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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask the sales assistant to wash her hands

259 replies

careergirl · 23/03/2013 10:25

I don't think i was tbh
It was Boots. I bought a yoghurt, wrapped sandwich (thank god!)

As I went to the counter the sales assistant was sniffing then wiped her nose with the back of her hand then picked up my items saying do you want a bag....

I actually said... I would like to put those back please and change them..and really you should have washed your hands before touching them because you've just wiped your nose with the back of your hand.

She went a bit red and washed her hands with some anti bac on the counter so I wondered if someone had mentioned something earlier

But I felt very awkward like I was being difficult..but really I'm not am I?

OP posts:
FutTheShuckUp · 23/03/2013 10:26

Ermmm....

nightshade · 23/03/2013 10:27

probably more germs on the money you handed her.

Mockingcurl · 23/03/2013 10:27

A bit rude of you IMHO.

OhDearieDearieMe · 23/03/2013 10:28

Yes. You are being difficult. You're only going on what you actually saw. Spare a thought for the zillion war-mongering germs that lurk on every surface - the ones you didn't see get there.
Jeeze - you're going to be the laughing stock of the staff room at lunchtime! And deservedly so!

croissantnom · 23/03/2013 10:28

Very assertive of you - think I would have just given her an appalled look and not said anything! YANBU

ProphetOfDoom · 23/03/2013 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flobbadobs · 23/03/2013 10:29

Did she wipe snot all over the back of her hand or was it just a quick swipe over her nose? Agree there's probably more germs on the money in your purse..

mrsbungle · 23/03/2013 10:29

I think you were rude.

Original poster
careergirl · 23/03/2013 10:31

No she literally wiped her nose on the back of her hand. I don't want someone's germy paws on food I've bought thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
careergirl · 23/03/2013 10:33

i paid by card btw

OP posts:
TheNebulousBoojum · 23/03/2013 10:34

Fair enough to point it out to her, it's a disgusting habit and she should have had a tissue. I point out that sort of thing to children in class, should I not?

SirChenjin · 23/03/2013 10:34

YANBU - just wish I had your balls!

Dannilion · 23/03/2013 10:34

I hope you didn't touch the door handle on your way out. And used gloves when handing over the money.

I had a lady like you come into a cafe I worked in when I was a teenager once. Made us disinfect everything before we made her sandwich. Oh, how we laughed. I still see her around town sometimes, flinching as the germs fly past..

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 23/03/2013 10:34

The items were wrapped. So really all you had to do was to wipe them yourself before opening them.

I wouldn't have embarrassed her like that when the items were sealed. If it was open items then yes, I would have asked her, because she'd be directly handling stuff that I would be eating. But not wrapped stuff, no.

You also have no way of knowing how many people have handled the items and whether they had snotty hands, or poo crumbs or had scratched their arse or picked their nose or their ears or coughed on them or sneezed over them or, or, or... Grin

Original poster
careergirl · 23/03/2013 10:35

I can cope with being the "laughing stock of the staff room" doesn't bother me at all

OP posts:
fluckered · 23/03/2013 10:35

germy paws! lol well unless you eat the yogurt container and wrap around the sandwich you were being rude! she probably caught her cold from the amount of germy customers she meets every day.

QuietNinjaTardis · 23/03/2013 10:35

Yanbu. Bit rank. She works in boots fgs, they have packets of tissues on the counter!

Original poster
careergirl · 23/03/2013 10:36

Food Hygiene Regulations dictate this is poor practice for those of you who think this is acceptable.

OP posts:
MarmaladeTwatkins · 23/03/2013 10:36

No. No-one had mentioned anything earlier. A lot of shops keep anti-bacterial gel on their counters now to stop assistants from getting germs from the customers that hand over money with their dirty hands.

If you think that all of your packaged food was handled by people in the factories/people delivering the food/people putting it into the fridges with sparkling clean hands then you're deluded! Your packaging will have come into contact with more than one grubby hand than the till assistants.

fluckered · 23/03/2013 10:37

its not accepetable however she wasnt making you sandwich. but you were RUDE!

MrsSpagBol · 23/03/2013 10:37

Guys come on now - it's disgusting to wipe your nose with the bak of your hand. Even worse to do it in public - at work - in front of a customer!

YADNBU

Tee2072 · 23/03/2013 10:38

Except she isn't making your food. She was scanning wrapped food.

You were a bit U and very very precious. Your card probably has more germs on it than her snot. Who knows who has touched that keypad before you?

Kiriwawa · 23/03/2013 10:38

She's not working with food. Your food was wrapped.

I think you were rude

MrsSpagBol · 23/03/2013 10:38

*back

HollyBerryBush · 23/03/2013 10:38

It wasn't an open sandwich so unless you were going to eat the cardboard I fail to see the problem really.