Burping after meals and clipping nails in public: Why 'polite society' has always been a myth

People might seem rude and obnoxious today, but public farting, urinating, and belching were the norm in days gone by

Disturbing other passengers with your loud phone calls may be rude now but the past was not as polite as you may think.

Walking five abreast along the pavement, forcing on-comers into the road; spitting, and dropping litter in the street; queue jumping and pushing in; taking up a bus seat with your bag; picking over vegetables in the supermarket and discarding those you don’t like; letting your dog — or child — annoy others; making fellow passengers endure your loud personal phone calls; putting your feet up on train seats; continually interrupting a conversation to text your mates; shouting your opponent down instead of arguing logically; and finding it outrageous if a ‘proper’ bacon and egg breakfast isn’t available when you’re abroad. It’s a rude world out there all right!

Yet the past wasn’t a polite place either.