tim hortons man

When Germans ask about working inAmerica (and by extension Canada) I tell them that Americans, even after they've arrived never stop, secondly in Amerca a week is a vacation, two weeks is an extended vacation and a month is a leave of Absence.

I had a cousin who was mulling over whether to take a senior position in America and i told him he wouldn't like it, they'd never accept his request for 6 weeks vacation a year, more than than likely he'd be lucky to get two weeks in a row much less a month off.

We also had friends move back to Canada and two years on they've only taken 3 days vacation.

Not for me, retirement perhaps but not for work.

dbd33

There's certainly an element of that. This morning though I saw three people spit, one out of the window of a streetcar. It's ridiculous to suggest that it's uncommon.

CalgaryBlade

I like to counter the "this is how it is in my life, so this must be how it is for everybody in Canada" type generalizations.

So, I post my own experiences.

Anyway, today as I go about my business (walk to work, work, out for lunch, Safeway, Blockbuster, family dinner, watch a movie) I'll count the number of people I see spitting.

I'll report back later

dbd33

I can direct you to someone who spits in the office in Calgary if you'd like.

CalgaryBlade

Go ahead, I'll check it out.

dbd33

640 5th Ave SW. Is that near you?

hot wasabi peas

I have to admire people who can spit. Whenever I have had to spit, like when a insect flies into my mouth, I try to 'spit' but really it's just a forced drool ending up all down the front of my shirt.

I've always wanted to be able to do a 'farmer's snot' but I'm too afraid to practice it - I imagine how it ends up if not done properly and ...

dbd33

The guy on the streetcar this morning was standing and the car was rocking. The windows are quite small, just slots really, so I was impressed with his distance and accuracy (while fearing for any passing bicyclists).

Beaverquest

i think there is a big divide between outdoor & indoor spitting

yes , some people find the whole thing repulsive i know

but clearing your lungs in a field , etc is hardly crime of the century

it's prob the nosie that bothers some ; ever been in a washroom/toilet early morning when an asian does the old throat clearing number - to rid the body of the overnight demons/sleep monsters or similar

Biiiiink

I dunno, I can hear spitters and avoid them, and I've certainly never trodden in any spit, I can see it and change my path.

I'll go with the Chinese on this one and worry more about the discreet and socially acceptable noseblower who doesn't wash their hands and then touches the phone, the watercooler, the photocopier, the doorknob...

Tidge

Trouble is, not easy to spit discreetly is it?

I used to work in a dairy (with a lot of burly men) who delighted in breaking wind as often as possible. Delightful!

CalgaryBlade

Not too far away from my office.

So, in my work day yesterday the only annoying habit I observed was the one of leaving a cell phone on the desk while not in the office and not leaving it on silent.

I had lunch with a bunch of my consulting colleagues from various clients around town. I steered the conversation around to office behaviour and eventually mentioned spitting and sexist comments. Nobody had experienced either in the office environment.

I took the C-Train home and saw no anti-social behaviour.

I had dinner with my wife, who has worked in offices in Montreal, Toronto, London (UK) and now Calgary, I asked her about behavioural differences between locations. She couldn't name any. I asked her about co-workers spitting or her being the recipient of sexist comments, she laughed at the suggestion of the former and answered "no" to the latter.

So, it would appear that the behaviour you detailed is location and client specific and not widespread across Canada.

1066

I refer you to reply #45 !!

flashman

You are more likely to see spitting in the US southern states. It goes with chewin baccy!

julius smith

my apologies for commenting on this thread, reason being that i dont live in canada anymore, so am not sure whether i should be commenting on the conditions there, but anyway, here i go...........in reply to dbd33, it is obvious from that posting the sort of behaviour that goes on in most (i know, i know, not all) canadian companies!
dbd33 says that he/she could not believe that the uk company would not work over xmas--well, good luck to them! who in their right minds would want to work during the xmas period anyway!
in the uk, and i believe most of europe, we nurture and value time off work, unlike all usa businesses, and now, most unfortunately, canadian companies, too.
during my time working in canada, and i am just repeating myself again here, i was shocked, but not too surprised, at the work ethic there. to me, and in my opinion, it just felt like everyone was running around a treadmill, russhing around, putting in gods all hours at work, then complaining there was not enough time to do their chores at home etc.
unfortunately, the work ethic there and the states leaves a lot to be desired--the system is still in the period the uk and europe were in during the 50s and 60s, i would say.
everyone is afraid to lose their jobs, and so to prove themselves worthy of keeping it, they go all out, and thereby lose out on family life, get loaded up with stress etc etc.
unlike the uk, where i spent over 15 years of my working life-here life is relatively gentle, quality-time ( a silly americanised word!) is encouraged in the majority of workplaces, flexible-working is available and workers rights are protected as much as is possible without giving in completely to the unions.
the uk of today is far cry from what it used to be, and i am afraid to say that canada has fallen into the same category that puts usa companies in a league of their own, which is hire n fire and squeeze every drop of whatever from your employees!
this is not how work should be. why should you exist just to work? there is far more to life than spending all your life at work, and then one day, pop, you're dead! then what?