Think about others on public transport.

I tend to feel:most bugs are spread by touch so always wear gloves on public transport. But if the offender won’t cover their mouth, you may feel you have to.
Does anybody remember the “bird flu” scares of a few years ago? Because Paw was on immunosuppressants I was particularly vigilant. We were once on a train to London when a man nearby let rip with an enormous sneeze
I swear people shuffled down the carriage to get further away from him and when the train stopped, everybody headed to the other door from the one he went to!
Poor man, it was probably only hay fever!

she was built like a brick shit house

Nice turn of phrase!

No, I don’t think I would have asked her to cover her mouth, coward that I am, but would probably have tutted and given her a ‘look’.
Time the old posters were revived;

‘Coughs and sneezes spread diseases’
and
‘Trap your germs in a handkerchief’.

Of course, no one uses hankies, so it would have to be amended to trap your germs in a tissue!

Yes I'm good with 'the look' as well Calendargirl
Maybe you should think of wearing a mask whilst in public areas Dianeatdarcie. I agree with Maw about the spread of germs by touch, gloves are helpful to prevent this. Your description of the person concerned was a bit unfortunate I felt.

Did think to ask her to cover her mouth but she was built like a brick shit house, and was taking up two seats so felt uneasy

Are overweight people likely to bop you one then ??? I think you need to think what you are saying that was an unkind post

No one uses hankies or covers their mouth anymore if they are coughing or sneezing. I had a man sneeze over near enough myself and my table in a cafe once. I turned around and said to him "thanks for that" and promptly got up and left the table and my coffee. I don't think he was even aware of what he had done. No one cares about anyone else nowadays. Don't get me started on the behaviour of children on public transport either. Usually singing and screaming at the pitch of their voice, while parents/grandparents don't seem to hear the noise. Must be alot of folk with great tolerance levels, sadly, I'm not one of them.

Fiachna50

I have to disagree, I’m sure most of us GN’ers cover our mouths and turn away from people when coughing, and hopefully have a tissue when sneezing, as we are more aware of keeping our germs to ourselves. I do agree that some folk don’t seem too bothered.

I have been known to offer a tissue to a persistent sniffer on public transport; but I would always look to see if they seemed embarrassed to have forgotten one of their own.

It is revolting to have to listen to sniffing, but know how I would feel if I found myself on a bus with a runny nose and no hanky, so would offer with a mixture of kindness and self-interest

I had to chuckle (sorry) when you commented on the size of the woman you mention... Given the title of your post "why dont people have consideration for others" it's ironic.
I would have covered my mouth and nose with my hand and hoped for the best to be honest
Hope you get well soon

I come home and dose myself up with First Defence. Did it yesterday after a cinema full of coughers and sneezers. Usually stops me catching it, though it may be just the placebo effect. And keep washing hands!

You can't know if you caught whatever it is from her.

It could have been an allergic cough/asthma like I get. Yes she should have covered her mouth but as others have said, these days we know that most colds are spread by touch.

Even after the event I would have politely passed her a tissue and said "can you use this" I don't think any offence would have been taken.
I always have a small hand sanitizer in my pocket and use it a lot when out and about germs are picked up everywhere from shop doors/toilets/change given from shops.Keep your hands clean is the best option.

I am terrified of picking up colds and very angry at coughers but I wouldn’t have the nerve to ask someone to cover their mouth but I abuse them in my head. Theatres are bad, especially matinees with lots of old folks. Some of them may have other conditions but how do you know? I am old myself, by the way. Once I moved twice in a theatre and then left. My husband and daughter didn’t know where I’d gone. I had to get a bus home rather than go in the car. And the bus was full of people coughing. I don’t think I did get a cold though. I am a bit nuts. But colds are dreadful for me as I am chronically ill with ME.

I have on more than one occasion got to where I need to be feeling nauseous because some one has been sniffing on the bus (and some people make a real art in that).
I have on more than one occasion also handed out tissues!
When I was a child, I was always taught how to blow my nose and also to put my hand over my mouth if I coughed or sneezed but unfortunately, both of those, along with eating with your mouth open and talking with your mouth full seems to have been forgotten in this me me me world we are in !
First thing I do after getting off the bus is to wash my hands well using soap and water - (works better than the anti bac gels) after sitting through an infection control lecture during an induction day. Seems to have worked so far !

Good to keep a small bottle of hand gel in your pocket when travelling, or wipes, and a big hanky if you don't fancy wearing a mask. Has been said that supermarket trolley handles are hoaching with germs. We always do the 'wipe down' routine on airline trays and seats. Public transport can be a menace this time of year, but what about church? Doesn't lead to charitable thoughts, when everyone is coughing and spluttering all around you.

Brick shit house actually means a woman with a shapely figure. It didn't help that she was on the phone calling her friend the c word. It's a word us EastEnders use all the time. Why do people have to pick out what other people say. Nothing better to do I assume!

I do cover my nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, but I doubt it does that much good since germs get everywhere.

My son used to use hand disinfectant gel all the time when living in London, because he could virtually SEE germs on door handles, hanging straps on the Tube etc, and he also used First Defence spray, which is meant to stope viruses entering your system if you breathe them in, and he was convinced this had cut down the number of colds he caught.

(Incidentally, it does irritate me when people try to work out who to blame when they catch a cold - it could be someone who sneezed without a hanky minutes before you breathed in their germs! )

COPD May be way way wrong but can't help but associated this health issue with smokers. Wouldn't have been a smoker would you? As for the coughing and sneezing, wouldn't have challenged. If I can't reach a tissue I cough etc into my elbow joint as taught to school children some years ago.

Nursing heavy cold and nasty chest infection which I caught when visiting someone in the hospital and I was sneezed on. I have a very compromised immune system and get really angry when people don't cover their mouth when they cough and sneeze.

Worse still is when you're stuck on a plane near someone coughing and sneezing - no escape possible.

4allweknow. Sorry to disappoint you, but never smoked. Years ago worked in a shoe factory and handled a lot of latex which caused my COPD. Find it funny that people always associate lung disease with smoking. It's as if to say, "serves you right". Very small minded. I never judge people by their lifestyle, it's up to them what they do. Still feel compassion if someone is ill, regardless of their habits. So, you can rest assured I got this through 20years of bloody hard work. X

Horses can get COPD too and I've never met a horse that smoked @Dianeatdarcie

Mawb is right. You are more likely to catch something from touching surfaces. I carry a small hand gel when going out among crowds.

I have allergic rhinitis and I am often caught out in an enormous sneeze before I can get a tissue out, followed by several more (by which time I've got the tissue). I try to sneeze into my elbow to catch anything, but it is awkward. Your cold could have come from the sneeze, but it could have come from any surface you touch where other people have been. You blame this woman because she wasn't 'one of us'!