spitting

kristina

I think its gross- and I got into an argument with another PH resident tonight for spitting (and hocking) on the sidewalk tonight. He was very defensive of his actions- "Where am I supposed to do it- at home?"
(well, yes!)
thoughts?

ratboy

Yeah, its a complete act of disrespect. No one has the right to expell bodily fluids wherever he or she chooses. We all share public space (thus the term public) and cannot choose to simply do as we wish without any regard for our neighbors.

ONE big luggie spat for the convenience of ONE selfish person can affect the day of THOUSANDS of neighbors who have to walk by it on the way to or from work. How is this justified?

michaelkeys

kristina wrote: I think its gross- and I got into an argument with another PH resident tonight for spitting (and hocking) on the sidewalk tonight. He was very defensive of his actions- "Where am I supposed to do it- at home?" (well, yes!) thoughts?

While I do agree that it can be a disgusting thing to witness, it is many times unavoidable and even unreasonable--for numerous reasons--for a person to wait to get home, or its equivalent. I don't have much of a problem with it if the person in question is making an effort to not seem disgusting or crass.

ratboy

Why is is "unavoidable"?
I work 8 hours a day in the office and I dont spit on the floor,
nor do I go to the restroom every 10 minutes to cough one up.
I am sure many of these chronic spitter have jobs just like mine and are under the same soical constraints in the workplace - which inhibits their ability to spit. So by that, it can be avoidable.
And how is expelling bodily fluid not disgusting or crass?
Mono, menengitis, strep, flu are all spread by spit.

kristina

I understand that now and then people are ill and need to spit, but use a handkercheif! (or tissue)
And if you're that sick, stay home!

izisharp

THE ABSOLUTE WORST is when these dudes turn to the side and spit, not noticing a passing or approaching pedestrian. I can't count the number of times I feel like I just barely miss getting spit on inadvertently. THAT's the shit that's unnacceptable. :x Mother-fuckers should be water-boarded in a giant barrel of loogies for that stuff.

michaelkeys

RatBoy wrote: nor do I go to the restroom every 10 minutes to cough one up.

Yeah, neither do I, but what if you needed to? Or is this one of those--it-doesn't-happen-to-me-therefore-it's-wrong situations?
I'm not talking about condoning unsanitary behavior for the hell of it, just that sometimes thing aren't as black and white.
What about the diabetic that goes into an alleyway after unsuccesfully trying to find a bathroom to urinate? Should we ostracize him/her?
Again, NOT in favor of people creating unsanitary conditions for the hell of it. But let's not be so quick to judge.

michaelkeys

izisharp wrote: THE ABSOLUTE WORST is when these dudes turn to the side and spit, not noticing a passing or approaching pedestrian. I can't count the number of times I feel like I just barely miss getting spit on inadvertently. THAT's the shit that's unnacceptable. :x Mother-fuckers should be water-boarded in a giant barrel of loogies for that stuff.

Agreed.

apollonia666

It's not unavoidable. They have this amazing new invention called Kleenex. I hear you can get it in some stores. Even in little fit-in-your-pocket packs.

ratboy

True MichaelKeys, and I am aware that there are serious medical conditions that may be at play in some instances, and I dont mean to spread any hostility towards them. But are there really that many people with chronic lung infections in the city?
Also, if someone does actually have an illness which requires them to expel bodily fluid, shouldnt they be prepared to take some responsibility for that? like carrying handkercheif?
Besides if someone did have a condition requiring spitting wouldnt that imply that the person may actually have to make even more of an effort to be sanitary, as to not spread those germs?
(Yes, I know diabetes is a different beast, I just bring up the above point to balance out the grey-area medical necessity point you raise.)

I really doubt the spitters do it for any reason other than choice.

homeowner

My thing with spitting is if you absolutly have to do it, walk the two feet to the curb and spit into the street. Don't let one loose in the middle of the sidewalk where everyone else is. It would be nice to think that everyone would have a hankerchief or tissue available, but the reality is that most people don't.

sarajean8

when I used to live in the LES, on the border of Chinatown, I couldn't BELIEVE how many Chinese people hocked (and hocked) up loogies all day. Outside my apt. a lot of produce was loaded into trucks and each time I passed by at least one or two would hock and spit- later I was told this is a cultural thing- a cleansing of sorts. It's really repulsing and one of the many reasons I avoid Chinatown.

I also recently had the pleaseure of being on a subway car where a teenage boy hocked and spit right on the floor. Then, his friend thinking it was cool, did it too. Very nonchalantly of course, like they must do it all the time.

laura

I have a CD on which Nicole Blackman does this spoken-word thing called "What I Want for Christmas", and one of the things is "I want a law that makes men who spit on the sidewalk have to lick it up". I'm with her.

