Idiots spreading germs

[97guns]

I hate catching colds and I try to prevent it as much as I can, it really bugs me when I see people sneeze and not cover up. Today I was at the cell phone store getting my phone unlocked and one of the girls behind the counter finishes up with a customer and blows her nose, then rolls up the end of the tissue and starts jabbing it in her nose, I guess to dig out a booger, finishes up and says "I can help the next in line". Thank goodness I wasn't next and I avoided her handling my phone.

Does it bother you? I must have gotten it from my mom because she will wash her milk or orange juice before she puts in in the refrigerator

 

[athena53]

The really obvious moves such as the one you described would bother me. Part of the problem is that people in lower-paying jobs typically don't get sick leave so they come to work when they've got something communicable because they need the money. DH and I were buying duty-free alcohol in Madrid airport once and the guy working one counter was coughing and sneezing. We tried to pay at another counter- they directed us back to him. We immediately went to the restrooms and washed our hands afterwards but DH, whose immune system wasn't that great, ended up with a cold that morphed into pneumonia.

I try to keep my germs to myself In two places where handshaking is expected (the sign of peace at church and at Toastmasters meetings), I just tell people have a cold and I'm not shaking hands.

 

[Teacher Terry]

The worker may have horrible allergies that can't be controlled no matter how many meds she is on. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[mystang52]

It drives me batty! I do my best to avoid germs, especially during flu season. I'm already immuno-compromised, and when I get sick I get REALLY sick, so diligence is pretty much a necessity for me.
In OP's example, quite frankly there would be no way I'd let that person assist me.

 

[RobbieB]

Sneezing and coughing in public do not bother me.

 

[Jerry1]

I still work and we have paid time off for sick or vacation, whatever. I really bugs me when someone comes into the office sick. I'm lucky enough to have an office and when cold season is upon us, I tend to stay there more and wash my hands a lot more. However, in our situation, it's just rude to come in a spread germs - what, to save that time for vacation Even worse is that many people could do very well to keep up with their work from home (e-mails, call into meetings . . .). Yes, it bothers me.

 

[RobbieB]

Sneezing and coughing at work never bothered me.

 

[harley]

I've always worked under the theory that if you keep your blood alcohol content high enough you'll kill most germs. It doesn't always work, but I'm sticking with it.

 

[RobbieB]

Yes, smoking and drinking and the annual flu shot has been working for me.

 

[calmloki]

Build immunities by exposure. My Mom was a big fan of "clean country dirt" - mice trooped across the flour in our kitchen bin and we didn't worry about it - idea was cooking killed bad stuff or at least weakened it enough our digestive tracts could overcome. I have had my hands and arms in plenty of types of human waste keeping the rentals running - don't like it, but you click off part of the brain and repeat this mantra: "I am a watertight unit - this skin cleans".

 

[Senator]

I have had my hands and arms in plenty of types of human waste keeping the rentals running - don't like it, but you click off part of the brain and repeat this mantra: "I am a watertight unit - this skin cleans".

Very true... The other day I was at an apartment with a slow bathtub drain. It was just hair in the drain, and I reached in and pulled it out. The renter said "gross". It was her hair.

I stay away from kids. They are a walking petri dish of bacteria and viruses. Especially the small ones. If they ever do a petri-dish study of babies faces, I think no one would ever kiss a baby...

 

[RobbieB]

Children should be outside eating dried worms and grasshoppers in the dirt.

Pops told me that's what he saw me doing and I'm a retired healthy millionaire.

 

[Sunset]

I use those blue gloves when cleaning dirty things, like the toilet, or changing the oil on the car.
A box of 100 is $5.99 at Harbor freight with a coupon.

 

[Oma_here]

Colds don't bother me. I don't consider those to be real diseases. Now a flu that is something else altogether. So I get my annual flu shot and keep my fingers crossed. Today I got a pneumocoocal pneumonia shot so I hope to keep those diseases (13 varieties are covered) at bay as well. As much as possible I think we need to take personal responsibility for our health since we can't depend on others to do it for us by imposing self-quarantine. JMO

 

[brucethebroker]

I once drove out into the country to preview a farm house for sale. The listing Realtor's car was there, but I couldn't find him and the house was locked. When I walked around the outside of the house, I found him relieving himself by a tree. "I'll wait by the front door", I said. A couple of minutes later he appeared and I introduced my self. "I'm John," he relied, and stuck out his hand.....I did not offer mine, "Sorry, but I know where that's been!" He thought that was pretty funny.....

