# Tongs vs fingers and other odd things people do **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197 "2015-02-20T15:57:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/21 "2015-02-20T22:23:51Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I think it’s weirder that a place that charges $38 for a steak only charges $9 for a cocktail, even one as straightforward as gin and tonic. Well, they bill themselves as a “brasserie and bar”, so I would think they keep the drink prices somewhat reasonable to lure customers in, and hope they’ll then pop for a meal or appetizers (although I did see one item on the mixed drink menu that was $22 :eek: ). We didn’t even have a main course: for a bowl of French onion soup, a bowl of clams, a large salad and a small salad, a glass of wine and a mixed drink plus tip, it was right at $100. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/22 "2015-02-20T23:43:44Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Agree, I tried to wipe the knife after cutting cheese, only to find that when I came back to the knife, there was a residue left on the knife. That stuff doesn’t come off easily with out warm water. Well, I must have some magical technique because when I wipe it, it comes clean. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/23 "2015-02-21T00:48:57Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Well, I must have some magical technique because when I wipe it, it comes clean. Well, maybe it depends on the type of cheese then. The point I was trying to make is when I wiped it, it looked like it came out clean. But then after it sat in the drawer for a while, the cheese residue on the knife became more visible upon inspection. I was thinking maybe that’s what happened to you. Maybe you stuck it in there thinking it was clean when it really wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/24 "2015-02-21T01:06:31Z")
In my time in medical care and having to actually understand and abide by keeping sterile fields, I have concluded that people really don’t understand cross-contamination. At all. When people give me funny looks about me being particular with certain cleanliness, I just look funny back at them and say “cross-contamination, look it up and check yourself.” Plus, people in general are disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/25 "2015-02-21T01:17:43Z")
I frequently eat at a local sushi restaurant and the sushi chef doesn’t wear gloves and he must have the cleanest hands I’ve ever seen. I mean you could eat off of them. Actually, I guess I do. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/26 "2015-02-21T01:22:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Another weird thing I noticed: we went to dinner at a brasserie that gets great reviews, and typical for SF, things were expensive (glass of ordinary wine: $12; steak: $38; spaghetti: $22). I ordered a gin and tonic. When the bill arrived, I noticed the following: > > Gin…$8.00 > Tonic…$1.00 > > WTF? Is it normal now to charge the mix as a separate line item? It’s bad enough that you’re paying the equivalent of $256 for a quart of gin, but then to whack you for the mixer just seems. . .cheap. Could that be for some sort of taxation reasons? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/27 "2015-02-21T03:09:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Could that be for some sort of taxation reasons? Don’t think so. There’s already a sales tax there, plus a local 4% “Healthy San Francisco” tax that’s been around since 2007 to provide medical care for low income and homeless people. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/28 "2015-02-21T03:31:50Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Well, maybe it depends on the type of cheese then. The point I was trying to make is when I wiped it, it looked like it came out clean. But then after it sat in the drawer for a while, the cheese residue on the knife became more visible upon inspection. > I was thinking maybe that’s what happened to you. Maybe you stuck it in there thinking it was clean when it really wasn’t. Maybe… but I doubt it. The whole point of metal cutlery is to have a nonporous surface. Just for science, I did it again tonight. Henckel stainless steel 9" chef’s knife. Tillamook Colby Jack cheese. Bounty paper towel. Pinching the paper towel around the knife and pulling the knife through, it took three swipes to remove all residue. (Normally, I just rub it around until it’s clean and shiny, but for science, I wanted to quantify things.) Anyway, this relative has other odd habits. I would liken her to the woman trying to use tongs to get half a bagel… but the fact that the OP was breathing in the vicinity of the bagels would probably convince her to wait until she got home to eat. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/29 "2015-02-21T05:42:21Z")
I’d be a bit peeved if someone cut cheese with one of my good knives, wiped it with a dry rag and put it back in the block. I’m not asking for it to be sanitized for use in my personal kitchen, but it should at least be clean. FWIW, I have a ServSafe certification and when I’m cooking for the public, I do shift into a more fussy attitude and that knife would be washed and sanitized. I do think some people all but worship gloves, tongs and those squares of wax paper at the bakery, and they seem to be the ones who misunderstand them the most. I don’t know the specifics, but apparently McDonalds fetishizes gloves to the point that they have different colored gloves to be used when putting raw burgers on the griddle vs taking them off. Presumably this comes from an attitude that 18 year olds can’t be trusted not to fondle cooked hamburgers. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/30 "2015-02-21T06:01:28Z")
I dunno… I’m pretty casual when cooking for just me, but for guests and/or in restaurants, I’m a lot more particular. This recent article in The New Yorker Magazine is perhaps [germane](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/bug-system). I once worked with a Court Executive Officer – top administrative guy in the organization – who had a serious ass-picking problem. It was so bad that during staff meetings, we would bet each other on how many times he’d do it. A dozen was an average session. And I’m not talking about a subtle little adjustment of clothing… it was a full-on mining operation. Eeeuuugghh!! But if that weren’t bad enough, he’d then go out to one of the court secretary’s desks where a bowl full of M&M candies was kept and finger his way through the whole bowl, picking out the ones he liked and discarding the ones he didn’t. I always cringed when I saw a stranger take a handful of candies from that bowl. Eventually, the candy was discarded for good and all. For the best. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/31 "2015-02-21T12:40:17Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Well, I must have some magical technique because when I wipe it, it comes clean. Fiber. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/32 "2015-02-21T12:55:24Z")
