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AIBU?

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Sniffing on trains

66 replies

Pamcakey · 10/09/2026 06:23

Why is it that everytime I step on a train (happily fairly infrequently, just every few months for work), I immediately end up in the near vicinity of someone snuffling and sniffing and snorting.

It gives me the absolute rage. As well as people watching TikTok videos with sound, phonecalls on speaker phones and loud chewers. Last time I was sat opposite a woman who was literally SUCKLING on a croissant, complete with mhmm noises.

I cannot cope.
My partner allegedly does not experience this.

AIBU to start deploying violence in the future?

OP posts:
fuckeditupbadly · 10/09/2026 06:27

I mean, re music and OTT noise YANBU but really, the rest is just being around actual living people. Its public transport, there will be people there. Should everyone sit in silence, facing forward and still for the duration? If its really unbearable for you, maybe use noise cancelling headphones?

fuckeditupbadly · 10/09/2026 06:29

Oh I include watching sound up videos in music. That's totally not ok. I started reading my book out loud once when the guy next to me put the sound up on the football match he was watching. He looked at me like I was crazy and I nodded at his phone and said 'I thought we were sharing?' He turned it off 🤣

TheEwok · 10/09/2026 06:31

I am totally with you. Blow your nose FFS. Also the very strong smell of weed at 6am is gross.

Pamcakey · 10/09/2026 06:33

I may use that sharing trick in future!!
Unfortunately I forgot my headphones so my senses are being fully assaulted.

Agree people are the problem. Thankfully I work remote apart from one day every few months. Perhaps lack of exposure has made me less tolerant.

OP posts:
CheeseAndSaladCreamSandwich · 10/09/2026 06:41

I recently did 2 long train journeys for the first time in about 20 years. Either people have got worse, or my tolerance has withered and died.

There was one guy who cracked out his Dominos pizza and cans of cider at lunch time. No issue with the pizza, thought it was a smart idea, wished id thought of it myself tbh, but the noises, it was like being on a farmyard. The lip smacking was unreal, he wasn't even close but I could hear him a good half a carriage away. At one point the woman sat next to turned and asked if it was just her... no love, its not!

Other than the chap who jumped on, downed 4 cans of fosters and jumped off at the next stop, leaving his cans and rubbish everywhere, the guy who kicked off because staff had the audacity to check tickets, and the guy having a loud and animated phone call behind my head for 3 hours, the journey was fine.

Actually, im sensing a theme here....

U53rName · 10/09/2026 06:42

TheEwok · 10/09/2026 06:31

I am totally with you. Blow your nose FFS. Also the very strong smell of weed at 6am is gross.

True…but honestly, I would rather be sat next to someone sniffing than someone blowing their nose. I cannot bear it when people blow their noses in public. Ick.

FlibbertyGibbitt · 10/09/2026 06:44

It’s a zillion times worse when you’re at work. I’ve actually said “who’s sniffing?” Fella admitted it and carried on. Urghhhhhhh

Pamcakey · 10/09/2026 06:48

Ooh no I’m all for blowing the nose. I’m not a monster, people get colds. But sniffing every two seconds?

We have now been joined by someone who smells very strongly of fish (?!) and someone a row or two in front is watching football with the volume up.

OP posts:
FelicityBeedle · 10/09/2026 07:00

Personally I will never understand how blowing your nose in public is more socially acceptable than sniffing. Just blow your horrible germy snot into a soggy hankie without washing your hands, lovely. Not to mention it never bloody helps with a runny nose

AelitaQueenofMars · 10/09/2026 07:10

I loathe and detest sniffers more than anything else - in fact there’s one next to me now! Noise cancelling headphones have saved my sanity…

LlynTegid · 10/09/2026 07:15

Another reason why there should be a return to some compartments in trains (one carriage in a say 8 or 10 car train). Would be more effective than a quiet coach.

I don't get sniffers hardly at all, you are just unlucky it seems.

Those who smell of drugs, just text the BTP with details, assume they have them on their person.

CoffeeandCakeBreak · 10/09/2026 07:17

Sniffing is terrible! Just blow your nose for goodness sake.

To be fair, I have been caught short on dog walks, when my hayfever has been triggered, and I might not have a packet of tissues on me. I always have tissues in my handbags.

It might be the person is caught short and would offer them a tissue, hopefully they would get the hint. Although, on a train, you would think they would go to the toilet and get tissue!

