Why Do People Spit?

[tuky]

Why do people spit?

I have not seen it so much in LoS, but other parts of the world are terrible.

Where I am working right now the local people spit horrid lumps out of their mouth at such a frequency that I have come to the conclusion that it is not normal.

It is not just a few people who are sick, it is everyone.

I have been waiting in a line and everyone is hocking up these disgusting chunks and lobbing them on each others shoes and pant legs, it is all I can do not to gag.

It is common even in so called civilised Singapore, what is it with these people?

What is worse is that it doesn't seem to deter anyone that is inside a building, it really repulses me. there is a particular walking path here where I work that is covered in slime, I am scared to slip over just in case I drown in it.

Is it a lack of hygene understanding, is it religious (I am in 100% muslim country) or is just plain old selfishness?

any ideas? this has been driving me crazy for the last 5/6 years.

[davo_85]

I dunno if it would be a religous reason. When I went to the philipines that is one thing I noticed as well. Although I didnt care I would like to know why they do it all the time also.

[tuky]

During the SARS "crisis" last year Singapore slapped a ban on spitting due to the health implications, they even started a "spitting patrol" throughout the island, I remember watching the news one night where they were "airing" the spitters, this one guy who got caught said he regretted getting caught, but now knows to look around before spitting next time. They did however introduce a clause, if a bug got in your mouth it was ok to spit it back out. And football players were allowed to spit whilst on the pitch

It is not that hard to keep it in, or go to a bin if one must spit.

[Nat]

some people need a bit of spit and polish

[meemiathai]

Ha!Ha!

Growing up here in HK, I had always thought it was the place with the largest proportion of the population having the habit of spitting. It really annoys me when I am walking around and hear suddenly that ugly noise inside the throat of the person from behind, turn around and see that yellowish or greenish chunk coming out from his mouth. YES, VERY UNPLEASANT! Well, luckily nowadays less people are spitting in HK.

A few days ago, I was in Korea. I noticed a lot of people smoking and spitting. And the streets were covered in slime!

I wonder if Asians have different body structure from Westerners?

[tuky]

some people need a bit of spit and polish

I personally don't mind the polish Nat

but can do without the spit

or perhaps one leads to the other?

[tuky]

A few days ago, I was in Korea. I noticed a lot of people smoking and spitting.

must admit I was in a bar in Korea talking to a particularly lovely young lady when all of a sudden she went hhuurrgghHK and filled the ashtray, needless to say I was out of there.

I am in eastern europe right now and it is the worst I have seen, so it is not just asians, but does appear to be more common in under developed countries.

great way to spead your germs.

excuse me...hhuuURRGGHHKKK phuut.

[Nat]

some people need a bit of spit and polish

I personally don't mind the polish Nat

but can do without the spit

or perhaps one leads to the other?

one should never spit.....it's very impolite

[eric1000]

must admit I was in a bar in Korea talking to a particularly lovely young lady when all of a sudden she went hhuurrgghHK and filled the ashtray, needless to say I was out of there.

I am in eastern europe right now and it is the worst I have seen, so it is not just asians, but does appear to be more common in under developed countries.

great way to spead your germs.

excuse me...hhuuURRGGHHKKK phuut.

there is a good market for spittoons to be filled .

reasons for spitting ? smoking rotten cigs , too many peppers in the meal ,eating out a rotten ****, rotten bear or food ,anything that generates too much phlegm and garbage i guess

the early morning chorus of hawking must be music to your ears

Edited February 15, 2004 by IT Manager

[tutsiwarrior]

people spit on public thoroughfare in order to deliberately outrage squeamish <deleted> who should remain in cork lined rooms.

Spitting is healthy especially if the saliva is mixed with a hefty measure of tobacco juice. Hawk up a gob and try it...you might like it...

[tuky]

You guys are so cool.

thanks for your sarcasm

But to be honest, is the foul language needed?

ok, lock me up in my cork room. But I will still be revolted by spitters, farang or not.

How can spitting be healthy Tutsi?

[tutsiwarrior]

tukyleith...quite simply MDs prescribe expectorants when patients have chest infections...what you chose to do with the discharge is up to you...burn down rain forests in order to have tissue available for neat disposal?...or provide a bed of mucous for drunks to wallow in gutters after too much Chang beer?

Get outta here with your puritan objections to foul language...Lenny Bruce died for our sins...

[Bluecat]

Get outta here with your puritan objections to foul language...

Posted: Mon 2004-02-16, 23:08:41 

get on to an online encyclopedia and copy verbatim...when the teacher accuses you of plagiarism shoot him

--------------------

tutsi

Good mood today, Tutsi.

What happened, wife sold the house?

