Respect Waipio
Proliferation of ATVs, dirt bikes in the valley prompts new meeting

by Bret Yager
Tribune-Herald Staff Writer
Waipio Valley residents say it's time to get the message out: People who bring ATVs and dirt bikes illegally into the valley won't meet with a warm welcome.

People often have the mistaken perception the valley is public land, and end up treating it as a theme park, some residents say. Visitors also may be unaware that ATVs and most offroad motorcycles are not allowed on the county access road to the lush valley at the island's northeast tip, an area considered sacred to many Hawaiians.

The valley has exploded in popularity over the past few years, residents say, and so have the impacts.

"The traffic increase has been huge," said Jim Cane, a Waipio taro farmer and resident of 20 years. "Part of the problem is there really is no public property. Visitors must be respectful. It's a very powerful place; you can't just do whatever you want and run amok."

However, some of the same property owners who point to ATVs and bikes tearing up streams and roadways also use ATVs in the valley. That makes some uneasy about a crackdown.

"If you have a farm, it's okay to have an ATV because sometimes that's the only way to get in," said Ku'ulei Badua, who lives near Waipio Lookout and is president of the Kuhuihale Community Association. "But a friend of mine who lives in the valley was just telling me about an ATV (visitor) going up and down the river. She told him that's where she gets her food. He could care less as long as he was having fun."

"She was so upset," Badua said. "She wants to get the word out: Waipio is not a park. People live here."

Kamehameha Schools, the major landowner in the area, has said it doesn't want the machines on its land, period, police say.




The Waipio Community Circle will host a public meeting this Saturday in Honokaa to educate the public about rules for ATVs, dirt bikes and jet skis on public roads and public areas, including the state-owned beach area and state-controlled nearshore waters. Input on activities suitable to the valley will be sought, and members of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii County Police Department will be available to answer questions.

The community has been grappling for several years with how to address the increased use while maintaining access in Waipio, Cane said. Part of that has been an education effort involving volunteer information officers stationed at the lookout, a program in place since the end of last summer.

The recent county purchase of land at the lookout was a good step toward preserving the area, Cane said. The community is also eyeing the possibility of setting up a receiving area where people have the option of learning about the valley without taking the steep road to the bottom.

"Once people realize the situation, they want to be respectful. That's part of the reason we want to educate them," Cane said.

Facilitator Susan Maddox described Saturday's meeting as an educational opportunity, rather than a response to a crisis.

"It's an opportunity to share the regulations, where the machines are usable and where it's not appropriate for those activities," Maddox said. "We hope those who use dirt bikes and go into the valley with jet skis will be part of that meeting too."

Police have warned residents that the ban on ATVs on the access road applies to them as well.

"We're warning everyone that ATVs are not allowed on public roadways," said Shane Muramaru, the community policing officer for the area.

Muramaru said the prosecutor's office had indicated there may be an exception for ATVs being used as farm vehicles.

"That all depends on what it is being used for, where it is going to and from," Muramaru said. "It's on a case by case basis. But if you're going down there blind, going on the beach, you may get cited."

The Waipio issues point to a larger problem the island is experiencing as it grows, Cane said. Access is becoming increasingly restricted; at the same time, more users are lining up to recreate on the land that's left.

The idea of limiting access to the valley has been floating around for some time, but it's a fine line balancing restrictions with the sense of openness and aloha that many would like to preserve, Cane said.

"You can't just cut off the access," he said. "Some people feel like, hey, this is Waipio; the party is over. I don't see that happening myself, but we have to place some limits on access. The community doesn't want to say don't come to Waipio, but you have to be respectful. It's a fragile place."

Muramaru said that perhaps the island needs some more ATV-friendly recreation areas.

"ATVs are wonderful things. I own one, but I don't go driving it in someone else's yard," Muramaru said.

Attempts to contact several Big Island ATV enthusiasts for comment were unsuccessful.

The community meeting will be held Sat., March 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the North Hawaii Education and Research Center at 45-539 Plumeria Street in Honokaa.

