Frum guys not using hankies/tissues!

amother

Burlywood

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 9:20 am

Twice now I've sat on airplanes next to frum-looking guys who picked their noses, blew their noses into their bare hands, that kind of thing. I've never seen a non-frum or non-Jewish adult male do such a thing in public. Don't these guys realize how disgusting that is? Why do they do it? And what do you do if you're stuck sitting next to such a person on an airplane for hours?

MiracleMama

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 9:23 am

Seeing it twice doesn't make it a "frum thing" but ewwww.... I'd bathe myself in hand sanitizer and load way up on vitamins. See if there was any way to switch seats, ideally. Oh, and I would not shy away from offering the guy some tissues. I always travel with plenty to spare.

P.S... I can't remember seeing anyone do this past kindergarten. Really weird and gross.

amother

Rose

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 9:44 am

I've been trying since toddler days to teach my DS with ADHD. He's in beis medrash.

Others in yeshiva and elsewhere (rabbeim, other bochrim) have spoken to him, too.

Which leads me to believe that his behavior is not that common.

If he ever sat next to you, I apologize. It wasn't for lack of trying on my part.

groovy1224

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 10:06 am

I don't know anyone, frum or not frum, who uses a hankie anymore.

Also never seen anyone ever blow their nose into their hands- that's gross. But definitely not a frum guy thing- it's a gross guy thing, and the 2 gross guys you happened to see do this were frum.

miami85

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 11:47 am

FWIW, I've seen non-Jews clip their nails and combing their hair in public. All kinds of people have strange hygiene and grooming habits.

The only thing I can think of is that perhaps while sitting in the beis medrash all day they may become accustomed to not getting up "just to get a tissue". Not dismissing it as weird, but may explain why they do it.

zaq

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 12:14 pm

Guys tend to be gross, period, even more so if they spend a lot of time in all-male society free of the civilizing influence of nearby females, whether of the maternal or girlfriendal variety. I think we're all more sensitive to unbecoming behavior in frum people because they're "ours". Unbecoming behavior in people to whom we have no connection is no reflection on us and so we don't pay that much attention to it.

never leave home without a generous supply of tissues. Not only can you save yourself some grief in situations such as the one you described, but you can also dry off and claim for yourself the sole empty seat on the bus, empty because some swine put his wet umbrella on it. Not to mention make it possible to relieve yourself AND wash and dry your hands even when the restroom is innocent of paper and towels.

FTR I have never seen anyone, frum or not, male or female, blow their nose into their hands. Well, no, I once saw an actor in a comic role wipe his nose with his hands and then wipe his hands on the upholstered furniture he sat on, but of course it was an act and no transfer of nasal exudate took place. Are you sure they blew and didn't just swipe? Swiping can be a response to an allergic itch.

rikki!

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 12:38 pm

zaq wrote:

Your posts are always so refreshing to read and as usual, your reply above is on point.

vicki

Tue, Nov 29 2016, 12:42 pm

Interesting you mention this.
Though I don't agree that this is a Frum or Jewish thing, I had the adult on my right (across an aisle) and kid on my left doing it at the same time on my recent El Al flight. Ewwwwww. I wanted off.