour and a good 4

good behaviour and a good attitude.

I 5 so.

I suppose so.

I suppose we learn how to be more 6 of it

I suppose we learn how to be more tolerant of it

We can be, probably, more short-tempered of it because we’ve probably had it all of our lives and we want it to, sort of, come to an end, but I think we learn how to, sort of, either 7 from it or ignore it, that sort of thing.

We can be, probably, more short-tempered of it because we’ve probably had it all of our lives and we want it to, sort of, come to an end, but I think we learn how to, sort of, either walk away from it or ignore it, that sort of thing.

Yeah, definitely. It becomes more important as you get older. You have to impress more people, therefore, you have to be more 8

Yeah, definitely. It becomes more important as you get older. You have to impress more people, therefore, you have to be more polite.

Yeah, and you gain a 9 as you get older as well.

Yeah, and you gain a conscience as you get older as well.

As kids, like, you just say 10 you want to each other, kids, but you kind of realise what you can and can’t say as you get older.

As kids, like, you just say whatever you want to each other, kids, but you kind of realise what you can and can’t say as you get older.