To dislike people sitting next to me in the GP's waiting room

[Allthewhitehorsesarestillinbed]

In order to provide a little context... DP and I took our DD to the doctor for the first time today. She was fifteen weeks premature and has chronic lung disease and a weak immune system. We've only just got her home.

Now I know that she doesn't come with a sign and we debated about not going into the waiting room (breeding ground of germs that it may be...) but it was fairly empty so we chanced it.

We deliberately sat on the far side of the room. There were about ten empty seats on either side of us, not to mention the other few dotted around amongst the other folk waiting.

So why the feck did a lady decide to sit right next to me? Why? Why did she proceed to cough a horrible phlegmy cough? Why do people do this?

Should I have said something? Or should we have moved?

Jeez, it's like empty car parks...

So aibu or are there other's who are freaks?

Most GP surgeries have an isolation room. Ask to sit in there next time.

When my Dh had a small operation on his nose he was told to avoid everyone with colds. Our local GP had a place for him to sit away from all the other people who were sniffing away in the main reception area. Have you asked the GP if there is an isolation area like this in your surgery?

Well I did not know that! Thank you crash!

As the waiting room had plenty of other seats, I would have employed the following "blocking" strategies if I had my sick baby with me - go to furthest end of waiting room, chose end of row seat, get DP to sit in 2nd seat, bags/coats on third seat........

You need to ask them for a home visit. They should come out to prems, it's too dangerous for them to be in the surgery.

If they don't have an isolation room, mention it to the receptionist and they might have another spare room you can sit in. I'm on immune system suppressing drugs and my surgery is always busy. Sometimes I stand in the corner to avoid coughing, snotty people. I often move around too. I'm sure people think I'm weird but I don't care!

LadySybil, unfortunately, it is really hard to get GPs to do a home visit even for very vulnerable people.

I am liking the blocking strategies. DP pulled up the hood of her carseat and turned it away slightly. He drew the line at me being slighly hysterical and throwing a muslin over her like a magical all encompassing forcefield, but it was worth a go.

Xposts Lady Sybil - to be fair, the hv is doing home visits for her weekly weigh ins so we don't have to go to the baby clinic.

Crashdoll - perhaps next time I shall simply get up and move like yourself. Not sure why I care about coming across as rude when my daughter's health is at stake

She's very vulnerable and these people are strangers who you're unlikely to meet again. Screw what they think and do what's best for your daughter. Although, I'd still recommend seeing if you can be in a separate room. Idk what your surgery is like but most are quite accomodating.

Tbh, if I sat down next to you in the surgery waiting room, OP, and you asked me to move so I didn't infect your premature baby, or if you moved and told me why, I would understand completely and wouldn't be offended at all.

I really don't think you can be angry with the lady concerned - she can't tell just by glancing at your daughter that she is immuno compromised. Yes, you should have moved, or better still had a word with the receptionist when you first arrived explaining the situation and asked for an empty consultation room / clinical room to wait in.....

I know hmc, but I just don't get why folk do this! I don't walk into nigh on empty rooms (or drive into almost empty car parks) and park myself next to someone else.

Clearly, I have no pack mentality...

And cheers SDT, moving or isolation is the way forward.

I get you but not from a health point of view I'm just antisocial. It really annoys me when people park in the space next to me when there are loads of free spaces too and it annoys me when on a dual carriageway the car behind you overtakes when you do then pulls in when you do- grrr

Eau, yes. Just yes.

We are kindred spirits.

I'm the same with cinema aisles. And I don't hog the popular central ones either.

Grrrs in unison.

YANBU! The woman who sat next to me when I had to go for compulsory contraceptive-pill blood-pressure test last week was awful.

She was cheek to cheek with me hissing about her piles and then disclosed that she had terrible D&V in the last 12 hours and "the doctors won't do nothing or give us nothing"

That is because you should NOT be out and about and practically eating the face off strangers

In terms of her rationale for sitting next to you, she might've seen your pram and wanted to coo at the baby?

But of course YANBU to protect your baby :)

Creepy - yuck. Exactly why I hate going to the doctor.

Uphill - that's what I said to DP!

I had this on a commuter train once. There is a specific way the seats get filled in that minimizes contact until absolutely necessary. (the unwritten rules of London)

I was completely when in a practically empty train, sitting by the window in a 3 seat bench, a guy came and sat down on the middle seat, right next to me. Eeek! Leave a space!

YANBU. She was weird. I would have glared at her, hard, and then moved.

Allthewhitehorses I totally understand you, and like Eau it's generally anti-social reasons. I also lack any pack mentality, I like my personal space.

I also do not understand why when you go to public toilets, someone always has to come into the cubical next to you when there's 10 other fecking empty ones!

Yank, I understand. I particularly hate the elbows/arms/knees touching. Ick. Planes trouble me.

Chin - I was glaring at anyone who dared cough or sniff. In reflection, we should've just waited elsewhere, less stressful that way.

Xpost jojo. Ah yes. Toilets. That too annoys me. Even in the maze that is the public toilets at motorway services, when I have walked the mile to the furthest loo, some fecker will move in next door :(

Glad it's not just me!

I'm thinking that lady must have sat next to you because she wanted to peer at the baby. Before I became antisocial ill, I used to enjoy cooing at babies. It used to keep me amused and babies always stare at my face and smile. I hope it's because I have a friendly face and not because I'm odd looking.

Don't get me started on toilets, I want to fart in peace people!!!