# Spitting on the ground **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 4, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495 "2004-10-04T18:25:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/21 "2004-10-04T21:26:31Z")
People who spit on the sidewalk should be publicly caned. A few zears ago, I might have just shrugged and said, “No biggee,” but the incidence of public spitting has increased amongst the zouth so much in mz area latelz, that whole areas are practicallz nonßnavigable. Bus terminals, or the ALRT station? Forget individual “spits.” There#s enough that thez join together to form actual fucking puddles. More than one eaterz in mz neighborhood actuallz have signs posted that saz “Please – no spitting in the doorwaz.” In the fucking doorwaz. It#s subhuman. Thez should be lined up and shot, the filthz little punks. (previews) Crap. Teach me to borrow the German guy’s laptop. (Go ahead an insert fascist joke here.) ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/22 "2004-10-04T21:28:43Z")
That’s something I didn’t need to know about Canada. :eek: (And per the German, I thought you were using leetspeak to make a point about the filthiness of youth) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/23 "2004-10-04T21:30:27Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > (And per the German, I thought you were using leetspeak to make a point about the filthiness of youth) I assumed that just thinking of the filthiness of youth was giving him an uncontrollable tic in his left little finger. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/24 "2004-10-04T21:31:54Z")
> [@](#): > > People should not chew gum in public. Especially not if they’re soccer players (Because I’m terrified of them choking!). That being said, I probably wouldn’t notice where they spit it. I’m also rather revolted by people eating outside of an appropriate setting, because it’s gross and designates a lack of self-control. I just tend to look away, though, and move on. Are you serious? Am I being whooshed? No gum-chewing in public? Grossed out by eating “outside of an appropriate setting?” What the hell is an appropriate setting? All this seems ragingly neurotic to me. Like, Woody Allen neurotic. Or Kramer. Except for the spitting thing. I’ll spit when I run, but always, _always_ off the path. Actually, I’m trying to cure myself of that as well, since I’m really just getting rid of more badly-needed water in the process. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/25 "2004-10-04T21:52:17Z")
It’s interesting to see that there are several people admitting to spitting while/after they exercise. I’m a girl, and I spit when I run. So help me, there’s something about running that just leaves me sometimes with excess phlegm or saliva. If I’m running for 2 hours, there’s just no way I can keep it in my mouth the whole time. So I spit. Now, I would NEVER EVER EVER spit under any other occasion, because I think it’s gross to just walk down the street and hock a loogie. But for some reason, it’s different when I’m running. More functional, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/26 "2004-10-04T22:15:30Z")
> [@Leonard](#): > > Normally, it doesn’t bother me all that much. What I hate is when people who dip or chew tobacco (around a third of the population around here) do it. When people who dip or chew spit, it’s usually a few tablespoons worth. It splashes all down the sidewalk. Fucking nasty. A few drops I can handle, but when you can damn near slip and fall in it… That’s not the worst of it. It’s the styrofoam coffee cups and soda cans that have been used for the purpose and left for someone else to deal with, with all the ‘near misses’ running down the side to pool on the surface. More than once in the military I saw someone pick up the wrong cup, thinking it was their coffee…nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/27 "2004-10-04T22:27:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Having said that, I have to confess to being another female who sometimes does a ptooie after hard exercise. (But only if nobody’s near, and always in the gutter or away from where people step, and if possible I just “hold it” till I get inside to the bathroom. Please don’t hate me.) Another woman who does it during hard exercise. I don’t spit on people, and I try to spit to the side of the path - but if I’m in the middle of a long bike ride or long run and my mouth is full of saliva, I’m going to spit it out. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/28 "2004-10-04T23:28:10Z")
I’ve been known to spit occasionally. If you have a bad head cold or chest cold, you build up a amazing amount of fluid and congestion it has to go somewhere. I shoot it into the street or a trashcan. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/29 "2004-10-04T23:40:35Z")
I just ranted aloud to myself TODAY about this. I moved 2 years ago to NC, spitting capitol of the PLANET. Jesus wept, everyone and their brother (and sister, and mother) hocks loogies or tobacco everywhere you go. It is absolutely gagging to watch and listen to. Some day I may have loogie rage and just run up on someone screaming “STOP IT! STOP IT STOP IT STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT!!! NO MORE!!!” Gah, it’s just so fucking GROSS. I"m not saying walk around swallowing your phlegm, but man- to habitually spit or use tobacco without a cup or can (which is still gross, but better) is just nasty. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/30 "2004-10-04T23:55:40Z")
