I’ve never been much of a worrier about hand washing, although I’ve seen enough warnings on TV and on public bathroom doors to pay attention. I do worry about using chicken on a wooden cutting board (I don’t do that) and other germ related stuff, but I’ve never gotten to an OCD level or worry; never at least, before yesterday afternoon.
I had stopped into a fast food chain as I was making my way back to the office and because there was a long line, I had nothing to do but watch.
There was only one server on the front line when I arrived, and she was visibly overworked. There were plenty of others there, they were making food and addressing the drive-through. I watched the one lady, and the people in front of me began to complain to each other about how long it was taking and how they had to be back at work. I was feeling the same way, and had I not been the boss I might have worried about being late. I just continued to watch the poor server work.
There was a garbage can at each end of the kitchen area next to the front counter. The cans were pretty full, not yet overflowing, and admittedly, they were full of plastic bags and not loose garbage, so it was less of an eyesore, but it was one. The server realized as she ran around that the garbage can on the left side was sticking out and she absent mindedly stuck her hand it and moved it back into place. She must have gotten “something” on her hand when she did that so she absentmindedly wiped her hand on her pants, and continued to serve the food.
I was dumbfounded! I knew she need to wash her hands or put on gloves and not grab open containers of fries etc. and serve it to people. She never even consciously knew she had done it, and my turn was coming up! What would I do? Was I going to tell her to wash? Would I make a big deal about it? (If you never read my story found on the right side of this blog, "Minnie Mouse's Dirty Little Secret", now would be a good time.)
Thank God I never had the opportunity, as another person, a managerial type, took over and opened a second till so I received my food from a different server.I ate my lunch, and when I returned to work I washed my hands.
So, the managerial server had just come out of the bathroom? Did you ask where the new server had been? Did she/he wash? Have gloves on? Hmmm. Recently my husband was a patient in a US hospital emergency room. The nurse came in without gloves on her hands, preceded to pull the cloth curtain, examine my husband, leave, touching the curtain again, and without missing a beat, went immediately to the next cubicle, where a very sick gentleman was barfing into a pan. She didn't stop to wash her hands. She didn't put on gloves. She just kept on going. Wiping the man's mouth and removing the spit pan. Then, she came back to see my husband. She didn't wash her hands. Didn't put on gloves. Typhoid Mary struck again. Yes, this time, my husband and I asked her to go out and wash her hands and put on gloves. Note: A new study shows that MRSA is transmitted on the privacy curtains in hospitals, not just by staff. Warning: Move those curtains back and should a nurse draw them shut, ask that they be immediately opened, so there is no way a patient or caregiver will touch them. The name of my next book is, " The Vermin Spreaders." I like titles.
ReplyDeleteYuck! Here in Las Vegas I stopped into an A&W to get a cheeseburger. The woman took my money, made change and then made the burger herself (I could see her from the counter) without washing her hands or putting on those plastic gloves. I should have said something but I ended up throwing the burger away because it grossed me out. I'm crazy like that.
ReplyDelete