What is it with….. the public nose pick and not taking a stand against it?

        I had a lecturer who would stand in front of the class and constantly pick and play with his nose. He would demonstrate a variety of picking techniques, such as: The ‘sneaky pick’- where the finger scoots up the nose a bit, stops- thinking it has been sprung, withdraws (either slowly or quickly). But then like a sneaky ninja,  it strikes unexpectedly!; the ‘hesitant pick’-where the finger just enters the nose, pauses (may withdraw and start again) and then goes in quickly and shallowly (this one is the ‘why bother’ of nose picking); the ‘quick thumb pick’-where the thumb rests just on the outside of the nose opening and then like a sneaky ninja, scoops up, in and out - bringing its stolen treasures along with it; The ‘scratch pick’- which is a deceptive bugger, it starts off as a quick scratch, but then (again like a sneaky ninja) the finger quickly shoots up, in and out.  Obviously these are but a few of the many and varied nose picking techniques known to humanity. 

        Alas, If I was enrolled in nose picking 101, or even in advanced nose picking I would have learnt much, but I wasn’t. Instead I found myself so distracted by my lecturer’s nose picking shenanigans that I lost most of the lecture! I have no idea what was being said, the act itself was too hypnotic and horrifying ‘I tells ya’!!!  A few times I came close to saying something to my lecturer…. In my head it was all worked out,  I would slam my hand on the desk, stand up and say “for the love of Christ man, stop picking your frigging nose!”, but my friends and class mates all said  ‘No, that would be inappropriate!’ Apparently my suggestion of politely asking his assistant to talk to him about it, was also seen as being inappropriate. 

         I ask you, is it appropriate to pick your nose in public, in the office or anywhere others are present? Shouldn’t we be stamping out this kind of anti-social behaviour, rather than stopping those that dare to right social wrongs? Those dear brave souls who lay their lives (and potential marks on their assignments) on the line, to stand up and say: this is not right! And it cannot be tolerated anymore!!!  Those brave souls who demand an end to student’s essays being touched by snot covered ninja fingers (and then returned back to them!). Stand tall and proud with those that dare to be brave and support them dear friend! For today it may ‘just’ be picking ones nose, but tomorrow…tomorrow it could become so much more, so much worse!