Londoners are frustrated by their fellow commuters on train journeys, with many supporting fines for those putting their feet on seats, new figures suggest.
Leaving litter behind and putting feet on seats were deemed the worst behaviours in a survey by travel company JRPass – with 75% and 70% of respondents saying they were unacceptable respectively.
This comes amidst a new TfL campaign urging customers to wear headphones, rather than playing audio aloud, with 61% of respondents stating this was unacceptable, and 46% admitting doing it themselves.
Blocking doorways was deemed a problem by 68% of respondents, followed by putting bags on empty seats with 66% and talking loudly on the phone at 59%.
A smaller number of respondents admitted to doing these behaviours themselves, with 45% saying they make loud phone calls on the train.
Speaking to the Londoners at Waterloo station, journalist Monica said: “I get really annoyed when people talk loudly on their phones.
“Especially if you’re coming back on the train after a long hard day at work, the last thing you want is someone shouting down your ear to someone else.”
Whilst commuters blocking doorways during busy services drew the ire of many respondents, 38% admitted doing it themselves.
Wayne Radford, who works for a railway company and takes the Tube twice daily, said: “People blocking the doors is a real pain, especially for elderly people trying to get on and off.
“When there’s a lot of people trying to get on, you can sometimes get pushed back on the train and end up missing your stop.”
Radford did not support a fine for such behaviour, but felt those who did it should get ‘more of a scorning’.
JRPass data suggests three-quarters of London commuters support the enforcement of fines for leaving litter behind, with over half thinking putting feet on seats and drinking alcohol should be punished.
Just under 50% of respondents thought commuters playing audio without headphones should be fined, whilst 47% believe those blocking doors should be fined.
Several commuters at Waterloo felt fines for not wearing headphones and blocking seats with bags would be too extreme, which is reflected in the figures.
The magnitude of these hypothetical fines varies by behaviour, with respondents believing the amount for leaving litter behind should be around £20, according to JRPass.
Jonathan Bound, a 68-year-old retired aerospace worker, said he enjoyed taking the London Underground but would support fines for such behaviour.
He said: “I agree with fines in principle but feel sorry for the people who would have to try to enforce it, because nowadays people react in very aggressive ways if they’re asked not to do something.
“Though I think it’s something that should be done, putting the onus on some poor train guard or ticket inspector would be asking them to put themselves in harm’s way.”
Many respondents supported fines of over £100 for drinking alcohol – which is already prohibited by TfL and can carry a £1000 fine in court.
Figures from a previous Freedom of Information request indicate there were 102 prosecutions for alcohol possession on London Underground, London Overground, Elizabeth Line, and DLR services between 2021/22 and 2023/24.
Prosecutions have also taken place for playing loud music, under a TfL byelaw prohibiting singing or using sound equipment without permission, with a man fined £300 for playing music through a speaker on the Jubilee Line in 2023.
Statistics were taken from a December 2025 survey of 1,000 respondents, who had taken the train in the UK in the previous six months, on behalf of Japanese rail ticket provider JRPass.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Everyone deserves to travel comfortably and safely, and we ask that all customers are considerate of other people when using our services.
“We have run our ongoing #TravelKind campaign since 2017, which includes a range of posters across our network that encourage positive behaviours such as using headphones when streaming content, making space for wheelchair users and being respectful of other customers who may need more time to navigate the network.”
Featured image credit: Jessica C via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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