Ever notice, they can fling more spit in one shot than any normal person ever had cumulatively in their entire life? Very impressive. But now I have an image stuck in my head of someone’s toothless grandmother spewing like in the Exorcist. I hate you all for this 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/31 "2004-10-05T00:48:19Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > No one is ever going to flirt with me again! Hey baby! How _you_ doing? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/32 "2004-10-05T00:48:29Z")
Oh, I am SO glad that you pitted this. At the university guys do this all day long. On cold days you can see PUDDLES OF FROZEN LOOGIES on the sidewalk. I have a rolling laptop bag, and the last thing I want is your spit and expelled snot on the bottom of my bag. I’m walking on the sidewalk to get away from the dirt, please spit on the dirt! Damn! If I know the person, I will say, “That is so sexy, I so want to do you now.” I’ve embarrassed more people that way. They deserve it, the disgusting cows. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/33 "2004-10-05T01:13:00Z")
I don’t make a habit of spitting but I do it when I feel the need and had no idea that it bothered anyone. Knowing won’t stop me either. There’s a hell of a lot worse that you can step on on a sidewalk than a bit of saliva. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/34 "2004-10-05T03:20:05Z")
Spitting cops you a US200 dollar fine in Hong Kong now, along with littering, not clearing up dog mess and posting fliers illegally. Came in after SARS, generally welcomed and seems to have had an effect. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/35 "2004-10-05T04:00:17Z")
I don’t think spitting on the sidewalk is all that OK. However, I know a few guys, and one girl that can hock a loogie straight up in the air and catch it in their mouth. Now thats cool and it doesn’t get the sidewalk or even the grass dirty. I have had stomach problems in the last year and have spontaneously vomited on several busy sidewalks and inside a subway station. People do tend to give looks of disgust then but I don’t really blame them. ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/36 "2004-10-05T04:02:08Z")
I live near the Mexican border and our health department people are frantic to get people to stop spitting all over the damned place because tuberculosis is a big problem. Never mind that it’s revolting beyond belief, no matter where you do it. A quiet ptooie in a tissue or trash can I can understand, even the gutter in an emergency. But not in the grass, because some people would like to sit and talk or eat their lunch there and it’s not nice to put your hand down in somebody’s spittle. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/37 "2004-10-05T04:12:54Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > In the gutter, in the dirt, or not at all. People who habitually spit where people walk are among the most vile, despicable, and disgusting people I can think of. EXACTLY!!! And thank you for such a timely thread. This one is for YOU, young 20 something smoking drizzling spit on the sidewalk punkbrat at the bus stop in front of the Sears Mall Carrs today at about 5:15 pm. YUKKOOOOOOO!!! This little idiot was sitting on the bench smoking and in between drags he was leaning over and not just spitting, but PLAYING with his own spit, letting it drizzle and elongate all out, watching it…seeing how long he could let it get before it hit the ground. And that was the polite stuff. I made the mistake of looking over toward him and caught him twice, after that I made sure I faced the other way until the bus arrived. Sorry, I’ll stop now before the entire Pit makes a beeline for their bathrooms to lose their lunches. It IS possible to hold your spit for that few extra nanoseconds, if you MUST really and truly spit, until you’re off the sidewalk, or out of the oncoming foot traffic. YUCK, give me **Chefguy’s** toothbrush man any day!!! ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/38 "2004-10-05T04:22:05Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > That’s not the worst of it. It’s the styrofoam coffee cups and soda cans that have been used for the purpose and left for someone else to deal with, with all the ‘near misses’ running down the side to pool on the surface. More than once in the military I saw someone pick up the wrong cup, thinking it was their coffee…nuff said. OHGODOHGODOHGOD, you REAaaaaaaaaaaallly could have left off the “pick up the wrong cup” part of that… ARRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/39 "2004-10-05T16:33:31Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I have had stomach problems in the last year and have spontaneously vomited on several busy sidewalks and inside a subway station. Man, I think that takes the cake! Spontaneous vomit. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495/40 "2004-10-06T05:19:55Z")
I’m a guy and I don’t understand all the spitting. I tell ya, I’d rather swallow it than spit it out which causes it to make way too much contact with my tongue. And what’s with the people who pinch one nostril closed, then strongly blow with the other, causing a huge green glob of snot to go shooting outward, which is usually followed up with a hand coming up and wiping off the extra bits that didn’t make it all the way out? That is by far more disgusting then spitting. The people I know who do that or spit are usually the same ones who don’t flush or wash up after using the bathroom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spitting-on-the-ground/267495.md?page=3)