Should We Ban People Who Have a Cold/Flu in Quiet Room in Libraries?

tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 06:43
Last edited 03/01/2018 - 11:57

So after taking a massive career change, I find myself currently in a very heavy study workload. This means self study around 5-6 hours a day on the weekend.

And since I can't study at home as my 3 YO daughter drives me nut. I would go to the quiet room in the nearby library.

And More often than not, there will be one person with a running nose snorting in the quiet room. It's super distracting and disgusting and there's nothing I can do about it(to get them removed).

Maybe people with a runny Bose should be banned In libraries ? :-D

Poll Options

  • 111
    Yes
  • 243
    NO
  • 28
    Bikies
Health & Beauty

Comments

  • bobbified on 03/01/2018 - 06:56
    +56

    You should use the money you've saved courtesy of ozbargain to open up your own private library.

    Then you can decide who you want to ban.

    • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 07:28
      +11

      Actually I only want to ban people from using the quiet room in library not the library itself so buying my own library is a bit overkill lol

      • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:32
        -3

        Maybe people at the library don't like you, would you feel like it was fair if they could ban you at their whim?

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 09:35
          +19

          yes if their reason is valid. e.g: you're in a quiet room and you're not quiet then ill be more happy for them to ban me. :)

        • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:37
          -3

          @tomleonhart: haha I doubt you would be so calm when it happened.

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 09:41
          +11

          @Slippery Fish: think i would be. i try to be very courteous to people so if i get punished so be it

        • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:42
          -6

          @tomleonhart: haha fair enough. I don't mind a chat like this but as I just stated I think your idea of the quiet room isn't what's intended.

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 09:44
          +9

          @Slippery Fish: is it intended for people who wants quietness ? :O

        • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:45
          +4

          @tomleonhart: I personally think quiet rooms in a public library are not "you can't make any noise" more so no talking ect.

        • Harold Halfprice on 03/01/2018 - 16:21
          +16

          @Slippery Fish:

          No.. it's not just no talking - it's being quiet. Doesn't mean you can't make 'reasonable' noise, but if you're eating crunchy chips, watching video clips with the sound on, clicking your pen, tapping your fingers on the desk etc then it's unacceptable and annoying to others.

          Quiet rooms are about being respectful and considerate. If you're sniffing up your runny mucus every 10 seconds, just blow your nose. If you don't have a tissue, go to the toilet.

          It's incredibly infuriating and distracting listening to someone sniff their nose constantly in a quiet study space - or even worse, when sitting an exam.

        • smartazz104 on 03/01/2018 - 18:49

          @Slippery Fish: "you can't make any noise" = quiet…

        • BartholemewH on 03/01/2018 - 19:14
          +3

          @smartazz104:
          I think you mean silent.

        • fuzcatt on 05/01/2018 - 15:13

          I think you mean dead silent.
          I think that's why Bikies is an option on the poll.

        • tomleonhart on 05/01/2018 - 15:21

          @fuzcatt: i like your thinking !

        • Pyrock on 05/01/2018 - 09:29
          +7

          Sounds like they are studying to either get out of a career they dont like and/or start a career they have their heart set on.
          Any disadvantage in the short term is far outweighed by the long term benefit of actually enjoying your career and going to work everyday. This can have pretty big effects on all other aspects of your life.
          Perhaps you have not worked in any jobs that you really dont want to be at, but trust me it is not a fun thing to do everyday.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2018 - 06:34
        +4

        The right question is, "should we ban noisy people from quiet places?"
        The answer is, "yes, we should and they are already banned."
        It is none of our business if they are zombies and have cold or flu or cough which is worse coz they make you sick (affects work, studying, daughter, family) and should not be tolerated. Just report them to the library and then complain formally in an email to the council if repeated.
        I feel sorry for them but feeling sorry doesn't give them the right to be noisy or spread the germ.
        Also, If it's possible use earplugs or passive noise cancelling headphones. By the way quiet means quiet, and does not mean earplugs are allowed!
        The way you asked makes people feel sorry for zombies and lose the ability to use their brains and think logically.
        I hope you get a chance to enjoy some time with your little angel.

