How does he smell?
Apr. 11th, 2006 02:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
j4I am fed up with other people's mucus. Er, not literally fed, because that would be even more grim than the current state of affairs. But still. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
addedentry has had a cough for the last week or so; it's getting better, so he says, but last night it got better so loudly that he kept us both awake for an hour coughing. Not his fault, of course, and I did sympathise even as I was dragging the duvet over my head and trying to sleep; but now I'm tired and even-scratchier-than-yesterday and was hoping that the office would provide respite from that sort of thing. NOT SO. The bloke on the other side of the office is sniffing. He sniffs approximately once every 30 seconds. Now, he's a very blokey bloke (swaggers around the office, listens to music on his headphones so loud that I can hear it from over here, greets everybody with "awright bub?", and probably sits with his legs so wide apart that they take up three tube seats' worth of room -- you know the type) and when he sniffs it's not some kind of ladylike snf-snf noise. Oh no. It's a rollicking great hrrrrrrrrnnnnnnschhhhhhhhhhgg of a tidal wave of mucus, leaving everybody in the office in no doubt as to the copiousness of the chap's snot and the gusto with which he swallows it.
Is it just me, or are people generally expected to have learned to blow their nose by the time they reach secondary school? I remember sniffing at playgroup, or rather I remember the playgroup leader telling all the other kids to call me "Sniffy Miffy" until I stopped. No, I don't think bullying is a great way of ensuring that people keep tissues in their pocket and know how to use them, and besides, the odd sniff isn't that big a deal; but, really. Is there a tactful (by which I mean non-suicidal) way to tell a seven-foot bouncer of a bloke to blow his goddamned nose already, or at least go and hack up mucus somewhere else?
There's a wider issue, of course, of it apparently being quite unfashionable these days to actually think for a nanosecond about whether your actions are going to annoy lots of other people. But if I start ranting about that in its entirety, I may never stop. And I'll probably just annoy you lot in the process...
addedentry has had a cough for the last week or so; it's getting better, so he says, but last night it got better so loudly that he kept us both awake for an hour coughing. Not his fault, of course, and I did sympathise even as I was dragging the duvet over my head and trying to sleep; but now I'm tired and even-scratchier-than-yesterday and was hoping that the office would provide respite from that sort of thing. NOT SO. The bloke on the other side of the office is sniffing. He sniffs approximately once every 30 seconds. Now, he's a very blokey bloke (swaggers around the office, listens to music on his headphones so loud that I can hear it from over here, greets everybody with "awright bub?", and probably sits with his legs so wide apart that they take up three tube seats' worth of room -- you know the type) and when he sniffs it's not some kind of ladylike snf-snf noise. Oh no. It's a rollicking great hrrrrrrrrnnnnnnschhhhhhhhhhgg of a tidal wave of mucus, leaving everybody in the office in no doubt as to the copiousness of the chap's snot and the gusto with which he swallows it.Is it just me, or are people generally expected to have learned to blow their nose by the time they reach secondary school? I remember sniffing at playgroup, or rather I remember the playgroup leader telling all the other kids to call me "Sniffy Miffy" until I stopped. No, I don't think bullying is a great way of ensuring that people keep tissues in their pocket and know how to use them, and besides, the odd sniff isn't that big a deal; but, really. Is there a tactful (by which I mean non-suicidal) way to tell a seven-foot bouncer of a bloke to blow his goddamned nose already, or at least go and hack up mucus somewhere else?
There's a wider issue, of course, of it apparently being quite unfashionable these days to actually think for a nanosecond about whether your actions are going to annoy lots of other people. But if I start ranting about that in its entirety, I may never stop. And I'll probably just annoy you lot in the process...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 02:08 pm (UTC)The mothering approach doesn't usually result in them beating you up... "Aww you poor thing... would you like a super-soft tissue?"
The trouble is, the answer is often "Nah I'm ok, I'm well-'ard. Schhnnuurrrffff!"
:-S
no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 02:34 pm (UTC)I don't know how many people there are in your office suffering his phlegm, but how about a polite email, from a throwaway, untraceable account[0]? Or would it be obvious who sent it?
Anonymous PostIt notes on his screen worked at a previous place of employ in guiding a Great Unwashed And Dressed In Man-Made Fibres Cow-Orker towards the soap dish.
0] Some thing like this (http://www.mytrashmail.com/myTrashMail_FAQ.aspx)?
no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 05:12 pm (UTC)I would go with the man-sized tissues directly offered and left on the desk no matter what his response is to your very kindly-stated enquiry if he needs one. Go maternal: do you need a tisuue? It sure sounds like you do, and here, I've bought some for you!
no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-12 10:12 am (UTC)2. Press down on one side, so that one nostril is blocked.
3. Breathe out sharply through nose, forcing mucus through the unblocked nostril.
4. Repeat for other side.
It shouldn't generate mess except in the tissue, which is what the tissue is for. If your nose is too badly blocked to shift the mucus by blowing (the only reason I can think of why it would make you "almost pass out"...), try inhaling some kind of decongestant (Vick; olbas oil; or even just breathing in steam from hot water can help loosen things up) first.
I'm assuming you can breathe through your nose normally (i.e. without difficulty/pain/passing out) when you don't have a cold/hayfever/etc? If not, you may want to think about seeking medical advice...
no subject
Date: 2006-04-12 10:29 am (UTC)the mess i mean is over the upper lip as the tissue doesn't seem to catch everything.
i think the dizzyness is not getting the constriction of tissue-fingers right.. too little, and nothing happens, too much and there's too much pressure. it's all a matter of practise.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-12 10:56 am (UTC)You should be able to use the tissue to pinch/wipe away anything that escapes onto the upper lip, once you've finished blowing. I sort of push the tissue forward with both fingers, pushing it across the end-of-nose/upper-lip area, as I take it away from my nose. If that makes sense.
But yes, it's just practice, as you find what works for you. Really advanced techniques include blowing your nose with one hand, or while wearing ski-gloves, or underwater. (One of these may be a made-up advanced nose-blowing technique.)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-12 11:04 am (UTC)Nostroglottal breathing execises
Date: 2006-04-12 12:52 am (UTC)It's important to avoid confrontation and adopt a helpful tone. After the next virtuoso performance of musical mucus reversal, open your desk drawer and say: