[Doofy]

...or use public transport.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7667499.stm

More than one in four commuters have bacteria which come from faeces on their hands, an investigation finds.

Scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine swabbed 409 people at bus and train stations in five major cities around the UK.

The further north they went, the more often they found commuters with faecal bacteria on their hands - men in Newcastle were the worst offenders.

Experts stressed the importance of hand hygiene for preventing illness.

The bacteria found suggested people were not washing their hands properly after using the toilet, said the researchers.

Where's that little "throwing up" smiley when you need it?

[scaught]

Keep your hands out of your mouth/off your face/away from your nose/etc?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by scaught 

Keep your hands out of your mouth/off your face/away from your nose/etc?

Yeah, 'coz it's OK to walk around with poop on your hands as long as you don't get it in your mouth.

[Buckaroo]

After I wash my hands, I use a paper towel to open the bathroom door to leave. I figure, after washing my hands, why grab the one thing the person that didn't wash his hands grabbed when he left.

[- - e r i k - -]

Haven't we gone through this germaphobia hysteria before?

Germs are good for you.

[osiris]

I suddenly feel the need to lock myself up in a Vegas penthouse until the germs go away.

[smacintush]

Jeez Doof, quit being such a pussy.
I keed! I keed!

[starman]

I find that hard to believe. 1 in 4?

[Gator Lager]

get that finger out of your nose.
you don't know where that finger has been.

booger germs booger germ...

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by starman 

I find that hard to believe. 1 in 4?

Have you any idea how much fecal matter is sprayed into the air when you flush the toilet? You probably have more fecal matter on your toothbrush than on your hands after a week without washing.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by starman 

I find that hard to believe. 1 in 4?

Even after you wash your hands, do you touch the faucet, paper towel dispenser, door, etc.? That doesn't mean 1 in 4 doesn't wash his or her hands, but that 1 in 4 came in contact with fecal matter.

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Have you any idea how much fecal matter is sprayed into the air when you flush the toilet? You probably have more fecal matter on your toothbrush than on your hands after a week without washing.

My toothbrush resides in a drawer in my bathroom, as far away from the toilet as it can get. I think it should be pretty safe there.

[PB2K]

if it doesn;t kill you it will make you stronger. you've been touching dirty hands all your life.

you need the dirty hands to build a healthy immune system.

[ghostshadow]

^^ I agree. I am glad I was exposed to dirt when I was little. A little dirt don't hurt, so I was always told. Very true.

This is why I fold my TP! No poke through! Keeps your fingers clean and your rump free from sores from accidentally slamming your fingers into your rectum due to poorly folded paper.

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by Buckaroo 

After I wash my hands, I use a paper towel to open the bathroom door to leave. I figure, after washing my hands, why grab the one thing the person that didn't wash his hands grabbed when he left.

Exactly.

[Gamoe]

The respectful gesture of shaking hands far outweighs the cons in normal situations. It's good to know where there is harmful bacteria, but it's also necessary to have a sense of perspective and maturity when dealing with it.

Bacteria are all around us, even if we don't see them, they are a fact of life, and not something to feel all icky and go acting unnecessarily anti-social about. A bit of good hygiene can usually prevent any serious illness, even when dealing with slightly less hygienic people.

[OreoCookie]

Doof, you sound like Niles
Just wash your own hands then you'll have clean hands at least twice a day …

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Doof, you sound like Niles

Niles Frasier? One of my heroes. Along with Adrian Monk.

[Doofy]

Of course, there's other reasons why I don't shake hands:

- My hands are *always* cut, due to cats.
- I have no pain receptors in most areas, so I might hurt you.
- You're probably not hot enough for me to want to touch.
- It's just not rock and roll.

...or use public transport:

- It's just plain crap.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Niles Frasier? One of my heroes. Along with Adrian Monk.

Yup, Niles Crane. He had a faible for English culture, too, hehe

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Yup, Niles Crane. He had a faible for English culture, too, hehe

Dang. It's been a while since I saw it - forgot their surname.

