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by Digalot
(USA)

I hope nobody actually answers this and sticks to comments only. The reason being is that I feel the information should be made available to as many as possible.

So, call it a "community service" question if you wish.

Flu and cold season is here again, and yep, I've already got it. So bad that I'm not only talking through my nose, but typing through it
as well. ( I know, eeeeeewwwwww )

I haven't been exactly socially active and among crowds the last few weeks but I am fairly certain where I picked it up. My doctor seems to agree.

He thinks it may well be one of the most common methods of spreading the diseases and very few people ever think about it.

People carefully avoid touching door knobs or handles, wash their hands, etc, but most all make the same, usually overlooked error.

The ubiquitous shopping cart.

It gets handled by dozens of people a day.

How many of you have ever noticed kids with runny noses pushing a cart for mommy? How many of you have seen somebody make a back of their hand swipe at their nose, then go back to pushing the cart? I don't need to list many examples for you to get the picture.

Not only do people push their carts with their bare hands, but when they remove an item from the shelf and put it into the cart, viruses and bacteria from the cart handle are transferred to the item directly, such as on fruit and vegetables, or to the packaging of processed items.

Now some of you may think I am going to suggest wearing rubber gloves while shopping. Nope, it will do little good at all.

Bacteria from the cart handle will still be on the gloves and will still get transferred to goods handled. And the disposal of the gloves themselves may be a problem.

My suggested solution.

Carry a small packet of antibacterial cleaning wipes with you, such as "Wet Ones Kids Antibacterial Wipes" or some other similar product, and wipe the cart handle thoroughly before using it.

Now the wipes will kill most of the bacteria, and even viruses which they might not kill, will still be greatly lowered in number just from the cleaning itself.

Now many people seeing you do this may very well think you are nuts. (many people already think I am nuts, so it doesn't bother me in the least )

Suggest to local store managers that they could hand out a antibacterial wipe to customers as they enter the store. It could even be promoted as a "community service' action taken by the store. Actually some very cheap advertising for them if promoted properly.

Comments appreciated.

Cheers and safe shopping
Digalot

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Nov 16, 2009
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No way to avoid viruses
by: Nkamen

Even if you avoid the shopping cart handle, you still get germs from the little stick placed between orders, the money the cashier gives
you, the produce all those germy hands touched, the freezer door handles, the sneezy cashier her/himself, the credit card keypad, etc.

Maybe, killing viruses with electricity is the only solution? I'm not kidding -find out about cure with electricity!

Cheer up!

Nov 16, 2009
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Surgical gloves will do
by: Dig

Surgical gloves beneath cotton gloves. Hazmat approved breathinig mask and goggles.

Also, no shaving for a few days before opening a new tomb. Skin cuts can become infected.

A tomb may contain a nicely bundled and wrapped package, nice art work and more. But it is still a receptacle for a corpse. We treat it
accordingly.

The same procedures hold true for working with a mummy in a museum setting.

Breathing mummy dust is not responsible for my mental condition.

It was the sun that did it. The unrelenting and over bright sun endlessly beating from an overheated sky.

That and being chased by a camel.

Dig

Nov 16, 2009
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Soap and water
by: JAne

Soap and water would do the same... but I guess they're not conveniently pre-packaged so it's not quite as easy.

I don't think a diabetic person is doing themselves any favours, because in the long run they're creating more problems for society and
for future diabetics (and themselves in 10 years). A blanket covering the bottom of the cart could do just as good as far as the food goes.

Someday, everyone will be able to grocery shop online and this won't be a concern!

Nov 16, 2009
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I'm not sure
by: Kenny

Hmm, I'm not sure if that would indeed be a community service at all!

We might very well be saving ourselves from being shot in the hand by shooting ourselves in the foot in the process.

Those antibacterial wipes would get rid of ALL the bacteria, even the good bacteria that we need to fight the bad bacteria off! Result: sicker people, with bad immune systems, who are not immune to any types of bacteria and get sick at the slightest contact with bacteria.

Yes, bacteria can be bad, but many of them (and in fact, most of them) are there to help us and we need them to live. We can't just go around
everywhere wiping them out. Unfortunately, there are many people who don't know this and go around their poor kids anti-bacterial-wiping their entire existence.

I have seen at the grocery store lately some kids who have a blanket-type covering over their shopping cart seat. Certainly someone is making some money off that bright idea. Perhaps a covering for the entire shopping cart could be in order?

But anyway, all this antibacterial stuff (soap, wipes, even many things in hospitals) is self-defeating in the long run. Spread the
word!

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