 

[JoeWras]

Nothing like being at church, and the nice folks in front of you sneeze, cough and roto-root their nose with a tissue. Blow again, refold that tissue. Really work it, you know. You get a good view of this while possibly being distracted during the sermon.

10 minutes later, pass the peace. What To Do?

 

[athena53]

Nothing like being at church, and the nice folks in front of you sneeze, cough and roto-root their nose with a tissue. Blow again, refold that tissue. Really work it, you know. You get a good view of this while possibly being distracted during the sermon.

10 minutes later, pass the peace. What To Do?

I think I'd tell them *I* have a cold and not shake hands with them!

 

[socca]

Build immunities by exposure.

This is called the hygiene hypothesis.

Last year I watched a documentary (I've forgotten the name) that compared the early life experiences of infants/children in four very different cultures. One kid lived in affluent San Francisco; another lived in rural Africa. The African kid grew up in conditions that Westerners would consider 'filthy' - flies buzzing everywhere, vermin crawling over the food, animal (and probably human) feces in the mud, etc. However, the African kid seemed no worse for wear; in fact, the kid had better balance and hand-eye coordination at an early age than the SF kid. This doesn't prove anything, but I enjoyed the movie.

BTW: there was a funny scene where the SF yuppie-Mom brought her kid to her yoga class. The kid was shown pounding on the exit door in frustration. That's where you'd find me.

 

[tinlizzy]

I watched a receptionist with a bad cold blowing her nose while making a fresh pot of Mr. Coffee. She made one final blow then threw the tissue down on the table and wiped up the water drips. In her defense she totally looked out of it because of the cold but I've been more of a germaphobe ever since.

 

[MRG]

I can't change others.

If it doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

 

[Sojourner]

I really bugs me when someone comes into the office sick. I'm lucky enough to have an office and when cold season is upon us, I tend to stay there more and wash my hands a lot more. However, in our situation, it's just rude to come in a spread germs - what, to save that time for vacation Even worse is that many people could do very well to keep up with their work from home (e-mails, call into meetings . . .). Yes, it bothers me.

This was a huge pet peeve of mine back in my office/cubicle days. People would traipse into the office obviously sick as a dog, coughing all day long, sneezing, wheezing, sniffling, in and out of the break room and various meetings... and for what? To save some paid time off they could use later when they felt better. Drove me bananas. And every single one of these people could have worked from home, given the nature of our business. I felt it was extraordinarily selfish and disrespectful to others who could very well (and often did) get sick as a result of their cavalier spreading of germs.

 

[Bir48die]

Sneezing and coughing in public do not bother me.

+1

 

[athena53]

I can't change others.

If it doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

I try to remember that some people have weak or compromised immune systems. With DH it got to the point that every time we took a major trip he'd catch something resembling a cold, then as it was abating he'd get an infection that morphed into either pneumonia or bronchitis. We always managed to keep him out of the hospital but it would still take at least a couple of months for him to get back to normal. I rarely caught what he got, but I did end up with a really nasty could early this year after wiping my granddaughter's adorable little snotty nose once too often.

So, while I don't worry too much about the effects of people coughing and sneezing in public on me, I try to be careful knowing that not everyone has a well-developed immune system.

 

[MRG]

I try to remember that some people have weak or compromised immune systems. With DH it got to the point that every time we took a major trip he'd catch something resembling a cold, then as it was abating he'd get an infection that morphed into either pneumonia or bronchitis. We always managed to keep him out of the hospital but it would still take at least a couple of months for him to get back to normal. I rarely caught what he got, but I did end up with a really nasty could early this year after wiping my granddaughter's adorable little snotty nose once too often.

So, while I don't worry too much about the effects of people coughing and sneezing in public on me, I try to be careful knowing that not everyone has a well-developed immune system.

Well said.

For someone who has a compromised system a sneeze could be serious.

 

[athena53]

For someone who has a compromised system a sneeze could be serious.

This reminded me- DS came down with chickenpox (before the vaccine was widely available) and we had tickets to see The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center that night. DS wasn't feeling all that sick but the doctor struck fear in my heart when he pointed out how far germs/viruses can travel in a sneeze, and that it could have horrendous consequences around a pregnant woman.

We found someone else who could use the tickets.