This sounds exactly what I have been dealing with at work recently. We have open "quad-cubicles" , so I am sitting back to back with someone less than 2 feet away. The guy across from me spent the last few days snuffling loudly, and at one point I looked over to see him using the back of his hand as a tissue- ewwwwww!!!!!! Last winter, the previous occupant right behind me would turn his head in my direction and sneeze towards the floor (without covering his mouth, of course). I was so pissed I went to a manager and complained, and he went to the "offshore liason" , and the offender was spoken to. These programmers have never been to this country before, and I am trying to tell myself that it is just a cultural difference, but it is very disturbing.