That's just gross.

As one of my first blog posts highlighted, I am a little too cognizant at times of the actions of those around me. As you can go back and find, I have a particular distaste for people sucking face in wide-open public spaces. Today I will be chronicling a few other things that people do in public that really leave me with a sour taste in my mouth.

1) Pull out a wedgie: I know I know, everyone twists or turns the wrong way from time to time and ends up with a little extra bit of underwear where it doesn't belong. (except, of course, you thong people, but still) I realize this is a common hazard that goes along with wearing underpants. But do you have to stand around in some public space and make a major spectacle of wrenching yourself around and trying, usually with just thumb and forefinger, to meticulously pluck the invading underpants out of the crack? I've gotten pretty good at a relatively subtle hands-free removal tactic, but if nothing else, just pretend to adjust your pants or something and do sort of adjustment to free up the infringing fabric.

2) Pick your nose: I will admit, I am a nose picker. But only, and I repeat ONLY in the privacy of my own home when (a) I have tissue nearby and (b) I can go wash my hands immediately after. In public, however, what's in your nose should stay in your nose. I realize it's no fun mining nose gold if you can't share it with the townspeople, but some things are better left in the comfort of your own home. Plus, in public, there's the whole disposal issue, which I often shudder to think about. Because, come on, let's face it: the pick-and-flick technique is highly erratic and can lead to undesired and unexpected results.

3) Sticking gum under tabletops/desktops: I wish I could say that this was limited to grade school or even high school kids, but unfortunately, it's not the case. Just this semester I had the displeasure of flipping up the writing surface of a desk I was sitting in, only to reveal about a dozen discarded pieces of gum that had been surreptitiously left there. I mean, come on. There's a trash can in the room. It's not like high school where you're not allowed to chew gum, so you have to stash it to avoid trouble. I'd be pretty willing to bet that if you go to most restaurants and coffee houses, there is at least one piece stuck somewhere under one of the tables. And that makes me want to vomit.

4) Spit on the sidewalk: I know you just hocked up that loogie. I know you want somewhere to deposit it. I know that spittoons have been out of fashion as interior decorating solutions for years. But do you REALLY have to spit that nasty wad of mucous right there on the sidewalk? They call gutters "gutters" for a reason - they are the unwilling recipients of all things nasty that were once on the sidewalk, and street sweepers come by once a week to clean them up a bit. That's more than can be said for the average sidewalk. So please, please, disgusting loogie hocker, if you insist on relieving yourself of that mouthful of phlegm, at least do it in the gutter, where I tend not to walk for just such a reason. Thanks.

I think that's about enough nastiness for the afternoon. I guess this was in part prompted by Jon's chicken filth water story, but it's also something that's been brewing for quite some time. I tried to spare some of the nastier ones I had in mind - did I forget anything essential? Let me know.