Summer etiquette: Courteous commuting

Be considerate when you use your mobile phone in public. Photo / Getty Images

With a population density of 5937 people a square kilometre and an average commute time of about an hour, in Tokyo the niggles of public life matter.

Which might be why talking on mobile phones on the city's train system is frowned upon, and posters remind commuters that even texting is forbidden on priority seating for the elderly.

In New Zealand, the rudeness factor is related to the subject of conversation and duration of the phone call.

Fellow passengers will be forgiving if you receive a phone call and are then told about the death of your pet or that your house has been burgled.

They will be less so if you make the call and then proceed to shout loudly, "Buy, sell, buy, buy, sell".

Personal grooming such as combing your hair or touching up makeup is probably acceptable in moderation, but any grooming with a risk of projectiles such as flossing or clipping toenails is absolutely unacceptable.