Spitting in the street - disgusting habit

[dave50]

Why do some people feel the need to spit every few yards as they walk down the street? Have they got a problem? Are they ill? Do they need to see a doctor?
It's mostly teenagers and young men that indulge in this filthy disgusting habit but I don't understand why they do it. I suppose they think for some reason it makes them look big and hard.

[B00]

I've seen girls do it too.

And yes, it's gross, it turns my stomach. Not to mention unhygienic!

[emmie]

one of our women neighbours does it all the time, you can hear her hawking, then spitting, can't think what to say to her, not sure she would understand anyway.

[Kiki-frog]

It's a filthy habit. I think they see footballers doing it on the pitch and so think it makes them look cool and hard to copy them.

[Ann]

Yuk its revolting, it should be a prisonable offence, quite disgusting and unhygenic.

[Sqad]

"Spitting in the street".....known in my time as "GOBBING."

Yes........disgusting.

[jackthehat]

Really!?!?

I'm surprised that such a thing occurred 'in your time' and that you have knowledge of it.......

[factor-fiction]

I'm sure there was a time when it was much more common (for men only). In the 1960s I can remember there were ' no spitting' notices on the bus

[Sqad]

LOL......LOL....I was just awaiting the "BOO/JTH show"

You were a bit slow today.....2 mins.

[andy-hughes]

Footballers do it because running in short bursts as they do causes saliva to thicken and block the ease of breathing, hence they expectorate to clear it, and more often than not, a camera is zooming in on them at that precise moment.

In years gone by when industrial polution made the air far more thick with rubish than it is today, men would spit to clear their noses and throats of the polution they inhaled.

These days, there is no reason for it, other than learned behaviour, and yes, i think youg lads think it does make them look 'hard' which is a rather sad reflection of our modern world.

[Ann]

LOL@Sqad. Yes my old Mum called it QUILKING and GOBBING ..... gathering spit in mouth and then getting rid. She always said to men in the street "O you filthy hound!"

[emmie]

perhaps someone should get them handkerchiefs, that's all it takes. this woman neighbour comes out onto her front step, spits onto the concrete then goes back in, then comes out for a repeat performance, yes it's vile.

[Ann]

* She always said to men SPITTING in the street (before I get any funny comments!)

[Kiki-frog]

Ann, you're quite right, buses did used to have 'No spitting' notices. Hence the limerick that school kids used to laugh at:

There was a young man from Darjeeling
Who got on a bus to Ealing
It said on the door
Please don't spit on the floor
So he stood up and spat on the ceiling

[Sqad]

andy....sorry...I just don't buy that.

Did you see Booby Charlton, Nat lofthouse, Stanley Matthews spit....very very occasionally.

Do you see tennis players spit?....very very occasionally if EVER.

Footballers spit as they run onto the field....even before exercise.

It is a habit....and a bad habit.

[factor-fiction]

I'm often confused with Ann86, Kiki-frog.

[emmie]

i agree it is.

[Ann]

Haha factor - think I had my avatar first :))

[Kiki-frog]

Oh heck, I'm so sorry, factor! I usually double-check to see which one of you it is! Well, I'm sure that Ann feels very honoured by the mistake.

(Phew, got out of that one neatly.)

[Booldawg]

what was that comedy sketch programme in the early 80s where they used to do a 'gob of the week' routine? They used to take a clip from a football match and do a slo-mo shot with commentary.

Was it something like 'Not the 9 oclock news' ?

[emmie]

i don't have to watch any comedy show? only listen out for the neighbour, yuck.