Faecal bacteria join the commute

TheOtherOption · 15 Oct 2008 at 09:49

More than one in four commuters has bacteria from faeces on their hands, an investigation suggests.

Scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine swabbed 409 people at bus and train stations in five major cities in England and Wales.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7667499.stm

DIRTY HANDS:

Newcastle - men 53%, women 30%
Liverpool - men 36%, women 31%
Birmingham - men 21%, women 26%
Cardiff - men 15%, women 29%
Euston (London) - men 6%, women 21%

You dirty bunch up in Newcastle

rsatd · 15 Oct 2008 at 09:53

*Hugs his push and motor bike* No buses for me

HarryPainful · 15 Oct 2008 at 09:57

This is the very reason I try to to touch anything at all on public transport, if it happens that I do need to, I wash my hands as soon as I get where I am going.

Admiral Huddy · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:00

I don't quite see this..

I commute and I don't really touch anything. I can understand on buses and tube since you are touching hand rails and "hang ons" but for the over ground commuter, there isn’t much contact with anything. With London having so many terminus, maybe this explains why the figures show far less %..

“Global Handwashing Day”

Blimmy there are some bored people around!

TheOtherOption · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:01

Indeed - I will always try to open doors with a minimum of contact so if it's possible to open it with my foot then so be it - not so easy when you are on a train though, unless you have a seat!

Tom0 · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:03

Pooblic transport.

JBuk · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:03

when I am washing my hands at work quite often people will come out the loos and just go back to work without washing

nikebee · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:04

Admiral Huddy said:
“Global Handwashing Day”

Blimmy there are some bored people around!

Yeah, because I wouldn't normally wash my hands =/

Although I don't live in Newcastle... so that's apparently not normal

Morba · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:06

im not surprised tbh, the amount of men that dont wash their hands after using a toilet is shocking.

snail1 · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:11

JBuk said:
when I am washing my hands at work quite often people will come out the loos and just go back to work without washing

This is one of the single most disgusting things in the work

ScarySquirrel · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:14

JBuk said:
when I am washing my hands at work quite often people will come out the loos and just go back to work without washing

I hate seeing this when out using public toilets or the like. Bloody horrible to think what they have on their hands and what they will be using them for later that day.

penski · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:15

Morba said:
im not surprised tbh, the amount of men that dont wash their hands after using a toilet is shocking.

You watch men in toilets...?

To be fair though, whenever I've seen a colleague leave without washing his hands (in the 'good' old days of working in offices), I call them on it. Dirty amstrads.

*n

HamZilla · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:15

Dirty beeyatches!

I can feel the grime whenever I have to hold onto a grabrail on trains or tubes.

I always wash my hands when I get to work and before I eat something. Use a tissue to open toilet doors with.

TheOtherOption · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:16

I hate the not washing of hands in the toilets - despite big signs to the contrary posted up on the walls.

Would then have to negotiate several doors before getting back to my desk which pretty much meant I might as well wash my hands again in the office kitchen :/

Jotun · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:18

snail1 said:
This is one of the single most disgusting things in the work

What's so disgusting about it? I have a shower every morning when I get up, so I know my wang is clean, compared to the taps, dryer, door handle on the way out and soap dispensers, which have been touched by most people going through there, spreading any germs they have before they wash their hands. It always seemed a bit pointless to me, as when you wash your hands, you turn on the tap, putting germs on it, wash them, and then turn it off again, picking them up again, as well as germs off other people.

Karl · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:19

I just don't think about it.

Morba · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:20

penski said:
You watch men in toilets...?

To be fair though, whenever I've seen a colleague leave without washing his hands (in the 'good' old days of working in offices), I call them on it. Dirty amstrads.

*n

its not hard to know that someone else is in the toilet and not using the washing facilities before walking out of the door ;]

snail1 · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:21

Jotun said:
What's so disgusting about it? I have a shower every morning when I get up, so I know my wang is clean, compared to the taps, dryer, door handle on the way out and soap dispensers, which have been touched by most people going through there, spreading any germs they have before they wash their hands. It always seemed a bit pointless to me, as when you wash your hands, you turn on the tap, putting germs on it, wash them, and then turn it off again, picking them up again, as well as germs off other people.

You are kidding right? I am sure your co-workers and house mates enjoy touching the doors which have a fine coating of your urine.

Morba · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:21

Jotun said:
What's so disgusting about it? I have a shower every morning when I get up, so I know my wang is clean, compared to the taps, dryer, door handle on the way out and soap dispensers, which have been touched by most people going through there, spreading any germs they have before they wash their hands. It always seemed a bit pointless to me, as when you wash your hands, you turn on the tap, putting germs on it, wash them, and then turn it off again, picking them up again, as well as germs off other people.

most public and work places have taps which turn themselves off, unlike homes.

Cosimo · 15 Oct 2008 at 10:21

ScarySquirrel said:
I hate seeing this when out using public toilets or the like. Bloody horrible to think what they have on their hands and what they will be using them for later that day.