When McDonalds first came out with self-order computer boards I wouldn’t use them. It was easy to see they were germ sponges. Suppose some guy comes out of the restroom without washing his hands. He moseys over to the kiosk and orders a burger and Coke. The fellow uses dirty fingers to punch the screen.
Being directly behind him, you order fries and a shake. After receiving your order you sit down and use fingers to…
“You get the picture!”
Over a year ago when I mentioned this to friends they laughed at me for being germ phobic. Just recently it was reported how much fecal coliform was on those things. It was off the chart. Now my friends won’t touch one.
Here’s another germ sponge: Reusable cloth grocery bags. One of the filthiest things you can touch in a grocery store are shopping carts. Most people know that. Besides the cart handle being contaminated, the small tilt-out baskets are notorious for carrying rancid germs. Cute little Billy just sat there with a dirty diaper. Some of it leaked out on the chromed wire.
You know not to use that section of cart because Martha Stewart told you so. It’s a different story after groceries are bagged. You toss the sacks in there thinking there’s no problem. The plastic bags may get soiled but they’ll go in the garbage once home.
Into the store one morning pops Marge Green. Marge’s one of those hip gals thinking she’s doing the world a favor by foregoing plastic bags. She’s been using her cotton bags going on a year now. She knows all too well not to use the fold-out portion of a shopping cart when shopping. The woman after all watches Martha Stewart reruns. Once Marge’s goods are bagged it’s a whole different story. Into the top and bottom of a shopping buggy go her “Save the Earth” bags.
Each week that Marge does this, her filthy cotton bags are contaminating the store bagging table, including every shopping cart she touches. Marge might as well be a cockroach.
Her chic’ logo bags are much like unwashed cleaning rags. They’ve picked up germs and held them, depositing seasoned spores each week onto the cashier’s and courtesy clerk’s hands, including her own car seat and kitchen table.
“You get the picture!”
When my wife mentioned wanting to use cloth bags I said,
“No way Jose!”
I gave her my presentation on why not to. She saw merit in the spiel. I’d much rather Joleen use germ-free plastic bags to place meat, fruit, and vegetables, than potentially nasty cloth sacks.
I’m sure some would say they wash theirs. In return I would ask,
“After each trip to the grocery store?”
We know that doesn’t happen. If they say, “Yes”, they’re lying.
Next time someone tells you to ditch plastic tell them to take a hike. Say you’d much rather be clean than go green!
“You get the picture!”
I like to write junk... 