I saw a woman file her nails over a poor man's head on a metro train (she was standing up) - and the shavings were all landing in his hair - it was disgusting!!!!

On my own couch, but would never do it in someone else's home, not even my sister's (unless I was playing nail salon with the 7 yo niece, which has been known to happen)

Average person shed half million skin particles and hour (1.5 lbs a year)...nail dust is nothing

Over a plate of spaghetti.

See, this is why I just bite my nails and eat them. So much simpler.

Anonymous wrote:I asked my neighbor not to file her nails in my car while I was driving her to the store. I hope I did not offend her.
But I did not like the idea of nail dust in the air.
So many different ideas on this topic. Wish I knew if I was being ridiculous or reasonable?.

If I were the neighbor I wouldn't be offended, but I would probably think you are pretty uptight. I would put you with the no shoes in the house folks, and the moms who won't EVER let their kids have juice or McDonald's.

I asked my neighbor not to file her nails in my car while I was driving her to the store. I hope I did not offend her.
But I did not like the idea of nail dust in the air.
So many different ideas on this topic. Wish I knew if I was being ridiculous or reasonable?.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people really grossed out by this? That is so interesting to me to learn! It never occurred to me some people (maybe most?) would feel this way. I am from another country, different culture and have never noticed this phoneme there. I will try to pay attention when I travel overseas now to see how other culture behave. Just out of curiosity.

I am American and I've never for a moment considered this rude or gross. My in-laws have both picked their toenails while on my couch though and I thought I was going to barf.

I just think it's rude and kind of gross to do any sort of personal care stuff in public. That is what the bathroom is for, or your bedroom.

I also just don't get people who sit their and file their nails for 20 minutes or more. It's not hard, why on earth does it take you that long? It takes me 5 minutes total to cut and shape my nails (over the trash can in my bedroom) and I actually just got complimented on them the other day.

Anonymous wrote:Are people really grossed out by this? That is so interesting to me to learn! It never occurred to me some people (maybe most?) would feel this way. I am from another country, different culture and have never noticed this phoneme there. I will try to pay attention when I travel overseas now to see how other culture behave. Just out of curiosity.

I am American and I've never for a moment considered this rude or gross. My in-laws have both picked their toenails while on my couch though and I thought I was going to barf.

My mom would file her nails while watching television, or when riding in the car. Or really anytime they had a rough spot that needed attention. Never occurred to be that people would find it icky. I also file my nails while watching television. I control the length of my nails by filing, not cutting. Cutting seems to weaken them (anecdotal, no real proof here), and if I cut them, I have to file them to a decent shape anyhow. But it takes a while to file all of them, so I would prefer not to be locked away in a small bathroom.

I don't do it at work because it has connotations of a 1960s secretary paining her nails instead of working.

I don't file at meal times because it would be rude to be paying more attention to my nails than to my companions. I don't think the characters on TV care if I'm only half watching.

Anonymous wrote:My mom did it at the table at a restaurant once. It was so repulsed that I called her on it. She really had no idea how disgusting it was that dead nail dust could be getting on our plates.

I posted that my parents do this in my dining room and kitchen. My mom also does it at restaurants!! She also doesn't understand why I find it disgusting.

My mom did it at the table at a restaurant once. It was so repulsed that I called her on it. She really had no idea how disgusting it was that dead nail dust could be getting on our plates.

The metro? I watched a lady standing on a train file her nails over somebody's head who was sitting down during the morning rush. SOOOO disgusting!!! All the dust went into his hair.

I don't file my nails, but my mom always did it on the living room while watching TV and I hated that sound!