# Lipstick on a glass: what would you have done? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216 "2010-07-19T13:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/21 "2010-07-19T17:06:27Z")
With the “very precise lip print” and “smelled the lipstick” info, I’m thinking either they just ran a little water inside the glass to clean it, or that is some seriously “high-test” lipstick. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/22 "2010-07-19T18:12:22Z")
I’d have drunk it all, complained about the lipstick smear, and asked for a free refill. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/23 "2010-07-19T18:19:37Z")
Likely I would have drank it. I probably would just wipe it off and not think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/24 "2010-07-19T18:23:58Z")
I wouldn’t have drank it (with the caveat that I’m not a drinker, so I’m not too interested in a beer). I’m not a big germophobe (at least I don’t think I am), but a dirty glass is a dirty glass - if you need to wipe lipstick off by hand before it goes through the dishwasher, that’s what you have to do. Being able to still smell the lipstick - that indicates to me that it hadn’t gone through a sterilizing dishwasher. I’m not worried about catching the AIDS or the gay or something, but you can catch cold sores, colds, flus, etc. from unsterilized drinking glasses, and I hate colds, flus, and cold sores. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/25 "2010-07-19T18:30:56Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I’d probably have asked for a new one because I’m not the kind of person who can finish a drink in a few minutes so if I’m at a bar, chances are I do have time to spare. Ditto. If I’ve got time to order and drink a beer, then even in a crowded bar, I’ve got time to get the bartender’s attention, get a fresh beer in a new glass, and still drink most of the beer. Which would be my strong preference. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/26 "2010-07-19T18:39:01Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Ditto. If I’ve got time to order and drink a beer, then even in a crowded bar, I’ve got time to get the bartender’s attention, get a fresh beer in a new glass, and still drink most of the beer. > > Which would be my strong preference. Came in to say the same - I mean, just quickly ask for a fresh glass and pour your beer in there would have been better. I am no germophobe, but would have wondered if the glass had indeed been cleaned first. I mean, in a crowded bar, they might have accidentally put one dirty glass with the clean ones in haste. Turning the glass was a decent alternative, but I still would have just asked for a fresh glass without going into detail. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/27 "2010-07-19T18:46:28Z")
I would have done exactly what you did. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/28 "2010-07-19T18:53:13Z")
I would’ve done the same as you. I just washed some dishes at home the other day, travel coffee mugs to be precise, and I usually give them (especially the lids) a bit of a scrub with the dishcloth. The next day, guess what I find on one of the lids? My wife’s lipstick print. So I went back to the sink – that crap was like cleaning tar off the paint of a car. I had to press _hard_, and even when I did that, it mostly just smudged. It’s still in the sink until I can find some plastic-safe paint thinner or something. If I were in a hurry, I’d probably just drink it and not think too much about it. If time weren’t a problem, I _would_ ask for a new one (I have gotten a coffee mug at a breakfast place with lipstick on it before). ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/29 "2010-07-19T18:56:53Z")
> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > I’d have drunk it all, complained about the lipstick smear, and asked for a free refill. Sounds a lot like people who eat 2/3 of the food on their plate then complain that it didn’t taste good in order to get a free or discounted meal. I work behind a bar, and I would be highly skeptical that the lipstick bothered you enough to warrant a free replacement if you had drunk the whole beer. Fortunately for you, if the restaurant owners are good at what they do, they’re probably going to let you have that next beer free, not because you are entitled to it for suffering through an entire beverage while a lipstick stain stared you in the face, but because goodwill is more valuable than the five to seven bucks you might’ve spent. Regarding how tough lipstick is to get off a glass: there is no automatic glasswasher where I work. Each glass is handwashed using the 3-sink method (sink one has hot water and detergent and some sort of multiple brush thingamaroo, sink two has hot clear water (for rinse), and sink three has lukewarm water with sanitizer dissolved in it). Even after a lot of work with the brushes and the subsequent rinses, a thick lipstick mark will stand its ground. I’ve had to break out one of those green abrasive pads to scrub it off, then I wash it again. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/30 "2010-07-19T19:09:29Z")
Sweetheart, if I’m thirsty enough, I can down that pint in ten seconds, so that lipstick thing, I could very well notice it afterwards. “Highly skeptical” ? Whoa, big words from someone who scrounges on tips. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/31 "2010-07-19T19:35:21Z")
> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > Sweetheart, if I’m thirsty enough, I can down that pint in ten seconds, so that lipstick thing, I could very well notice it afterwards. > “Highly skeptical” ? Whoa, big words from someone who scrounges on tips. I know a lot of big words for someone who covers the three busiest shifts a week behind the bar at my husband’s restaurant because my interest is in the success of his restaurant and not the money in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/32 "2010-07-19T20:11:20Z")
> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > Sweetheart, if I’m thirsty enough, I can down that pint in ten seconds, so that lipstick thing, I could very well notice it afterwards. > “Highly skeptical” ? Whoa, big words from someone who scrounges on tips. 10,000 Unnecessary-Hostility points for you! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/33 "2010-07-19T21:04:06Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Ditto. If I’ve got time to order and drink a beer, then even in a crowded bar, I’ve got time to get the bartender’s attention, get a fresh beer in a new glass, and still drink most of the beer. Likewise. If I were so rushed that I couldn’t spare a minute or two to get a new beer, I wouldn’t have gone to get a beer in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/34 "2010-07-19T21:39:04Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I don’t think I’m going to catch mouth leprosy from some rogue lipstick stuck to a glass. I think you mean liprosy.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/35 "2010-07-20T00:25:34Z")
Drank half of it, return the glass, get a new full beer. If not enough time, drink the lot. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/36 "2010-07-20T00:36:27Z")
I would not have ordered a drink in such a rushed circumstance. Were you catching a plane? Do the airlines not even sell drinks aboard any longer? ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/37 "2010-07-20T01:45:34Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Do the airlines not even sell drinks aboard any longer? The beer selection on most airlines is pretty poor (though not as bad as a lot of the concerts I go to). I kinda like the Gordon Biersch one Virgin America has, but it wouldn’t normally be my first choice even if I were in a Gordon Biersch restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/38 "2010-07-20T03:39:25Z")
Probably would have decided to just skip the beer. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/39 "2010-07-20T14:20:47Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > I would not have ordered a drink in such a rushed circumstance. > > Were you catching a plane? Do the airlines not even sell drinks aboard any longer? I just made the plane in time. On the plane they do not sell beer in huge ass mugs, just teensy weensy lil cans or bottles. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216/40 "2010-07-20T14:23:38Z")
I would have done the same as you, particularly because it was beer, and I would have assumed the beer would have killed most of the stuff in it. But honestly I don’t drink beer and I never drink alcohol fast so it’s kind of moot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipstick-on-a-glass-what-would-you-have-done/547216.md?page=3)