I was sneezed on today (F)

[peach2218]

I’m just…baffled. Disgusted. Annoyed. 
I work in a hospital and today I was in a patient’s room talking to his wife. She didn’t have a mask on despite visitors being strongly encouraged to wear one, even when in the patient’s room. She was probably late 50s, shoulder length blonde-grey hair. 

I was sitting on the couch next to her, about 2 feet away, facing her direction so as to appear attentive and concerned as she talked about her husband’s injury. She was looking down at her phone and reading some paragraph she found on Web MD or whatever 🙄. Suddenly, her breath hitched a bit and she sat up straight, shuddering as she inhaled and closed her eyes. Great, she’s gonna sneeze, I thought, and my stomach flipped uncomfortably. I still feel so awkward when strangers sneeze near me. But I was not expecting what came next. 
 

She fully turned her body to face me and sneezed directly toward me. Like, not even attempting to cover. Not even attempting to sneeze down toward the couch. No, straight at  me. Twice. I felt the spray on my arm. “HEHN-chh. HEHN-chh.“  Are you f*cking serious, lady? I was completely shocked but I hate confrontation and I don’t want patients or families getting upset with me, so I said “ooh, bless you!” As much as it pained me to do so. 
 

She didn’t apologize or excuse herself for literally spraying me with germs in a damn hospital. Nope, she just brightly thanks me and then TURNS BACK TO HER PHONE and keeps talking about her husband. Like… did you just intentionally sneeze on me? Do you have no sense of shame? I’m freaking floored. I rubbed some extra hand cleanser on my arm the minute I got up to leave the room.  And I’m not comfortable talking about sneezing but I was so shocked that I immediately went and told my coworker what had just happened. 

[SneezeAbbie]

Not covering your sneezes is annoying enough but in a DAMN HOSPITAL?! Good on you for talking to your coworker though 

[Saimou]

Late 50’s, and yet to learn basic manners?! *tsk tsk tsk!* 

[sneezingfun894]

Ugh, my sympathies. I’ve been through something similar earlier this year. I work at a school (where masks are MANDATORY, for students and staff). We were having a meeting inside the school’s amphitheater, and this lady (who refuses to wear a mask under claims of not being able to breathe with it) was sitting right behind me.

she was going on about how her son had had a cold, blah blah blah. Suddenly (I had my back turned to her, so I couldn’t foresee what was about to happen) she let out TWO sneezes. I felt the mist in my back, but I was so mortified I couldn’t say anything.

 

about 10 minutes later, she left to get coffee and one of my fellow colleagues said “hey, let me spray you thoroughly with sanitizer because that stupid woman sneezed all over you”. All the other people who witnessed the scene were in shock.

once I got home, I took a shower crying because of what had just happened. I thought of talking to the principal but I also hate confrontation so I didn’t.

Edited December 23, 2021 by sneezingfun894

[Mr Sneezy]

Are you people sure you're sneeze fetishists?

Edited December 25, 2021 by Mr Sneezy

[SneezeAbbie]

44 minutes ago, Mr Sneezy said:

Are you people sure you're sneeze fetishists?

Are you serious? “You people”? Just because we have a sneeze fetish doesn’t mean that we get turned by everything and anything. Most of us have standards and are selective in what we prefer. Now, you may not mind people sneezing on you and that’s fine. However, considering the fact we’re in a bloody pandemic and OP works in a healthcare setting where they’d be at risk of endangering themselves and loved ones given its Christmas, it’d make damn sense for someone to be upset by this. What if OP (hypothetically) caught covid because the visitor didn’t wear a mask and possibly end up very ill, would you still be saying the same thing to us right now?

[Mr Sneezy]

3 hours ago, SneezeAbbie said:

Are you serious? “You people”? Just because we have a sneeze fetish doesn’t mean that we get turned by everything and anything. Most of us have standards and are selective in what we prefer. Now, you may not mind people sneezing on you and that’s fine. However, considering the fact we’re in a bloody pandemic and OP works in a healthcare setting where they’d be at risk of endangering themselves and loved ones given its Christmas, it’d make damn sense for someone to be upset by this. What if OP (hypothetically) caught covid because the visitor didn’t wear a mask and possibly end up very ill, would you still be saying the same thing to us right 

Yes, my standards are vastly different.

Edited December 25, 2021 by Mr Sneezy

[Bondi]

Even without current events being what they are, some sneeze fetishists just....don't like it when people sneeze on them. 

[sneezingfun894]

15 hours ago, SneezeAbbie said:

Are you serious? “You people”? Just because we have a sneeze fetish doesn’t mean that we get turned by everything and anything. Most of us have standards and are selective in what we prefer. Now, you may not mind people sneezing on you and that’s fine. However, considering the fact we’re in a bloody pandemic and OP works in a healthcare setting where they’d be at risk of endangering themselves and loved ones given its Christmas, it’d make damn sense for someone to be upset by this. What if OP (hypothetically) caught covid because the visitor didn’t wear a mask and possibly end up very ill, would you still be saying the same thing to us right now?

