Is it annoying for someone to lick their fingers while paging though "your" papers?

[Blunt]

OK, I know there's a lot of people who do this, and lick their fingers to make it easier to sort through papers. Personally, I don't even understand how it works or how it helps anything, and I don't do it myself, but I understand it works for some people, so I figure "whatever". I do find it somewhat disgusting, and its definitely a minor pet peeve of mine when I see people do it. But, obviously if they are doing it to their own papers, it has nothing to do with me, and I ignore it or probably don't notice.

But, for some reason if someone does this to my papers or papers I will be handling, it really disgusts me and I'm very annoyed by it. I have one co-worker in particular who does this all the time (or at least everytime she's needed to take a look at any of my paperwork), and for some reason it really disgusts me. She'll literally lick her finger for each page she turns, and get saliva on every sheet. Also, the worst part is that usually she doesn't really need to be looking at my paperwork to begin with, and I'll ask her one question about one page and for some reason she'll need to look at every page, licking them all as she goes.

Is anyone else here annoyed when people do the finger licking thing? Does it matter if its to paper you'll be handling later or not? Would you go as far as to say its rude to lick someone else's papers? If you're one to lick your fingers, would you do it to someone else's papers?

[Biggirl]

Yuck!

I do not remember anyone at work doing this. If I have to flick through a lot of papers (which happens often in my job) we have rubber fingers. Which I promptly lose. Then I get a pencil with an eraser on it.

If someone did that to documents I had to handle, I'd tell them quick, fast and in a hurry to stop spitting on my papers. Really-- YUCK!

[Ephemera]

It doesn't bother me even if they're going to be papers I'll soon be handling as I'm not that worried about germs but I do find it a little strange and honestly do not know how it helps as I tried it once or twice and it didn't make it any easier for me.

[Biggirl]

Originally Posted by Aesiron

It doesn't bother me even if they're going to be papers I'll soon be handling as I'm not that worried about germs but I do find it a little strange and honestly do not know how it helps as I tried it once or twice and it didn't make it any easier for me.

Your natural oils make flicking through a few pages rather easy. When it comes to a whole boatload of papers, however, they dry up and the papers want to tend to stick to themselves instead of your finger. This is especially true if you're trying to do a fast counting type thingy. That's why we have rubber fingers in my office.

[samm]

I think it's yucky. But then I compare it to an old boss who would take appraisal reports into the bathroom with him to review while he was on the can and then immediately afterward drop the report on your desk with his corrections. Puts finger-licking in perspective.

[vivalostwages]

I have a lot of papers to hand back to students and I figure we don't need each other's germs, so I use Sort Kwik to grab the papers without using any saliva or fingers in the mouth-----yechh.

[Anaamika]

YES. And I used to lick my own fingers for my OWN papers. I never licked anyone else's. In the situation you describe I would have no problem snatching it from her and saying, with a confused look, "Why are you licking my papers? That's gross!"

(I have since bought lots of rubber fingers and keep them in my desk.)

[Ephemera]

Originally Posted by Biggirl

Your natural oils make flicking through a few pages rather easy. When it comes to a whole boatload of papers, however, they dry up and the papers want to tend to stick to themselves instead of your finger. This is especially true if you're trying to do a fast counting type thingy. That's why we have rubber fingers in my office.

Yeah, I understand how it's supposed to help but neither licking my fingers nor using those little balm discs (is that what you mean by rubber fingers?) helps me any and having worked both retail and office jobs, it would be nice if one of them did.

I fail.

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Aesiron

Yeah, I understand how it's supposed to help but neither licking my fingers nor using those little balm discs (is that what you mean by rubber fingers?) helps me any and having worked both retail and office jobs, it would be nice if one of them did.

I fail.

I don't know what a balm disc is.

Rubber Fingers

[Ephemera]

viva mentioned it earlier -- Sortkwik.

I've seen those rubber fingers before but had no idea that's what they were supposed to be for. I thought they were some sort of sewing tool, though I did wonder why anyone would want a plastic thimble instead of a metal one.

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Aesiron

viva mentioned it earlier -- Sortkwik.

I've seen those rubber fingers before but had no idea that's what they were supposed to be for. I thought they were some sort of sewing tool, though I did wonder why anyone would want a plastic thimble instead of a metal one.

Hahahaha. I manage to stab myself plenty with a metal thimble. I certainly don't need something weaker!

[Randy Seltzer]

It doesn't bother me.


Follow-up question, for those people who are bothered by this: Does it bother you to know that the envelope of almost every piece of personal mail you get recieved saliva, not from someone's fingertip, but directly from their tongue? And if you want to rationalize it by saying that once it's sealed, you never touch the glue -- does it bother you to think that no one has perfect tongue-aim, and many people slobber well onto the flap? Does it?

[auntie em]

I once arrived early at a meeting, in time to watch the person in charge distribute papers at every seat. I noted when she began that she was a finger licker, and whaddaya know? I was lucky enough to get a paper right after a fresh lick.

There was a wet spot on it that actually warped the page.

I surreptitiously traded my paper for the one in the (empty) chair before mine.