Bret Yager can be reached at byager@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

Check this from Florida

ST. PETERSBURG - The latest attempt to reduce noise levels does not involve
a new ordinance, stiffer penalties, or a big enforcement action. It is a
polite request to the owners of cars with loud music systems to turn the
volume down.

"People may not be aware that the radio is a little bit loud and disturbing
some of their neighbors," explained Susie Ajoc of St. Petersburg
Neighborhood Services.

Noise Free Florida's Judy Ellis imported the idea from other cities. She
claims a lot of violators turn down the volume once they realize somebody is
watching them.

"Someone took the time to write to down their tag. Somebody in the police
department took the time to write them a letter," she said.

Ellis is also president of a neighborhood association providing the
grassroots component of this experiment. It is making post cards available
to residents who can jot down tag numbers and send them into the city. Then
the police department sends the vehicle's owner a letter.

Ajoc says 1,000 cards have been printed. The city wants to see how many of
those cards citizens send in and how many of them involve repeat offenders.
Video

Noise Pollution is a Thief

It sneaks across property lines.

It invades your personal space.

It steals your most precious commodity: time.

It then sneaks away with no trace, except for the physical and psychological imprint on the victim.

Even the wilds of Alaska are not immune to the ravages of uncontrolled ATV use.

In his book, Alaska, Promises to Keep, Robert Weeden wrote, “Alaska’s special
vulnerability to damage to all-terrain vehicles is well known. … The
implications of high vulnerability and slow recovery of vegetation are especially important in wild areas. Wilderness is a valuable land characteristic, and it is becoming more valuable yearly. The cost of destroying or damaging wilderness, however hard it may be to calculate, is increasing. It is highest where the degree of change is greatest and where recovery times are longest. Public-land-use policies have not yet reflected the values of wildness fully even in designated wilderness areas, and scarcely at all in undesignated areas that are wild simply because they have been left alone.” (Weeden, 1978).


Link to full PDF

Hawaii Noise Bill Passes Out of Committee

Thanks to all who may have submitted comment on this bill. It goes to the Judiciary Committee next.

2/12/08 HB3001: The committees on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Morita, Carroll, Ito, Karamatsu, Magaoay, Saiki; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Thielen; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Sagum.

Important Hawaii Noise Bill Needs Public Testimony

House bill HB 3100 provides injunctive relief for noise emanating from private property. Here is the hearing notice which gives all the options for submitting your comments. The hearing date is Tuesday,February 12.

Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing with a transmittal cover indicating:
· Testifier's name with position/title and organization;
· The Committee the comments are directed to;
· The date and time of the hearing;
· Measure number

Hearing Notice

And here's a link to the bill:

HB3001

This bill is a first step for controlling noise pollution in Hawaii. Mahalo for your help!

Civil suits CAN work


Motocross Track Ruling

In 2003, a Montana family was dealing with a neighbor that installed a motocross track. The noise levels and dust from the motorcycles were so great that the family had to abandon their home during race meets. The neighbor chose to ignore complaints about the track.

The family of Leonard Moyers brought a civil action against the family of Lorraine Morin, in Flathead County, Montana which operated a motocross track on their property.

The attorney representing the Moyers family retained a consultant who created a report as evidence that included statements of individuals exposed to the track noise, photographs of the area, noise measurements, appropriate studies and references.

In district court, the judge found for the plaintiff. The conclusions of law were that the operation of the motocross track was determined to be a public nuisance. The defendant was prohibited from the operation of any type of motocross track in the vicinity and required to remove the track from the property. That included restoring the original contours of the property by removing the hills and jumps that were constructed as part of the track.

Racine police are cracking down on loud car stereos and finding people with
outstanding warrants and other violators in the process.

Big Island Police?

Racine News Video

New York's Noise Code

From TimeOut New York:

The Green Issue
The silent killer
Pissed off by noise? So is the environment. And the city’s on your side.
By Daniel Holloway

In 1972, New York became the first city to arm itself with a noise code. But you’re forgiven if you didn’t even know we had one: It went without revision for more than 30 years, during which time the city saw more development, more people, more machines and more…noise.