[sek929]

We have skin for a reason, just don't jam your fingers into your ears/nose/mouth/eyes/any other orifice and you'll be fine.

Nobody has gotten sick from shaking hands, shaking hands and then sucking your thumbs....maybe.

[Doofy]

Well gentlemen, this just sounds like a bunch of excuses for your not washing your hands properly. You filthy scummers.

[sek929]

I wash my hands WITH fecal matter...that's right, no namby-pamby British spelling for me!

[torsoboy]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

...or use public transport.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7667499.stm

Where's that little "throwing up" smiley when you need it?

So do you wear protective gloves everywhere you go? The same hands they tested also touch railings, doorknobs, money, tables, desks, clothes in stores, restaurant menus, etc. Practically every single thing you touch has been touched repeatedly by those same hands that you choose not to shake.

[Jawbone54]

See, Asian culture got it right a loooooong time ago with the respectful bow.

I hate the handshake.

I also hate all public restrooms. You might be able to open the door with a paper towel covering your hand, but if you stand at the urinal or the toilet, you're undoubtedly standing in dozens of men's urine. This is why it's also good to pee while standing at least 6 feet away from the urinal (plus, it's a lot more fun).

Last Saturday I had to wake up, drive 5 hours to New Orleans, work for 3 hours, then immediately drive 5 hours back. I needed to go (numero dos) from about an hour before I got to New Orleans until I got home. I just can't go in a public restroom, even if I triple or quadruple layer the toilet with TP. There's just no way...

[Peter]

and yet you practice unsafe sex ...

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Dang. It's been a while since I saw it - forgot their surname.

uhm, what? hahaha. Frasier and Niles are their first names. where you thinking it was niles frasier and crane frasier?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

uhm, what? hahaha. Frasier and Niles are their first names. where you thinking it was niles frasier and crane frasier?

Dude, it was like noon, I'd only just got up and I'd only had a couple of sips of the first day's coffee. I know their names, just hadn't got my brain switched on.

[ort888]

I like to put my finger up my butthole and then touch things like elevator buttons and random car door handles.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Last Saturday I had to wake up, drive 5 hours to New Orleans, work for 3 hours, then immediately drive 5 hours back. I needed to go (numero dos) from about an hour before I got to New Orleans until I got home. I just can't go in a public restroom, even if I triple or quadruple layer the toilet with TP. There's just no way...

C'mon now, honestly...

You are afraid to sit on a poop seat with a part of your body sh!t comes out of?

I'm no huge fan of public restrooms, but if nature calls, well, you gotta go.

[tie]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Niles Frasier? One of my heroes. Along with Adrian Monk.

And Jack Nicholson (good as it gets).

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by sek929 

You are afraid to sit on a poop seat with a part of your body sh!t comes out of?

I'm no huge fan of public restrooms, but if nature calls, well, you gotta go.

Not "afraid" of it...just grossed out by it. Plus, I don't care if the STD transferal thing is a myth or not, I don't want to be the one to prove/disprove it.

I am the George Costanza of public toilets. If he can hold it the entire time he's in India, then I can hold it for 9 hours.
Of course, he's a fictional character, but I'm sure someone out there has held it for days...

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Dude, it was like noon, I'd only just got up and I'd only had a couple of sips of the first day's coffee. I know their names, just hadn't got my brain switched on.

it's okay, really. it was a fun read for me. i like it. niles frasier. i think i should register the nick

[mitchell_pgh]

I'm not going to stop using public transportation just because some people don't practice proper hygiene.

Germs are a part of life.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

The bottom line: bacteria are in so many places, and in such large quantities, that it would absolutely freak you out if you thought about it much.