I’d be really cheesed off, pun intended, if someone put a knife with any kind of food residue on it back into a knife block. I’m not a germaphobe, generally, but the dark, uncleanable crevice of a knife block is just about the perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria from food residue, especially if the food is one made from bacterial processes to begin with. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/33 "2015-02-21T12:57:36Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > FWIW, I have a ServSafe certification and when I’m cooking for the public, I do shift into a more fussy attitude and that knife would be washed and sanitized. A buddy of mine has a bar/restaurant (featured on that diners/dives show) and he is _meticulous_ when it comes to cleanliness at work. If I’m chatting with him in his kitchen he makes me stand in one spot and not touch or lean on anything. But in his home he is the polar opposite. Once when we were both drunk/high I saw him scoop a handful of chili out of a pot that was cooling on the stove. He ate it, rinsed off his hand and face, then put the chili in the fridge where his family would eventually find/eat it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/34 "2015-02-21T13:07:41Z")
What about people who are obsessive about hand washing after sitting on the toilet? They forget that between wiping their ass and washing their hands, _they pulled up their pants_ with the same bacteria-laden hands they are in such a hurry to wash. Now their clothes are covered in coliform bacteria, yet they don’t seem fazed by it, presumably because it would be too inconvenient to waddle to the sink and wash their hands with their trousers around their ankles. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/35 "2015-02-21T13:42:11Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > What about people who are obsessive about hand washing after sitting on the toilet? They forget that between wiping their ass and washing their hands, _they pulled up their pants_ with the same bacteria-laden hands they are in such a hurry to wash. Now their clothes are covered in coliform bacteria, yet they don’t seem fazed by it, presumably because it would be too inconvenient to waddle to the sink and wash their hands with their trousers around their ankles. To be fair, I suspect my co-workers would frown on me waddling out of the stall with my underwear up and pants down to wash my hands. I think the point of handwashing after taking a crap isn’t as much for yourself as to keep from transmitting your ass germs to everyone else. So having a little bit on your shirt-tail and waistband isn’t as big of a deal as having them on your hands and leaving deposits on the door handle, coke machine, microwave, coffee-pot, copy machine, conference room table, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/36 "2015-02-21T13:50:41Z")
> [@bump](#): > > TI think the point of handwashing after taking a crap isn’t as much for yourself as to keep from transmitting your ass germs to everyone else. So having a little bit on your shirt-tail and waistband isn’t as big of a deal as having them on your hands and leaving deposits on the door handle, coke machine, microwave, coffee-pot, copy machine, conference room table, etc… So long as you never touch your pants until the next time you launder them. Each time you touch your waistband, your are contaminated. And how many times do you go to the bathroom before laundering a pair of pants? It’s all building up… I think that is the point of this thread; people fool themselves about cleanliness. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/37 "2015-02-21T14:02:02Z")
First of all, I try to touch my pants as little as possible when I pull them up. Second, I’m not generally shaking hands, touching food, opening doors, and picking things up with my pants. ETA: Touching my waistband is contaminating my hand a whole lot less than wiping my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/38 "2015-02-21T14:32:15Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > ETA: Touching my waistband is contaminating my hand a whole lot less than wiping my ass. There is no difference between wiping your ass and touching your pants, or wiping your ass and touching a door knob, coke machine, microwave, coffee-pot, copy machine, conference room table, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/39 "2015-02-21T15:01:14Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It’s all building up… And that’s exactly why you’re supposed to wash your hands after using the bathroom. It’s not necessarily that the act of urinating, or even defecating, has suddenly made you thoroughly contaminated. It’s that microbes have been building up on your hands for some time as you’ve touched your nose, door handles, and god knows what since the last time you cleaned your hands. Recommending that you wash them after using the bathroom makes sense since you’re conveniently near a sink, and it serves as a sort of an interval timer, since people generally use the bathroom multiple times per day. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197/40 "2015-02-21T15:15:27Z")
Speaking of restaurant bathrooms: It puzzles me that there are signs in some of these (the ones that double as customer/worker toilets) that tell employees that they must wash their hands twice before returning to work. That’s fine, but then they have to unlock the bathroom door and turn the handle (or push the door open) with their now pristine hands. It makes no sense. Then there are the public toilets that have ordinary faucets that you have to turn off with your hand once you’re done washing up. I guess this is all just a sop to the general public, who can’t seem to manage to connect one action to another in their brains, and who live in some sort of delusional bacteria-free world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongs-vs-fingers-and-other-odd-things-people-do/713197.md?page=3)