Sniffing in public

[allinall]

Has this become a really common thing? I'm making a long journey today by train, tube and train again. Everywhere I go people are sniffing and snorting loudly, disgustingly. They don't ever blow or wipe their noses, just sniff.

It's just so vile I want to gag. I don't think I'm a really sensitive flower, but this is really horrible. The man behind me is sniffing every ten seconds or so. I'm just waiting for the next one. Someone else in the carriage is at it too, but a bit further away. I can't change seats, too crowded.

So, am I being unreasonable to find this rude, nauseating and ...new? I've not noticed it so much in the past.

[daftbesom]

Maybe they don't have a hankie?

[DadfromUncle]

YANBU I notice this a lot on trains, it is crap.

[Gymbob]

DD2 does it. it drives us all mad. DD1 will tell her to blow her nose. she also filmed her and played her it. I ask if she'd like a tissue and DH asks if she's got a cold. nothing we say makes any difference. I don't think she knows she's doing it half the time.

she just takes umbrage to us all and carries on, not bothered

[crapfatbanana]

YANBU. My husband does it and it drives me mad. I even go and get him a hanky but he would rather sniff.

[crapfatbanana]

Sniffing in children can be a tic. It's quite a common one. My five year old had it a few months ago, which set alarm bells ringing as my older boy developed tics at the same age and earlier this year (he is nine now) was diagnosed with Tourette's.

Adults with runny noses sniffing though - annoying!

[pigsDOfly]

It's horrible. But not quite as bad as the sniffers who sniff up their snot and spit it out in the street. Lovely.

Maybe you should buy a large packet of tissues and walk up and down the train carriage handing them out to the sniffers.

Might make the journey go a bit quicker.

[goldierocks]

You have my sympathies.
I commute every day into London - the young man opposite me this morning was sniffing so loudly I could hear him over my headphones/music. I offered him a tissue, but he declined.
I don't know why sniffing annoys me so much.

[hiddenhome]

It's due to the widespread use of cocaine which is relatively affordable these days compared to in the past.

[reni1]

I always wonder if sniffers swallow the sniffed up slime blob whole or give it a quick chew first. Maybe I'll ask the next one.

[irie]

Oh my god I'm 32 weeks pregnant and was nearly going to scream earlier this week at the chorus of sniffing on my train! I nearly offered the man opposite a tissue, until he pulled one out of his pocket!

[FundamentalistQuaker]

This is the true reason i-Pods and smart phones are so popular: to drown out the hideous sounds of other people.

[CoogerAndDark]

Blowing your nose sounds gross too. People sniff trying to put the moment off from emptying their snot into a hankie and running the risk of some trailing out afterwards.

[allinall]

Pigs, you are right, I should have offered tissues all round, using my best teacher voice too (used to be a teacher, some skills remain useful!).

I think I notice it because I don't usually listen to music or anything. When people are in their own little bubble of music they perhaps don't hear themselves sniff.

Anyway, home now. Peace!

[londonrach]

Had this today on the train. Am so going to take paper tissues with me. Its usually men. Had one today with the leg spreading on his candy crash and in great need for a tissue. He didnt see my looks...

[whothehellknows]

Allergy season? I got caught short several times today by unexpected sniffles and sneezes. It's not like having a cold where you stock up on tissues and go out prepared. You can be fine one moment and the next thing you know you've a nose full of gunk and scrambling for anything to sort it.

Apparently today it was lettuce and boots chemist that set me off.

[Notagainmun]

I have terrible sinus problems and I physically can't blow out of my nose or breath out through it and have lost my sence of smell completely. Waiting for surgery so all I can do is sniff. I try to wait until I am alone but it is not always possible. Sorry if my sniffing offends anyone but I am suffering, maybe some of the people you come across have a similar problem.

[BadLad]

Must remember not to sniff when next in the UK. Where I live the correct thing to do is to keep sniffing, in public anyway, as blowing your nose is considered worse manners. I'm used to that now so it's easy to keep doing it in the UK.

[The5DayChicken]

I'm very much the other way...people blowing their noses in public makes me heave.

[Fatmomma99]

ahhh! cocaine! I remember thee well!

[The5DayChicken]

And allergies often just make your nose stream but the fluid is too watery to give you a productive nose blow. You could wipe instead but you'd be doing it practically constantly and your nose would get painfully chapped very quickly.

[BawbagBiggins]

I always sniffed on public transport - especially on my way to and from work.
This way due to the feckin horrendous amount of perfume/aftershave that folk found the need to bathe in before their commute...being highly allergic I would sniff/sneeze/snort my way through every journey and start and finsh each day with a raging migraine!
The stuff should be banned

[bolleauxnouveau]

I'm a sniffer, I have memories of o-level biology, our text book said that snot could be swallowed and digested harmlessly, sometimes I just don't want a pocketful of pestilent soggy tissues.

[SniffsAndSneezes]

Afraid I'm a serial offender here, OP. Unfortunately my predicament is the exact one that The5DayChicken describes- I have year-round allergies and often my nose is dripping like a tap with what is basically water. There's nothing really to blow into a tissue. I've taken to wrapping a bit of tissue around the tip of a finger and just gently wiping the top inside of my nostril (where it seems to collect for some reason) to sort of soak it up but its never ending and I just end up with pockets full of damp tissues. So sometimes I just have to sniff. Sorry!

[Dynomite]

Yup, I sniff lots this time of year. It's the allergies. I did use to wonder if people noticed and found it gross.....sorry guys