Whatsup with Chinese ppl and the constant spitting?

[NetWareHead]

GF andf I visited Chinatown in downtown Manhattan this week to meet my sister and get some good Chinese food. One thing we both noticed was the disproportionately higher amount of spitting in the Chinese population than anywhere else in the city. I mean it wasn't just spitting, it was nasty. It seemed like every 5th person we passed was LOUDLY hocking up loogs from the deepest depths of their lungs which were then spat unceremoniously on sidewalks, streets or even the sides of buildings. We noticed this filthy habit was practiced by both men and women equally. These people didn't even seem to notice others doing it and had no shame that others were hearing them. It was so noticeable that my gf and other people in our group commented on this. I also noticed that Chinatown had more smokers than other parts of Manhattan as well, maybe that is the connection?

 

[God Mode]

Probably some kind of national tradition. I've been to the most smog infested cities for months and I smoke like a chimney and never felt the urge to cough up a loogie and spit it out when not in private or a bathroom. The thing that occurs often and bothers me most is how oblivious many Chinese people are to those around them. They sound like they're chatting through a megaphone.

 

[Soundmanred]

people

 

[rommelrommel]

Spitting is mostly acceptable in mainland China, we have a large Chinese population locally and spitting is one of those FOB giveaways here.

 

[dighn]

learned behavior. probably common in china due to high pollution and historical susceptibility to respiratory infections.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

here in san francisco ive noticed this as well. san francisco is a relatively clean big city, its not even a tenth as filthy as new york. but if you go from say, the financial district or north beach, to chinatown, the streets all of the sudden become filthy axe. there is nasty black dirt on the streets there, puddles of liquids, food grease, trash, noogies, urine etc...its just totally different from any other part of the city in terms of cleanliness. of course that doesnt keep me from eating there several times a week...

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I've noticed at school that the fob-types seem to have allergy problems or something more often than most (lots of sniffling, throat clearing, etc). They probably just have weak constitutions.

 

[Baked]

That's 'cause only dirty hos swallow.

 

[JEDIYoda]

GF andf I visited Chinatown in downtown Manhattan this week to meet my sister and get some good Chinese food. One thing we both noticed was the disproportionately higher amount of spitting in the Chinese population than anywhere else in the city. I mean it wasn't just spitting, it was nasty. It seemed like every 5th person we passed was LOUDLY hocking up loogs from the deepest depths of their lungs which were then spat unceremoniously on sidewalks, streets or even the sides of buildings. We noticed this filthy habit was practiced by both men and women equally. These people didn't even seem to notice others doing it and had no shame that others were hearing them. It was so noticeable that my gf and other people in our group commented on this. I also noticed that Chinatown had more smokers than other parts of Manhattan as well, maybe that is the connection?

Are you sure you were not visiting China Town during the Annual Chinese Hacking and Loogie Festival???

 

[JEDIYoda]

here in san francisco ive noticed this as well. san francisco is a relatively clean big city, its not even a tenth as filthy as new york. but if you go from say, the financial district or north beach, to chinatown, the streets all of the sudden become filthy axe. there is nasty black dirt on the streets there, puddles of liquids, food grease, trash, noogies, urine etc...its just totally different from any other part of the city in terms of cleanliness. of course that doesnt keep me from eating there several times a week...

In San Francisco the Chinese Hacking and Loogie Festival lasts all year long!!

 

[Farmer]

Yeah, Chinese people smoke shitloads and there is no social stigma associated with spitting in public. It's also not just working class behavior, but it's mostly the older generation.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

In San Francisco the Chinese Hacking and Loogie Festival lasts all year long!!

at least they have low food prices in chinatown, so im ok with the trade-off

 

[bigrash]

I live in flushing queens, and see it all the time with azn and Indian people.

 

[AgentUnknown]

What about rednecks spitting? When they do it, it's ok?

 

[sleep]

We noticed this filthy habit was practiced by both men and women equally. These people didn't even seem to notice others doing it and had no shame that others were hearing them. It was so noticeable that my gf and other people in our group commented on this. I also noticed that Chinatown had more smokers than other parts of Manhattan as well, maybe that is the connection?

i say it came from here, the usa thats what you call it.

 

[Northern Lawn]

Hockey players spit a lot.

