Irrational fear of disgusting eaters
Discussion
Guy I used to work with has the most disturbing table manners possible.
Fork in left hand then right hand and likewise with knife, knife in mouth, fingers in food etc, at least one spillage down himself per meal and all accompanied by the kind of open mouthed, slack jawed, lip smacking eating that is normal for a very small child! It was fascinating to watch in a masochist way.
I think he sees each meal as a challenge to see how many different ways he could actually move food from his plate to his mouth which combined with his inability to sit in the same position for longer than 30 secs made it horrendous to sit opposite him which I had to do on occasion to prevent customers from enduring the experience.
I used to dread taking him to lunch with customers as he appeared to make no effort to change his style or be conscious that it was less than pleasant to see & hear. I had a word once but it had no impact.
Fork in left hand then right hand and likewise with knife, knife in mouth, fingers in food etc, at least one spillage down himself per meal and all accompanied by the kind of open mouthed, slack jawed, lip smacking eating that is normal for a very small child! It was fascinating to watch in a masochist way.
I think he sees each meal as a challenge to see how many different ways he could actually move food from his plate to his mouth which combined with his inability to sit in the same position for longer than 30 secs made it horrendous to sit opposite him which I had to do on occasion to prevent customers from enduring the experience.
I used to dread taking him to lunch with customers as he appeared to make no effort to change his style or be conscious that it was less than pleasant to see & hear. I had a word once but it had no impact.
thehawk said:
Any food eating sounds make me angry, whether it's slurping or just someone chewing loudly. Worse when it's a combination of things - like eating loudly and fast or gobbling down food in a hurry.
The worst though is chewing gum, possibly the most annoying and revolting habit. The minty smell that emanates means the air molecules have been in their mouth and I'm now breathing it. Then you have their gurning face or manic chewing a la Alex Fergusson. Often they smell more too as it's a heady mix of stale cigarette smoke and mint.
Working in Asia I see more than a few disgusting eaters, particularly the Chinese as they attempt to shovel piles of noodles into their mouths in a fight against gravity, slurping and manically using their chopsticks to get as much in before it falls back on the plate.
Then there are the Indians who use their hands, very hard to get used to seeing this especially when some just shovel it in like it's their first meal in a month.
I've heard the same, guess this wasn't a one offThe worst though is chewing gum, possibly the most annoying and revolting habit. The minty smell that emanates means the air molecules have been in their mouth and I'm now breathing it. Then you have their gurning face or manic chewing a la Alex Fergusson. Often they smell more too as it's a heady mix of stale cigarette smoke and mint.
Working in Asia I see more than a few disgusting eaters, particularly the Chinese as they attempt to shovel piles of noodles into their mouths in a fight against gravity, slurping and manically using their chopsticks to get as much in before it falls back on the plate.
Then there are the Indians who use their hands, very hard to get used to seeing this especially when some just shovel it in like it's their first meal in a month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYP16wyaxvc
I actually feel for my wife around some of the people similar to some who have posted here, she cant breathe properly through her nose due to a medical condition (read birth defect, born with cleft pallet), while she tries to eat as politely as possible she still has to breathe, eating and breathing don't mix well. People glare at her in restaurants and she gets so self conscious she wont finish a meal, even one she is really enjoying. Trouble is if I glare back at people for her she introduces a boob ban.
So to those of you who glare at others in restaurants think twice, a husband may end up not getting any thanks to you!
So to those of you who glare at others in restaurants think twice, a husband may end up not getting any thanks to you!
Glenred said:
I know someone who's jaw clicks when they eat, it drives me fking mental! Makes me want to stab them with a fork........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporomandibular_joint_dysfunctionTrust me, it'll piss the person that suffers from this off more than it does for you as it's louder when it's in your own head. I suffered from this, but not so much now.
thehawk said:
The worst though is chewing gum, possibly the most annoying and revolting habit. The minty smell that emanates means the air molecules have been in their mouth and I'm now breathing it. Then you have their gurning face or manic chewing a la Alex Fergusson. Often they smell more too as it's a heady mix of stale cigarette smoke and mint.
Glad it's not just me who utterly detests these people. They could be the nicest person in the world, but as soon as they start doing this, in my book they're an utter moron who needs stabbing.geeks said:
I actually feel for my wife around some of the people similar to some who have posted here, she cant breathe properly through her nose due to a medical condition (read birth defect, born with cleft pallet), while she tries to eat as politely as possible she still has to breathe, eating and breathing don't mix well. People glare at her in restaurants and she gets so self conscious she wont finish a meal, even one she is really enjoying. Trouble is if I glare back at people for her she introduces a boob ban.
So to those of you who glare at others in restaurants think twice, a husband may end up not getting any thanks to you!
The best solution there would be for her to not let it bother her. Obviously thats not the case and it is.... so why put herself/yourself in that situation at all?So to those of you who glare at others in restaurants think twice, a husband may end up not getting any thanks to you!
If I wasn't comfortable eating out (to the point its clearly not enjoyable) then I simply wouldn't do it.
KFC said:
The best solution there would be for her to not let it bother her. Obviously thats not the case and it is.... so why put herself/yourself in that situation at all?
If I wasn't comfortable eating out (to the point its clearly not enjoyable) then I simply wouldn't do it.
It doesn't happen every time and why should we not have the treat of eating out as a couple? Would it kill some ignorant gits not to stare? If I wasn't comfortable eating out (to the point its clearly not enjoyable) then I simply wouldn't do it.
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