Sharell has already done a post on the Indian proclivity for spitting in public. And I quite like the numbering convention she’s come up with, so I have taken the liberty of borrowing that for my post.
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We all know that we’re the sort of people who like to treat the world as our spittoon. But this post is about some specific aspects of that general trait.
I was driving to work the other day, and there happened to be a bike as well an auto in front of me. Up ahead, there was the carcass of a dog on the road, clearly roadkill from the night before. As the bike swerved to avoid the mangled remains, both the rider as well as the chap sitting pillion spat at the corpse in synchronised unison. Ptooeey, ptooeey. Two wet globs of spit landed on the carcass. Not to be outdone, the auto guy followed with a contribution of his own, his phlegmatic discharge twinkling in the morning sun as it, too, found its mark. Bizarre. Almost made me wonder if I was breaking some hoary tradition by not following suit.
That got me thinking about other strange Indian spitting rituals. Have any of the male readers here noticed what goes on around them in the men’s restroom at any multiplex, especially when it’s chock-a-block during the interval? Invariably, many of the men there extend their necks (gingerly) and then spit (not so gingerly) into the urinal before tucking themselves (again, gingerly) back into their flies. Now, I’m nothing if not a Scientific Simian. I therefore decided to observe this phenomenon afresh, and, in the spirit of scientific inquiry, visited a multiplex over the weekend. The results, I must report, were the same. A good number of people (statistically significant?) went thoooh in the loo. I don’t know what pissed them all off, but they did end up looking like spitting images of each other.
So folks, can anyone explain these rituals to me? Why would people passing by roadkill spit on it? And why do men feel the urge to spit while they are peeing? I, for one, am completely baffled. Any answers?
August 14, 2012 at 5:02 pm
I think it is very civilized to spit in the urinal because it is one mouthful of spit less on the roads. Whatever the reason, I will categorize it as a service done in national interest.
August 15, 2012 at 7:21 am
One always learns something new each day…I didn’t know a statistically significant number of Indian men spit while urinating…Hmmm….Have no idea why…
Spitting on a dog carcass – does it have anything to do with the fact that dogs are considered lower beings by many? One dead, good for the world – SPIT!
August 15, 2012 at 10:14 pm
They seem to consider it’s not a problem to spit onto things which are already dirty. Or it seems to be a kind of rite to protect themselves from these unpleasant things. In fact, I don’t know. I don’t understand why men need to spit so much.(Not only in India by the way!) I’ve never needed to spit so that proves that you can live without spitting, doesn’t it?
August 20, 2012 at 3:13 pm
@Amit: Thanks for the comment. Interesting take, that! 🙂
@Bones: Good to hear from you. Well, there was a question mark after statistically significant…..to be sure, it wasn’t textbook testing of hypotheses. 🙂 But purely based on observation, my conclusion does not seem unreasonable.
As good an explanation as any, I suppose, but I don’t think any of the three had any strong feelings in particular towards dogs.
@Marilay: Welcome to my blog and thanks for the comment. Again, both plausible explanations. And you’re right. Now that I think about it, men completely outclass women in the spitting in public game. Hmmmm. Hadn’t realised there was a gender angle to this as well.
October 20, 2012 at 8:04 pm
http://listverse.com/2011/02/20/15-facts-that-are-truly-terrible/
Maybe fact # 12 given in this link explains why men use urinals as spittoons!
February 1, 2013 at 10:48 am
Well, in my experience, most women hold their breath while using public restrooms. Maybe spitting is a purely masculine form of overcoming the public restroom odor-phobia.
February 1, 2013 at 10:51 am
In my experience, most women hold their breath while using public restrooms. Maybe spitting is a purely masculine way of overcoming public restroom odor-phobia.
April 22, 2013 at 4:40 am
Quirky, when are you going to resume blogging? I miss your posts!!!
May 23, 2015 at 8:05 am
Haha! That was funny! I myself am guilty of the second one.
May 23, 2015 at 8:06 am
Haha! That was funny!
I myself, am guilty of the second one.