It is polite and simple good manners to apologise if one smashes it in. HOWEVER, sadly, we were told that certain passenger toe-rags will make whiplash claims etc. if a PA is made after a heavy landing, so now we don’t say anything, (but I apologise to the crew in the crew bus
).
At Gibralter, a ‘carrier deck’ landing is kind of necessary, and the pax all understand this. Otherwise, have a bit of thought and respect for the structure and components of your aircraft.
Harsh braking though? No. Would you do it in your car for no apparent reason and say nothing to your passengers? In an aircraft; unless you have reached the red and whites and the end of the runway is fast approaching, just go to the next exit. We are supposed to be in control and capable of conducting a smooth flight, so harsh or heavy braking will be regarded as an emergency situation by the passengers who will find it extremely unpleasant. Don’t float halfway down the runway, and don’t deliberately linger, but if the next arrival is too close behind, that is not your problem. (Unless you were asked to make a certain exit - in which case you can plan accordingly - or the flight behind has declared an emergency).
Lots of old jokes about hard landings. My favourite is: “Young man, did we land or were we shot down!?”