It is disgusting to see helpers in supermarkets picking out polythene bags using saliva. They put food items into the covers with the same infected hands. It is harmful for the customers as well as the salesperson. Not only the managements, even the public should be aware of this dirty habit. They shouldn't hesitate to correct the person who indulges in it.
Apart from the helpers transmitting a good amount of harmful bacteria from saliva, their intake of chemical substances which they handle while touching their tongue for wetness could cause potential damage to their own health.
This doesn't stop with the supermarkets; it is happening in almost all public workplaces. It offers me solace when I see some banks using finger wet sponges while counting currency. While issuing tickets, conductors are notorious for using saliva. Government authorities should bring some sort of awareness among these public servants.
When I was a kid, I witnessed a conductor using his wristband as a finger wet tool for tearing off tickets. The band had a dial-like design with a small piece of wet sponge at the front. Why can't his good example be followed? Why can't government authorities provide those finger wet bands to all our bus conductors? It will be in the interest of personal hygiene of the conductors themselves as much as of the passengers. Knowingly or unknowingly, they swallow the chemical dye used for printing tickets.
The licking habit, is observed at many cash counters at workplaces. Thanks to online ticket reservation, this obnoxious practice is greatly reduced in cinemas. However, when you buy tickets at the counter, you can see the issuer using saliva.
A finger wet tool is a small stationery item. It is user-friendly, easy to clean, durable and costs you nothing. If you are humanitarian, do not wait for the authorities to provide it. Get one for yourself.
(The writer's email ID is srinivasan_vanaja@
yahoo.co.in)
Keywords: hygiene, saliva, spitting in public
I completely agree with the author and appreciate to bring this
thought which looks very silly and a small issue but actually is not.
In addition to what has been mentioned here w.r.t to saliva which can
be harmful for the bus conductors as they are unknowingly taking the
chemical ink of the ticket, I would like the highlight this issue in
the other way round. Most of the time almost all of us especially the
bus conductors, the passengers and bankers etc. have their hands
uncleaned. This is because of the obvious reasons and filthy pollution
in our country. Imagine an old bus in which the bus conductors and
passengers are mostly standing with the help of the supporting rods,
handles of the bus etc. They all carry so much of dirt in their hand
and the same fingers they take inside their mouth to put an amount of
saliva. They themselves are inviting the so called "Un-hygiene"
factor!.
We should at least promote the habit of using the sponge and kill the
usage of saliva for this purpose.
Very damn true. It annoys me to the very core. People should really stop such disgusting habits. The sad part is, educated people do such things in office too. Small children get influenced by their grandparents who flip the newspaper using saliva. Fundamentally such habits should be taught as biggest dirty habit. Really hats off to the writer. Wise initiative
The author has been very right to bring out such a nasty habit that is going around in our country much to the discomfort of many people who are bothered about personal hygiene and health care.The case of supermarket alone is not an isolated one.There are many departments and public services which are inflicted with this dirty habit and there is seldom any correction coming through.
Will the authorities concerned with Food safety and Hygiene bring in a rule to insist on elimination of this menace
It is not just the disgusting habit of wetting the finger with one's
saliva that is an issue. I have a problem with people using their
shirt or pant pockets to carry rupee notes. Often, I have received
notes that are damp from the person's sweat. I find it revolting to
even place that in my wallet.
The only good habit that I have developed because of all this is to
compulsively wash my hands like Lady Macbeth every time I happen to go
outside of home. I am even wondering if I should carry a bottle of
desanitizer liquid handy.
PADMAVATHI raised a very uncommon but social issue.When i was at school
my teacher used her saliva for turning pages of the story book .
The problem can be eliminated by teaching kids the right from the
school level. Also a general awareness needs to be created. Print and
electronic medium can really do a lot in this issue by printing posters
in newspapers etc.
Yes I agree with the author.Also it is high time that people start realizing that it is unhygienic to use one own saliva for counting notes or picking polythene bags in grocery store.If the government does not act one should try to make one's own amendments so that better hygienic sense prevails in the society as a whole.
I don't understand this paranoia against saliva. Saliva contains natural anti-biotics
and was used in the olden days to heal wounds as animals still do todate. If you get
stung by a bee or wasp, the best way to avoid inflammation is to suck out the sting
and keep putting your saliva on the area for ten minutes. This will instantly
neutralize the sting and leave you unharmed and save you from days of inflammation
and unnecessary anti inflammatory drugs that will eventually damage your immune
system function and your adrenals. If something is so disgusting about saliva people
wouldn't be pouring it into each other's mouths through actions such as kissing etc.
Saliva is a healer and the real germ infested product is PLASTIC. Studies have shown
kitchen cutting boards made of wood are clear of germs and bacteria after washing
but are still teeming with bad bacteria if made of plastic . Plastic lying on the
roadside, gutters etc, breed millions of bacteria and are the real cause of disease.
People should be aware of personal hygiene. These types of habits are
very damaging to their own health as well as for the other people who
come in contact with them .
Apropos the article on the above subject by Ms padmavathi on the above subject i pen these lines and still we all need some kind of training in civic sense to say the least!
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