# Who else gets creeped out by this common practice. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392 "2009-03-31T02:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/21 "2009-03-31T11:05:17Z")
I never thought about this until recently, when I was at a birthday party and the person standing next to me made a little joking comment about it while we were watching the birthday person blow out the candles. Both the person who made the comment and I did eat the cake! However, ever since then, it has crossed my mind a little when I see it, and I sort of have to stop myself from dwelling on it. I don’t want anything to mess with my enjoyment of cake. ---
**Author:** ![Doody\_Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@Doody\_Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doody_Pants)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/22 "2009-03-31T11:14:56Z")
There is a show on Food Network called Food Detectives that tested birthday cake germs. Their results showed birthday cakes that had candles blown out on them had way more germs than cakes without candles. They also tested an adult’s cake versus a kid’s cake, and while they were both crawling with germs, the kid’s cake won the prize for most germy. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/23 "2009-03-31T11:42:54Z")
I dunno. I am consistent in washing my hands regularly - so as not to spread germs or catch things. But I am also rather indifferent to many germ-vectors. This is one of the ones I’m indifferent to. But then, I don’t often eat cake, since I am not partial to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/24 "2009-03-31T12:09:45Z")
I thought it was gonna be about the practise of stopping at someone’s house to offer them some cake from someone else’s party! Yeah, sorta creepy! ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/25 "2009-03-31T12:38:45Z")
Well, this is wonderful. I’m not a germaphobe. I generally mock those who open door handles with a piece of tissue. It doesn’t bother me when people come to work with a cold. And I’ve never given a second’s thought in my life to eating birthday cake where candles have been blown out. But now, thanks to the Dope, and the people who have pointed out that it’s no different from a waiter or a DD schlep blowing all over your food, birthday cake now kind of disgusts me. Thanks ever so much. (And to think I just had a cake with 600 candles for my 600th post! It took me half an hour to blow them all out! God, I must have hauled up germs from the deepest, most foul recesses of my innards to get all those damn candles blown out.) ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/26 "2009-03-31T12:56:30Z")
To clarify…I DID call first. My family rarely stops over unannounced except at Grandma’s, which is a free zone. My sister-in-law doesn’t have OCD as far as I know, and she’s never seemed like much of a germaphobe. But she sometimes comes up with rather odd, firmly held beliefs in the areas of religion, politics, food, healthcare and personal relationships. Nothing that sets off my warning meters, but it does make for a sometimes tense relationship with her. Someday I’ll tell you what her reaction was to me urging her to have their daughters vaccinated against HPV. And they have kids. And sleep in the same bed. Beyond that, I don’t want to know! They ARE huge Food Network fans, and I’m sure she has watched Food Detectives, so maybe she saw that episode and got squicked out, because I’ve never heard her mention this at any other birthday celebrations. Good thing she didn’t know the cake plate was sitting on the floor of my car on the drive over there… And this was really good cake…from a Food Network show! It had homemade lemon curd, homemade frosting…really good. We are all dieting, so she could have used that as an excuse with no repercussions. Maybe she doesn’t consider the daughter’s boyfriend as part of Family Germs, even though they’ve lived together for five years. And the cake offer was also part of a thank you to my brother for helping Grandma with her taxes the other day. He deserves a whole cake or pie for that one! I just don’t see how it’s worse than being in the same room with people breathing. Maybe I should not tell her the cat sniffed the other part of the cake from a three-inch distance? (She wasn’t on the table…just on a chair) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/27 "2009-03-31T13:03:17Z")
I’ve got such a thing for white icing that I will eat it off of other people’s discarded plates. ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/28 "2009-03-31T13:05:11Z")
> [@Doody\_Pants](#): > > There is a show on Food Network called Food Detectives that tested birthday cake germs. Their results showed birthday cakes that had candles blown out on them had way more germs than cakes without candles. They also tested an adult’s cake versus a kid’s cake, and while they were both crawling with germs, the kid’s cake won the prize for most germy. From your description, may I correctly infer that even the non-candled, non-blown-on cake still had germs on it? ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/29 "2009-03-31T13:07:07Z")
