AIBU to be really irritated by public nose blowing

[Georgeoftheinternet]

Currently at McDonald’s eating my feelings away. Women starts to blow her nose loudly, three large nose blows. Firstly, it’s not a corona issue, it’s just gross at all times to me. She doesn’t appear to have a cold.

I used to work at a place where a guy would blow his nose whilst walking to the photocopier. Really mould nose blow. My colleague who sat next to me had a constant cough and he never used his hand to cover his cough. It was perhaps allergies as it was constant. He also would sniff up his snot constantly.

I find nose blowing in public disgusting. My housemate also blows her nose in the bathroom daily and I can hear it from the front of the house. Ahhhhhhh. Lol.

Obviously I’m sensitive to this noise.

YABU - blowing ya nose loudly in public places is perfectly fine
YANBU - blowing your nose can be done discreetly

I'm occasionally guilty of this, although I try to be as subtle as possible. But when I have a sinusy cold (TMI alert! Stop reading if easily revolted!) the mucas goes gluey, and a delicate dab won't suffice. A good honk allows me to breathe, taste, smell etc, and sometimes innocent bystanders may have to witness this. I know it's not great and I wish I had a better solution.

As opposed to what? Just let the snot dribble down their face?

She didnt appear to have a cold?
What are you implying? That she didnt need to do it but she wanted to be disgusting?
It is not just colds that cause a constant runny nose. I have sinus issues and taking something for it causes side effects so i blow my nose instead. You cant hold it in.. it either drips, you sniff or you blow. People's noises irritate me too but sniffing snot back and swallowing it is a lot worse than blowing it.

I voted yabu.

However, I'm going to change that. You are not being unreasonable to find it irritating - they're your feelings, fair enough.

If you expect or want everyone to act in a different way as a result of your irritation, then you're being unreasonable. I have to blow my nose frequently, hay fever in the summer, sinus and colds in the winter. If someone is offended by me blowing my nose, or how I blow my nose, I don't care. I've got bigger things to worry about, and I'm sure, in reality, so have they. . .

@ Elcantador just that, she didn’t appear to have a cold so no urgent need for a nose blow. So in my opinion she could have walked a few steps away from diners.

Sorry but I think your being totally unreasonable. Why should she have to constantly go outside in order to blow her nose. Also, McDonalds are currently only allowing a certain number of people to use the bathroom at any one time. Should she literally be dribbling snot until she can access the loo?

Then there's the issue that moving around more brings increases the likelihood of getting closer to more people all whilst possibly sharing her snot around.

Would you prefer that she dribbles snot meaning it's much more possible for droplets to become airborne? Dread to think what you must be like around people with allergies! I honestly hope you never find yourself in the situation where if you don't blow your nose straight away you will start to resemble a snotty faced toddler!

I think if I saw someone constantly heading to the loo to blow their nose, I would suspect a serious coke habit rather than over-zealous discretion about nose-blowing.

"They can take something to stop the running nose."

Really? You've invented something to stop a runny nose. You will be extremely rich very soon. What is this magic potion?

"A person in a cafe/restaurant can easily go to the loo, that would be the considerate thing to do. "

What? Every time their nose runs, so possibly every 5 minutes if there is a draft or something. My nose runs almost constantly when it's windy. I can't spend my whole life in the toilet.

If you all have runny noses you need to try allergy tablets that dry up your snot.... and get to the reason why you have the reaction.

Ive never understood how to adjust the volume of my nose blowing. I blow as hard and fast as is necessary to shift the snot. I cannot control how much snot there is in my nose. I cant not fart and I dont feel them coming so no time to go to the loo. I feel im pretty considerate but Im not going to put myself out because other people have a problem with my body functioning as a human body does. I wont be made to feel ashamed of my body.

What, you 'fart' in a cafe or restaurant as you can't wait to get to the loo. I honestly can't believe what I am reading, I don't know anybody who loudly blows their nose at the dinner table and certainly don't know anybody willing to fart at the dinner table. Have you heard of social etiquette!

Im not going to put myself out because other people have a problem with my body functioning as a human body does. I wont be made to feel ashamed of my body
so you like to perform your bodily functions in public view and if anyone objects you call them out for 'shaming' you?
Is that what you're saying?

"you need to try allergy tablets that dry up your snot."

That's not how allergy tablets work.

"certainly don't know anybody willing to fart at the dinner table. "

I can't keep my farts in so fart wherever I am. Not loudly obviously. These days you're supposed to be 2m away from anyone so you wouldn't know anyway.

"I don't know anybody who loudly blows their nose at the dinner table"

I've never heard of a don't blow your nose at the dinner table rule. I've also never heard someone go 'excuse me, can I get out to go to the toilet to blow my nose' and then have to do this repeatedly through the evening so I doubt most people with a runny nose do this.

"so you like to perform your bodily functions in public view and if anyone objects you call them out for 'shaming' you?"

Blowing your nose is not a bodily function normally done in private like toilet functions though is it? There's no taboo about public nose blowing in the UK so if someone has a problem with it, it's their problem.

There's no taboo about public nose blowing in the UK
I see you are thinking back to the pre covid era👀

I think you'll find it's generally thought of as impolite.

It is about being discreet, you wouldn't declare you are going to the loo to blow your nose, you just move away from the table at the very least! It is really quite disgusting. I've just asked the people I am with and not one of them would do this.

@Georgeoftheinternet

If you all have runny noses you need to try allergy tablets that dry up your snot.... and get to the reason why you have the reaction.

Absolute codswallop. As someone who's suffered with chronic sinus disease as a pleasant part of an autoimmune disorder I can tell you you're talking rubbish. The only remedy is antibiotics, steroids and if that doesn't work, sinus surgery. I've had all three. Sinus surgery leaves you with 2 months recovery involving blood, snot, post surgery debris and related crap being expelled from ones nostrils and throat for quite some time.

I absolutely appreciate this isn't pleasant for others but do you actually think the perpetrator of this crime is happy with it. The smell inside my nose after turbinate reduction & all the rest of it was traumatic, it smelt like rotting corpse wrapped up in old sanitary blood for a good fortnight.

Oh I’m sorry . Was I supposed to either a) sit with my nose blocked and/or running down my face or b) isolate in my house for 14 days as I have a cold ?

@Georgeoftheinternet

If you all have runny noses you need to try allergy tablets that dry up your snot.... and get to the reason why you have the reaction.

Are you dim? If you keep taking antihistamines for runny noses you will end up with a nasty sinus infection. The point of a runny nose is for your body to clear germs etc.. from your sinuses . If you dry them up they’ll sit in your sinus cavity and make it worse . Get over it , it 2 seconds out of your life

I have loads of allergies, many of which are impossible to avoid.

If I went to the bogs every time I needed to blow my nose, I'd never get any work done.

OP you are horrible.