to ban spitting in public

[southeastastra]

councillor from enfield talking about his on the radio, i agree - would anyone disagree :S

ticks the join up box! Vile habit.

YADNBU It's disgusting and unnecessary. Can be quite threatening too sometimes.

Agree.

So disgusting, only scumbags do it.

It is horrible! I was outside DDs school waiting to go in (too early!) and a runner went past and spat just as he past us!

And don't even get me started on people who blow their noses without tissue straight onto the street!!

I find it on a par with dog shit. Just after I gave birth to dd2 I rolled the pram wheel through a big greenie and was so disgusted I threw up.

And who's going to police it? Not that I don't agree with you OP - I do, it's disgusting but nobody's going to gob at the foot of your local plod are they? Unless they are seriously cerebrally challenged!

It is wretched.

I thought it was banned.

A long overdue measure. It's not just vile, it's hazardous what with TB on the rise again.

But what if a fly flies in your mouth?

It is very common in our neck of the woods.
The local pool had to put big signs up to tell people not to do it, especiaaly in the showers.
So disgusting.

disgusting habbit, i hate it.

Someone once spat a greeny out the window of his car. tf my car windows were shut (mid summer) I still heave when I think of it.

Whilst we are banning stuff. Whistling. I could possibly be driven to murder by Whistlers.

I hate whistlers too! And why do they all have yellowing hair and a distinct odour of underpants about them?

And they are generally Old Men.

Usually in the supermarket. On occasions DH has gone hungry as I have just upped and left the trolley behind.

Its that or incarceration for me. Quite seriously. They do sell frying pans there and who knew they could be so useful?

The biggest offenders here are teenagers and African women.

Mind you, a man hoiked up a greenie and spat it straight on the Infants school playground not so long ago, and the Head teacher grabbed a paper towel and told him to bend down and clean it up...which he did rather sheepishly

YAsoNBU.

I loathe spitting with a passion. I was waiting for a train at Liverpool Lime Street the other day and there were a group of French teenagers on the platform. One girl (must have been about 15 or so) leant over and spat in a slow, lugubrious sort of way, then 5 minutes later did it again. Vile.

I always thought that there had been a huge national crackdown on it in the 50s or 60s to inhibit the spread of TB (not sure where I got this information, granted).

I don't know how they'd crack down on it to be honest

If they can't control dog shit, I can't see them controlling spitting...apart from sticking up a few posters

YANBU it is vile disgusting behaviour

There was a crackdown years ago to try and stop the spread of TB. I once nursed an old bloke who had TB, he used to spit at us whenever we entered the room Thankfully, my BCG had done its job and I was immune.

Spitting is disgusting and there's no need for it

The biggest offenders here are teenagers and African women.

It's interesting that you should say that worra. Do you think it's a cultural thing with the African women?

I have no idea Maisy

I remember when I was little (1970s) and the only people who I'd see spitting were generally teenagers. Very occasionally I'd see men spitting but not often. I never ever saw women spitting until the area I lived in, became predominantly Asian/Indian.

Then (and I have vivid memories of this) I'd often hear (and then see) mainly Asian women really coughing up loudly and spitting...albeit mostly in the gutter as they walked down the high road. I had never seen this before (from women) and I remember asking my Mum why they did it...can't remember her reply but it was probably 'I don't know'.

Then, it seemed to fizzle out. After a few years, the only people I'd see spitting were mainly teenage boys and occasionally men.

Now (in the last 5 or so years and in a different area) it seems to be mainly teenage boys and African women who publicly 'hoike up' and spit on the pavements.

It could be cultural or it could be ignorance/bad manners...I really have no idea.

The reason I bring the cultural comment up is that some time ago I was sat opposite an African lady on the bus. She was using a chew stick which I believe is popular for cleaning teeth. She spat out from time to time whilst using it. Made me want to honk but was obviously something natural to her.

It might well be in that case...just as it possibly was with the Asian women in my area during the 70's.

But thankfully it would seem they were probably advised it's not accepted in our culture so maybe they began using tissues?

Again, I don't know...but it did seem to eventually stop in the 70's.

Hopefully it'll stop now too once they realise (if indeed it is a cultural thing) that's it's not ok to do it as part of our culture.