It took the mayor to step things up, goading an inert City Council. “To his credit, Bloomberg said, ‘Get it…done…now,’ ” says Dr. Arline Bronzaft of the mayor’s 2005 push to revise. She’s chaired the noise committee for the Council on the Environment under four mayors and is one of the country’s foremost researchers.

The new rules, which took effect July 1, impact developers the hardest. The city demands they plan for the abatement of noise during construction, and even suggests new tools they can buy (e.g., noise-reducing mufflers for jackhammers) to make the erection of condo towers as quiet as a mathlete’s birthday party. The fine for ignoring the plan: $875–$1,400 for the first offense.  But the code’s most vocal opponents have been what Bronzaft calls “nightlife people.”

“Before the code was passed, Bloomberg tried to deal with the people who objected most—the bar owners, the nightlife people,” she says, uttering the last two words in a tone that would make Andy Rooney quiver. She then slips into a mocking voice: “ ‘Oh, we’re getting such fines now. And people are picking on us already, and they’re going to be picking on us more.’ I turned to their spokesperson and said, ‘Okay, tell me how much these people pay in fines every year. Give me data. I’m a data-oriented person.’” She pauses for a moment. “I can never get that from their people.”

The point Bronzaft comes back to again and again is that the detrimental effects of noise pollution are legion—and obvious. She recalls one study she conducted in 1981 at an upper Manhattan school where sixth-graders on one side of the building—the side closest to a set of subway tracks—consistently tested one grade level lower in reading than their peers on the other side. The school installed sound-reducing tiles and convinced the MTA to place sound-reducing rubber padding on the tracks. The disparity vanished.

“If you can’t read a book, if you find you’re awakened during the night, you may not yet find you have the cardiovascular disorders or the gastrointestinal disorders, but your quality of life is being diminished,” Bronzaft says. “I don’t think we should ask, ‘What physiological disorders have noise created?’ We should ask, ‘What kind of life are people living?’ ”

Bronzaft is taking a wait-and-see approach on the new code. Like any good academic, she won’t be satisfied with the results until she sees concrete facts. But she hopes that environmentalists will come around to viewing her fight as theirs. After all, too much noise ruins everybody’s beauty sleep, and it endangers the love lives of birds—they can’t hear mating calls.

“With all due respect to the green world, they have not included noise pollution,” she says. “If you want a better environment, a sounder environment, a healthier environment, I think you need a quieter environment. And it should be part of this world of greening.”

Orlando, Florida is addressing the boom car issue


WESH Orlando Video

Cracking Down on Boom Cars has Fringe Benefit

Police in Georgia town are cracking down on noise and littering and nabbing crimnals in the process.
Check the video here:

Atlanta News

Here's yet another example of an enlightened community response to noise pollution.

The Hawaii County Council, Police Department and the Administration needs to take a hard look at incorporating legislative and enforcement avenues to address the issue.


San Antonio, Tx

Amended noise law could be costly

Web Posted: 04/23/2007 05:21 PM CDT

Chuck McCollough
Express-News Staff Writer

The party police have a warning - turn it down or pay up big time.

A newly amended city noise ordinance will hit repeat offenders hard in the
wallet when they disturb neighbors, rattle windows and make eardrums hurt
with loud music, usually late at night.

The amended noise ordinance was passed unanimously by City Council on April
5 and goes into effect June 5, city officials said.

When a police officer or Code Compliance officer investigates a noise
complaint at the same site twice in one night or "subsequent" times over the
following 60 days, the person or persons responsible for noise will be
liable for the cost of sending the officers, the amendment states.

Violators can be charged "reasonable costs" - the expense of sending police
or Code Compliance officers to the same location more than once. Those costs
also will include:

A $150 administrative fee

Any medical treatment for injured officers

Repair to any city equipment or property

"This could cost the person responsible for the party hundreds and hundreds
of dollars," said David L. Garza, director of the city's Housing and
Neighborhood Services Department.

