# I know now how feces get on public surfaces.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028 "2012-08-10T01:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/1 "2012-08-10T01:11:44Z")
Because I am a parent. There is nothing quite like noticing a …stink of human excrement and rounding to corner to find your child has removed his diaper and used poo as an artistic medium. :eek: I’ve been dressed and smeared and had to wipe it with a wet wipe and hope for the best, I’ve got it on my hands when changing his diaper, I’ve had \ when realizing he was reaching into his diaper and taking out AHHHHHHH! Seriously ever wonder why public surfaces have feces on them? You know like when the local news tests the ATMs and subway handles and shopping carts etc? Kids. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/2 "2012-08-10T01:14:38Z")
The more I learn about kids, the more I like cats. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/3 "2012-08-10T01:16:20Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Because I am a parent. > > There is nothing quite like noticing a …stink of human excrement and rounding to corner to find your child has removed his diaper and used poo as an artistic medium. :eek: > Seriously ever wonder why public surfaces have feces on them? You know like when the local news tests the ATMs? > > Kids. So your kid makes ATM withdrawals? Hmm. Precocious tot you got there; even _if_ he/she has poop on their hands. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/4 "2012-08-10T01:34:39Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Because I am a parent. > > There is nothing quite like noticing a …stink of human excrement and rounding to corner to find your child has removed his diaper and used poo as an artistic medium. :eek: > > I’ve been dressed and smeared and had to wipe it with a wet wipe and hope for the best, I’ve got it on my hands when changing his diaper, I’ve had \ when realizing he was reaching into his diaper and taking out AHHHHHHH! > > Seriously ever wonder why public surfaces have feces on them? You know like when the local news tests the ATMs and subway handles and shopping carts etc? > > Kids. Could be worse. If you’ve ever cleaned motel rooms or even read some of the grosser stories on Not Always Right, adults can indulge in brown bio-finger-paint too. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/5 "2012-08-10T02:16:01Z")
This is probably not a thread where the term ATM should be used. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/6 "2012-08-10T02:45:42Z")
So, yeah, next time someone looks aghast at me when I say I’d never want kids, I will direct them to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/7 "2012-08-10T02:53:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This is probably not a thread where the term ATM should be used. Nm. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/8 "2012-08-10T06:17:21Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Because I am a parent. > > There is nothing quite like noticing a …stink of human excrement and rounding to corner to find your child has removed his diaper and used poo as an artistic medium. :eek: > > I’ve been dressed and smeared and had to wipe it with a wet wipe and hope for the best, I’ve got it on my hands when changing his diaper, I’ve had \ when realizing he was reaching into his diaper and taking out AHHHHHHH! > > Seriously ever wonder why public surfaces have feces on them? You know like when the local news tests the ATMs and subway handles and shopping carts etc? > > Kids. I am trying to picture a kid still in diapers standing at the ATM machine touching the keys and perhaps making a transaction…um…Ok…I’m still trying to picture this… humph, nothing is coming. Oh well. Germs, as we all know, are everywhere and unavoidable. Such is life… ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/9 "2012-08-10T06:23:09Z")
> [@scootergirl](#): > > I am trying to picture a kid still in diapers standing at the ATM machine touching the keys and perhaps making a transaction…um…Ok…I’m still trying to picture this… humph, nothing is coming. Oh well. Germs, as we all know, are everywhere and unavoidable. Such is life… The idea was more that the parents are contaminated during diaper changes. I always used to see those segments on the local news in Houston where they would swab shopping carts or whatever and announce they found feces and these bacteria and etc And I would go how in the hell is feces getting everywhere? Is there a shortage of toilet paper or something? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/10 "2012-08-10T12:33:42Z")
> [@grude](#): > > There is nothing quite like noticing a …stink of human excrement and rounding to corner to find your child has removed his diaper and used poo as an artistic medium. :eek: It’s how I got my start. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-now-how-feces-get-on-public-surfaces/631028/11 "2012-08-10T13:16:03Z")
I saw a quote on “Not Always Related” the other day - a parent: “So I look over and she’s standing there in a puddle of pee with a purple crayon shoved up her nose.” Yeah. I am very glad I made the decision not to make some little poop-monsters. 🙂