I had to pop into our local town centre just now. To buy replacement washing-up gloves after I’d sliced mine whilst washing-up an opened can (hazards of an eco-friendly lifestyle). And to raid W H Smith for Flippers, my new tactic with helping the Queen to be able to explain all the interesting words she knows for her 11+ exam in November. Last week she tried to explain some to me using actions, which I felt might not go down so well with the exam board.
One of the things that always strikes me as unusual in our town is the number of men who are about in the day. Some elderly, some probably shift workers and others who work odd hours or run their own businesses, but sadly many of them don’t have any type of paid work – unemployment here is higher than the national average by quite a way.
And today, as I walked into town, one of those men spat on the floor. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman do that. There is an abnormal amount of spitting in our locality. Yesterday I was taking the kids for their swimming lesson at a local(ish) pool. A group of about half a dozen secondary school boys were outside chatting and two of them gobbed on the floor at the same time. I was so disgusted that I briefly berated them, to the acute embarrassment of my children. The offenders didn’t seem to be fussed.
Where do they learn to do this? I’m tempted to keep a range of hankies to hand out to offenders. I know I’m beginning to sound like an article in the Daily Mail, but I find it utterly revolting. And it’s the end of a long term. I’m glad we’re soon getting a break in rural Scotland, where I anticipate being free of the gobbing menace for a few days.
[Late edit: Seems like Enfield Council hate spitting as much as I do. Let’s hope Sandwell follow suit soon. I was shocked to find that it is now perfectly legal. Yuck]
The Vicar's Wife 
Yerk. And you can’t even look the other way because you can hear all the preparations that go into it. Blehh.
That rural Scotland break sounds lovverly 🙂
I think they probably get it from watching, or playing, too much football. If you watch a match, most of the players seem to be televised doing it!
I remember growing up in the Black Country in the 60s and there were “No Spitting” signs on all the busses, so it must have been a problem then as well.
oooohh I know what you mean. I spent some time living in Spain where they all did it, old ladies, young men, kids, GERROSS!!! you had to watch where you walked in case you got hit. I think there it was because everyone smoked so they all ahad stuff to clear from their lungs/noses. completely disgusting!!!
hope Scotland is Gob free!
redx
Is this a European thing? I know where I’m from in the States, this is not socially tolerated in any way, shape, or form.
No, not a purely European thing – (see Wild West, saloons, spittoons, chewing tobacco, dust bowl etc.). Spitting probably worse in Black Country because of dust from polishing, grinding, foundry processes and burning tens of thousands of tons of coal, all putting stuff you want to blow or spit out into the system. To the terminally immature it may be an assertion of manliness. To everyone else it’s a sign of the developing oaf.