The cost for each additional disturbance-call visit to the same location can
be as much as $1,000, according to the amendment. But that amount can be
waived if the person responsible for the party calls police and assists
officers in dispersing persons at the gathering, the amendment also says.

The $1,000 limit per incident applies only to the city's cost for sending
one or more officers to the same location multiple times, Garza said. It
does not include the administrative fee or costs for medical treatment or
damages to city property, he said.

"We've had 1,000 noise complaints through March 31, the first half of our
fiscal year, and 250 of those were for repeat offenders," Garza said.

Based on that percentage of repeat offenders and complaints from such groups
as the District 10 Neighborhood Alliance, the city pushed for revision of
the noise ordinance, he said.

Mike Gallagher with the District 10 Neighborhood Alliance praised the
amendment.

"We believe this strengthens the noise ordinance in a big way and gives
police and Code Compliance officers more power to solve the problem," he
said.

"Loud music is a problem all over the city, and especially in places where
people throw a lot of parties at the same place. The District 10 Alliance
will be watching implementation of this amended noise ordinance, and if we
find a weakness in it, we'll recommend additional changes to the city," he
said.

The amendment creates a special division called "party, gathering, event"
and defines those three terms as "five or more persons who have assembled or
are assembling in a manner so as to create substantial disturbance of the
quiet enjoyment of private or public property."

The amendment also addresses excessive traffic, fights or other disturbances
of the peace associated with parties, Garza said.

"And the party doesn't have to be at a house. It can be any place you have a
crowd (five or more people) making too much noise in a public or private
location that disturbs the area around it," he noted.

Northeast Side resident Gus Wieters first started talking to the city 14
years ago about loud noise near his house, especially at a self-service car
wash late at night.

Wieters said he and other Northeast Side residents met with City Manager
Sheryl Sculley and Police Chief William McManus about noise ordinance repeat
offenders, and that meeting helped lead to the new amendment.

Even though the amended ordinance doesn't go into effect until June, people
planning big Fiesta parties or other events should take heed, Garza said.

If officers go to an address or location multiple times before the amendment
kicks in, Code Compliance and the San Antonio Police Department will base
their actions on a record of any earlier calls to the location, he said.

Using "breach of peace" as an enforcement action for boom cars.

Lowering The Boom On Blaring Car Radios

Courant Staff Report

April 4 2007

NEW BRITAIN -- City police are warning motorists who like to cruise with
their car stereos blasting that they could end up with no music at all.

For the second year, police plan to enforce the city's noise ordinance by
charging violators with breach of peace and then seizing detachable
"faceplates" from their car stereos.

New Britain police spokesman Sgt. Gregory Wright said that, in previous
years, efforts to enforce the ordinance by ticketing violators have been
largely unsuccessful.

So last year, Wright said, police began charging violators with breach of
peace, a misdemeanor that requires a court appearance.

Police also began seizing faceplates from car stereos that were so equipped,
which makes the stereos inoperable.

"If you have that music cranked up, we're not just going to give you a
ticket and let you go on your way," Wright said. "Now we're going to make
sure you can't blast that music until your case is settled."

Wright said the department is warning motorists about the stepped-up
enforcement because the weather is getting warmer, which means people tend
to drive with their windows down and the music blaring.

"People don't want to hear the bass line from your favorite song rattling
their teeth," he said.

Yet another great idea to assist the victims of boom cars

4/3/2007 NEW BRITAIN - With winter over and spring finally showing itself, it's that time of the year when the temperature is just right for road trips and driving with the windows down.
However, the police department wants all drivers to be courteous to those around them and make sure to keep their music down.

The department's traffic-safety bureau will be initiating its Operation NABSSTER program (Noise Abatement by Seizing Stereos) to cut down on the noise complaints made by fed-up residents.

"It's annoying and it's a primary complaint of neighborhood watches," said Sgt. Gary Chute, supervisor of the traffic-safety bureau. "This program has been established in response to community requests."

Chute said sometimes music played in a car can be so loud that it rattles peoples' windows when the car drives by and disturbs those trying to sleep late at night.