Not to derail, but “things that make you go ick” has inspired me. Beware cat folks. My mother was talking to someone one day and the topic turned to cats. The people stated that they could never have cats, because they always get on the kitchen counters and put their butts all over everything. My Mom has always had a cat or two. Now? She’s training her cats not to get on the kitchen counter because of cat butts. Never occurred to her, never occurred to me, but yeah, when cats sit on your counter, it is full butt-al contact. Pass the cake. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/30 "2009-03-31T13:08:53Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Really, though, if you were buying a donut, and the Dunkin Donuts clerk picked it up and just blew on it before putting it in the bag, that would be gross, wouldn’t it? Not if the donut was on fire. Seriously though, we’re each blessed with an immune system, and it needs _practice_. Worrying about cake that’s come into contact with breath is awfully silly. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/31 "2009-03-31T13:16:55Z")
Good god, another thing to be a germaphobe over? Nope, I have never heard of it but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s birthday cake, and I am generally sharing it with my friends or family - at work we don’t do the candles thing. (As I don’t think anyone should, at work! It’s rude to bring ages too much into the focus.) As for water bottles, same thing - I mean I won’t just drink anyone’s, but if I’m sure the person is relatively sanitary, why the hell not? I think I really impressed my gay friend many years ago, who was having some troubles with discrimination, when I was dreadfully thirsty; her girlfriend offered me a drink from her bottle, and I _took it_. Oh noes! Needless to say I did not get sick. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/32 "2009-03-31T13:25:36Z")
Seriously, I would eat cake that someone licked. Life is short, you can’t be worrying about shit like that unless you are immunocomprimised. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/33 "2009-03-31T13:33:13Z")
I think it is an over reaction. Their choice. ---
**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:** [March 31, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/34 "2009-03-31T13:33:57Z")
> [@legalsnugs](#): > > From your description, may I correctly infer that even the non-candled, non-blown-on cake still had germs on it? Well, pretty much **everything** that you encounter in a day has germs on it unless it’s been sterilized (and I’m not talking run through a dishwasher, I mean lab sterilization). What matters is how many germs and how bad they are. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/35 "2009-03-31T13:35:25Z")
Story from Mrs. Cheesesteak: She was working at Beauty and the Beast, when it was still open on Broadway. One of the show’s traditions was to celebrate birthdays with cake in the “cross under” during intermission. Due to the nature of her job, she often missed these celebrations. One day it was Mrs. Potts birthday, this actress is always a bit sickly, with terrible back problems and always on some pain medication or another. The wife finds herself with time to go downstairs and grab a piece of cake, of which there is plenty left, yay! As she’s eating, the Chorus Girls are giggling to themselves, so she asks what’s up. Well, I guess Mrs Potts decided to have an extra Vicodin or two, since it was her birthday and all, so she was a bit more groggy than usual. The candles are lit, she makes her wish and PPPBBBBTTTHHHHTTTHHHTTTHHH!!! They’re blown out, partly by air, partly by spit. Yes, the Chorus Girls watched my wife pick up the cake nobody else would eat, and waited for her to chow down before saying anything. Mrs. Cheesesteak still eats birthday cake, though she revisits this story every time. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/36 "2009-03-31T14:08:49Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > As for water bottles, same thing - I mean I won’t just drink anyone’s, but if I’m sure the person is relatively sanitary, why the hell not? I think I really impressed my gay friend many years ago, who was having some troubles with discrimination, when I was dreadfully thirsty; her girlfriend offered me a drink from her bottle, and I _took it_. Oh noes! Needless to say I did not get sick. I never let anyone drink/taste where I have drunk/tasted because I get cold sores and they can spread even when you’re not having an outbreak. Maybe the chances are tiny but I wouldn’t wish them on anyone. I know, 90% of people are already carrying the virus, but still. All that isn’t enough to make me feel OK about it. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/37 "2009-03-31T14:10:07Z")
She should have passed on the cake if she suspected it had candles someone blew out, but not come right out and made the statement that way. Nothing creeps me out more than someone who has no tact. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/38 "2009-03-31T14:14:45Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Do these kind of people EVER have sex? Do your brother and wife have kids? > > Poor guy – unless he cheats or dumps her, he will never again have oral sex. Upon reading this thread, I have come to realize that oral sex can always be had with some people. It just depends on strategic placement of a donut. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/39 "2009-03-31T14:17:52Z")
As a non-drinking vegetarian, I hold the belief that you should just refuse food and/or drink with a “No, thank you,” and the offerer should let it go at that. There are any number of reasons for refusing food and/or drink. The reason doesn’t have to be explained to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392/40 "2009-03-31T14:24:36Z")
Thanks to Uncle Cecil, I delight in the knowledge that there’s fecal matter on my toothbrush. With that in mind, why would a couple flecks of spittle bother me? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-gets-creeped-out-by-this-common-practice/491392.md?page=3)