      • MrFrugalSpend on 04/01/2018 - 20:07
        +4

        This makes total sense, essentially the sick person is actually expecting an excemption from being quiet because they are sick. It is distracting, it happens at work too in open office, and I was trying to watch the Brisbane International Tennis yesterday and when everyone had to be quiet for a serve, some lady in the crowd was coughing her guts up over and over… if I was playing I would have lost my sh!t, and if they were sitting next to me in the crowd at any event it would have been so distracting too, been there, hate it… coughing is far worse than sniffling but I agree totally for a quiet room.

        More importantly, too many inconsiderate people are quite happy to put other peoples health at risk when they are sick… a simple virus for you could be fatal for a fragile / immuno compromised person. If everyone sick stayed home and didn't spread viruses for just one month we would eliminate most of them for good that spread around and around, we are all just too selfish that its ok to soldier on. FFS, stay home, sleep in, drink water, get well, and stop the spread and bothering everyone else people!!!

      • macklington on 05/01/2018 - 13:54

        It's a 'quiet' room, not a 'completely silent' room. This is entirely normal, so get some noise-cancelling headphones to use in your quiet room study sessions, or deal with it. Were you to make a complaint about this to Library staff, they would roll their eyes so hard after you walked away from the counter that they'd almost fall over.

    • adante on 04/01/2018 - 13:42
      +1

      a house of eneloop bricks

  • Heracles26 on 03/01/2018 - 07:03
    +20

    Tis your own brain and thoughts bothering you, not the person with the runny nose

    • John Kimble on 03/01/2018 - 13:13
      +12

      There is no spoon

    • ItsMeAgro on 06/01/2018 - 17:46

      Yeah, when a stranger punches you in the face, it's your own brain registering that pain. Not his fault for doing something that everyone can agree is generally inconsiderate to those around you…

      • tomleonhart on 06/01/2018 - 18:30
        +1

        🤣

      • Heracles26 on 06/01/2018 - 22:57

        I don’t think sniffling in a library is analogous to being punched in the face :)

  • Donaldhump on 03/01/2018 - 07:03
    +19

    You obviously don't catch public transport

    • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 07:17
      +9

      I used to. But public transport people have the same choice. If they choose to sit in a quiet carriage then they should be quiet, just like the library.

      Likewise, in the library, they have a choice of not joining the quiet room and stay in the public area.

      • Donaldhump on 03/01/2018 - 08:19

        I was referring to the flus side of things

        Just have to accept some people (especially from countries where this seems normal and probably considered foreplay) have no manners and snort buggers without any idea it's disgusting. Kindly go and get them some tissues and hand it to them, and say snorting boogers is revolting.

        I just plane out tell them to go blow their nose.

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 08:21
          +1

          I wish I were at your assertive level haha

        • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:34
          +1

          This is how serial killers are made.

        • tighterarse on 04/01/2018 - 14:52
          +2

          I much rather a subtler approach and drown out their sniffling noises with one big and loud almighty fart.

        • RJK on 04/01/2018 - 16:09

          You don't realise how different other cultures are until you're exposed to some of their worst behaviours.

          Still remember when I was new to Sheffield, and an African man left a store snorting his nostrils one at a time into the air without any regard for the people around him. Yes he got snot on me, gross POS he was.

        • Donaldhump on 04/01/2018 - 16:52
          +1

          @tighterarse: especially when you time your exhale to their inhale

          i love letting rip on planes / trains next to some one with a massive sniffing problem..

        • BadGiraffe on 05/01/2018 - 11:55
          +1

          In Japan it's considered highly rude and disgusting to blow your nose.

          Yes, yes, we're not in Japan. Just something I learned recently which I thought was really bizarre.

