Gransnet forums

AIBU

To expect basic hygiene

(49 Posts)
grannyactivist Sun 16-Mar-14 09:15:06

Yesterday I was in a crowded ice cream shop to buy a cornet for my grandson. Assistant A was serving whilst assistant B was chatting to her boyfriend and eating chips and ketchup, with her fingers, at a second counter. Assistant A asked B to refill the child's cornet stand, which she duly did after disposing of the ketchup wrapper and licking her fingers: she opened the box, opened the inner polythene and then started to take out the cornets. There was no way I could get close enough to be discreet as there were too many people between us, so I called out to her and said, "Excuse me, wash your hands please". She looked mortified and did so immediately, but what I found surprising was that people looked more askance that I'd asked her to wash her hands than that she was serving food with dirty hands.

Gally Sun 16-Mar-14 22:12:15

Mishap I think we must have has the same HV! As well as a horrible scruffy dog, she had long hair in a plait drooping over her shoulder, a grubby coat and was more interested in nosing around my house than looking at me or the baby (which in retrospect, was no bad thing). She was elderly and, no offence, was a 'spinster' of the old school. Luckily she retired soon after and was replaced by an Angel.

JessM Mon 17-Mar-14 06:32:00

One of my all time favourites. Had to pop to the doctor one sunday for a tetanus jab (bitten, viciously, by gerbil) and he had his children, rather snotty ones, in tow. While he was delving around in the fridge etc, the children started taking the cotton wool swabs out of the pot, wiping their noses, and returning the swabs to the pot. grin I did tell him grin

goldengirl Mon 17-Mar-14 16:42:36

I'm speaking at a hygiene conference in a couple of weeks time! I'm taking your comments on board although my own presentation is the lack of facilities available for lorry drivers

janeainsworth Mon 17-Mar-14 21:02:54

Ga you were absolutely right.
When we were in Florida most of the time I shopped for groceries at the Publix supermarket.
On the deli counter, all the staff wore hairnets, and between each customer they removed their plastic gloves, washed their hands, and put fresh gloves on.
No reason why high standards should not apply here too.

felice Mon 17-Mar-14 22:01:51

Goldengirl my SIL is a 'lolly' driver, yep DD still can't say lorry. he is also a trained chef and would second your presentation for decent facilities in Belguim, France, Germany and Luxemburg. He drives a refrigerated lorry so it it easier for him for his food, but he carries extra water so he can wash his hands properly before cooking. But he has nowhere to wash things up afterwards other than the toilets, not too hygenic. Good luck.

POGS Wed 19-Mar-14 14:18:06

I can't abide poor hygiene, who does.

I am forever seeing women leaving toilets without washing their hands, dirty b-----s in my opinion.

For goodness sake the last time I saw it was in a toilet in Asda and I told the women what I thought. I said to her 'I hope you are not buying loose tomatoes today, she said, Why, I said because I might pick the ones your dirty, grubby fingers might have touched now I know you haven't washed your hands after using the loo'. She just walked away.

What on earth possesses women not to teach their children to wash their hands after using the loo, it doesn't cost them anything in a public place. If their parent's are filthy what hope will they have of understanding basic hygiene. If looks are anything to go by it is not a class thing either I have been amazed at the cross section of women who simply do not wash their hands. YUK.

merlotgran Wed 19-Mar-14 14:30:30

I'm quite squeamish about dirty hand washing facilities in public toilets so I carry a small bottle of hand gel in my bag just in case.

Flowerofthewest Wed 19-Mar-14 17:46:56

A coffee shop my DS once worked in had a gents and ladies loo. My son commented that they have to change the soap dispenser weekly in the ladies loo but only once every 4 or 5 months in the gents.

When I volunteer on an wildlife island the toilets have the gel cleanser. We have noticed there that the men's bottles are almost never emptied but the ladies are changed daily/.

JessM Thu 20-Mar-14 07:20:41

They think because they only touch their own bits when they have a pee that they don't need to wash their hands. Because they haven't picked up any yukky toilet germs. They then go to a meeting and shake hands. Lovely.

