Germs

[Ozz]

To shake…or not.
Kids learn about spreading germs early, around the 3rd grade, they take a zip-lock bag full of cooked rice, stick their little hand in, and shake with the next child in line, after 4 or 5 kids, there are still the grains of sticky rice on the hand.
A good lesson for us all.
This morning I arrived for a meeting, (a day early), I learned I was early from a man at the RV park, whose wife has been down with a viral infection. He greeted me with his outstretched hand, I looked at it like I would a severed Chicken head, the little voice in the back of my brain was screaming; “Don’t grab it!” but years of automatically grabbing the paw of anyone who presents, in the name of manners, I shook. Cold water and no soap were in the rest room around the corner. A depressed soul biked the ¼ mile back to hot water and hand soap. I was imagining little germ monsters crawling up my arm, setting up combat camp on my handlebars and the door handle on my home.
You would not kiss a person if you had a cold, but studies have shown that a hand shake will pass on many more germs than a kiss.
Hands are indeed the super highway of germ spreading.
Who started this madness anyway? I would be just as happy with a “How the heck are you?” than shaking hands with some moron that feels it is ‘manly’ to crush your fingers, not allowing your to slide into the web-to-web hand shake that is considered ‘proper’, the web being the skin between the thumb and forefinger.
Human nature, being what it is, we form an immediate opinion if we get a wet cool hand and no grip at all shake, the old “limp“, or “wimpy” handshake. The guy may be a martial arts expert, one who could kill you with a quick move, but society brands him a weakling.
Historians are guessing that hand shakes originated in England many hundreds of years ago, the left hand offered, for that sleeve was where the knife was stored in most cases. As more civilized people traveled later on, the ritual got switched to the right hand shake.
I admired “The Fonz”, he offered his hand, then quickly retracted it and ran his fingers through his hair…..
Then you have New Jersey Mayor Joseph Lazarow, in 1977, who was recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records by shaking more than 11,000 hands in a single day.
Yuck, I am going to wash my hands.

[Ozzie]

You sound like the perfect candidate for a small bottle of Purel in your pocket. That would knock down a majority of germs while out and about (before putting that germ laden mit back of your handlebars).

[skypilot]

We've become a society of germ freaks - no slight intended. As I imagine, Ozz, myself, and many others grew up in a period when, almost as soon as we could walk, we were 'thrown' out the door to play in the sunshine and dirt; No TV, No computer games. We went out and played, we ate mud cakes cooked by our young friends, and we came in for lunch or supper tired, dirty and needing a bath. But you know, I don't remember having the bad colds that my daughter had, or that the young children around my neighborhood are having this winter. Yes, the germs are rough but our bodies had some natural immunity because we got out there and got them in small doses year round. Today my home is sanitized, dishes are disenfected, even the air is sometimes disenfected. Guess what I'm trying to say is that some (repeat some) of the stuff we got in the past was actually good for us.

By the way, my doctor told me to quit using hand sanitizer so much -- said there is such a thing as being too sterile (no pun intended).

Now having said this - would I want to shake the hand of someone I just saw wipe their nose with their bare hand, probably not. But on the flip side, how do I know that he didn't just do that before I walked in??

[capn chris]

What a whoos you've become in your balmy shores old age?!! That hand sanitizer won't build your immune system. You may be the next Howard Hughes???? Kidding!

[Ozz]

A far more capable person than I, could devise a scheme where all would feel comfortable by-passing the ritual. I think many thinking persons would agree that it is not necessary for men to make this contact in a social situation.
Maybe a little white lie would be in order, maybe just "My idol was Howard Hughes"; he didn't shake.
None of this will work, I know, but maybe after a few decades, if we stand tough, we may change the hand shake obligation.
I would fear the life of a politician, no shake, no vote.
As a retired person, I can pretty much shun whatever custom I come upon, what do I have to lose....

[Ozzie]

...just tell them you are *cough* *cough* coming down with something...

[tom41]

Well I'm alot like Ozz man , I even go as far as when leaving a public rest room, (after washing my hands) I open the door with a paper towel or tissue ( clean!! of course!) LOL!! Irritates the H--- outta me to see a guy leave a rest room without washing his hands, then go right to the salad bar and start serving his plate with the same utinsels I am expected to use!! (throw away gloves maybe?? LOL ,, go ahead and laugh this some serious stuff. That guy probably didnt eat that red clay as a kid heck he might not be healthy as me!! Ozz man you sure started a heck of a thread! LOL

[noneck]

Yupper...another for the journal, just needs some tightening up on those typo's to avoid the critics. Oh, just for the record...I'd be shaking them paws as I've stood, waded, shoveled ecol i and heard my dad tell me it will build character (translation...part time job working on farm). Now look at me...nuttin to do with farming, but love the country!