NewGoodBook · 10/09/2026 07:35

I am the same OP. I take head phones or ear plugs wherever I go. My DH and DC know not to crunch in front of me although I think I'm really sensitive to these noise. Also chewing, slurping and people biting cutlery!
The sharing of a book is a great idea!

Frikadelle · 10/09/2026 07:56

I travel regularly by train and I feel like I’ve seen it all. A guy sat next to me once, turned to the window and sneezed all over it without covering his mouth. Another man took off his shoes in summer and put his sweaty feet up on the seat next to me.
The sniffers really get under my skin, I get up and move away if possible.

CatherineMaitland · 10/09/2026 08:15

"I immediately end up in the near vicinity of someone snuffling and sniffing and snorting."

Possible allergies? When I commuted morning trains were a nightmare for me with all the scents people put on.

MTKWhite · 10/09/2026 08:21

Why do people sniff so much? I get that sometimes they have a cold but sometimes I think it's just a habit. A really annoying habit.

RelaxAndDetox · 10/09/2026 08:25

CatherineMaitland · 10/09/2026 08:15

"I immediately end up in the near vicinity of someone snuffling and sniffing and snorting."

Possible allergies? When I commuted morning trains were a nightmare for me with all the scents people put on.

Allergic reactions. The perfumes, the various smells. General allergies too.

You cannot blow your nose to sort allergies.

U53rName · 10/09/2026 08:41

Frikadelle · 10/09/2026 07:56

I travel regularly by train and I feel like I’ve seen it all. A guy sat next to me once, turned to the window and sneezed all over it without covering his mouth. Another man took off his shoes in summer and put his sweaty feet up on the seat next to me.
The sniffers really get under my skin, I get up and move away if possible.

The sneezing directly onto a window. 🤢

I’m curious about the shoe one—did he have flip-flops or similar that he could easily slip out of, or did he lean over, untie both shoes, remove both socks, then plonk his feet up?

People are weird.

Bikergran · 10/09/2026 09:02

I agree it's disgusting, but it is you, many people don't even notice it. It's called misophonia. Wear earpods or headphones.

Meandthegherkin · 10/09/2026 09:32

I had to get off a tube carriage and get back into another one once due to manky sniffing, I was getting close to gagging. It’s the idea of snot sliding up and down people’s tubes and being swallowed that grims me out. Most other things don’t bother me (though if I tune into loud chewing I sometimes can’t tune out again) but it’s the specifics of what is being sniffed and swallowed that troubles me.

Meandthegherkin · 10/09/2026 09:34

My DF (a farmer) used to just close one nostril and shoot his boogers out of the other one when walking across the fields. I wasn’t a big fan of that either.

MadisonMarieParksValetta · 10/09/2026 09:34

Spent 3 hours next to someone typing the whole time on their laptop. Must have been emailing someone they were furious with. Surprised they didn't break their laptop tbh.

LaLaBland · 10/09/2026 09:45

This is why people avoid public transport.

Unfortunately, there will always be other members of the public on that transport, with real human bodies, bodily functions, and idiosyncratic tendencies.

Made worse by the fact that people can largely (within legal reason) act how they want in public - including sniffing, sneezing, blowing noses, taking shoes off, smelling of perfume or BO, talking on phones, watching media without headphones, typing.

One of the unavoidable risks of leaving the house, perhaps? I encounter similar in the supermarket, cafes, street etc. and many of these things at work too - god the typing, calls, sniffing, chewing and nose blowing at work!

HealthyLiquorice · 10/09/2026 09:47

Once sat next to someone who was filing her nails with one of those glass emery board type things. To me, that was worse than any of the above. I did turn my headphones up to top volume to drown out the noise, but I still knew she was doing it, so didn't really help

Trivium4all · 10/09/2026 09:48

fuckeditupbadly · 10/09/2026 06:29

Oh I include watching sound up videos in music. That's totally not ok. I started reading my book out loud once when the guy next to me put the sound up on the football match he was watching. He looked at me like I was crazy and I nodded at his phone and said 'I thought we were sharing?' He turned it off 🤣

Brilliant! 😂

I have twice now resorted to finding very loud foghorns on YouTube. I even discovered a 3-hour foghorn playlist (who knew such a thing existed?). I say something like, "If you are allowed to enjoy your TikToks, I'm allowed to enjoy my foghorns."

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