I wish I could frame this comment. That’s it. When I got sneezed on by that woman, my father (who’s an elder) hadn’t gotten his vaccine. What if the woman’s son had had covid then and she’d directly exposed me to it? I don’t need to accept everything about sneezing to be a fetishist.

[Sawyer]

Bad manners are unattractive. Even before the pandemic it would have disgusted me, especially coming from somebody who I wasn't sexually interested in. It's inconsiderate and unhygienic to get your body fluids on another person, especially if they're spraying out of you and you've been heavily conditioned by society to cover or contain them. I don't blame you for feeling this way!

Even from someone attractive, I wouldn't like that happening at work. When I'm on the job my sexual feelings are totally dulled.

[TheCakeIsAlive]

peach, I'm very sorry to hear that happened to you. Very rude indeed and I hope that you have remained healthy in the aftermath.

 

Alright, I'm putting on my staff hat for a moment here:  

Thank you all for your civil responses. We just want to put out a gentle reminder that certain behaviour is not tolerated outside the Snake Pit. We will leave the discussion to stand because we feel that interesting points were raised and civility has been predominantly maintained, but please don't make it a Snake Pit topic here on the Observations board!

[Mal]

A similar thing happened to me at a small gathering for a friend's birthday recently. This girl who I went to college with but don't know that well came and casually talked about how she's been sick (which deeply infuriates me in the age of covid-- like if you're sick DONT go out, it's not that hard) and proceeded to projectile cough and sneeze for hours. Luckily I personally was not standing directly in the splash zone, but my boyfriend was sitting next to her and I watched all of the particles blast his face over and over. There was no attempt to contain the spray, no self awareness about what she was doing and everyone was so uncomfortable. I ended up leaving in tears and having a panic attack. It was honestly BECAUSE I have a sneeze fetish that it was that much *more* traumatizing. 

[Saimou]

20 minutes ago, Mal said:

A similar thing happened to me at a small gathering for a friend's birthday recently. This girl who I went to college with but don't know that well came and casually talked about how she's been sick (which deeply infuriates me in the age of covid-- like if you're sick DONT go out, it's not that hard) and proceeded to projectile cough and sneeze for hours. Luckily I personally was not standing directly in the splash zone, but my boyfriend was sitting next to her and I watched all of the particles blast his face over and over. There was no attempt to contain the spray, no self awareness about what she was doing and everyone was so uncomfortable. I ended up leaving in tears and having a panic attack. It was honestly BECAUSE I have a sneeze fetish that it was that much *more* traumatizing. 

That’s just inconsiderate of her. Though, if I knew she was sick, I wouldn’t go anywhere near her in these questionable times. Also, not going out sick, I think, is easier than going out sick, when you have a hard time even getting out of bed; depending, of course, on the severity of the illness.

[Paul]

On 12/31/2021 at 12:09 PM, Mal said:

A similar thing happened to me at a small gathering for a friend's birthday recently. This girl who I went to college with but don't know that well came and casually talked about how she's been sick (which deeply infuriates me in the age of covid-- like if you're sick DONT go out, it's not that hard) and proceeded to projectile cough and sneeze for hours. Luckily I personally was not standing directly in the splash zone, but my boyfriend was sitting next to her and I watched all of the particles blast his face over and over. There was no attempt to contain the spray, no self awareness about what she was doing and everyone was so uncomfortable. I ended up leaving in tears and having a panic attack. It was honestly BECAUSE I have a sneeze fetish that it was that much *more* traumatizing. 

Sorry, projectile sneezing for hours?? Did your boyfriend or anyone else react to her snot (spittle? saliva?) hitting him? Since he was next to her was she turning towards him? Would people back away when she had a pre-sneeze buildup? Sorry for all the questions, just such an incredible situation..

 

 

[Mal]

4 minutes ago, Paul said:

Sorry, projectile sneezing for hours?? Did your boyfriend or anyone else react to her snot (spittle? saliva?) hitting him? Since he was next to her was she turning towards him? Would people back away when she had a pre-sneeze buildup? Sorry for all the questions, just such an incredible situation..

 

 

Hahaha believe me if covid wasn't a thing (and if I was attracted to this girl at all), it would've been a much more fun situation but alas. Since you didn't have to experience the actual horror of it in the moment I will give you some details so at least someone get's to enjoy it   

There were about 10 of us in a small living room and we were all sitting in a circle talking to each other so there wasn't much of an option for her to turn away from people unless she left the room. When it first started, she was sneezing in sets of 4 or 5 and she turned slightly away from my friend who was right next to her and towards my boyfriend who was across from her but maybe only a couple feet away. All of her sneezes were super wet and she didn't cover them whatsoever. She was also sitting perpendicular to a window so from my vantage point you could really see the mist illuminated in the sunlight. At first, people mostly just seemed captured by how many times in a row she was sneezing and both my boyfriend and my friend next to her blessed each of her sneezes which then sparked a conversation about whether or not to bless people every time they sneeze if they sneeze in multiples (my friend sitting next to her has a very mousey naturally stifled sneeze and always sneezes like 5 or 6 times). The sneezing girl (woman really, we are all in our mid twenties) then made a comment about how it was "humiliating" to be blessed every time and joked that she only felt my boyfriend's "bless you"s were genuine. After another set of these sneezes and this girl's continued reminder to all of us that she was in fact sick, I left the room to pack up my stuff because it was making me way too anxious to be there. While I was getting my coat in the other room, I could still hear her sneezing over and over. 

