aibu to wish parents wouldn't cough up and spit out phlegm in the school playground??

[Flumplet]

I saw a mother do this at my son's school just now. I picked her up on it and she just sort of laughed and shook her head. Am I being unreasonable to expect a grown adult to spit in to a tissue if they need to spit in this circumstance?

[Pangurban1]

I must admit, I saw very little of it in Ireland. I always thought this was a result of the campaigns in the '50's etc to discourage it because of the spread of TB. In London, I see people doing it frequently. It is not because of unseemliness, but a very real issue of germs which make me hate the way people spit their phlegm. My husband once to out of the underground and someone had spat phlegm out onto his rucksack!

The only time I kind of understand is when I see cyclists doing it as they move along. If in traffic they cannot stop and get a hanky out. A fly or something could have got into their mouth.

[CoraPirbright]

WHY do people do this?? JUST WHY?? It is SO disgusting. People who do this should be frog-marched to the nearest police station and have their nasal passages filled with quick-drying cement.

I jest, obviously, but more seriously, how badly brought up are these people that they think this is ok? Or if they think its culturally acceptable....well it bloody well isn't. Its small wonder that TB is on the rise again in certain parts of the country.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

Oh dear god. That's utterly foul. It makes me physically retch when I see an "oyster", they are often on the train platform. Bleuch.

Utterly disgusting and that someone would do it in a school playground. I'd happily stick my neck out under those circumstances.

Also, it's illegal. She can be fined up to £80 under Anti Litter Legislation
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10332490/People-who-spit-in-public-face-prosecution-after-landmark-legal-ruling.html

[allwornout0]

I have been to a couple of countries in Eastern Europe and have never seen anyone do this, so it isn't an Eastern European 'thing'.

[waitingforsomething]

Yanbu that is disgusting and unnecessary

[hefzi]

It's really common round where I live - I long for the days of "no spitting" signs! However, though we have a substantial Roma population, it's the Scouse natives who are the worst culprits - especially young men: I frequently get gobbed on on the way to work. To be fair, they do apologise - but I'd rather they didn't do it in the first place!

No wonder that TB is on the rise again...

[socalsunni]

You get disgusting pigs in every nationality.

Report her to the HT.

[Flumplet]

She's Romanian and just laughed and shook her head when I picked her up on it... Which made me feel a bit but I'm pleased to see its not just me!

[SuckingEggs]

GROSS. No excuse.

[AgentProvocateur]

It's fucking vile, and if I was in charge of the world, I'd put these people in the stocks and let everyone expel all their bodily fluids and solids all over them. Can you tell it's something I feel strongly about?

[socalsunni]

Spitting is a good way to spread TB.

[socalsunni]

What nationality is this woman?

I lived in a country where the men had a disgusting habit of holding one side of the nostril, whilst blowing the contents out through the other.
Never into a tissue.
It was mainly the men that did it.

If she is from another country, maybe you could have a friendly word with her and explain that it's considered extremely bad manners to hawk phlegm on the street.

If she doesn't have the excuse of being 'forrin' and not knowing our ways, then she is a dirty madam and I have no advice.

[ninared]

absolutely disgusting. I would not have been able to contain myself if I had witnessed this. Filthy habit of a filthy person

spitting is against the law in many countries to curb disease - spitting carries many airborne diseases including TB and pneumonia to name a few - disgraceful behaviour in a school where children play and go about their day

a sad thing that this is happening in the UK :(

[AmusingSpoonerism]

Absolutely gross. YAdefinitelyNBU

[Doublebubblebubble]

Ewwwww... As above report report report

[GoblinLittleOwl]

It is disgusting. Report her to the Head: public health.

[shoofly]

Yanbu. Vile just vile.

[Stanky]

I hate spitting, it really does spread diseases. If it is a real emergency, then I would make sure no one's around, and just discreetly spit into a bush or something. I could never just gob like a footballer on the playground.

[MyrtleFox]

worra, completely agree! but just didn't want to seem like I was finger pointing at those dirty non-nationals ~:-p

[Aeroflotgirl]

Blowing your nose is different, that does not leave disease carrying dirt on the ground. When you blow your nose, you usually use a tissue or hanky.

[ToothlessAndPointless]

[Aeroflotgirl]

Fantastic worraliberty, the same for people who wee or vomit on the floor during a night out, disgusting pigs.

[WorraLiberty]

MyrtleFox, you blowing your nose wouldn't put anyone else at risk of catching your germs, as long as you binned your tissue.

Gobbing out in public is utterly disgusting and especially where children play.

There is no excuse from it no matter where you come from.

[Aeroflotgirl]

It is absolutely disgusting, and can carry diseases, YANBU at all, that is my bugbare. Yes I have had phlem when I am out and about, but I swallow it, if I don't have a tissue. Yuck

[WorraLiberty]

I've said this before but a few years ago, the HT at my DC's old infant school saw a man cough up and spit out in the playground.

She marched into her office, then reappeared with a paper towel and told him to wipe it up!

He looked totally embarrassed but he did it.