Phillyist: Coughing on the R6: A Neurotic's Guide to Coping

Pencopal

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:00:33 -0500

Bill, your neurotic inner monologue is the best. Larry David would be proud.

penntrification

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:48:43 -0500

I mean, my thoughts on the matter are that, no matter what the cause of coughing may be, you had a chance to either help out or to make a new friend. At the very least a "hey - are you ok? Is there any thing I can do?" would be awesome...if she wasn't ok, then maybe you could help out. if she was ok, then maybe you could start up a convo or something. I guess I do understand the lack of action though - I'm moving to Philly from DC and people are virtually statues on the metro here - silent, unmoving, concerned generally with their personal space and little else. http://penntrification.wordpress.com

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 22:21:28 -0500

In fairness, it's entirely possible that she wasn't coughing because of an illness. Once in a while, I get a terrible cough that won't go away. I'm not sick at all, and, other than the fact that it eventually (after a few weeks of this) hurts to cough, I feel more or less fine. Turns out that it's stress-induced GERD - a few weeks of Nexium and a really annoying diet (I think I wrote about it for a Foodsday Tuesday post once upon a time, but I'm too lazy to look for it right now), and the coughing goes away. All that is a long way of saying that your comely companion may not have been coughing sick germs on you...

Spencer Williams

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:36:41 -0500

I have to say - I'm really surprised that you didn't have the general courtesy to ask her if she was okay. Actually - I retract that - I'm not surprised. Really, I'm just annoyed. Usually I agree whole-heartedly with the manners column. It's good to be reminded, but instead you reminded me why I don't like living in a city where people can pretend you don't exist.