[translator]

On a lighter note...

Spitting is used to settle arguments, establish dominance and pecking order, tell males that females are pregnant, discipline crias and express fear or discomfort.

The actual contents of the spit can take different forms. There is a grain spit, a saliva spit, and a green stomach contents spit

http://www.llamapaedia.com/behavior/spitting.html

[tutsiwarrior]

yeah..she hasn't come home now for 2 days so I'm returning to Southern CA. I have perfected waterproofing for assault rifles so when some punk gets in my way at second point at Malibu he will be surprised when some old man cuts him to bits with a couple of 3 round bursts...things can get crowded with a good swell.

shoulda had that back in the 60s...but we had Micky Dora then and didn't need it...

back in them days tortilla chips were fresh made from corn tortillas on the beach hiway and called strips served with taco sauce (deep fried like fries).

I could go on all night in maudlin fashion but you don't want to hear it...

farewell?...not yet...lets see what the wife comes up with...

[tutsiwarrior]

yes...translator...rescue me from despair...

if on foot in latin america and walking past a group of down and out locals you will hear them to spit in unison...a clear sign of disrespect...

spitting as a political act...

[ayakiawe]

Spitting is a way of detoxing or cleansing the body.

If you can still detox thats good for the body and no problem in a natural place.

But in a city with no soil watch out!

The world diet/ life style is for shit now and many people are sick!

Its worse every day too!

Everywhere now!

Their body's are cleaning out the trash and this is what happens.

Yep shit happens!

Cleaning out the trash inside the body is all it is.

So not good to stop this but good to change the diet and life style choices for sure!

Set a good example is my only advice!

Dont worry about the germs too much just keep yur own immune system way up for all this disease on the planet

[NedKelly]

Well back when Tuberculosis was high on the health agends of the west,spitting was outlawed as it was a means of transmitting the disease. So the argument about germs is obvious. Singapore was right to outlaw spitting duringthe SARS crisis.

India is anamzing place to witness the morning riutal of cleansing ones body. Part of this process is to jiggle a tooht brush down ones throat in order to induce a gag so that you bring up any 'unclean' things down your gullet. It almost makes me gag thinking about it......bloody disgusting.

I dont know what the reasons are for this but for sure culture plays a part in it, as people learn it from others around them.

Another anecdote.......one time inKashmir I was standing face to face with a Kiwi girl and her boyfriend, sheltering from rain in a bus shelter. Anyway, my face must have been 30 cms from her face and during our new found friendship and conversation, this woman drags back a big gooly, hoiks it up and spits it at our feet. After that all I could think of was how hairy her legs and armpits must have been or when did she last shower........filth !!

[pnustedt]

Spitting in HK now carries a fixed penalty fine of HK$1,500 (Baht about 7,500).

[plachon]

Well back when Tuberculosis was high on the health agends of the west,spitting was outlawed as it was a means of transmitting the disease. So the argument about germs is obvious. Singapore was right to outlaw spitting duringthe SARS crisis.

India is anamzing place to witness the morning riutal of cleansing ones body. Part of this process is to jiggle a tooht brush down ones throat in order to induce a gag so that you bring up any 'unclean' things down your gullet. It almost makes me gag thinking about it......bloody disgusting.

I dont know what the reasons are for this but for sure culture plays a part in it, as people learn it from others around them.

Another anecdote.......one time inKashmir I was standing face to face with a Kiwi girl and her boyfriend, sheltering from rain in a bus shelter. Anyway, my face must have been 30 cms from her face and during our new found friendship and conversation, this woman drags back a big gooly, hoiks it up and spits it at our feet. After that all I could think of was how hairy her legs and armpits must have been or when did she last shower........filth !!

Hey Ned, your close encounter with the Kiwi lass, reminds me of the one about the chick and the rastaman. They're getting pretty amorous and into tongue olympics, when she pulls back and says: "Hey Rasta, I loves de way you pass that chewing gum from your mouth to mine". He retorts, "What you talkin' bout woman? I just got a heavy cold dat's all".

But seriously, nowt like a good hawk and gob on the pavement to start the day. Always make sure you curl the tongue, cradle the greenie carefully and aim at the turn ups of the person walking just in front of you, then look all innocent and walk on when they turn round and wonder if something hit them or not. If there's an old Chinaman next to you, so much the better for passing the buck in his court.

[tutsiwarrior]

I was in front of an airport in NE China one winter and it was bitterly cold. There were a number in our party and we piled up the luggage next to the door. I noticed that there was a green slime on the pavement. As we moved inside and removed the luggage I noted that the vacated area became a receptacle for spitting. So...no problems with folks in NE China in the Winter with spitting...big hawking gobs not just saliva. Some health thing I presumed regarding clearing the passages...just got to worry about where you place your luggage.

