What bad behaviours frustrate British Columbians the most?

VANCOUVER – Odds are, many of us see someone breaking the law almost every day but to some, there are bad behaviours that are more frustrating than others.

A new poll from Insights West asked 816 British Columbians what got their goat.

Ninety-four per cent of British Columbians say littering is their biggest pet peeve. That tied with not picking up dog waste, and using a hand-held cell phone while driving came in second at 92 per cent.

Parking in a handicapped spot without a decal came in third at 90 per cent and throwing cigarette butts on the ground came in fourth at 86 per cent.

Those polled in Alberta also put littering at the top of the list.

“The behaviours that disappoint Albertans and British Columbians the most are related to the perceived lack of responsibility of the offenders,” said Mario Canseco, vice president, public sffairs at Insights West. “While most residents look at their community as upstanding, they do become incensed when someone decides that certain regulations do not apply to them.”

At least two-thirds of residents in both provinces also become upset when they see someone speeding on a municipal road or street, not wearing a seatbelt when driving a car or riding in a car, or smoking in a patio, or close to doorways, open windows, or air intakes.

In B.C. respondents said they also become upset when they see a person riding a bike without a helmet or riding a bike on the sidewalk.

The behaviours that people said bothered them least were jaywalking, smoking marijuana and downloading or streaming copyrighted material for free.

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