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^^^ This!!!
People eat in the car, and touch the steering wheel at the same time. How often they sanitize their steering wheel, or car keys? Or phone? I am not a germophobe. Sterile environment does not exist.
I'm thinking one of the reasons why I hardly ever get sick is because I always wash my hands before eating. I can't speak for others as I do not know what they do but I believe what you describe is true about many people's eating habits.
I thought it was common practice to wash hands before eating and for food service workers, washing before touching customers food but maybe not. It's my understanding that hand washing is encouraged. I wash mind about 20 times per day. If that makes me a "germophobe" then I'll take the label. But I never considered myself to be one.
The Subways I frequent, the sandwich 'artiste' also handles the payment. But they are very meticulous about being clean, washing hands before donning gloves and making the sandwich. And handling money afterwards, then repeat washing hands and new gloves for customer.
I tend to be germ phobic, but realize there's a lot of bacteria and nasties on practically every surface I touch, so I tend to get lax or else I'd be a paranoid freak. We're talking gas pump handle, restroom doors, money, etc. Considering how often I touch these surfaces everyday and use my hands to handle food, I'm surprised I haven't gotten more sick (knock on wood).
For example I go to the theater, pay for my snacks using money. With that same hand I used to touch money, I'll be eating popcorn (without washing hands).
Science seems to back me up that it is a good idea to wash hands before touching food. Thanks for the link.
I don't eat popcorn or go to the movies but good point. I do not see mass amounts of people getting sick, Nevertheless, the incident at the pizza place Monday night and the other times I mentioned still bothered me. The reason I started this topic is to see how many others were bothered by it too.
I have more faith in my immune system than the lot of you, I guess. I've never fretted over any of this.
Can I assume you have no problem with seeing food service workers using dirty rags, scrubbing the floor, or if they come out of the bathroom without washing their hands and fixing your food either?
That reminded me of another incident - I saw a grocery store worker with plastic gloves on working and putting a dirty rag down right before he was about to make my sandwich with the same gloves. That time I requested him to change his gloves. He told me he just did.
I look to the management to ensure their employees handle food and money properly.
There is no excuse for an employee handling food, also handling money. Money is one of the most filthy things on this earth. Big boxes of latex gloves are cheap and employees should replace them after each exchange of handing food/money.
If I see it happening, I report it to the manager and hope that he/she speaks to the employee. If I see it happen again at the same establishment, I won't go back.
...Does this bother anyone else? Has anyone ever said anything after they noticed it happening to them? I'm very non-confrontational especially IRL. The way I get even is I do not purchase food there anymore. I do not go out to eat that often but these incidences makes me think that it happens a high percentage of the time at carryout type businesses...Thoughts please.
I think most people nowadays, like yourself, would be put off by the incidents you mention.
They do not particularly bother me. I grew up in a town of 5,000 in the 50's and 60's when no one wore gloves, and when the people who took money often also made the food - and washing hands between one of these tasks and the other was random. Usually workers just wiped their hands on a towel or their apron.
This was the era when a common saying was: "You eat a peck of dirt before you die." You just expected not to eat it all in one time and place.
In all those years I never caught a sickness that I would have attributed to this casual regimen, nor do I know anyone else who claims that this happened. That said, given the mobility and lack of community standards on many levels (including hygiene) in today's society, I appreciate how the health and licensing laws have changed.
yes, they definitely should be wearing gloves when handling money
I bought a slice of pizza over the weekend,,,, under similar circumstances,,,, I didn't complain, because ,she was cute,,
3 hours later im puking in a snow-bank ...first time in a longggg time
I don't know if this is the sole reason why,,,,but something about that slice of pizza wasn't settling too well
Food poisoning symptoms can start showing within hours, days or weeks from the time food is ingested so it could have been the pizza or it could have been the steak you had two weekends ago.
Yesterday I stopped in a local pizza place and ordered a pizza.
This was a carryout place but they had a few tables to eat which I did.
When I was leaving I decided to get something else to take home with me. Another person waited on me. She took my money then proceeded to make pizza's. No washing of hands after she took my money. She looked like she was about 16 years old so I was not going to say anything. I didn't want to make a scene and ask for the manager either. Plus, it was snowing and I wanted to go home.
Other recent incidents included a lady with a plastic glove grabbing my doughnut then taking my money with the same plastic glove.
Another was a guy who took my money then went to make my sandwich. No gloves were used. He handled my money then made my food. Just the money alone is full of germs and who know what else he handled before that as well.
Does this bother anyone else? Has anyone ever said anything after they noticed it happening to them? I'm very non-confrontational especially IRL. The way I get even is I do not purchase food there anymore. I do not go out to eat that often but these incidences makes me think that it happens a high percentage of the time at carryout type businesses.
I do know that many (no doubt most) places has a cashier and a separate person to make your food. Or a waiter and kitchen staff.
I rarely get sick and I think one reason is I wash my hands often and always before I do any food preparation.
Thoughts please.
Terrible habit. Most restaurants are so careful about these types of things now days. Gloves should always be used when handling food and hands washed before the gloves go on. Now, that being said, I think back to the days past, no one wore gloves in a restaurant, gloves were for cold weather or girls to wear to church. Plastic, disposalble gloves didn't exist. Boy have we come a long way baby!!!!! Did we get sick because no one wore glosve, heck, who knows? :confused. I think too many of us are too concerned about germs. We come in contact with them daily, most of us are pretty healthy.
Somehow I suspect a few people in this thread are the types to exit the public restroom without washing their hands, or who give them the two-second no-soap rinse.
Can I assume you have no problem with seeing food service workers using dirty rags, scrubbing the floor, or if they come out of the bathroom without washing their hands and fixing your food either?
That reminded me of another incident - I saw a grocery store worker with plastic gloves on working and putting a dirty rag down right before he was about to make my sandwich with the same gloves. That time I requested him to change his gloves. He told me he just did.
I don't really think that is the point: of course most of us do not want to see someone on hands and knees scrubbing, then fixing a meal without washing thier hands, but people are becoming or appear to becoming way too concerned about germs. Before 24/7 news so many things went unnoticed and many of us have lived to tell the stories. I think that is the point. How many of us use drive thru, pay with cash, take our change, put it in our purse or whatever and then pull over and eat our meal? Do we get out of the car, go to the restroom and wash our hands? Probably not. I know some people carry hand wipes with them, most of us do not.
Last edited by nmnita; 02-18-2015 at 08:05 AM..
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Did we get sick because no one wore glosve, heck, who knows? :confused. I think too many of us are too concerned about germs. We come in contact with them daily, most of us are pretty healthy.
How many of us use drive thru, pay with cash, take our change, put it in our purse or whatever and then pull over and eat our meal? Do we get out of the car, go to the restroom and wash our hands? Probably not. I know some people carry hand wipes with them, most of us do not.
