Believe it or not, there are some people in this world who do
not like gum. I am one of them. In fact, the smell of it actually
makes me nauseous. Physically ill, yes. I tried chewing gum once,
and it actually made me gag.
Recently, I was sitting on a park bench with a friend, and it turns
out he was sitting on a nice, fresh wad of gum that someone had
disposed of on the bench. This has happened to me before, too. When
it happened to me, I threw out the ratty old pants I was wearing
at the time, because the thought of having to deal with the smell
and feel of someone else’s used gum long enough to get rid
of it was too much to handle. He, however, did not have the luxury
of throwing out his pants, shirt, jacket, and bag, all of which
were victims of the invisible gum bandit.
As I see it, there are three main areas of gum etiquette that desperately
need work in North America. Actually there are four, in my case,
because I actually object to its existence. But the three areas
of disgustingness on which I can find several people to agree with
me, are location, chewing method, and the worst of all, disposal. |
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Location
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Before I go on any road trips, I make it clear to everyone that
gum chewing is the only prohibition in my car. I say that I don’t
care what else people do, as long as they do not chew gum (ok, smoking
is really a no-no too). I declare that it is because it makes me
nauseous (which is true, whereas oddly, smoke does not). One does
not need a nauseous driver. However, just about every time (even
repeat) riders climb in, they have a piece of gum on the go. One
rule. Is that so hard? It’s about respect, really.
One rider did it so often that I just stopped asking them to get
rid of it and just drove holding my sleeve over my face. It didn’t
really help, but after 10 or so tries over the course of 2 months,
do I really have to keep asking?? Driving nauseous with one hand.
Great idea, but at some point, one has to just give up demanding
the respect that they should just get as a matter of course.
People just assume that people around them are OK with their horrible
habits, and don’t even think twice to ask if it’s OK
to chew gum in certain places. I remember that chewing gum was not
allowed in school. I’m pretty sure this rule had to do with
the difficulty in cleaning gum off desks and out of carpets.
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Is it OK to just assume it’s all right to chew gum in someone’s
home or car?
Even for those who do not become nauseous at the smell of gum, there
are some people who prefer not to have it in their homes or cars, just
because of the potential mess that might have to be cleaned up, much like
schools. Really, does it hurt to ask, “is it OK if I have a chew?”
A simple question that could save a friendship.
Chewing Method
Why is it that people insist on chewing gum with their mouths wide open?
First of all, it sounds disgusting. Sort of a slimy, sticking, sucking,
squishy, wet, slapping sound that just reminds you that it’s something
really gluey getting mixed with someone’s saliva. Secondly, it looks
horrible, like a cow chewing its cud, but worse. Thirdly, and this one
is for me, it amplifies the smell.
I can understand that some people might enjoy a stick of gum now and
then, but do they have to share the sound and appearance of that sticky
little wad with the rest of us? I don’t want to see the insides
of people’s mouths at the best of times.
It is impolite to eat with your mouth open, yet people who even hold
strictly to this principle can be found gape-mouthed with bacteria-filled
spit-waddish stickiness rolling around their open maws. It’s terrible,
and I wish it would stop. I’m sure nobody wants to see that, really.
Disposal
This is the big one.
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Gum is hard to clean. Sticky does not do it justice. When it gets
on something, it spreads quickly and stays forever. Just look at
any city street, and you’ll see little black circles of gum
disposed of in days gone by.
I have watched people walk right past garbage cans and merely 5
feet later, just open their mouths and let the gum drop out.
Have you ever stepped on a fresh piece of gum? Not pleasant, I
say. Sitting on one is even worse, and I don’t think my friend
and I are the only two people in the world to have done this.
Littering is a problem, yes, but gum littering is out of control!
For every piece of “ordinary” garbage I see on the street,
I see thousands of black circles of old gum. And gum is the hardest
thing to clean. Again, it’s a matter of respect. Nobody seems
to care what happens to the person who comes after them. What happened
to common courtesy?
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Why is it so hard to just approach a garbage can and throw your gum in
it? Even better, wrap it in something first! Save the gum wrapper for
this – you’ll never have to search for a piece of paper or
tissue then.
Concluding Plea
I would never ask people to stop doing something they enjoy, unless it
really did pose a danger to others. But I just ask you to think, next
time you’re chewing a piece of gum, about how you could be affecting
others around you, and what small thing you could do to make the world
a slightly less dirty place.
Thanks for letting me rant.
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Gum
Etiquette