[Zulema]

Originally Posted by Randy Seltzer

It doesn't bother me.


Follow-up question, for those people who are bothered by this: Does it bother you to know that the envelope of almost every piece of personal mail you get recieved saliva, not from someone's fingertip, but directly from their tongue? And if you want to rationalize it by saying that once it's sealed, you never touch the glue -- does it bother you to think that no one has perfect tongue-aim, and many people slobber well onto the flap? Does it?

Absolutely it bothers me. Ick. I won't even lick an envelope, I use a glue stick.

[Blunt]

Wow, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one annoyed by this. The wierd thing is that I'm about the furthest thing from a germaphobe there could be. Eating food that has fallen on the floor isn't a problem for me at all, just this one situation with the finger licking. Even the licked envelopes mentioned don't get a second thought from me, its just the finger licking. Really, the fact that its done to someone else's papers (mine) makes it almost seem disrespectful to me.

[vivalostwages]

Sort Kwick is odorless and works pretty well. It makes your fingers just tacky enough to grip papers.

One of my colleagues claims that handling essays could transfer a lot of germs onto one's hands. I am a bit dubious because I don't think they could live on that dry surface very long, but I still wonder...

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Randy Seltzer

It doesn't bother me.


Follow-up question, for those people who are bothered by this: Does it bother you to know that the envelope of almost every piece of personal mail you get recieved saliva, not from someone's fingertip, but directly from their tongue? And if you want to rationalize it by saying that once it's sealed, you never touch the glue -- does it bother you to think that no one has perfect tongue-aim, and many people slobber well onto the flap? Does it?

Do people still lick envelopes? I don't lick envelopes, it's too much potential of a paper cut on the tongue. There's always scotch tape or something.
But, no it doesn't bother me. I don't have to see it, nor do I have to touch the wet paper afterwards. It's already dry.

Disrespectful is a good term. I never said it was because of germs. It's just a rude thing to do, in front of someone!

[Ephemera]

On the rare ocassion I mail something that isn't self-sealing, I lick the envelope without a thought.

[Anaamika]

Maybe because I mail things often. I write letters all the time. But I haven't had a lot of papercuts on the tongue...it's just that you don't need a lot to decide that's enough.

[Ephemera]

See, never having one on the tongue, I didn't even think about a papercut and assumed people just didn't like the taste of the adhesive.

[BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed]

Originally Posted by Aesiron

viva mentioned it earlier -- Sortkwik.

I've seen those rubber fingers before but had no idea that's what they were supposed to be for. I thought they were some sort of sewing tool, though I did wonder why anyone would want a plastic thimble instead of a metal one.

Virtually every cash register I've seen in Japan has one of these next to it. They count out the bills by holding the stack in the center with one hand and flipping down each corner with the other. Then they hand you your coins with the receipt.

If I'm flipping through some papers, sometimes saliva is the only way (as I have not yet invested in this fine product). In that case, I try to get only a bit of it on my fingertip by touching it to my front teeth. I don't have to do it for every page, and it doesn't leave a lake of drool behind.

When I was flipping through tons of files at a couple differnt jobs, everyone had bottles of hand moisturizer (yay temping).

[Shagnasty]

It does work if your fingers are extremely dry.

It doesn't bother me because the amount of saliva on each page is localized and tiny. Then again, I am known as a germaphobe-phobe. I don't believe that this aversion has much to do with actual germs because that wouldn't stand up to much scrutiny. It has to do with personal attraction to the person doing the licking in whatever form that might take. That concept is obvious with actual sex but it probably impacts how you view this behavior from the big, loud lard-ass sitting next to you versus the paper licking from the newest hottie in the office. The same thing might apply for the sweetest grandmotherly type versus the 40 year old with severe adult acne. Deep down, it probably isn't the behavior that is the problem. It is the person and the desired segregation of space.

[Ephemera]

Originally Posted by BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed

Virtually every cash register I've seen in Japan has one of these next to it. They count out the bills by holding the stack in the center with one hand and flipping down each corner with the other. Then they hand you your coins with the receipt.

I used to work as a cashier at Wal-Mart and they were usually at a registers there but they seriously did not make it any easier for me. I'd just crumple the money slightly and that did make it easier to count and sort.

[Rhiannon8404]

I think it's yucky. I loaned a book to a friend once and she was doing that to turn the pages, bleah! I've seen people doing it to magazines at doctors offices to turnt he pages. Gag!

At work I use a finger condom (rubber finger).

[appleciders]

For some reason, the mental image that came to mind while reading the title had someone licking my fingers as I sifted through the papers, and I thought, "Would their tongue be in the way?" Carry on.

And oh, yeah, it's weird, but not that weird. It's worth a double-take but not worth saying something.

[Staggerlee]

I lick my index finger, I'm afraid. I do feel a bit shameful about it if someone sees. I just can't get used to those 'Fingerettes'.

[OneCentStamp]

I have naturally moist (no, not clammy or sweaty) hands, so I've never really needed to do it myself.

Someone else doing it to papers that I have to handle icks me out to the point that I have actually asked people, "Would you mind not doing that?"