UK city named unfriendliest place as only 48% of people say 'thank you'

London has been crowned the UK's least welcoming city, attributed to its shortage of casual chit-chat and the startling observation that hardly anyone shows gratitude to the bus driver.

Meanwhile, Northerners have clinched the title of the country's friendliest residents. A nationwide survey engaging 2000 participants by mineral water company Aqua Pura uncovered that 54 percent believe the North of England hosts the most amiable folk, in stark contrast with a mere 12 percent perception of friendliness among Southerners.

The capital's perceived rudeness was pinpointed to specific behaviours deemed discourteous by the public particularly the news that fewer than half (48%) of Londoners say thanks to their taxi drivers, unlike a striking 79 percent of Northern Irish citizens and 76 percent from the Northwest.

A noticeable divide in decorum has also surfaced along gender lines; an impressive 71 percent of women consistently acknowledge the bus driver upon alighting from a bus, as opposed to just 53 percent of men.

Commenting on the findings, Terri Cooper of the Northern-based Aqua Pura remarked: "It's not surprising that Northerners have been voted as the friendliest, we enjoy a good natter on the bus and always thank the bus driver.", reports the Mirror.

Despite its reputation for aloofness, the poll did reveal a sociable side to Londoners with 23 percent frequently or always open to mingling with strangers on public transport. In a ranking of gregariousness across tube lines, the Elizabeth line took top honours as the most genial, yet a paltry four percent felt the Northern line warranted the label of 'friendly.

However, if the thought of initiating a conversation with a stranger on the bus or train unnerves you, then you