        • John Kimble on 05/01/2018 - 12:20
          +1

          @flaminglemon: In Japan, it's probably highly rude and disgusting to be noisy/sick in a quiet room of a library too.

        • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2018 - 13:02

          @John Kimble: Not if you are sniffling. Sniffling is highly acceptable but not blowing your nose.

        • Donaldhump on 05/01/2018 - 15:41
          +1

          @flaminglemon: also considered rude to eat while walking, but cool to bath nude with your colleagues

        • John Kimble on 05/01/2018 - 15:57
          +1

          @unclesnake: Honest question, where do Japanese people eat?! Do they go home? Eg We went there a few years ago, and bought food from a fancy-ish "DJs food hall" type place (can't remember the name), but there was no tables/food court to eat it in the place, we had to walk to a nearby park to eat it. Once when we got some sushi from 7-Eleven and were walking and eating, we did get some looks, that explains it :(

        • Donaldhump on 05/01/2018 - 17:06

          @John Kimble: just at home or work desk i guess. i dunno why,i think they just don't think anyone can be that busy to need to eat on the fly. I have heard like someone else said, that hanker chiefs are considered disgusting in Japan, sort of agree. Each to their own I guess.

      • Atazoth616 on 03/01/2018 - 22:24

        Relevant story:

        Decided to challenge some friends to a game of bean boozled the last time I was on a quiet carriage.

        This prompted one the passengers in the carriage to give our group a ultimatum of moving carriages or to stop mucking around.

        The group choose the latter.

        After the aforementioned passenger had returned his seat my one friend that had slept through this warning awoke to his phone ringing and consequently choose to answer the phone.

        Needless to say the passenger was not amused.

  • try2bhelpful on 03/01/2018 - 07:23
    +8

    Take a box of tissues and offer them to people with a runny nose, either that or get yourself some blockout earphones and crank up study music.

    • bobbified on 03/01/2018 - 08:15
      +14

      Take a box of tissues and offer them to people with a runny nose

      While he's at it, OP can offer a pair of running shoes to the fat guy sitting in the corner who's breathing too loudly! lol

      • Kangal on 03/01/2018 - 08:35
        +5

        Only if he can get the shoes for $0.70 from Zapals

      • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:35
        +4

        After all the food deals on here, I might have to sit in the corner for free shoes. Ozbargain.

    • hetzjagd on 03/01/2018 - 12:09
      +3

      get yourself some blockout earphones and crank up study music.

      Not much point going to the quiet room to do that

      • try2bhelpful on 03/01/2018 - 12:16

        Why not, there is still no distractions of children running around. Proper blockout earphones don’t leak sound.

  • Quantumcat on 03/01/2018 - 07:26
    +10

    If it bothers you then put your 3 year old in childcare and study at home, or rent out office space. It's not their fault they have a cold, and they have as much right to be there as you do.

    • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 07:29
      +3

      Childcare doesn't open on the weekend.

      And yes of course it's their right to stay there but then it's also my right to be in quietness since I'm sitting in a quiet room and they're making noise ?

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 07:41
          +10

          In libraries, they usually have a public area and a quiet reading room. I was just expecting people to be courtesous when they choose to use the quiet room. People can make as much noise as they want in the public library area and I wouldn't care.

        • Quantumcat on 03/01/2018 - 08:24
          +1

          @tomleonhart: Ifyou want super quiet, try the National Library in Canberra (you can hear a pin drop) or the State Library of NSW (in Sydney) or your state equivalent

        • hetzjagd on 03/01/2018 - 12:14
          +1

          In the ACT the legislation is super liberal about barking dogs and the noise people can make between 7am and 10pm. If I wanted to enjoy reading a book quietly at home it's not always achievable. An example - a person brings multiple cement trucks home to clean out which can be heard over 200m away and with the doors and windows shut and a fan on. Report a noise complaint - need to fill out a 40 hour diary of it occuring in a 4? month period before they will even show up.

