Scene and heard

All restaurant toilets in the US have signs informing their staff that they must wash their hands – some suggest that this be done with soap and water. Sorry to gross you folks out, but this doesn’t go far enough. How many times have you seen people leave without washing their hands, or come out of a cubicle and wave their hands under the water briefly? I have heard this latter action described as giving the germs a bath! There are studies that show door handles to be dirty, and the ones on the inside of toilets to be easily the dirtiest of them. This is why I am far from alone in using a paper towel (or my shirt, if paper towels aren’t available) when grabbing this particular handle. There is no such suggestion for kitchen staff, who then handle the food that unsuspecting diners eat. Either the law should be amended that staff must wash their hands in a basin outside of the toilet or they must also use something other than their hands to grab the handle with. Gloves may be an answer, but they still have to touch them in order to put them on. I believe e-coli can live happily on latex for long enough to do some damage!

I hope I haven’t offended anyone with my liberal use of the word toilet. I have yet to find a restaurant with a bath tub or shower and refuse to use the term rest room – I may sometimes leave them feeling relieved, but never rested! Just so that you know, I also use the term 'toilet paper' instead of the sanitised ‘bathroom tissue’!!!