Question of the Day: Day 130
How do you respond if you catch a person picking their nose in a public place?
Would your response ease their embarassment (be kind) or make it worse (be mean) and what does that say about you?
Would your response ease their embarassment (be kind) or make it worse (be mean) and what does that say about you?
posted by Michelle at 9:10 AM
5 Comments:
I've never caught anyone picking their nose in public, but...
It was a dark and stormy Michigan January night. The snow was coming down in dumptruckloads, and I needed cigarettes. So, I walked the mile to Stop-N-Steal just off campus. I was frozen to the bone and jonesing for a smoke, and there was a line halfway back through the store - so, with my face too numb to even form an expression, hands too cold to warm up my stone-cold visage, I got in it.
The guy in front of me was tall. I'm tall (just short of 6 feet), but this guy was TALL, towering over me by at least another foot. So, li'l ol' me, with my headphones on, stood in that line for-e-v-e-r and looked at his back - just trying to get warm and wait my turn.
Well, as long waits often do, this one turned in to "the line shuffle", where everybody in line starts moving back and forth from one foot to another, trying to ease the boredom and the tried muscles, looking around at nothing and everything, giving the seconds time to pass.
So, the tall guy starts doing the same thing; looking about and shuffling, and, finally he looks at me- turns away, and snaps his attention back, smiles, and looks away again. I'm wondering why this guy would be smiling at bedraggled me, I'm tired, cold, jonesing for a smoke, and it's a dark mile home in a blizzard - I don't feel much like being smiled at.
Finally, he looks back again, and points at my face. I reached up and took off my headphones, and said "What?"
"You got one hangin'", he says, quiet, matter-of-fact, and turns back toward the counter where he's (FINALLY!) next up.
I reached up, and pulled a giant booger out of my nose and (yes, I did), dropped it on the floor - it must have been frozen there out in the snowstorm.
I appreciate that guy's honesty, to this day, I do. He was forward, and didn't seem to be embarrassed about telling me something I could not have known, jut to help me out - thanks, man, whereever you are!
when I see someone picking their nose I sometimes leave it alone or I would say Eww thats grose and then walk away.
that should have read..
"You need a tissue; thank you- thank me later."
I would act like I didn't see it, not say anything; And then laugh to myself and silently thank the person for reminding me to be more discreet when I'm picking mine.
I only address it if it happens in the classroom and then I simply ask the person (quietly) to wash their hands.
I try to save them from further embarassment but also ensure that hygiene and spreading germs is kept to a minimum.
I see people getting busy in their cars sometimes and I just look away and go on about my business.
I don't really think that anyone wants a big, green blob hanging off their nose so I guess that sometimes a person just has to do what they gotta do, know what I mean?
Keep tissue handy!
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