Sneezes on a train trip (M)

[atchoum]

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any observations, but this was too good not to share with those of you who like male sneezes.

It all happened on Thursday, during a train trip that was to have taken three and a half hours and which turned out to be a couple of hours longer… to my advantage as it turned out.

When I got on the train, coming from Switzerland, there were already three Swiss couples sitting in the seats two rows in front of me, in an otherwise almost empty carriage. One couple in their sixties and two I first thought in their twenties, but probably more likely about thirty. The two younger couples were very blond, men and woman. The man sitting facing me was average height, slim build, fine features… and a rather red nose. Now it’s supposed to be full-on hayfever time here, but I haven’t seen very much evidence of it so far. So I was pinning my hopes on this man, especially as I could see him quite well reflected in the train window. We stopped at a major station and the carriage really filled up. Sitting opposite me on the other side of the aisle, one row ahead were two businessmen in their very early thirties – dressed in suits and ties, and looking very dapper. The one sitting by the window, furthest away from me, the shorter of the two, was classically handsome, real Rudolph Valentino looks: jet black hair, very neat features, looking more Italian than French. His companion was taller and very animated. They got out their laptops immediately and started comparing notes, and I realised they were ingénieurs – the top of French society – working for a major French company.

Nice company, but for a long time nothing in the way of sneezes or even nose blows. I was wondering whether my blond Swiss man was actually feeling the pollen or if it was just my wishful thinking. The train stopped for a long time in an unscheduled station and then it was announced we would be two hours late. The ingénieurs just beavered on with their laptops and I went on with my revising work, until probably an hour after that I heard, coming from the ingénieurs ‘kashoo’. I looked up and couldn’t see who had sneezed, but it didn’t seem to be the taller one, the only one I could see at least half of. About 20 seconds later I saw Rudolph Valentino (or rather the back of his head, the only part of him I could see) draw back, and then lurch forward towards the window with another ‘kashoo’. Was it wishful thinking again, or did I hear his companion say ‘c’est reparti’ (here we go again). They went on comparing computer screens, and Valentino’s head again lent back and again he gave an uninhibited ‘kashoo’ in the direction of the window. At that stage I started writing down what the sneezes sounded like on the Post-Its I was using for revising. At sneeze number four, his companion slipped in ‘à tes souhaits’ in the conversation (pretty uncommon in France for anyone to ‘bless’ especially two men). Sneeze number five was ‘ahh kishh’ but the rest went back to the defaut ‘kashoo’ or ‘kishoo’. By sneeze number six, there was a good minute between each sneeze, and the head was held back longer, so it seemed as if the reflex was weakening, but that the man wasn’t doing anything to stop them. Sneeze number seven turned out to be the last one. Seven completely open sneezes – and not one nose blow or even a sniffle.

Not long after this I heard ‘aaaRASCHHH’ coming from the Swiss, and looked up to see the blond man rubbing his nose. He eventually got out a tissue and gave a blow…. But then nothing else. A good while after that I finished my revisions and was looking out the window when I noticed that blond man had what looked suspiciously like a pre sneeze face – not blatant, but pretty unmistakable. He turned away from his wife/girlfriend, and lunged towards the floor of the aisle ‘aaRASCCHH’ - no cover for him either. He started to rummage round for a tissue when he sneezed again, a much softer ‘TCHAAA’. Then he blew, again and again. Probably five minutes of noseblowing in three different tissues. And that was it. No more sneezing and no more noseblowing either.

[gryffin]

Lucky man! Very nice obs, and thanks for sharing!

[RSB]

I love train obs. They're especially lovely somehow. Also very nice that the one man blessed the other when it's less common for men to do so. How sweet! Besides which, they sound like very nice, contained sneezes.

[Hajo]

Im jealous. I know from own experience, that trains could be perfect observation areas, expecially if you have a good view to the sneezing person(s). And you had 2 of them, lucky guy. I regrett that I have to go so rare with long distance trains.

I congratulate you to your idea to notice the sneezing sounds at your post-its. So we all have something from it and a still more realistic observation.

[Mf1611]

that sounds like you had a nice train ride observing all those sneezes