I truly don't understand why it would be "at many times unavoidable." I've discussed this with friends, and none of us has ever felt the need to spit in public. What do these people have in their mouths that they have to get rid of? Of course, if you're really sick and coughing things up, that's another matter. But if you're that sick, then you already know it and should be prepared. But I think 99 percent of the time it's just a stupid social habit.

sterling2000

Admission: I do spit outside but follow the rules of using the street or a treepit, and to never do so if another person is within sight of me.

You can take the boy out of the country, but....

laura

Why do you spit? I'm curious. I just don't understand it at all.

izisharp

can we start bitching about littering as well? Nothing irritates me more than punks throwing trash on the curb, in subway cars and on subway tracks. Straight bastards.

michaelkeys

original post removed, see below

michaelkeys

homeowner wrote: My thing with spitting is if you absolutly have to do it, walk the two feet to the curb and spit into the street. Don't let one loose in the middle of the sidewalk where everyone else is. It would be nice to think that everyone would have a hankerchief or tissue available, but the reality is that most people don't.

Thank you, citizen of the real world.

When did spitting become this weird, uncommon thing that drives people to ask others why they do it? Huh? I mean, when did it cease to be a bodily function like so many others. We wouldn't ask someone why they cough, unless we were inquiring about a percieved affliction, right? So what gives?

I can fully understand being disgusted by spitting but asking why people spit is just baffling to me.

doublediamond

MichaelKeys wrote:

Thank you, citizen of the real world.

When did spitting become this weird, uncommon thing that drives people to ask others why they do it? Huh? I mean, when did it cease to be a bodily function like so many others. We wouldn't ask someone why they cough, unless we were inquiring about a percieved affliction, right? So what gives?

I can fully understand being disgusted by spitting but asking why people spit is just baffling to me.

Being disgusted by spitting isn't anything new. Have you ever checked out old street and subway signs from NYC, like in the transit museum or seen signs at old train stops? People has always thought it was digusting and asked others to refrain from spitting in public.

There are plenty of bodily functions that are not OK to do in public places. If you were a public urinator or defecator, I'd definitely ask why you were doing it in the middle of the street.

stacey

When I quit smoking I was hacking up my lungs and there were times where I ran out of tissues or just did not have one on me - so I would spit it out. I really don't care who I offended but there was no way I was swallowing it back down.

laura

MichaelKeys wrote: When did spitting become this weird, uncommon thing that drives people to ask others why they do it? Huh? I mean, when did it cease to be a bodily function like so many others. We wouldn't ask someone why they cough, unless we were inquiring about a percieved affliction, right? So what gives?

I can fully understand being disgusted by spitting but asking why people spit is just baffling to me.

I'm sorry, but the only time I need to spit is a) when I'm brushing my teeth and b) when I'm at the dentist. I have absolutely no idea why someone would need to spit in public, and neither do the friends I've spoken to about it. Sorry, but it's true. And many people spit as a HABIT, which truly perplexes me.

laura

stacey wrote: When I quit smoking I was hacking up my lungs and there were times where I ran out of tissues or just did not have one on me - so I would spit it out. I really don't care who I offended but there was no way I was swallowing it back down.

Okay, now there's a good reason. Thanks for enlightening me.

alex

If you spit on the sidewalk you're a degenerate.

laura

I don't recall ever seeing anyone spit in public before I moved to NYC. I thought it was something done by cowboys and tough kids in gangs.

brookfetish

I was raised by camels. I spit. I also don't mind spitting because....


....it's the f'in street, people!

stacey

Alex wrote: If you spit on the sidewalk you're a degenerate.

Thats Ms. Degenerate to you

brookfetish

BTW, what's the over/under on this thread turning into a race war?

doctorj

Cycling to midtown and back... in cold weather, condensation can lead to expectoration. I figure it's more important to concentrate on the traffic and pedestrians than fumble around for kleenex... after all, cyclists are substantially invisible to everyone but other cyclists, and our gutters and drains can handle it.

whyfi

BrookFetish wrote: BTW, what's the over/under on this thread turning into a race war?

Gender.

apollonia666

WhyFi wrote: [quote=BrookFetish]BTW, what's the over/under on this thread turning into a race war?

Gender.

Yeah, if it's going to turn into anything... I mean, I see WAY more men doing this than women.

What kills me is the number of people in this thread trying to justify it for one reason or another. It's GROSS. Just flat gross.

laura

doctorj wrote: cyclists are substantially invisible to everyone but other cyclists

:-s Somehow I get the feeling you don't spend a lot of time being a pedestrian. Anyhow, it seems to me that this kind of activity leads to one's nose running, not needing to spit. :-s

apollonia666 wrote: What kills me is the number of people in this thread trying to justify it for one reason or another. It's GROSS. Just flat gross.

AMEN! =D>