To think this is disgusting, filthy & gross

[Anenome]

..when shop assistants lick their fingers to hand you a carrier bag?

I totally hate it...I don't want a strangers spit on my shopping bag! I have started to take my own bags...but now and then I forget...and have to buy one...and to see various people slurp spittle onto their fingers in order to get a bag off the pile...yuk!

Spit carries germs! And even if it didn't I still dont want it on my stuff...so...AIBU or do you hate it too?

Oh the best one was when I went into a chippy and the guy licked his fingers in order to get a sheet of paper to put the chips on!

I told him...."Er...I cant have that now..your spit is sharing space with my food!"

Guy looked at me like I was crackers...maybe I am? Please enlighten me.

Actually when I did have cleanliness-related OCD, I washed my hands about a hundred times a day and I caught a hell of a lot less colds - went from 3 a year to none a year.

However OCD is so debilitating I would much rather have had the colds than the constant, exhausting, worry.

Hypochondria, Morloth? I think you're probably right, but I think it depends on how seriously you see something.

You might get a cold and think 'Oh, I've got a cold, few days of keeping warm etc'

Someone paranoid would think 'OMG I've got Flu, swine flu maybe. Perhaps it's a sign of cancer. I must rush to my GP.' Etc..

I went through a phase of being really paranoid when I was little, I think you learn your sense of proportion from the adults around you. My mum tends not to worry about anything unless it lasts longer than a week, so now I think like that too.

Ah no OP, I wasn't trying to give you ideas! Being a detective he has one of those UV lights to show up bodily fluids e.g. blood and semen, even after they have been superficially washed out and are invisible. He uses it frequently for non-work purposes. I bet you'd love one of those wouldn't you!

I think the question is, do these feelings result in you going out of your way, getting upset or distressed, or being unreasonable (:o) in your efforts to avoid "pollution"?

"Filthy, disgusting and gross" may be a bit extreme, but it still is a bit bleurgh.

My geography teacher used to practically lick the entire length of his palm before slapping it down on the next essay in the pile of homework he was returning - you could see through the paper, it was so sodden. Now that was disgusting.

[Nips round quickly to OP's house and licks her door handle]

Gulp.

I often grab things between my teeth when I haven't got a free arm, eg. car keys, money, phone. 7mo DD's dummy falls on the floor several million times a day and I clean it in my mouth.
Yesterday, she had in her mouth the pushchair wheel, trolley handle, my flip flops, an aeroplane seatbelt...

She and I are healthy as, and haven't had as much as a sniffle in years. I think I may have the opposite of OCD, thank god, far too many other things to worry about...

Not even really hypochondria more like a reverse placebo effect. You think stuff will make you sick so it does.

I too go with not a problem unless it lasts for a week. Whining and screaming are also a bit of a giveaway that chances are there isn't that much wrong with you. I only worry about the kids when they go 'quiet' if they are sick/injured.

stressheaderic our family is the same. But do we not get sick because we don't worry about it or do we not worry about it because we don't get sick?

There is the argument that stress can cause illnesses, so that may apply.

Also, if you don't actively avoid germs, you'll have a much better immune system, and would therefore be less likely to get ill in the future.

All you doorhandle-lickers etc, good for you but OCD is pretty awful when you have it, and you KNOW you are being irrational but can't help yourself.

All the "You haven't got enough real things to worry about" comments aren't particularly helpful. OCD sufferers are painfully aware of all of that.

You would probably throw your mugs away if I came round for tea as I DON'T IRON MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOL UNIFORM! (Oops sorry that's another thread. You could kill germs on newspapers/paper bags by ironing them, but probably best not to try it with plastic ones or groceries. Cooking would do it though...)

Recently in ASDA couldn't find plastic bags. Assistant said she'd just picked hundreds of them off the floor. ? put there by people chucking away plastic bags that someone else has fondled/ maybe spat on.

Agree with those who say fingers/spit goes on outside of bag, food on inside and gets emptied straight into veg compartment from bag as soon as home. Not worth worrying about.
The world is coated in germs.

People iron school uniforms? WHY?!

Suncottage....Nooooooooo!

"Runs to put protective bag on door handle"

To all those who are saying that its to do with avoiding illness...it's not...I just don't want germs touching me...I have no fear of catching stuff really...more a dislike of people's personal germ on me!

I do iron school uniforms...sorry.

Argh! stressheaderic just pressed my personal OCD-button. Mouth round shopping trolley, and buggy wheels. Excuse me whilst I pass out in the corner.

School trousers, skirts and shirts definitely look better for being ironed. Why would you want your kids to look scruffy? I'm not a big ironer but school uniforms are supposed to look smart.

My friend and her sister were drunk one night and held me down and licked my eyelids.

Now that IS gross [vom]

I know someone who used to hold his sister down on the floor, and when she screamed spit in her mouth.
Lovely things, big brothers..

A friend of mine couldn't eat anything her own fingers touched, so a "finished" bag of crisps would contain all the bits where she'd held the crisps. Everyone has their own "germ" worry I think!

I think yabu - you are thinking way too much about it and would not bother me but my dad has a similar OCD type thing and if you do you can't help feeling that way.

:o

I also am like this. I felt quite ill the other day when the check out person had a bleeding (yes BLOODY!) finger and instead of swapping with someone else carried on with my shopping while she waited for a plaster

I should email them and say something I suppose.

At our local Tesco they dont lick thier fingers, they have a wet bit of jaycloth to mositen them.

Aeldredida....yuck! That's very bad! If someone was bringing her a plaster, the same someone should have taken her off! Email them! You might get some vouchers as an apology! [grabby emoticon]

Not nice but spittin gin the street REALLY REALLY GETS TO ME GRRRR

YABU - whilst I agree that I wouldn't like it on the paper wrapping my chips, I really can't see any harm in a teeny bit of spittle on a carrier bag.....