"Talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening," the saying goes. When did the world stop wanting to hear? When did society stop valuing basic courtesy and respect? It’s a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says it’s now reached the boiling point. Taking on the boorish behavior that for some has become a point of pride, "Talk to the Hand" is a rallying cry for civility.

When did "please" and "thank you" become passé? When you call a "customer service" number, why does the burden of deciphering the automatic switchboard fall to you (and where are the real people when you, the customer, need service)? Why do people behave as if public spaces are their own chip-strewn living rooms? Perhaps most important, how has it come to be that we are not allowed to object? Call someone out on rude or disrespectful behaviour and you are likely to get an "eff off" or worse.

In a recent US survey, 79 per cent of adults said that lack of courtesy was a serious problem. For all of those fed up with antisocial behaviour and suffering in silence, realise that you are the majority!