to ask where you stand on loud public nose blowing

[5Foot5]

I genuinely don't know whether IABU and squeamish or whether I have a point.

Fair enough when you have a cold or congestion or your nose is blocked for whatever reason you need to blow it. I have heard there are different schools of thought as to whether clearing your nose regularly helps or hinders recovery. Personally, when I am in that situation I like to have a good "clear out". However, when I do this I always take myself off to the toilets, do what I have to do and then flush away the used tissues.

Partly this is for hygiene reasons as I don't think it is very nice to dump really snotty tissues in the bin and I certainly don't want them in my pocket. But partly it is because I assume the others around me don't want to hear all the revolting sound effects.

But there is a bloke who sits near me, about my age I would say, and I don't think in all my 50 years I have ever heard anyone blow their nose with such vim and vigour as he does. He really gives the full performance, one nostril at a time with such force that it sounds like he is trying to blow his head inside out. Usually he will have several goes before he is satisfied he has finished - though of course the performance will be repeated in due course if he has cold.

Now those of us who have sat near him for a while have sort of got used to it and just suffer this in silence, but whenever someone from a different office is nearby you can see how startled they look if they witness this. Today someone was trying to have a telephone conversation when it started and we heard him say "Sorry you will have to repeat that I couldn't hear because of the nose blowing!" The guy with the nose looked quite offended that it was commented on.

But would any of you find this anti-social? Do you have anyone in your office / life who does this?

Might be relevant that this guy is unmarried - maybe he has never lived with anyone who says "FGS take that outside will you!"

I agree with you.

I find nose blowing disgusting, I think I am almost phobic about it.

My office is open plan and a young bloke that works nearby does massive shouty sneezes and then huge parpy snot laden blows into a handkerchief (to make matters worse). It makes me want to throw up. Everyone winces when he does it. Then in my darker moments, I think about the snot filled rag in his pocket..

In our family, if you need to blow your nose, you take yourself off to the loo, use a tissue flush it and then wash your hands.

I get slightly embarrassed blowing my nose, so always try to do it in private.

But I'd rather put up with the sound of someone blowing their nose loudly then have them sniffing every 2 seconds.

I think expecting someone to go to the toilet every time they need to blow their nose is a bit much really!

As long as they aren't leaving snotty tissues lying about it wouldn't bother me at all.

MUCH better than sniffing.. any day... i HATE sniffing with a passion - i want to scream JUST BLOW YOUR DAMN NOSE

So no, i don't have a problem... and i can't imagine how anybody can do all their nose blowing in the toilet if they have a cold.. you'd be in there all day!

I dont like it. A bloke once did it while I was arguing with him, as a sign of disrespect. I was pleased he soon departed. Some blokes do it deliberately like breaking wind. Not pleasnt. (But can have a funny side, if one is at a safe distance)

huge parpy snot laden blows into a handkerchief

Oh yes he used a handkerchief and then stuffs it back in his pocket.

If you need to blow your nose then you need to blow your nose. If you use a tissue properly then the chance of spreading germs is minimal. I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to run to the toilet every time. I'm sure in a busy work environment that wouldn't be practical. (If you are ill then you should be at home but thats not what we're talking about is it?) My dh is rarely ill with colds etc but he needs to regularly blow his schnozz.

I think expecting someone to go to the toilet every time they need to blow their nose is a bit much really!

But I am not talking about ordinary, common or garden nose blowing here. This is real full throttle, so loud you are surprised he doesn't get nose bleeds sort of blow. The sort of thing where if we were not all too polite you would really want to turn and stare. As I said in my OP - I have never heard anyone make quite such a production of it as this guy.

It's revolting. I can just about tolerate nose-blowing in most situations apart from when I'm eating. Anyone who needs to blow their nose at the dinner table should definitely take themselves off out of hearing range.

[Blush] I am the loud nose blower. I try to blow my nose in a toilet but it's not always possible. I find it really embarrasing but there isn't a lot I can do about it sorry.

I take the point 5FOOT5 , you are talking about gold meddle winning,bubbling like a volcano, nose blower> Needs to be fitted with nose
bag like a horse

It's considered the height of rudeness I Japan, you just don't do it in public.

Better than incessant sniffing any day. That gives me the murderous rage. I try to blow my nose in the toilet but if you have a cold and need to blow your nose every 5 seconds, it's not always practical.

I am quite honestly incapable of de-clogging my nose quietly. I have a pretty rubbish immune system (never quite grew out of the always-having-a-cold childhood thing) and I can't breathe at all through my nose without clearing it properly. I would spend most of winter locked in a toilet blowing my nose if I never did it in public.

I'm sorry you find it antisocial. Not being able to breathe properly, or not seeing anyone for the entirety of winter because its not ok in public, is also pretty antisocial. YABU

i am leaving Japan alone too>

YANBU. I hate people loudly blowing their nose in public. And as for people who do it at the table.......

Notally - same! I don't have to do so very often, though, but it's something to do with narrow nasal passages, I just can't do it quietly and I've tried, honestly.

The problem is I am a teacher and I can't really leave my classes to blow my nose so most of them have heard my trumpet like effects from time to time

I do apologise and I'd never do so when eating but I can't help it!

DH was horrified when her came to the UK and people were blowing their noses openly. To just Japan then!

Better hooting into a hankie (as long as they don't hold it open, inspect the snot, then crumple it back up again) than hacking and spitting in the street.

And people who honk into fabric napkins....

I think it's much more polite to nip to the loo and do it, then wash your hands but if that's not practical what else can you do?

If I've a cold then I always have a good supply of tissues and anti-bac gel in my bag.

YANBU. If very loud, nose blowing can stop conversations and destroy concentration, especially if you are trying to work.

He might think that he can't help it, but if it's a daily occurance, it won't be doing much good for his nose. He should go to a doctor.

I know someone who had this problem. He finally got checked by an ENT doctor, and it turns out he had swollen sinuses and very irritated membranes. The nose blowing was caused by multiple allergies. Medication and nose sprays have made a huge difference.

Better nose blowing than constant sniffing. Or what I was fortunate enough to sit next to in a cafe once, a woman sniffing and spitting into her hankie every thirty seconds for half an hour. I shit you not. All hail mp3 players.

Boak - I hate it! Particularly when it's discharged into fabric hankies. I honestly think the Glasgow Hankie (a short sharp splat! into the gutter) is less offensive.

Doesn't bother me at all. If someone has to blow their nose, then they've got to do it. As long as they blow into a tissue, bin it straight away and anti-bac their hands, that's fine by me.

'All hail mp3 players'

I wouldn't dream of going out in public without mine