(Really, go talk to a microbiologist sometime… very paranoid people)

There's almost nothing that will seriously affect you that you'll get by shaking hands with people (short of the delightful flu/cold), so just wash your hands when you can, practice general safe sanitation, and don't worry that you're probably eating some level of fecal matter every time you eat.

greg

[- - e r i k - -]

Really sad to hear that you are germaphobe sufferers Jawbone and Doofy. It might seem funny to others, but it's a serious condition.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2066122_cope-germaphobia.html

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Really sad to hear that you are germaphobe sufferers Jawbone and Doofy. It might seem funny to others, but it's a serious condition.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2066122_cope-germaphobia.html

I can't tell if you're serious or not.

[Doofy]

So, simply because we don't want to walk around with sh!t on our hands or shake the hand of some filthy barsteward who lacks basic hygiene, Jawbone and I have some kind of mental illness?

1 in 4 people in the UK is walking around with sh!t on their hands. That's 25%.
Why aren't the other 75% walking around with sh!t on their hands? Because they're not filthy barstewards and they know how to wash their hands, that's why. Either that or they're really, really constipated.

According to the folks in this thread, the 25% with sh!t on their hands are perfectly normal and the 75% without sh!t on their hands are mentally ill.

This does not compute.

[paul w]

Meh - I've been in parts of the world where I was offered some pretty questionable hands to shake and basically had no choice but to shake them, for risk of offending my hosts. And here I am still walking amongst you all.

My advice - don't leave home. Otherwise don't forget wash your hands before eating.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

So, simply because we don't want to walk around with sh!t on our hands or shake the hand of some filthy barsteward who lacks basic hygiene, Jawbone and I have some kind of mental illness?

I wouldn't go as far as to call it a mental illness, but it is a recognised condition yes.

[Railroader]

My wife has some pretty strong OCD about germs. EVERY sink in our house has a bottle of liquid soap and paper towels.

I have gotten in the habit of keeping my hands clean and not touching my face as much since starting the position we are currently in. We have to do our food prep to very sanitary standards, and I adhere to the codes as much as possible.

The "poop" thing really is easy to get over. Just have a couple kids. When my 3 year old poops in the proper place it is a reason to party!

[turtle777]

O hai !



SCNR.

-t

[Railroader]

Party!

[hyteckit]

Note: Do not scratch butt before shaking someone's hand.

[torsoboy]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

See, Asian culture got it right a loooooong time ago with the respectful bow.

Too bad they wipe their butts with their hands and don't wash them afterwards (even before making their food). At least in the poorer areas in Asia this is how it is done... I haven't spent much time in the rich parts, so that may be different.

Most germs are fine as far as I am concerned. Living in the Philippines for a few years made me realize how clean everything actually is in America. Wash your hands a few times a day and you'll do fine.

For those of you that are afraid to shake hands with people for fear of getting their germs, one trick that some people I known do is they just carry a small bottle of waterless hand sanitizer around and use it after they shake people's hands (on the down-low of course).

And I second the comment about having kids to get over your poop phobias... after a couple of kids, you will never think of it the same again. Throwup, poop, pee, snot, blood, pus, etc., a kid will help you get over those phobias real quick.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by torsoboy 

For those of you that are afraid to shake hands with people for fear of getting their germs, one trick that some people I known do is they just carry a small bottle of waterless hand sanitizer around and use it after they shake people's hands (on the down-low of course).

Sounds like a good idea, but maybe I should scratch the "down-low" part and just apply it as I continue the conversation post-handshake.

WHOA!

I meant eliminate the part where you try to hide the application of hand sanitizer...

This is why you should read over your comments before you click "Post Reply."

[Shaddim]

Wasn't there a respected doctor who recommended eating your own boogers to strengthen your immune system?

[NeverTriedApple]

Ewe?!.. I'd rather stay at home.

[NeverTriedApple]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Sounds like a good idea, but maybe I should scratch the "down-low" part and just apply it as I continue the conversation post-handshake.

hahaha That would put off even the ones from your family

On a serious note if one has a "clean hands" disorder I would suggest having a bunch of wet anticeptic wipes around although if you're obsessed with clean hands you probably know everything better than me.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by NeverTriedApple 

Ewe?!.. I'd rather stay at home.

No problem, you can do both, eating your boogers at home

-t