Aka Thu 20-Mar-14 07:41:16

Wasn't there something about peanuts in pubs?

annodomini Thu 20-Mar-14 07:48:11

Wouldn't touch peanuts left on the bar, because they've been grubbed by people who perhaps have not washed their hands. Eugh!

gillybob Thu 20-Mar-14 08:11:14

My daughter is a manager in a well known coffee chain. They always have to have a 5 star hygiene rating or they are in serious trouble. It is hard work to maintain but their reputation depends on it. Having said that she was a Mc Manager for a few years previously and almost all of their stores have a 5 star rating too. My DH refuses to eat anywhere without at least a 4 star rating displayed. There is an excellent website where you can check the rating of all local eateries.

thatbags Thu 20-Mar-14 08:34:19

I wish I hadn't read this thread.

gillybob Thu 20-Mar-14 08:36:40

Food Standards Agency - Search for food hygiene ratings
www.ratings.food.gov.uk/
Eating out? Getting food in? Check the food hygiene rating. Find out if a restaurant, takeaway or food shop you want to visit has good food hygiene standards.

Aka Thu 20-Mar-14 09:07:00

I never eat out without checking this site first Gilly. Have posted about these rating several times already.

What started me off was a disgusting meal locally. GD, aged 2, beef burger still frozen and bloody in middle, dodgy smelling fish. Landlord unhelpful and almost abusive when called over to see and smell. Later found out it had a 1 hygiene rating. This place is still open and serving food.

Moral if you don't see a hygiene rating displayed DON'T RISK IT!

judidoo Thu 20-Mar-14 16:55:38

Have just come back from hospital app. where I was coughed over twice by appointments clerk. In reply to my plea she said, "It's all right. I'm on antibiotics".
I also had a wound infection in hosp. The male nurse scratched his head while wearing the gloves. I said something but he did not understand. His English was not good enough.I gave up, as not strong enough to insist, and afterwards was on Augmentin (not for the first time!)
I would not eat at some supermarket cafes where food is unprotected. Have seen too many coughs and sneezes over the dishes.
I could go on and on.........

Lona Thu 20-Mar-14 17:12:07

That link didn't work, try this one ratings.food.gov.uk/search

anneey Thu 20-Mar-14 17:13:06

I was a little perturbed, my dentist whilst treating me decided to type a message on his keyboard. He kept his gloves on and didn't change them, when completing my treatment. Surely this isn't hygienic?

Bez Thu 20-Mar-14 17:15:21

Some years ago a person I worked with was a friend of the Medical Officer of Sandhurst. He made it his business to inspect all the local eateries And takeaways and then made a list of the best, middling and those he banned the cadets from entering. This was very handy as the Chinese Takeaway we used was the only one of its kind on the good list. grin

annodomini Thu 20-Mar-14 18:15:30

Interesting, Bez. My senior GD is working in a pub in Sandhurst while she looks for a real career. Can't say I'd be that keen on eating there, though we did have a drink in their beer garden at the weekend.

JessM Thu 20-Mar-14 19:23:43

True anneey keyboards and mobile phones are very germy Ice bucket that people put their hands in too.
Years ago I was a science teacher and I used to look at health education films before showing them (those were the days when to show a film in class you had to use a reel to reel projector!) In one film about having a baby it showed what happened in an antenatal checkup. This is what: The doctor puts on his surgical glove and then with his other, ungloved , hand, he pushes each finger of the glove nicely into place hmm

rosequartz Thu 20-Mar-14 19:31:07

I don't have ice in drinks in pubs or restaurants since seeing an article about filthy ice makers/dispensers. Some had black mould.

Deedaa Thu 20-Mar-14 20:42:43

It isn't just the staff causing problems. When I worked in an Asda restaurant we served All Day Breakfasts and used to have a tray of toast on the counter for customers to help themselves. One morning a filthy old man came in. His hands were so dirty that bits were actually falling off them. He sorted through all the toast until he found a slice he liked and put it on his tray. I smiled sweetly as he went past and then picked up the tray of toast and tipped it all in the bin. The lady behind him in the queue said "I'm so glad you did that! I was afraid we might have to take it"