          So yes as you've suggested, I would need to head out to the National Library to try guarantee peace and quiet on any given day in my hellish suburb.

        • DrSyd on 04/01/2018 - 21:14
          +1

          @tomleonhart: Story of my life, I am studying Medicine and often have trouble concentrating in the library when people are making too much noise. I also commute quite a distance and often sit in the quiet carriage and what annoys me the most is when people don't obey the quiet carriage rules. Chat on their phones, slam keys on their computers, have loud chats some idiots even play music on speaker.

          Very frustrating.

        • tomleonhart on 05/01/2018 - 06:17

          [@DrSyd](/comment/5489809/redir rawwww!!

      • ThithLord on 03/01/2018 - 09:09
        +18

        Don't know why everyone is giving you a hard time - you make a very valid point. In the quiet surroundings of a library, a sniffling nose would irritate me as well. OzBargainers can be total wangers.

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 09:30
          +7

          i think they read it as "banning people from libraries" as opposed to "quiet reading room in libraries" or at least i hope.

        • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:41
          +3

          I personally think quiet rooms in a public library are not "you can't make any noise" more so no talking ect.

        • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 09:53
          +6

          @Slippery Fish: oh yeah of course you can make noise. from time to time it's ok but people with a cold would snort once every 15 seconds and that drive people insane very quickly. let alone 5-6 hours

        • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:55
          -1

          @tomleonhart: can't help people who's parents didn't teach them to blow their nose.

        • bobbified on 03/01/2018 - 10:12
          +1

          OzBargainers can be total wangers.

          OzBargainers can be total wangers whingers!

        • howieyo on 05/01/2018 - 11:01

          @tomleonhart: just let it become a part of the ambience :P

      • Cyphar on 03/01/2018 - 23:58

        Childcare doesn't open on the weekend.

        Family day care.

        Seriously, stop making up excuses

    • ItsMeAgro on 03/01/2018 - 10:33
      +6

      they have as much right to be there as you do.

      They have a right to be in the library.

      But it's not too much to ask that they don't snort mucus loudly, especially in the quiet room. That is the whole point, after all.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/01/2018 - 07:34
    +54

    The biggest problem here seems to be the 3 year old. Perhaps giving her up for adoption is the best and clearly only choice here. You're welcome.

    • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 07:37
      +1

      Lol

      • Kangal on 03/01/2018 - 08:36
        +3

        You think its funny to talk about a child's life like that?!?
        Well, you're right its hilarious.

    • Shwayne on 04/01/2018 - 13:10
      +1

      Ozbargain agrees this decision will yield big savings long term!

  • Jules_d1 on 03/01/2018 - 07:59
    +25

    If you were are true Ozbargainer, you would have a pair of QC35's and this wouldnt be a problem.

    • festivalmayhem on 03/01/2018 - 11:01
      +1

      Yes I was going to say this. OP Why don’t you just get some noise cancelling headphones? If you go to any university campus library most people are wearing headphones.

    • hetzjagd on 03/01/2018 - 12:17

      But what's the point of listening to music in the quiet room?

      I've got the QC35's, they aren't that good. For intermittent noises you need to have music on loud and at that point you could use non-NC closed headphones to achieve the same result.

      • festivalmayhem on 03/01/2018 - 18:57

        A lot of people (myself included) find it easier to focus with music on in the background. I would potentially consider whether yours are broken? I also have the QC25 and QC35s. You shouldn’t have to have the music on loud to block out intermittent noises.

        • hetzjagd on 09/01/2018 - 16:31
          +2

          Mine aren't broken. I know that it's a dead topic but for example right now I'm in an office, I have the NC on, I have music on, but I can still hear the chesty cough of the person sitting 3m away from me clearly and competing with the music. I don't expect absolute silence but they don't achieve even close to that depending on the source of annoyance. They aren't designed to cancel out noises that aren't constant and at a certain frequency.

