Public Displays of Affection

[Colour Scientist]

Earlier today there was a conversation on Facebook between two female friends of mine on public displays of affection (PDAs). At first girl number one was complaining about seeing a young couple holding hands and how bitter she was over it, she meant it as a joke initially.

Then girl number two responded more seriously stating that she was "massively anti-PDAs" and that "if people are all over each other in public I will ask them to stop" but her idea of being "all over each other" also included hand-holding. It then descending into an all out ***** about couples in general.

So, how does The Escapist feel about public displays of affection? Should a couple's intimacy be hidden in public and does that extend to hand-holding? Are you entitled to ask/tell a couple to stop showing their affection in public simply because it bothers you?


Personally, I'm not a huge fan of anything beyond hand-holding and maybe a hello/goodbye peck in public within my own relationship, I like to keep most of our intimacy private. Sometimes couples who are too... hand-sy in public makes me cringe but I'd never actually ask them to stop. Each couple obviously has their own preferences but sometimes too much can come across as though they have something to prove.

 

[Cap'n Ninja]

Kissing and anything up to the point is fine, but hands-on-bodies is probably where I'd draw the line.
Cuddling when sitting is alright too.

 

[wooty]

Cant say I agree with the whole groping and sucking the face off each other in public, thats just not nice to look at really.

Holding hands is fine, but it still wont stop me from barging through the middle of you Richard Ashcroft style when I'm walking down the street.

 

[Aris Khandr]

If it doesn't violate decency laws, it doesn't bother me. If I don't want to see it, I can always stop looking.

 

[PatrickXD]

My ex was very much against PDA's, it's one of the reasons I broke up with her. She wanted me to walk with a gap between us, and no hand holding whatsoever.
Now, I don't think people should be out there making out, but hand holding or a quick kiss/cuddle aren't disgusting acts of lust. It's just a part of being human.

 

[Lucyfer86]

I don't see what's the proplem with holding hands or kissing. Anything beyond that might be little awkward. Not that i would tell them to stop, i would just turn away fast and ignore the whole thing, let someone who cares more take care of them.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I'm not against PDA's per se, but I'm not great a fan of them. Brief kissing is as far as I tolerate, while I've never actually held hands. The most I did was the antiquated girl-puts-hand-in-crook-of-guy's-elbow thing that no-one seems to do these days...

 

[someguyfromhell666]

Hand holding is okay, but anything beyond that bothers me, because it shows that they think they are superior for being in a relationship and not single, and everyone else is an insignificant worm. At least they got the part about everyone else being insignificant worms right, but they don't accept that they are equally insignificant worms themselves.

 

[sheah1]

Love 'em. I hate the scene-kid "eating face with hands in your own back pockets" thing because that's mainly done for attention, and there is definitely a line, but I'd love a cuddly hand holdy girlfriend, they make you feel loved.

 

[6_Qubed]

I think all PDAs that I am not a part of are sick and evil and need to be banned from my immediate vicinity.

Why yes I am bitter and envious why do you ask.

 

[Verlander]

I was at a Dream Theater concert on Sunday, and the couple next to me started fucking, and at one point were leaning on me. That pissed me off. Not the fucking, but the leaning.

I guess what I'm trying to say is shit only bothers me if it actually interferes with me. Or society as a whole. Which "PDA"'s don't.

 

[Hafnium]

Hand-holding and brief kisses (no tongue or grabbing) is ok with me, and what I do (no, not alone!) I've never seen anyone go too far and annoy me particularly, guess I've been lucky. What I do hate, is some shit-for-brains puffing smoke at me.

 

[FalloutJack]

I approve of public displays. We call it free entertainment.

 

[Smooth Operator]

I don't mind it, but if you do something private find a somewhat private spot.

Alot of couples will sit down with a group of people and then proceed to digest eachothers faces, so how about not being disgusting and doing that somewhere else, otherwise I'll whip my dick out and let's see who wins the awkward contest... and if it takes longer then 5 minutes things will get real messy.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Personally, I think that the girls who said that hand-holding was too much and were upset about it are just bitter that no one is holding THEIR hands.

Personally, I think the line should be drawn at full on making out and/or hands going into sensitive areas.

Hand holding? why the hell would you NOT hold hands with your significant other?
Kissing? As long as it's not full on face-devouring with moaning noises, go for it.
Hugging? ...Go nuts!

I routinely meet up with my girlfriend for a few minutes between our work shifts, and hug/kiss her. And I see many other people doing the same all the way home vie public transit. It's cool by me.

I feel like everyone who answers this thread should have to state whether or not they're virgins.

Virgin. The both of us.

 

[artanis_neravar]

Hand holding is okay, but anything beyond that bothers me, because it shows that they think they are superior for being in a relationship and not single, and everyone else is an insignificant worm. At least they got the part about everyone else being insignificant worms right, but they don't accept that they are equally insignificant worms themselves.

How does that mean that they think they are superior?

 

[Colour Scientist]

The most I did was the antiquated girl-puts-hand-in-crook-of-guy's-elbow thing that no-one seems to do these days...

I enjoy doing that sometimes, it can be nice, I only tend to do it if we're walking home from dinner or the cinema or something like that though. No reason why really.

Hand holding is okay, but anything beyond that bothers me, because it shows that they think they are superior for being in a relationship and not single, and everyone else is an insignificant worm.

Well maybe that's a matter of your interpretation rather than their intention?

 

[SckizoBoy]

I enjoy doing that sometimes, it can be nice, I only tend to do it if we're walking home from dinner or the cinema or something like that though. No reason why really.

I suppose the question would be: do you need a reason?

Anyway, I didn't 'enjoy' it (well, I suppose I did, after a fashion), but it just felt comfortable and reassuring.