Why? For the Love of God, why?

[Misanthropical]

I have noticed more and more in restaurants people blowing their nose loudly at their table. I was always told when I was a child that one does not blow their nose at the table.

The sound of it turns my stomach when I'm about to eat. I had my Mother's Day dinner ruined last year by the guy in the booth behind us (who was facing me) who loudly blew his nose at the table and inspected it just as our food was arriving.

When his food came I thought of getting up and standing next to his table and doing the exact same thing he did and then tell him how rude he was while pulling out the flamethrower, but Mr. Mis talked me out of it.

[Sapphire Silk]

I'd rather hear a nose get blown once than listen to sniffles throughout my meal.

[Andara Bledin]

I'd rather hear a nose get blown once than listen to sniffles throughout my meal.

A million times this.

And it's better than, say, uncovered sneezing or coughing.

Although I could certainly do without seeing it being inspected. Blech.

^-.-^

[CaroPhoenix]

Mr. Rum sounds like a goose honking. It turns my stomach.

For some reason, Child Rum gets upset when someone either sneezes or blows their nose (it makes her cry).

I force myself to move beyond the nose blowing. But yeah, it doesn't help me either to hear it.

And I agree: Ewwwwww for inspecting it in public!

[lvsssycat]

I just had a conversation with a co-worker about this terrible trend.

Go to the bathroom to blow your nose.

DO NOT leave your nasty snot rag on the dinner table!!!!!!!!

[Misanthropical]

lvsssycat You are so very right on that! They should do that in the restroom and not at the table where others are trying to enjoy their meal. I swear people who blow their nose at the table or do the sniffling thing make me want to get all stabby on them.

[bainsidhe]

It's weird, but something about restaurant air always makes my nose run. It's happens in all restaurants, so I can't blame a particular type of cuisine. So yes, I do blow my nose at the table. But I don't honk or investigate. I also tuck the napkin to the side of me so tablemates don't have to stare at it while eating.

[sweetj82]

OMG i hate that too.

Is it sooo hard to go to the bathroom

[XCashier]

Although I could certainly do without seeing it being inspected. Blech.

Reminds me of that bit from Red Dwarf episode Quarrantine:

KRYTEN: And if you still want to be alive when there is only 78 more days to go, I suggest you do not blow your nose.

LISTER: Do you mind if I ask why?

KRYTEN: Well, let's forego the noise and the revolting burbling sound,and go straight to the really gross part, when you always, and I mean always, having blown your nose have to open up your handkerchief and take a look at the contents. I mean, why? What do you expect to see in there? A Turner seascape, perhaps? The face of the Madonna? An undiscovered Shakespearian sonnet?

[PepperElf]

i admit i do this.
my nose runs when i eat. it always has. i do however try to dispose of the tissue myself

will i change? probably not. but eh, just being honest.

[Antisocial_Worker]

My nose runs when I eat, but that's mainly because I'm a fiend for spicy foods... I'd never actually blow my nose at the table though. If it came to that, I'd head to the restroom. I feel bad enough about using the napkins to quickly swipe at my nose.

What's the etiquette for that, anyway? You're in a restaurant with linen or cloth napkins, and you're eating spicy food -- what do you do? Blowing is out of the question, obviously, but quickly swiping?

Oh, and as for the reasons one would inspect it, I do. I do it because the one time I did not, it turned out I'd developed one mother of a bloody nose. So, I always make a quick check for blood.

[Shalom]

And I agree: Ewwwwww for inspecting it in public!

" “When you have blown your nose, you should not open your handkerchief and inspect it, as though pearls or rubies had dropped out of your skull.”

Giovanni della Casa, Il Galateo (1558) "

edit: OK, that's the modernised version. The original English translation by Robert Peterson (1576) went more like, "So there be some kynde of men, that in coffyng or neesing, make suche noyse, that they make a man deafe to here them: other some use in lyke things, so little discretion, that they spyt in mens faces that stand about them: besides these there be some, that in yauning, bray and cry out like Asses. . . . And when thou hast blowne thy nose, use not to open thy handkercheif, to glare uppon thy snot, as if thou hadst pearles and Rubies fallen from thy braynes: for these be slovenly parts, ynough to cause men, not so much not to love us, as if they did love us, to unlove us againe."

(In the interest of clearer reading, I have switched U's and V's where necessary, as Peterson always used a V in the beginning of a word (vse, vppon, vs) and a U in the middle (slouenly, loue) and sometimes switched both (vnloue). I have changed nothing else. The rest of the text, which is fascinating, is at here.)

[poofy_puff]

What's the etiquette for that, anyway? You're in a restaurant with linen or cloth napkins, and you're eating spicy food -- what do you do? Blowing is out of the question, obviously, but quickly swiping?

The "etiquette for that" is simple:

Carry your own snot-rags to use.

Barring that, go to the rest-room and grab a paper towel or a wad of toilet paper.

Restaurant employees are not paid to handle random boogers.

[blas]

Hey Mis, if you think that's gross, my Mom and my Nanna would really gross you out. It sure as hell grosses out everyone else at home.

Nanna started a....trend of sorts back in the day (well, I think a lot of women did it in that generation) where they'd take a Kleenex or two, use it, fold it up and leave it up their sleeve a tad for later. She taught it to my mom, as it was a ladylike way of stashing your Kleenex for later and multiple uses.

Well, later would never come or she'd forget to take it out, and constantly my dad finds Kleenexes all over inside the washer or even the dryer.

[Seshat]

I'm sorry, it never occurred to me that it was disturbing people.

And I'm with hauntedhead regarding checking it. I develop blood noses from blowing my nose sometimes, as well. Better to find out than to generate biohazard all over the place.