After my departure, I got a text from my friend who was sitting next to her saying she started hiding out in the bathroom at a certain point because the coughing and sneezing was just non-stop and she was done being sneezed on. 

Hope that gives you some more to work with! 

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Mal said:

Hope that gives you some more to work with! 

Thank you that was great!! Sorry you had to experience it firsthand

[Mal]

2 minutes ago, Paul said:

Thank you that was great!! Sorry you had to experience it firsthand

Haha it's okay I'm glad it's getting some use as an observation!

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Mal said:

Haha it's okay I'm glad it's getting some use as an observation!

Another positive is the contagious period is usually towards the beginning of the sickness so you all are maybe safe in that regard even if it's unpleasant.. could only imagine who else she's been sneezing on earlier in her cold/flu/whatever it was.

[Mal]

6 minutes ago, Paul said:

Another positive is the contagious period is usually towards the beginning of the sickness so you all are maybe safe in that regard even if it's unpleasant.. could only imagine who else she's been sneezing on earlier in her cold/flu/whatever it was.

Yes that's a good point! Luckily this was about a month ago and neither me or my boyfriend ended up getting sick! But yes, she really must have sneezed on a lot of people throughout this cold. 

[SkolVikes]

On 1/1/2022 at 5:03 PM, Mal said:

Haha it's okay I'm glad it's getting some use as an observation!

I also offer condolences that it happened that way, but reading about her wet open sneezes with visible mist from afar was really enjoyable, so I appreciate you still sharing it 😅

[Ali Marie]

I've always found lack of manners/consideration for others around to be utterly abhorrent--especially from older individuals who should know better for numerous reasons.

I am SO sorry that someone was so disgusting towards you. Being a sneeze fetishist does not automatically mean that you consent to being sprayed with a total stranger's potentially harmful germs against your will. I know I would find an experience like that a bit traumatic. And honestly...It was very big of you to even tell her "Bless You" because she was rude to you on a very shameful level.

Sneeze directly towards someone unmasked, at a hospital, in the middle of a global pandemic sounds like a nightmare.

I know that sneezing is an involuntary reaction & sometimes you just can't help sneezing towards someone or in their general vicinity but at least make some effort to conceal your germs. 

I've taught 5-year-olds who know to use their elbow. There's no excuse for that...Particularly in times like these. 

[Mal]

4 hours ago, Ali Marie said:

I've always found lack of manners/consideration for others around to be utterly abhorrent--especially from older individuals who should know better for numerous reasons.

I am SO sorry that someone was so disgusting towards you. Being a sneeze fetishist does not automatically mean that you consent to being sprayed with a total stranger's potentially harmful germs against your will. I know I would find an experience like that a bit traumatic. And honestly...It was very big of you to even tell her "Bless You" because she was rude to you on a very shameful level.

Sneeze directly towards someone unmasked, at a hospital, in the middle of a global pandemic sounds like a nightmare.

I know that sneezing is an involuntary reaction & sometimes you just can't help sneezing towards someone or in their general vicinity but at least make some effort to conceal your germs. 

I've taught 5-year-olds who know to use their elbow. There's no excuse for that...Particularly in times like these. 

BRAVO! Completely agree with every word....Thank you. 

[peach2218]

On 1/2/2022 at 6:22 PM, Ali Marie said:

I've always found lack of manners/consideration for others around to be utterly abhorrent--especially from older individuals who should know better for numerous reasons.

I am SO sorry that someone was so disgusting towards you. Being a sneeze fetishist does not automatically mean that you consent to being sprayed with a total stranger's potentially harmful germs against your will. I know I would find an experience like that a bit traumatic. And honestly...It was very big of you to even tell her "Bless You" because she was rude to you on a very shameful level.

Sneeze directly towards someone unmasked, at a hospital, in the middle of a global pandemic sounds like a nightmare.

I know that sneezing is an involuntary reaction & sometimes you just can't help sneezing towards someone or in their general vicinity but at least make some effort to conceal your germs. 

I've taught 5-year-olds who know to use their elbow. There's no excuse for that...Particularly in times like these. 

Yep, I can’t stand people being blatantly inconsiderate. The disgust will override any fetishy feelings every single time. Especially since she was 30+ years older than me and I wouldn’t have been attracted to it anyway, even if she had covered. 
Working in healthcare as truly taught me how many disgusting, rude ass people there are out there. 

[Coolio]

On 12/25/2021 at 2:20 AM, Mr Sneezy said:

Are you people sure you're sneeze fetishists?

😂 Bruh