100 Things diners shouldn't do

[Alicia Leonard]

With the exception of raw chicken, fecal matter, and people spitting/hacking/sneezing/picking their nose, and blood that doesn't belong to anyone in my immediate gene pool, I don't really care that much about germs.

I've drunk out of many a hose, hand, natural body of water (how I've escaped Giardia is beyond me), street fountain, carton, someone else's drink etc.

Pretty ridiculous how germaphobic we are as a society, yet ignore the basics - Canoehead plans to take her kids into the backyard and rub them with dirt on a regular basis to combat all the "antibacterial" crap in our lives, but they will still be required to wash their hands before eating and after the restroom.

Off topic, true story. I kept getting sick as small child. Family doctor asked my mom if she ever let me get dirty. Mom said no. Doc said let that child get dirty and eat some dirt while she is at it, she has no immunity and has not been able to build any with you wiping her down every 5 mins. Mom put me outside and let me get dirty and I got better.And don't get me started on the hand germalizer stuff. Bad stuff.

The gloves were correct and OSHA would approve even if the parents didn't. You don't get paid to handle blood.

 

[Susan Horn]

Off topic, true story. I kept getting sick as small child. Family doctor asked my mom if she ever let me get dirty. Mom said no. Doc said let that child get dirty and eat some dirt while she is at it, she has no immunity and has not been able to build any with you wiping her down every 5 mins. Mom put me outside and let me get dirty and I got better.And don't get me started on the hand germalizer stuff. Bad stuff.

The gloves were correct and OSHA would approve even if the parents didn't. You don't get paid to handle blood.

My pediatrician prescribed his patients to go barefoot year round for similar reasons. Especially kids who tended to be "sickly" or "frail". Easter Sunday was always so lovely -- precious tots and grammar schoolers all dressed up in bonnets, bows, and organza and lace, going to the altar to be blessed with dirty little bare feet!

Also a sight in the dead of winter to see them bundled up like the Michelin man, but no shoes or socks.

 

[Susan Horn]

What number are we on, 17?

17. Force your dining companions to boserve superstitious behaviors regarding salt or other condiments.

18. Go to a restaurant's opening night and expect the food to be fast or perfectly prepared and served.

19. Undertip or not tip at all because the food was bad.

20. Get drunk (or not) and embarrass your dining companions with rude treatment of wait staff. How many times have I wanted the earth to swallow me whole, from incapacitating embarrassment at how my dining companions spoke to servers. Otherwise civilized, nice, educated, intelligent, kind and compassionate folks for some reason seem to think it's okay to behave as if restaurant workers are subhuman.

 

[LuciferSam]

My milk comment was based on my own personal biases. I never drink milk anywhere except at home, and it's always a single quick chug straight from the jug while standing in front of the refrigerator. It tastes better to me that way, and the idea of using a glass for milk seems unthinkable, for no particular reason except force of habit. I happen to believe that everybody should have their own personal milk jug in their refrigerator, and especially in my refrigerator.

If restaurants would let me wander into their kitchen, the chance that I might drink their milk increases slightly, provided their milk: 1.) is sufficiently cold 2.)is in gallon jugs at least 75% full 3.)is no more than 3 days past the expiration date 4.) contains no visible foreign matter 5.) has a convenient easy to grip handle. The astute reader would rightly conclude that this particular practice actually contributes to the possibility of foreign matter in the in the cow juice (or goat juice as the case may be).

In addition to the above mentioned criteria, it would be desirable for a sink to be nearby if it should be necessary to spit out the above mentioned mammal secretions for any number of reasons. For example, there is nothing worse than the delicious taste of chocolate milk being ruined when you realize that it's really whole milk. Usually the coldness, fullness, and expiration date and foreign matter tests cover this situation, but you never know....

 

[DuneAHH]

Milk allergy aside, I'm with you, SB, but I notice more and more people would rather drink whatever beverage from a single-serving factory-packaged container or single-use disposable cup. I think it is a germ-fear thing, though I haven't actually conducted a survey yet.

I say let our kids get dirty, eat more dirt etc., to build up a system that can handle germs, instead of sanitizing and sterilizing ourselves into hypersensitive weakness. I think there was actually a study done about kids eating dirt, or getting their hands dirty, and its correlation to overall healthiness. Dirty kids won.

Oops, veered recklessly off topic again. Sorry. Nuerotransmitters must be out of balance more than usual today.

You may be off topic but I just have to chime in and TOTALLY agree with you Susan!
I'm proof... I grew up on a big farm running around barefooted and covered in all manner of disgusting-ness. On the rare times we got colds or flu... NO doctor visits... rarely even an aspirin. My parents' attitude was: power through, mind-over-matter, more dirt, chores & fresh air. My siblings and I are shockingly healthy to this day. My town cousins who were repeatedly wiped down, spritzed with sanitizers, and rushed to doctors were, and remain to this day, sickie folks prone to catching every little bug.

 

[LuciferSam]

You may be off topic but I just have to chime in and TOTALLY agree with you Susan!
I'm proof... I grew up on a big farm running around barefooted and covered in all manner of disgusting-ness. On the rare times we got colds or flu... NO doctor visits... rarely even an aspirin. My parents' attitude was: power through, mind-over-matter, more dirt, chores & fresh air. My siblings and I are shockingly healthy to this day. My town cousins who were repeatedly wiped down, spritzed with sanitizers, and rushed to doctors were, and remain to this day, sickie folks prone to catching every little bug.

George Carlin talks about swimming in the Hudson River back in the 40s. This was during the polio epidemic. Neither he nor his swimmer friends ever got polio, or as he puts it "WE WERE TEMPERED IN RAW $H**"

 

[DuneAHH]

George Carlin talks about swimming in the Hudson River back in the 40s. This was during the polio epidemic. Neither he nor his swimmer friends ever got polio, or as he puts it "WE WERE TEMPERED IN RAW $H**"

 

[HelenM]

It all depends - I have been places where you get asked which kind of milk you want and get free refills. I personally think drinking Coke at meals is just wrong.

Though after I got a mini carton plopped on the table at Bud & Alleys, I figured out not to try and drink milk w/ meals out around here.

That reminds me of an awesome little restaurant that used to be in Grayton called The Corner Cafe...they cooked all their fish on a small grill behind the restaurant and were definitely no frills. My parents had coffee after their meal and Mom asked for some plain milk and had a half-gallon container just plunked down in front of her. Like I said, it was a no frills place, but the food was great!

 

[HelenM]

I say let our kids get dirty, eat more dirt etc., to build up a system that can handle germs, instead of sanitizing and sterilizing ourselves into hypersensitive weakness. I think there was actually a study done about kids eating dirt, or getting their hands dirty, and its correlation to overall healthiness. Dirty kids won.

I totally agree with you! I've told the director at my son's daycare that I think it's a good thing when he comes home dirty and sweaty -- it means he's been out playing and being a kid!

 

[scooterbug44]

No frills place, I can handle it - carton at a place where the "napkins" are a roll of paper towels suits me fine. Slap on a tablecloth and adjust your prices upward and I'll want a pre-poured glass!