He added that it also affects the quality of life in a neighborhood.
When an offender is pulled over, he or she can be charged with breach of peace and given a summons to appear in court. Officers can also seize various equipment from the offender - from the stereo face plate all the way up to the car itself, Chute said.

When the equipment is seized, police can ask the court to claim the seized items as a nuisance and have them destroyed.
To catch offenders, police use a laser measuring device to determine how far away the vehicle is in comparison to the decibels of the music.

Officers also use their own judgment when they hear unreasonably loud music coming from a vehicle.
Typically, music played in a car shouldn't be heard by those outside a 50-foot radius, Chute said.
Last year during their NABSSTER program, police arrested 10 people in an eight-hour time span for breaching the peace.
Chute said playing music too loudly in a car is dangerous because drivers are unable to hear what's going on around them, such as road-hazard alerts and other vehicles.

"It also inhibits your ability to hear emergency-vehicle sirens," he said.

Here is an example of proactive noise policy. Big Island Police Department-take note.

MPD Announces Zero Tolerance Policy for Noise Violations
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MONTGOMERY, Ala., April 2, 2007 -- The Montgomery Police Department says Montgomery residents have had enough with noise pollution in the city of Montgomery.

In a statement on Monday, police spokesman Capt. Huey Thornton says the department "has received numerous complaints recently in reference to violations of the City's Noise Ordinance. We have started enforcing zero tolerance for violators of this law."

A special detail will work to "reduce the number of offenders of this ordinance. Last weekend officers cited 36 violators who were not in compliance with the Noise Ordinance."

Below is a copy of the ordinance. Residents are advised to be in compliance.

Sec. 18-175. Prohibited acts.

(a) No permit required by the provisions of this division shall be issued for any act prohibited by this section.

(b) It is hereby declared a nuisance and shall be unlawful to operate or play any radio, stereo system, musical instrument or similar device which produces or reproduces sound, whether from a motor vehicle or by a pedestrian, in such a manner as to be plainly audible to any person other than the player or operator of the device at a distance of 25 feet in the case of a motor vehicle or 25 feet in the case of a pedestrian.

(c) It is hereby declared a nuisance and shall be unlawful to operate or play any radio, stereo system, television, phonograph, musical instrument or other similar device which produces or reproduces sound, whether from a business or residence, in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 25 feet to any person inside a commercial, residential, multifamily dwelling or public place.

(Ord. No. 69-2001, § II(C), 11-20-2001)

The fines for violation of the noise ordinance (including court costs) are $211 for the first offense and $341 for each additional offense.

Side Benefits of Boom Car Noise Enforcement

Police who stop vehicles for loud stereos often find more than powerful audio equipment. They find drugs, firearms and people who are wanted for committing crimes. They also find people driving without a license, safety check or registration.

Enforcement of noise laws has also led to the recovery of stolen goods. Stopping of Boom Cars by police has not only served to bring peace and quiet back to neighborhoods and streets, but has decreased the crime rate as well.

Talk to your local police captain to see what they can do about enforcing existing laws.

Boom Cars on the Big Island

You are in your home enjoying your dinner when suddenly a strange THUMP! THUMP! KA-THUMP! invades your space. It is felt as much as heard. A deep vibration that is annoying and unsettling. How about this: You are in your car, diving along or perhaps at a traffic stop when BOOMP, BOOMP, KA-BOOMP invades your vehicle to the extent you can't hear your own music or converse with your passengers. There's no escape. it is assault by noise.

You are a victim of the ever growing "Boom Car" syndrome. People purchase powerful amplifiers, connected to drivers that occupy much of the space in their vehicle, to create bass that will travel a very long distance. These sounds are in the double digit Hertz range and have the power to actually move move objects. The technology has actually been considered for military purposes to disable and disrupt opposing forces.

With the advent of superb headphones, why would anyone need to have something in their car powerful enough to be heard a block away? The answer lies in psychology 101. The "look at me" condition. The lack of any social responsibility means the owner of the equipment believe they can do whatever they want without any consideration for the effect on others.