 

[Newbian]

there is nasty black dirt on the streets there, puddles of liquids, food grease, trash, noogies, urine etc...i

Those must be some epic noogies.

 

[TuxDave]

It's the dirtiest nastiest habit I have ever seen. We can argue communism or nanny states but I'm all for the government cracking down on that.

http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/64853.htm

 

[destrekor]

I don't get why it's so frowned upon, period.

I'm white, have lived here in the US since birth (never even traveled overseas), and I spit.

Granted, I don't practice it like a backwater hick who'll do it just about anywhere... I would consider myself cultured and "with manners," but sometimes some nasty crap has to get expelled. I think I just have bad sinuses, not terrible but not perfect. I'll hack up some throat-clogging crap. What do you want me to do, wait forever with the feeling a frog is trapped in my throat, until a moment I can enter a bathroom or something?

I try and be as discreet as possible, and I usually aim for grass whenever practical if outdoors. I won't necessarily do it when surrounded by 1000 people, or when all eyes are on me for whatever reason, but the moment it seems "clear" I'll give it a hack. If it's outside and mostly grass, I don't usually refrain except in specific circumstances.


I don't understand why we have the strangest stigmas and social "no-no's." We can't just gracefully move beyond being animals into some kind of enlightened state of being. We eat, we shit, we piss, we fart, we burp, we cough, we sneeze, we hack up nasty sinus drainage, and hell while we're at it, let's not forget we fuck... and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

Why even pay it any attention? We have certain bodily functions that can only be repressed to a certain degree. We've only made it more awkward to do that which we have always done, and which we will forever do. Why make it something that even needs to be addressed?
Aside from certain anomalies (very specific situations), I've personally moved beyond even addressing most burps, sneezes, and farts. Why even say anything? Have we not moved beyond the point where we think such functions are the body's way of purging evil and demons from itself?

Sure, in a stuffy meeting, it's not really a good idea to do any of that. That's a moment we're playing the enlightened being role, where we more than an intelligent animal and doing, supposedly, very important things... but when we're just going about daily activities, who the hell cares? If you do care, why the hell do you care?

 

[bonkers325]

they only spit around people to make them uncomfortable.

 

[kyrax12]

Spitting is mostly acceptable in mainland China, we have a large Chinese population locally and spitting is one of those FOB giveaways here.

Why are people here like to pick out the fob Asians from the rest?

I always thought ATOT was populated by mostly white guys.

I am surprised you guys even care about Fob Asians.

 

[Lifted]

China ships over everyone with SARS and orders them to spit everywhere or their families back home will be executed.

 

[zCypher]

I don't get why it's so frowned upon, period.

insert long rant here

Well said!

 

[NetWareHead]

I don't get why it's so frowned upon, period.

You just answered your question in the next 2 paragraphs.

Granted, I don't practice it like a backwater hick who'll do it just about anywhere... I would consider myself cultured and "with manners," but sometimes some nasty crap has to get expelled. I think I just have bad sinuses, not terrible but not perfect. I'll hack up some throat-clogging crap. What do you want me to do, wait forever with the feeling a frog is trapped in my throat, until a moment I can enter a bathroom or something?

I try and be as discreet as possible, and I usually aim for grass whenever practical if outdoors. I won't necessarily do it when surrounded by 1000 people, or when all eyes are on me for whatever reason, but the moment it seems "clear" I'll give it a hack. If it's outside and mostly grass, I don't usually refrain except in specific circumstances.

Sure we all spit/fart but speaking for myself I try to do it as discreetly as possible. If I do need to spit I won't start sounding like a dragon in the middle of a city sidewalk making all kinds of rasping hocking noises. We've all hocked up loogs before and there is a way to do it quietly and politely and there is a way to do it that turns heads in a city street and causes disgust among passing strangers. Its not the first time I've heard rudeness n the streets, I was more surprised that it seemed like some kind of gross socially accepted Chinese custom

 

[tommo123]

it's vile. hocking up big time and spitting in the street or the trash can in an airport!

i was in china just before the olympics in 2008 and it was everywhere. men, women. it was so bad that there was an ad by the gov on tv telling them not to do it as westeners would think they were disgusting and it would make china look back when the whole world was looking at them

tbf though, besides that china was an awesome place and the people were really nice - and the girls really cute

oh, they didn't do it in guilin way down south, or in hong kong at all from what i saw