      • dengziyi on 04/01/2018 - 17:40

        Any in-ear earphones would do the same thing and you can get a decent pair for $30-$40

      • Symbiotic on 05/01/2018 - 11:16

        If your Bose QC35s aren't blocking out the noise of someone sniffing from across a room then I'd take them back. You don't need to play any music through them either - just have them switched on.

        • hetzjagd on 05/01/2018 - 13:41

          I know but… people make them out to be like they are completely silencing of all noise and I disagree.

        • Symbiotic on 05/01/2018 - 16:27

          @hetzjagd: A sniff they will definitely cancel out. In a quiet room in a library they'd definitely be a solution to the OP's "problem".

    • bingsta on 03/01/2018 - 14:43
      +11

      People with runny Bose's are banned. Read ^

    • mandiblefox on 04/01/2018 - 18:05

      A true ozbargainer would just spend 7 dollars on ear plugs that would probably be as good as. example

  • Savas on 03/01/2018 - 08:12

    you are supposed to be quiet in a library, tell the staff someone is loud.

    • tranter on 03/01/2018 - 10:07
      +6

      Not really, not in my local library anyway. They hold toddler's singing groups in an adjoining room (not soundproof). There is also a kids activities area.

      It depends on the library, but the role of the library has changed a lot in the last 20 years.

    • PleasureMe on 03/01/2018 - 15:58
      +1

      That's how it used to be years ago, but not these days

  • chumlee on 03/01/2018 - 08:24
    +2

    You can ban anyone and anything. It's enforcing the ban that matters. Take smoking on beaches & cafes/restaurants or even dog on leash areas. All a waste as no one enforces it

    • pegaxs on 03/01/2018 - 09:25
      +3

      So true… was walking out of the shopping centre only a few days ago and heard a woman tell a guy to not smoke in the doorway of the shopping centre. His reply, “ahh, call the cops…”

      Was working at the casino in Melbourne dealing Blackjack and an American tourist lit up a cigarette at the table. I told him that he can’t smoke inside, he said he didn’t care. I told him it could be a $500 fine. He flipped me a $500 chip and continued smoking. SadFaceMeme.jpg

      These laws are only effective if they are actually enforced…

      • Slippery Fish on 03/01/2018 - 09:48
        +4

        Did you follow him repeating that :o

      • bobbified on 03/01/2018 - 10:14
        +1

        These laws are only effective if they are actually enforced…

        He paid his fine - what else do you want him to do? haha

      • OldBugger on 03/01/2018 - 11:00
        +1

        "$500 and your wife."

      • mavis30551 on 04/01/2018 - 12:40
        +1

        Sounds like a bargain to me.

    • humdingaling on 03/01/2018 - 13:07
      +4

      ^
      this

      they put a ban on people smoking outside hospital
      a good doctor died trying to enforce such a ban
      http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-28/box-hill-hospital-surg…

      recent visit to hospital
      whole bunch of derros smoking outside the hospital

      just had to hold my breath and walk on thru

  • Ocker on 03/01/2018 - 08:25
    +4

    Why don't you just take them out the back and shoot them? End of problem!!

    • tomleonhart on 03/01/2018 - 08:29
      +4

      What if they stil snort after I shot them. Should I shoot them again?

      • Ocker on 03/01/2018 - 08:36
        +4

        Only if they are snorting your stuff

        • bobbified on 03/01/2018 - 08:58

          ^ I like this man!

      • endotherm on 04/01/2018 - 02:47
        +3

        Make sure you use a silencer.

  • MathNerd on 03/01/2018 - 08:31
    +9

    runny Bose

    Maybe if you upgraded from a "runny Bose" to a "Bose QC35" then you wouldn't have a problem anymore.

    Just saying.

    • Kangal on 03/01/2018 - 08:37
      +3

      He needs to use his Logic tech

  • JimmyF on 03/01/2018 - 08:52
    +3

    Get some headphones if it bothers you, play white noise.

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