Monday, September 20, 2010

My Analysis; Your Analysis

OK, guys, fess up! How many of you actually do wash your hands… when nobody’s looking… after you’ve dispensed with nature’s call? Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve heard the joke: “A Yale grad finishes his business and heads for the door without washing. A Harvard grad, at the next urinal exclaims, ‘At Haaavahd, one washes one’s hands after urinating.’ Without missing a beat, the Yalie replies, “At Yale, we don’t piss on our hands!’” But seriously folks, exactly what happens in those stalls of stalls? The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) issues a report every few years to find out. Let’s just say, it ain’t pretty!


This year, they found out why you have to be a “brave” to visit Turner Field in Atlanta to watch professional baseball. The ASM and the American Cleaning Institute released a study, summarized in the September 13th New York Times, at a conference in Boston that looked at washing habits at such public facilities. It seems that this particular stadium is a tad worse than most. After clinical observations at a number of such venues, the report tells us that two-thirds of the men using the Turner facilities wash after relieving themselves… which means of course that one-third do not. Hot dog, anyone?


Let’s face it, being a researcher in the field is not the world’s best job; many are washed up before their time, and few flush with pride. “Some subjects were asked about their washing habits in telephone interviews; others were watched by undercover observers in public restrooms. Some of what the sink spectators witnessed was, well, filthy. Consider: 20 percent of people using the restrooms at Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal in New York did not wash their hands… The researchers, from Harris Interactive, stood in restrooms while pretending to fix their hair or put on makeup, said Brian Sansoni, a spokesman for the American Cleaning Institute, a trade group for producers of cleaning products. ‘After they took care of business, the observer checked whether or not they actually washed their hands,’ Mr. Sansoni said.” The Times.


I know what you’re wondering: who washes more, men or women? Guess? Pretty obvious, huh?


“Women tended to be more responsible hand-washers than men — and female Braves fans were no exception: 98 percent of women observed at Turner Field exercised proper hygiene before exiting the restroom… The restroom observers reported that 85 percent of men and women observed at public places in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and San Francisco washed their hands after using a public bathroom. (Curiously, in the telephone survey, 96 percent of people said they always washed their hands after using a public bathroom.)… Women tended to be more responsible hand-washers than men — and female Braves fans were no exception: 98 percent of women observed at Turner Field exercised proper hygiene before exiting the restroom… The hand-washing rate dips to 89 percent for those using the facilities at home, according to the phone survey… People using public restrooms in Chicago and San Francisco were the most frequent hand-washers, according to the observations, with 89 percent of adults washing before exiting.” The Times. In these economically pressed times, some folks are still cleaning up! Hey, I could have blogged about the primaries… maybe I did!


I’m Peter Dekom, and why doesn’t everybody just shake hands and forget it?

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