General Etiquette > Life...in general

The etiquette of certain bodily functions? (kind of gross)

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TealDragon:
During my Fourth of July festivities, this topic came up in the group I was with. Our group was split pretty much down the middle about whether or not this is rude, so I was wondering what you all might have to say about it.

There were 8 people watching fireworks from someone's house. We were in sort of a sun room/glass walled balcony. It was a fairly narrow and small room with enough space for a couch and some folding chairs to fit tightly. The whole wall in front of us was windows over a body of water above which were the city's fireworks. Person A passed gas. Their significant other, Person B, said something to the effect of "ugh, come on, do you have to do that in a room full of people?" Person A said "oh, excuse me" but kind of shrugged and went back to watching the fireworks. The gas smelled horrible, enough that two people left the room for a minute and everyone else had an involuntary gross-out face on.

Later on, we were sitting around joking about it and Person B reiterated what they said before about it being rude to do that in a room full of people, especially when people are either confined (as in a car) or it would be an inconvenience to leave the room (like leaving for 2-3 minutes of a 15 minute firework show that happens once a year and you presumably don't want to miss it). Person A said it was a natural bodily function and everyone does it and why should they have to leave the room every time it happens? More people weighed in, and about half of us said that the polite thing to do is to excuse yourself from the room or step away a little bit and then come back a few seconds later. The other half said that since everyone does it, anyone who happens to be in the room should either suck it up and accept it or they should leave the room until the smell has cleared.

What do you think?

diesel_darlin:
As much as I think farts are funny, it is very rude to fart in a confined space with a crowd of people. Especially during an event (like fireworks) that doesnt last very long and only happens once a year. Person A is out of line. Yes it is a natural body function, but most of us (with the exception of medical conditions) have the capacity to refrain from gassing out a whole party.

MariaE:
Some farts just sneak up on you, and if this is what happened to A, then there isn't much he could do. If he was aware of it coming, then he was rude not to step away for a couple of seconds.

TheVapors:
This is all going to come down to intent, and forehand knowledge (like many etiquette situations):

Yes, it's a bodily function. But, ya know how sometimes you can just tell when a fart is going to stink? Those are the times when you should head to the bathroom, or an empty room for a minute by yourself. That's the polite thing to do. Not to subject every person in a small room to your stink.

And, of course, being that we're all human, we all know how sometimes they just sneak up on you occasionally. Those are the times when you excuse yourself after the fact, and then perhaps leave the room for a minute in case another stinky one is headed that way.

cicero:
person A is incorrect - it *is* a natural bodily function, but so are *other* bodily functions (like using the toilet, for example) and we don't do those in public. If this was something that snuck up on A, then there is nothing they could, but to do so on purpose, then he was rude.

Person B, however, was rude to bring it up again. it happened, person A apologized (albeit halfheartedly), it wasn't something that needed to be discussed in public. T

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