Many local governments have enacted tough laws to deal with the problem. Here is a public service TV announcement from Gulfport:
Gulfport TV spot

We do have noise laws on the Big Island to address the problem:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Section 14-18. Use of sound reproducing devices in public areas.
(a) It shall be a violation of law for any person or persons to play, use, operate, or permit to be played, used, or operated, any radio, tape recorder, cassette player, or other machine or device for reproducing sound, if:
(1) Such machine or device is located in or on:
(A) Any public property, including any public street, highway, building, sidewalk, park, or thoroughfare; or
(B) Any motor vehicle on a public street, highway, or public space; and
(2) The sound generated by such machine or device is audible at a distance of fifty feet from the machine or device producing the sound.
(b) Possession by a person or persons of any of the machines or devices enumerated in subsection (a) shall be prima facie evidence that that person, or those persons, operated the machine or device at the time in question, in violation of this section.
(1975 C.C., c. 6, art. 11, sec. 11; Am. 1990, Ord. No. 90-65, sec. 2.)
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Obviously, we need to encourage our local police to enforce the existing law. We must petition the legislature to reduce the existing pollution distance of 50 feet to 20 feet now used for most codes.

Hawaii County Council Dirt Tack Resolution

On November 14, 2006 the Council will hear a resolution to support a joint county/private development of a track for off highway vehicles (OHVs) in the Hamakua District. The idea is to offer a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to the current outlaw riding on private and public lands. In general we support such initiatives. However, careful consideration must be given to the effect on surrounding properties. Environmental aspects including noise, soil erosion, and the destruction of plant life and animal habitats must be factored into the location and site preparation. Track noise footprint is paramount. Noise measured at the boundary of adjacent receiving properties should not exceed the recognized rural standard of 49 dbA.

Vehicle safety and noise criteria, as well as operator safety rules, must be established. There is ample boilerplate for this work. Many states, including California, have had public tracks for some time and have developed vehicle and operator safety directives. The requirement to register OHVs will go along way toward insuring that these vehicles are safer and friendly to the environment.

There is a significant caveat to the creation of legal riding areas. There must be concomitant OHV legislation to deter those who choose not to use approved tracks but continue outlaw operation on public and private land. OHV use should be restricted to approved public and private areas. Approval for private tracks would require the same criteria as imposed upon the public facilities. Operation of an OHV in a non-approved areas should be subject to vehicle confiscation by local law enforcement. Without such changes in the County Code there is no incentive for those that terrorize rural neighborhoods with noise to switch to an approved track.

While public tracks are a step in the right direction the County must be careful that it doesn't unintentionally create a nightmare for the surrounding area.

Hawaii needs comprehensive anti-noise legislation

Noise pollution must be an integral part of a comprehensive environmental protection program. Local police must be given enforcement power to cite violators.

The rapid growth of recreational noise generating devices that adversely affect the quality of life indicates a need for quick action.

Examples include off road recreational vehicles, after market exhaust systems on street vehicles and mega amplified bass from vehicles and residences. Increasingly there is no escape from the onslaught of noise. Scenic spots where one might go to enjoy the natural environment are becoming rare. Even in one's own residence there is no escape.

States and municipalities are increasingly addressing noise pollution and it is time to do so in Hawaii. As a worldwide tourist destination it is important that Hawaii maintain the image of a tropical paradise. Visitors and residents alike should be able to enjoy a quality experience, free from the effects of noise.

Today we have a hodgepodge of rules and statutes that address noise as an adjunct to other activities such as land use laws, Health Department rules, animal nuisance ordinances, noise control in public places and vehicle codes. As written they assign enforcement to government entities that are ill equipped to do so.

It is time to contact your legislators and begin to confront this major quality of life issue.

Noise Pollution Related to Lack of Manners

From "The Scotsman"

Experts say the death of chivalry is leading to increasing hostility in
society.

