Some people haven't the first notion of either good manners or simple consideration.
A dreadfully touching experience
Spreading (bad) health and (un)happiness
Today I witnessed one of the most blatant cases of poor health awareness, or of complete disregard for one's travelling fellows, I have ever observed. This was worse, in terms of potential practical impact, than even the woman who over a period of 2 minutes sneezed 6 times in 6 different directions all over her fellow passengers. Similar, but worse. In this case it's a chap - late middle age, casually dressed, but well turned out. Not a scruff, and clearly should have known better. He also clearly has a cold, and is already aware of the fact, as he stands there sniffling. (I am observing all this as I wait for the next Oyster top-up machine to come free.) In the midst of navigating through the top-up dialogue he sneezes openly, without any kind of restraint, with no attempt to cover his nose and mouth, and sprays all over the touch screen. Not just any kiosk, either. One of the busiest in existence in the Jubilee Line foyer of Waterloo station. He doesn't even attempt the slightest effort at cleaning up, just rubs his nose on the back of his hand and carries on smearing his deposits all over the screen as he completes his task, then walks away. At that moment I realised just how filthy these machines must be, because I had no illusion that this was the first or last time such an event would occur.
On the train home, again, I witnessed something similar. This time it was a young woman. She, too, had the sniffles. She, too, sneezed. Only this time she did cover her mouth with her hand. Then as soon as she stopped sneezing, she simply took hold of the hand rail again, thus transporting all those friendly bugs onto the perfect mass-transfer surface.
People simply do not think.