Lets talk about Ramadan in Muslim countries where you cannot eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. The extreme faithful interpret the requirement as not ingesting saliva as a form of fluid so there is a lot of spitting going on. Most muslims are clean folks as they wash 5 times per day before prayers...so the spitting must have been an abhorrence...but there you are.

It's not that you would like to spit, but sometimes spitting is a requirement.

The thread was 'why do people spit?'...there are all sorts of reasons...next time you see someone shooting a gob maybe ask him why?

Get it first hand...not from a chat line...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Melbourne trams used to have a sign indicating a fine for spitting while on the tram. The sign said DO NOT EXPECTORATE WHILST ON THE TRAM quaint huh

[adjan jb]

A few months ago I visited my favorite Arab prostitute sometime in the afternoon and, as usual, got a wonderful bl0w j0b. But this time she didn't swallow and instead spit it out. She soon reassured me: her feelings for me hadn't change. She just couldn't eat because it was Ramadan.

I hope this first-hand testimony will help.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A few months ago I visited my favorite Arab prostitute sometime in the afternoon and, as usual, got a wonderful bl0w j0b. But this time she didn't swallow and instead spit it out. She soon reassured me: her feelings for me hadn't change. She just couldn't eat because it was Ramadan.

I hope this first-hand testimony will help.

She should have given you a discount during Ramadan

[adjan jb]

A few months ago I visited my favorite Arab prostitute sometime in the afternoon and, as usual, got a wonderful bl0w j0b. But this time she didn't swallow and instead spit it out. She soon reassured me: her feelings for me hadn't change. She just couldn't eat because it was Ramadan.

I hope this first-hand testimony will help.

She should have given you a discount during Ramadan

Actually, I got a discount. I've got the Scum Card.

[taxexile]

in thailand, as many of you may have noticed, it isnt so much the spitting that annoys, but the nose picking, which seems to be a big part of thai culture. i believe they are even taught the intricacies of the practice at school.

the thais seem to be able to insert a finger, or in some cases a thumb, into the nasal cavity to such a depth that it would appear dangerous to the cranial contents, and they are admirably dextrous, so much so that they can pull out enormous quantities of boogerous material, sticky,solid or even semi liquid,they manage to remove all grades of booger,which they then examine studiously before either disposing of by means of a roll to reduce the volume then a quick flick or eating it as one would a peanut or crisp, a quick chew and down the hatch it goes.

they will pick away happily for hours, it doesn't matter who is watching.

it is a classless habit. from the mee khaa, who finds time to excavate the boogers whilst simultaneously preparing food, to the smartly dressed office workers who dig away happily whilst sitting on the bus as it is stuck in traffic.

the masters of the art are undoubtedly the police,they have so much time on their hands all day that they have perfected the art, their uniforms also happen to be the perfect colour for wiping the boogers on should they choose not to eat or flick.

taxi drivers come a close second with the fabric of the front passenger seat being the preferred repository of the nasal waste.

enjoy your evening meals, readers.

[plachon]

What, you mean you don't pick your nose in public too Tax? When in Rome......... and all that. No hope for you blending in unnoticed in a crowd then. Personally, I love the casual way that the girl on the make-up counter inserts a manicured nail into her nostril and brings out a blooter for close inspection. The mutual picking of a friend's nasal cavity is another endearing habit, especially when done across the aisle of a songtaew. Removes the embarassing dried bogie from public show, which has got to be true friendship. No friend would be that considerate elsewhere.

[joebuzzard]

In my office, there has been a continual battle with the Thai production workers who share a close working space with some farang employees.

At certain points during the workday, the disgusting chorus of spitting, hawking, coughing, sneezing, nose picking, zit popping and butt wiping became unbearable.

After polite reminders about covering your mouth when you cough were ignored, the farangs complained to the management. The noise has been toned down, but from time to time in the off hours whenever the Thai manager isn't around, the noise is increased intentionally, just because the guys know it bothers us farang.

But then they are still angry because the farangs asked that the television be removed from this small workspace. Initially, the TV was brought in to keep track of sports and news, but eventually it was left on 24/7 to broadcast noisy soap operas and game shows. They couldn't keep the volume down, so sorry boys, the TV had to go.

[tuky]

The mutual picking of a friend's nasal cavity is another endearing habit,

I once had a lady friend telling me about how she helped her girlfriend push her grapes back up her date. Now that is what I call a good friend!!!

[tutsiwarrior]

This is terrible...somewhere I read that a wise person said "you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose...but you can't pick your friends' noses".

Looks like he was wrong...