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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to paint my nails on the train?

112 replies

skyofdiamonds · 08/03/2013 00:45

No back story and a quick one.

I'm going on a long ish train journey tomorrow for a weekend away with OH.

I can't paint my nails as I have work tomorrow and nail varnish is strictly forbidden at work.

I am walking straight from work to the train station, in order to catch the earliest train to where we are going.

I want sexy, red nails for our weekend but the only opportunity will be the train journey!

Is it horrible, smelly and socially unacceptable to paint them on a train?

I'm thinking yes...

Also, I could do it in our hotel. Should have thought of that before!

OP posts:
MechanicalTheatre · 08/03/2013 00:46

Yes, it is horrible. It would make me heave.

ifancyashandy · 08/03/2013 00:51

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

Catsdontcare · 08/03/2013 00:51

Yes it's very anti social

MidniteScribbler · 08/03/2013 00:51

Yes YWBU. The smell is awful, and if you spill it, impossible for the train company to remove it. Do it in the hotel when you arrive.

Amphitrite · 08/03/2013 00:52

Yes. Get a quick drying top coat - Revlon do a good one, or Seche Vite - and do them when you get to the hotel.

WallyBantersJunkBox · 08/03/2013 01:00

Yes it's a bit rude. Some people can't abide the smell, it can give people a headache in a confined space.

Also what happens if you accidentally knock the bottle over, or the train jolts and it spills onto someone's clothing/book/newspaper/sandwich?

As far as I remember train journeys are hardly smooth, so you could end up smearing it all over your fingers.

Then they wouldn't be sleek red, you'd look like a toddler with a jam pot!

Save it for the hotel.

KC225 · 08/03/2013 01:01

Get a red marker pen and colour them in - everyone loves a secret whiff of marker pen

Fallenangle · 08/03/2013 01:07

Toe nails or finger nails? Toe nails - I should like to see you try?

AdoraBell · 08/03/2013 01:39

It stinks and the train is a confined space, that's all.

ThenWeTakeBerlin · 08/03/2013 01:52

Please don't. I've experienced this and it gave me an awful headache Hmm

TobyLerone · 08/03/2013 01:57

Oh, some people are such drama queens! Just do it :o

Bogeyface · 08/03/2013 01:58

It wouldnt bother me but I would say that YABU because my cousins kids have the most appalling asthma and they get attacks from things like this. They are running a car they really can't afford because of overpowering perfume etc on public transport.

What pushed them to get the car was a young girl spraying body spray on her friend on the bus a couple of seats in front them, the journey ended with my cousin's eldest DC being taken from the bus to A&E by blue light.

HazeltheMcWitch · 08/03/2013 01:59

I will admit that I DO apply makeup whilst travelling on trains. I'm knackered, I have an early and long commute and I maximise every possible sleep opportunity.

But nail varnish is not ok to apply on trains! It stinks, really stinks. And it's just not fair to stink out the carriage so you can have pretty nails. Also, if you were to spill it, it'd ruin either the train's upholstery or someone else's clothes.

Cherylkerl · 08/03/2013 06:42

Sadly I think maybe it's a bit inconsiderate. I'd love to be able to do it though. If tuna sandwich eaters think it's ok to consume in public, I should be able to paint my nails. But I won't.

I also sometimes do or finish my make up off on the train, usually if I sit next to a woman who is also doing it

LindyHemming · 08/03/2013 06:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HollyBerryBush · 08/03/2013 06:52

One reason I dont miss commuting ; gals slathering on make up, flicking their blusher brush with gay abandon showering you with bronzer; then the gas hair straighteners/brushes come out, all elbows in your air space as they flick and preen, dropping bits of bleached hair on your lap. Then there isa suirt of perfume to choke you to death.

They are almost as bad as spread legged men with what must be gigantic bollox needing room!

Its minging to do your toilette in public.

OrangeLily · 08/03/2013 06:53

It's really unpleasant on trains. That's even when commuting sober. Have experienced not one but two girls painting their nails whilst I was deathly hungover. That was a bad day.

drfayray · 08/03/2013 06:56

Grin...this reminded me of an incident last year. It was on the bus I used to take to the city for work (Brisbane). The bus stopped at my stop, I got on and as i went to tap my travel card, the bus driver started shouting at someone at the rear of t'bus. Apparently a woman was painting her nails. Driver asked woman to stop. Woman refused.

Bus driver (a woman too) then stopped bus and shouted that she would refuse to move unless woman stopped. The smell was too much. Woman said she would not as she was at back of bus...Bus driver got off bus. I said to woman that her varnish was strong and really, all of us had to get on! Woman looked vair snooty. I sighed heavily and got off bus to try and persuade bus driver who was CRYING! I gave her tissues and said "there there, you must come across such awful people all the time" in voice used to soothe my children when they were toddlers. Bus driver said awful what she has to put up with; smells...such bad smells..perfume (oops thought I, having sprayed Miss Dior Cherie quite liberally as is my way), food, and now nail varnish. Too much. I said, look, get back on and drive on. Best really.

So she did. All the other feckers on bus just looked away as I sat down. Pah! Nail varnish woman looked suitably abashed. We could have been late, all of us.

Perhaps don't?

Grin
flow4 · 08/03/2013 06:59

I just don't believe it's possible: I reckon you'd end up with nail polish up your wrists!

Bunbaker · 08/03/2013 07:01

"Oh, some people are such drama queens! Just do it"

Oh, some people are so thoughtless and inconsiderate.

I think it isn't very nice for fellow passengers, especially those whose asthma is triggered off by strong smells. MY mum used to avoid a certain shopping arcade in town because the sales girls used to spray perfume at passers by and it gave her the most appalling asthma.

I wouldn't because of the unpleasant smell, and you risk making a bad job of it. And quite frankly, do you think your husband is going to be bothered what colour your nails are?

WeAreEternal · 08/03/2013 07:02

I have OPI polishes that don't seem to smell. I paint my nails on the train occasionally on long journies and only once have I had anyone complain and that was when I was using a cheaper polish, I think it was a revlon fast dry one.

GinAndSlimlinePlease · 08/03/2013 07:04

Please don't!

mind you, I've experienced a guy biting his fingernails (eugh) and a woman cutting her nails on the train. I think nail varnish would be preferable.

bad bad bad.

This is why we need nail bars at mainline stations Grin

mirai · 08/03/2013 07:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotQuiteCockney · 08/03/2013 07:13

I have Opi polishes. They're great. They still smell a lot - I would never dream of doing my nails on a train, and I would be very cross with anyone who did. People vary in their senses of smell, how much they mind this sort of smell, and how affected they are by it. Just because something doesn't smell much, to you doesn't mean it won't be hard on others.

KindnessofStrangers · 08/03/2013 07:15

Maybe get some nail wraps?

I'm all for time saving but nail painting on trains is really horrible. A woman was doing it on the tube yesterday and it smelt awful in the confined space!

Hope you have a nice weekend ;)

www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/EndecaSearchListerView?storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&stReq=1&searchTerm=Nail+wraps&newDepSearch=&x=0&y=0#container