[Waynem]

Elevator buttons!
Escalator rails!
And the not so mighty now-a-days DOLLAR BILL. (Really any denomination)

Those were reported on a 60 minutes program several years ago as containing all kinds of bacteria, including fecal matter.

Not to gross anyone out, but the escalator one was especially generous in bacteria.

Show a person going down the escalator picking their nose. Guess where they wiped it? Yup! The rail!

I think we should change our greeting to a salute, tip of the hat, or hail whoever motion instead of a hand shake.

[MacDR50]

Right hand shake was sword arm so no weapon means trust me. Left hand shake is Scout way from Baden Powell's meeting with Zulu chief. The chief put down his shield and offered left (shield)hand meaning I trust you. So says mt scout handbook :-)

Public escalators and stairwells are a likely terrorist vector for the spreading of a bio-weapon. Another is to infect them self and then cough and sneeze in buses and elevators. Worst germ carrier in office and home is telephone. Toilets are clean by comparison.

[Dustytuu]

Grocery store cart handles are also germ covered. I try not to touch my face when out in public where I have to touch something other's have handled. First thing I do when I get home is wash my hands with soap and warm water.
I now, almost, have Don trained to do the same.

I do the same as Tom41, open the public bathroom door with a paper towel or tissue.

[Joe-n-Doe]

TV Remote Controls in hotels are also a great place to pick up a few germs...in room telephones too.

[PartyCrashers]

Germs, Germs, are everywhere....I do agree we all need to use good hygiene. We need to protect ourselves when we (think)we are exposed. But on the same token I think sometimes we are a little on the extreme side of things.

.....The other day while shopping at a local grocery store, when entering the door they have a container of hand wipes there for the shoppers. This I do admit I like. If my children were still young and sat in the cart seat....yes I would grab a wipe and wash down the handle first.

...Walking into a childcare center. I observed the infant room staff, sitting and feeding the infants. The infant care given wears disposable gloves as they feed the infant.
To me this is on the extreme side. If the child caretaker is doing all of the requirements needed in washing the hands before feeding a child, then should they have to wear gloves. I just think about what kind of environment we are raising these children in. What message are we sending to these children. When I seen this all I could think of is the visual image....gloves mean exposer to something dirty. Feeding a child is dirty? I don't know!

[Son of JVP]

I read a news article somewhere where some college students tested various surfaces for germs (toilet seats, doorknobs, etc.) and the
"germiest" surfaces they found were computer keyboards!
I try to make sure I never rub my eyes or touch my mouth or nose without washing my hands.
Andy

[Waynem]

I wonder if the gloves were to protect the care giver, and not as much the child. Sometimes we have a small nick here or there that we don't know about and contact could bring on consequences. Doctor's wear gloves and not as much to protect the patient, but to protect themselves. They wash there hands continuously, even when wearing gloves.

This is a subject that could go on and on. we could evolve into eating establishments. Fast foot restaurants are notoriously nasty.

Want a taste: Here:

Shown on 60 minutes several years ago, a pizza maker was spinning the dough, dropped it, picked it up and continued to process it for cooking. (Hidden camera)

A fast food hamburger joint, (again hidden camera) showed a hamburger cook putting hamburger on the grill, picking up cheese and putting it on the hamburger and repeating the process. During one of the processes just before picking up the cheese he picked his nose, wiped it on the apron and continued to pick up the cheese and process the order.

Another fast food restaurant (hidden camera) showed a young lady cooking fast food, place her hand down the front of her attire and scratch vigorously, only to continue to process the food.

Hmmm! I'm not so scared to shake hands.

Oh! And of course, never send food back because it's to cold, or not prepared right. I won't go into what can happen there.


Edited: for spelling.

[Dustytuu]

You are so right to not send food back. Many years ago I had a second job in a fancy expensive restaurant. You should see what goes on behind the scenes. This restaurant always passed every inspection but I have seen chefs accidentally drop a steak on the floor and put it back on a plate in the kitchen. Yuck.

I don't think we are being too careful around germs. My opinion if we wash our hands that should protect us most of the time. And if we are careful about not touching our face before washing our hands.

[PartyCrashers]

Wynem-
I agree with you about the gloves to protect the caregiver.....It just saddens me that we have to raise children in a society that we have to wear gloves to feed them. But as you pointed out it is protection for all.


About restaurant foods....How about Hotel cleaning...

I watched one of those educational news shows that showed how high end hotels employees are cleaning the rooms....
Just remember if you stay in a five star hotel (or any other) DON'T use the glasses that are placed in the room. Only use them if they are the platic throw away one. YUCK YUCK!

Thank Goodness for trailer traveling!