food poisoning on holiday .

[legend758duo]

Reading a post earlier brought this to mind.I worked in a bar for a year here in tenerife.In that time as i was serving food and drink it was necessary to clean your hands all the time .Especially when going to the toilet.Thing is the washbasin for the toilets was outside of the male and female toilets.So you could actually tell who did or did not wash their hands after going to the toiloet.Now as a rough average.Children would if unaccompanied or not told to by adults rarely if ever wash their hands.Women i would estimate 3 out of every 10 would wash their hands.Men was even worse at best 2 out of 10 but more often than not it was forgotten.Now on holiday ive noticed this in big hotels too.Youre in the toilet .You finish and go to wash your hands as most guys n their sons just leave unwashed.Is it any wonder that there are so many cases of sickness and the runs which are always blamed on the food.Think on and try washing your hands when you go to the toilet.Statistics say only 21% of people actually wash their hands at all during the day .Read this about washing hands and watch next time youre in a pub or restaurant.You might not have noticed but you will be shocked.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-washing/ HQ00407

[legend758duo]

Heres an addendum.

Defensive Hand Washing
Did you know that an estimated 1 out of 5 people don't wash their hands after using the restroom? In 2005 the American Society for Microbiology did a survey of hand washing. They asked people questions about their hand-washing habits and also watched people in public restrooms. The results were kind of gross. For example:

People don't always wash their hands after using the bathroom - 91% of adults say they always wash their hands after using public restrooms, but just 83% were seen doing so.
People wash their hands less at home - 83% say they wash their hands after using the bathroom at home. Germs are germs, and a bathroom is a bathroom.
Only 32% of people in the survey said they wash their hands after coughing or sneezing. So it's nice that you protect the people around you by covering your mouth with your hand when you cough. But if you then reach for your friend's pizza, you might as well not have bothered.
Just 21% wash their hands after handling money.
Only 42% of the people in the survey washed up after petting a dog or cat. You've seen your dog roll in that mystery smell in the park or your cat rub against you after using the litter pan. Fido and Fluffy are dirtier than you think.

[4GS]

When I was training as a medic in the Army I was taught to sum 6 verses of 'Happy Birthday to you' when washing hands after visiting the toilet. I still do to this day

[legend758duo]

4gs ive been to turkey , tunisia , tenerife , new york , majorca , england too !!And it amazes me that folk dont wash their hands but blame pedro or achmed or whoever for dodgey food when its just their own infected hands that are spreading the disease amongst them and their family.

[B00]

I'm also willing to bet that anyone who does get food poisoning on holiday due to this are also rubbing their hands (well, when not in the toilets!) thinking of compensation they'll be able toclaim back from their holiday company.

Sadly for them, having worked in the legal depeartment of such a company, I know full well they'll get zilch back.

[megan07]

The profession i'm in, i wash my hands and arms till they have just about washed away, love megan.

[LoftyLottie]

Laughing at 4GS and imagining what others might think of him whilst he is humming away for six verses!!

I can't imagine ever using a loo and not washing hands afterwards, even at home. However, how often is it possible to wash hands after coughing or sneezing when you are out and about. I always wash my hands however before cooking or eating and can always remember as a child that washing hands before eating was routine and not questioned.

I don't wash my hands after petting any of my animals unless I am going to handle food. I would be washing my hands all day long!

Mind you, I don't believe in all this spraying with antibacterials, etc. We need to build up immunity. Basic old fashioned hygiene rules, 'yes' - over the top caution, definitely 'no'

[legend758duo]

Petting your animal is probably worse than not washing your hands after the toilet.but hey your choice.the british are very bad at this on holiday but at home too kids never bother.

[4GS]

Thinking about it, it takes me longer to wash my hands than it does to do my 'business'

[funnygirl]

I agree with you Leg, Too many people do not wash their hands. Here at work, we have a small toilet for 40 women, and on coming out, there is always someone who will not wash their hands.
I now even carry an antibacterial wash with me, one that does not need water.
I have always taught my boys to wash their hands and they sometimes nag me to wash my hands more often!!!!

[LoftyLottie]

I would think that my pets are a darn site cleaner than some humans! Life is for living and we can be over cautious.

Food poisoning is very much on the increase even with all the precautions taken these days. The fact is that we never know who has been handling our food in the processing of it. I am much more likely to get food poisoning from the ready washed salads in supermarkets than from a piece of meat handled by a butcher.

[banjobabe]

This is why you should never eat bar snacks

BB xx

[cuzzy]

well legent you surprise me i only joined yesterday and thaught your remarks rather rude but i agree with you about the hand washing i have worked where i have had to clean toilets and found men are better at washing their hands than the woman

[tiggerblue10]

I have OCD when it comes to hand washing. No wonder my hands are so dry!

Also another tip is to put the lid down on the toilet before flushing as germs can fly out of the pan. I carry liquid soap with me everywhere I go as well.

Am I going overboard here? Lol

[LoftyLottie]

Unfortunately, if we 'sanitize' ourselves and our surroundings too much we can lower our immunity to bugs and allergies, etc. The medical profession now recognise this fact.

[legend758duo]

Ewwwwwww cuzzy ive got a new name.Banjo you see that ?

Le GENT mmmmm never been callede a gent even a froggy one at that lol.


i rather like that lol.

[annie0000]

My husband was in a gents toilet and when he came out he was shaking his head. A guy was in there with his small son about 2 and half who was too short to reach the urinal - it was one of those stainless steel efforts than run right along the wall - so the guy lifted the boy up by the armpits and the little one held onto the front of the urinal with his hands while he had a pee. The father helped his son pull his clothing back up and they both walked out of the toilet. No handwashing involved and the little boy had been holding a pee soaked urinal - no doubt he would be handed a sandwich to eat afterwards!

[annie0000]

Just realised how that first sentence sounds - it was the head that he has on his shoulders that he was shaking - I am sure that he shook his other head before doing up his trousers, washing his hands and leaving the gents!

[tufty7]

I am a handswasher, BUT I sometimes think it is absolutely pointless due to the fact I have to pull the door handle to open the door to let myself out after some dirty sod has left without washing , so perhaps washing hands is a pointless exercise, so it is a very good idea having them on the outside of toilets in my opinion....

[popsy topsy]

i use clean toilet tissue to open the toilet door on my way out, just incase some dirty devil hasnt washed their hands.

[Ethel]

I don't get it. When I was growing up there was no bathroom and one sink in the house - the kitchen sink.

The only toilet was outside and didn't have a sink. This was typical for many many families.

Obviously hand washing was difficult if the sink was being used, and frankly was rarely done except before meals - maybe.

I don't remember having lots of stomach upsets. I have a cast iron stomach and never get an upset stomach, not even in places like Morocco.

We certainly never had these anti bacterial hand washes and sterilisers and so on.

So what's changed?