By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Public displays of flatulence, OK or not ?
I guess most would say "Not" but lets face it; we all do it.
I will maintain it is not OK to do it too loudly but sneaking one out is a necessity sometimes.
Has your views on flatulence changed in your time in China?
i'm one of those folks cursed with methane bacteria all his life. it happens to 20-33% of people worldwide. i fart on a daily basis, and though i try my best to hold it in in public, family and co-workers will have smelled a few by now. try to imagine, if you can, how it limits a person's ability both professionally and socially.
my grandma had it, and was extremely uptight about it. she held it in to a dangerous level. it's probably no coincidence that she developed diverticulitis (bubbles in the intestinal wall) and now craps into a tube in a nursing home.
"holding it in" also exposes your intestines to a high concentration of carcinogenic gases full of free radicals, for a prolonged period of time. once they're diluted in an airborne fart, they're about as harmful as a whiff of cigarette smoke, smoke which people inflict on others by choice and is still tolerated in most public places, i should add. there is no risk of bacterial contamination either, unless a person is farting naked in a sauna. if anyone thinks people must hold it in so you are spared of a few seconds of bad smell, i say you are not being reasonable. until there is a cure for the affliction, people must moderate their demands of one another.
when some of these vulgar peasants choose to smoke in an elevator, i need to remind myself that innocents will suffer if i fart in there. i NEVER fart on purpose, EVER. neither am i "loud & proud" of my alternative lifestyle, so to speak. i believe that's true for most people.
and living in China hasn't improved my affliction, if that even needs mentioning.
- audibly farting in public with no attempt at concealment: i'll agree that it's not nice, but i'm opposed to fussy people who make a big dramatic scene as if they'd been covered in someone's shit. i want to go apeshit and hurl my own feces at them, just to help them understand the difference, so they measure their own reaction in the future.
- an attempt to pass gas silently that went wrong and could be heard: how you choose to respond to it, is a test of character for both the culprit and witnesses. after being stared at in China all the time, you guys should understand the importance of being an adult by now. a foreigner. a fart. it's really not that exciting, you know? how sad does it make you and your buddies, that you think it's worth gossiping about?
- silent but deadly in public: most of my methane farts aren't too terrible, but i can judge for myself when the gas is going to be really awful. people should make arrangements to pass gas in the least intrusive way, and those who don't consider others are of course reprehensible.
- as westerners, we have been taught to understand that it's not OK to single people out for something they ARE and can't change. it took generations for us to learn to treat women as equals,we're catching up in the racial department, and accepting homosexuals is still very much a work in progress. do we really need a farter's parade to raise awareness? as hilarious as it would be, i don't want to be in it.
"we fart. it smells bad. deal with it."
I let one out in the lift the other day. Felt a bubble sensation at the end of my ass and by then it was too late. No amount of clenching was going to stop it. 20 floors of sheer embarressment. Its always the worst when there are only two people aaround and the other person knows you are to blame.
Human beings should be more open to discussing farting. I should have been able to say to her " Hey excuse me, I just farted, can you cover your nose with a hanky. It was an accident" Though my chinese is limited, could have maybe tried hand signals
i am glad we live a society that restrains farts. evolution makes mistakes. natural selection should have wiped out people who deliberately fart in outside a toilet.
side question have you ever farted under a bed cover/duvet and smelled it?
No. No farting. Ever. I long ago came up with a much more socially acceptable alternative to farting.
For Pete's sake.....Farting is disgusting!
I mean, people still do that?? Gees.......get outside!
coineineagh:
a more socially acceptable alternative to farting? well don't leave us guessing where the sun don't shine, o immaculately fragrant one. cough the answer up already, iron sphincter. is it BURPING?
i'm one of those folks cursed with methane bacteria all his life. it happens to 20-33% of people worldwide. i fart on a daily basis, and though i try my best to hold it in in public, family and co-workers will have smelled a few by now. try to imagine, if you can, how it limits a person's ability both professionally and socially.
my grandma had it, and was extremely uptight about it. she held it in to a dangerous level. it's probably no coincidence that she developed diverticulitis (bubbles in the intestinal wall) and now craps into a tube in a nursing home.
