Culture

Women are from Venus, Men are . . . just gross!

Here’s a bit of troubling news from the Associated Press:

“The gender gap has widened when it comes to hygiene, according to the latest stakeout by the “hand washing police.” One-third of men didn’t bother to wash after using the bathroom, compared with 12 percent of women, said the researchers who spy on people in public restrooms.”

I’m just hoping that statistic doesn’t hold with restaurant workers.

7 Comments

  • Bryan L

    It’s funny ’cause I have a hand-washing OCD. I can pin point the origin of it to a talk we received in elementary school where they pointed out all these things that contain germs and bacteria on them and how we can avoid them. It slowly progressed from then on into a full blown OCD where I wash my hands all the time. Weird how those things start huh?

    Blessings,
    Bryan L

  • Carlito

    Bryan L – have you seen the Seinfeld episode about the “germophobe” lady who works with Elaine? It’s the one where Kramer gets the garbage disposal installed in his bathtub.. Not sure if you’re a Seinfeld fan, but that one is priceless!!

    Take care, man

  • Matthew

    1) I have seen a lot of guys walk right past the sinks and out into the world. I think it’s more than 1/3.

    2) For the record, I am not one of those guys. I wash every time.

  • Barry

    I instantly thought of another Seinfeld episode–Jerry was dating some girl whose father owned an Italian restaurant. The dad personally wanted to make Jerry a pizza–hand tossing the pizza himself. Jerry goes to the bathroom and the dad comes out of the stall and right back to work in the kitchen–without washing his hands. Jerry is disgusted and the next scene shows the dad tossing the dough high into the air…with the hands he just used in the stall without washing.

    To this day, eating pizza gives me the willies.

    Bryan L, I hear you loud and clear on the OCD thing.

    Barry

  • MK

    In public facilities, a male acquires more germs touching the sink, faucet handles, paper towel dispenser/air dryer, flush valve, and door handles (let’s emphasize door handles!) than he removes from washing–you gotta open the door on the way out. If you are a skilled technician, you can use the urinal without touching anything other than a button and zipper. Sorry to be the nonconformist, but I am in the 1/3, proud of it, and cleaner for it!

  • mlm

    MK: Go to any hospital and there are instructions posted in the restroom on the proper way to wash your hands (along with proven info that washing hands is the #1 way to prevent the spread of disease)…it involves getting the paper towel ready BEFORE washing, and NOT touching a single thing AFTER…including faucet and door handle. As for touching only button and zipper, after touching them once…the next go around they are loaded with germs. Yuck, yuck, and more yuck.

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