The phlegm, the spit and the ills

Out of the many horrible habits of people, the one that I cannot bring myself to understand is the spitting of phlegm - do people have to make that irritating sound all the time? As if that were not enough, I have seen people spit it out on walls, corners of buildings or right in your path.

Many tobacco and betel leaf chewing expats have resorted to this anti-social habit. One does not have to follow an addict for too long to see them tilt their heads and spew out the surplus spit and red dye in full public view, unmindful of its destination.

Yuck! The mere sight of people spitting is nauseating and unacceptable due to a variety of reasons. Firstly, it discolours our surroundings. Secondly, it sends out an army of billions of vigorous microbes which can transmit diseases. Above all, spitting in the open shows a strong lack of civic sense, disregard of public property and shared resources.

How does one handle this behaviour?

I recommend strong condemnation of spitting as a hazard to public health; publicised by a rigorous campaign and repeat violators slapped with heavy fines. Another way to tackle this social menace is through nominating community-watchers, armed with identity cards, to oppose resistance. They can then locate and penalise wrong-doers.

The reader is a sales manager based in Dubai.

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