"holding it in" also exposes your intestines to a high concentration of carcinogenic gases full of free radicals, for a prolonged period of time. once they're diluted in an airborne fart, they're about as harmful as a whiff of cigarette smoke, smoke which people inflict on others by choice and is still tolerated in most public places, i should add. there is no risk of bacterial contamination either, unless a person is farting naked in a sauna. if anyone thinks people must hold it in so you are spared of a few seconds of bad smell, i say you are not being reasonable. until there is a cure for the affliction, people must moderate their demands of one another.
when some of these vulgar peasants choose to smoke in an elevator, i need to remind myself that innocents will suffer if i fart in there. i NEVER fart on purpose, EVER. neither am i "loud & proud" of my alternative lifestyle, so to speak. i believe that's true for most people.
and living in China hasn't improved my affliction, if that even needs mentioning.
- audibly farting in public with no attempt at concealment: i'll agree that it's not nice, but i'm opposed to fussy people who make a big dramatic scene as if they'd been covered in someone's shit. i want to go apeshit and hurl my own feces at them, just to help them understand the difference, so they measure their own reaction in the future.
- an attempt to pass gas silently that went wrong and could be heard: how you choose to respond to it, is a test of character for both the culprit and witnesses. after being stared at in China all the time, you guys should understand the importance of being an adult by now. a foreigner. a fart. it's really not that exciting, you know? how sad does it make you and your buddies, that you think it's worth gossiping about?
- silent but deadly in public: most of my methane farts aren't too terrible, but i can judge for myself when the gas is going to be really awful. people should make arrangements to pass gas in the least intrusive way, and those who don't consider others are of course reprehensible.
- as westerners, we have been taught to understand that it's not OK to single people out for something they ARE and can't change. it took generations for us to learn to treat women as equals,we're catching up in the racial department, and accepting homosexuals is still very much a work in progress. do we really need a farter's parade to raise awareness? as hilarious as it would be, i don't want to be in it.
"we fart. it smells bad. deal with it."
Farting in public is not okay for human beings because we are civilized creatures with our societal codes of behavior.
However I try to be understanding when it's Chinese people because animals have no problems releasing themselves anywhere. I mean, I won't blame a pig or a cow for farting, why should I blame Chinese people?
Taking a crap in public anywhere anytime right next to the food seems okay too, more common traits between Chinese and animals... oh wait, even animals are aware that you don't shit where you eat.
But if I see a non-Chinese person doing it I will probably get angry.
royceH:
Ohh, man...that's just so...so.... What?
I mean, you're comparing the people to animals. No, actually a rung below the animals.
But I can't argue with you. It's sad is what it is. Sad. Because it's true.
Come on Chinese people! Do something about yourselves! Please! My wife is Chinese and I feel sorry for her over things such as this.
I let it rip. Civilization? Oh please. It's uncomfortable to have ass gas stuck in my buttock hole, so I'm going to let it rip... but you might want to get as far away from me as possible before it goes hulkular.
Third option: Hilarious!
"You don't have to be smart to laugh at farts, but you have to be stupid not to." -- Louis C.K
Third option: Hilarious!
"You don't have to be smart to laugh at farts, but you have to be stupid not to." -- Louis C.K
In the cultural utopia that is the Middle Kingdom I am blessed to witness all sorts of "cultural behaviour" on a daily basis, so I feel an obligation to immerse myself in this rich culture.
I still struggle with some culture such as spitting/smoking in elevators and public transport, defecating on the street and throwing rubbish wherever is convenient at the time. I trust, in time, that I will embrace these too.
That said, in my efforts to culturally harmonize myself, I have two methods for answering the OP. Firstly, on occasion, I may just let a fart naturally rip. Or if I am feeling evil or mischievous I will sneak out a rotter in an elevator, bus or train then look at some guy, screw up my nose and give a small shake of my head so that others will see and conclude that he is the culprit.
Like coineineagh I have a thing in my guts and I fart a lot, most of the time they are silent and don't smell, sometimes they smell like the harbinger of doom, and very rarely can they be heard. I don't fart on purpose unless I'm in the bathroom and want to squeeze one out, but if I'm in an elevator or subway, I don't feel bad about letting go. If "they" want to smoke, spit and shit (3S) everywhere I sure as hell can let one rip from time to time.
I guess I'm one of the lucky few that rarely needs to fart outside of the toilet.