Poll finds manners no longer maketh the man

STEPHEN McGINTY

* 80% of online poll respondents say public losing good manners

* 70% believe people have lost art of speaking correctly

* Manners first became fashionable in medieval Florence

Key quote "We value manners, not only because they promote good behaviour,
but, most importantly, they curb bad behaviour. They are the oil that
smoothes our path. People feel that society is more hostile and so may act
in a more hostile manner. When someone asks a group to stop making such a
noise, he gets stabbed or beaten" - Dr Colin Gill, chartered psychologist

Story in full THE door, once held open for a lady, has been slammed shut.
The tipped hat has been knocked askew and the punctual arrival is late. The
British public is mourning the loss of good manners, according to a new
survey.

Good manners, described as the noise you don't make when you're eating soup,
came top of a poll of life skills which the British public believes are
dying out. While other lost skills include the art of the letter- writing,
needlework and car maintenance, the greatest concern of 5,200 people, polled
by the website Videojug , was the demise of
public etiquette.

The rise of antisocial behaviour and the fall in polite conversation meant
80 per cent of those polled said good manners, built up over hundreds of
years, had been replaced by today's yobbish behaviour.

Last night Thomas Blaikie, the author of Blaikie's Guide to Good Manners
said: "I'm not surprised by the results. I think a lot of people do get hot
and bothered about what we think of as poor manners. Today when you go out
to the supermarket people don't smile at each other, it's as if you don't
exist. When you go out with your friends they spend half the time talking on
their mobile phones to friends who aren't even there."

Punctuality, which came 12th in the list of lost skills, and good
conversation which came 13th, are two of Mr Blaikie's major issues.

As he explained: "People turn up 40 minutes late and if you complain they
look at you as if you are mad. While even in a relaxed conversation people
find it difficult to talk to each other without asking crass or intrusive
questions."

There is evidence that the British public has had quite enough of bad
manners. This year 1,671 people complained to the Advertising Standards
Agency about an advert for Kentucky Fried Chicken which showed call centre
workers singing with their mouths full of food.

While China issues instructions on the correct way for a tourist to behave
in Britain, for example, if lost for words he or she should discuss dogs or
inquire if a person has seen the film Bridget Jones's Diary, Britain has
abandoned the strict rules that previously governed social behaviour.

Andrew Roberts, the historian and author of A History of the
English-Speaking Peoples since 1900, said last night it was refreshing that
people wished to see a return to good manners. "In the 1960s it was deemed
to be the right thing to do to ditch the old Victorian values and examples
of proper behaviour," he said.

"But today we can see that it was a precursor to crime, yobbishness and the
ASBO. In 1900 the average working man would be expected to comport himself
as a gentleman.

"The aristocracy of the working classes prided themselves on behaving better
than the genuine aristocracy, many of whom were frequently drunk in public."

The poll revealed many people believe that basic courtesies are now lacking
such as neighbourliness - rated fourth - as working family patterns result
in fewer people knowing their near neighbours.

The art of speaking correctly came in at fifth place, with nearly seven in
ten of those polled believing current generations have lost the ability to
communicate in a grammatically correct manner.

Manners first developed in Florence during the Renaissance as a method of
setting a person apart as a gentleman, and the fashion was later adopted in
Britain. It was manners, according to Dr Colin Gill, a chartered
psychologist, that allowed society to slowly begin to move away from
behaving, on pure instinct, violently.

He said: "We value manners, not only because they promote good behaviour,
but, most importantly, they curb bad behaviour. They are the oil that
smoothes our path. People feel that society is more hostile and so may act
in a more hostile manner. When someone asks a group to stop making such a
noise, he gets stabbed or beaten."

The poll also found 76 per cent of adults believe there is an "urgent need"
to preserve the basic skills which are dying out, from politeness to the
more practical art of DIY. There were even 12 per cent who believe it is
worth preserving political correctness as a British skill, although this
only managed to squeeze in at number 20 in the table.

The reason for the decline was put down by three in four people as laziness,
while 56 per cent believe people today rely on others too much to learn such
talents themselves. However it is also a common belief that parents are not
passing on traditions to their youngsters, with received wisdom named in the
top 20 of dying skills.