aibu to think you shouldn't put money in your mouth??

[gingee]

Just in the corner shop buying a paper etc and the guy in front of me had a few bits making him have his hands full, when he went to pay he had a £2 and a £1 Between his teeth and sort of spat them into his hand to hand them over to the cashier, wtf??! Then he put his change in his pocket and took his keys out, but in the process dropped a tenner, which he picked up and put in his mouth, so he could carry his purchases/keys. That's not right is it? I now feel the need to use hand sanitizer every time I handle money. The lad behind the counter said people do it all the time, cards too, he actually had to wipe spit off a debit card the other day. Properly put off my mid morning brew. Aibu to think this behaviour is disgusting?? But germs won't live o money for long will they?

It isn't as bad as it sounds as coins are a really hostile environment for bacteria. Putting spitty coins in someone's hand is revolting though, I only mean that the money that has been hanging out in your wallet is unlikely to be teeming with anything. Probably just as much risk from the keypad you stick your card into.

I've told this story on here before but to complete my I'll tell it again....

Earlier this year I had to take DD to the hospital, it's a regular thing so I know exactly how much change I'd need to park and that was all I had.
I'm stood by the parking machine feeding in pound coins when my final one won't go in. I try several times but it keeps falling through. I'm desperate, I'm late and I have no other cash on me. I recalled something about a wet coin will go through, so in desperation I gave the coin a good, slobbery suck and tried again. It fell through.

It's at this point I hear a little cough behind me. There stands a rather dishy young Doctor type bloke in a very expensive suit with a briefcase and he's been waiting patiently to use the machine. He was very gallant, asked me if I'd like to swap my pound coin which I fished out of the machine, nonchalantly wiped on the sleeve of my jumper and handed over with a smile.

I was dying inside as I walked back to the car and DD will never let me forget the day I handed a Doctor a slobbery pound coin.
I've never licked or sucked on money since.

I went to a lunchtime lecture at college (many years ago) on the topic of 'Filthy Lucre' about a study a group had done on paper money in general circulation in India (OK, likely to have more 'interesting' germs around than the UK, but it made a point!).

I can't remember all the germs they found, but they certainly found TB, Salmonella, several parasite eggs and the odd virus - I've been a bit squeamish about notes ever since!

maras 2 my dm had that canker fear too.

Scared me to death as a child.

I think cabin crew also mention passengers who hold their boarding cards in their mouths as they board and them hand them over.

Grim.

One of my uni lecturers told us that the raised edges round coins often hold worm eggs.

Oh yes, prisons. Everything not allowed (esp cash, drugs, even mobile phones) goes straight up their bums. One inmate I visited told me that even a blade (well-wrapped) could go up there. The Officers haven't the right to poke about, only to look.

I like the idea of my bank card which you can wave at the checkout and it automatically pays. No-one need touch anything.

Just told my dh about the hammerhead shark party trick. (He has only a trimmed foreskin) Typical puzzled African response, "Did this man have no pockets???"