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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to wish people would use the sodding tongs?!

50 replies

Howlovely · 29/07/2019 15:35

I was just in a shop with a bakery section and was going to get a cheese twist for lunch. There was a lady with a small child in front of me literally rummaging through the cheese twists to find one that wasn't too 'floppy'. She eventually found one to her liking and passed it to the child, I assume her daughter. She then LICKED her finger tips and went for another rummage to find another one! I pointed out that there are tongs to use and she actually wrinkled up her nose and said, "I know but I don't know what they've touched".

I was so disgusted by this filthy mare, are there honestly people so lacking in awareness and basic understanding of how to share a world with others?!

OP posts:
Pipandmum · 29/07/2019 15:37

Totally gross.

Floopily · 29/07/2019 15:38

I can't buy from the bakery in Lidl for the same reason, I saw a not very clean looking woman rummaging through the bread rolls with grimy hands a few months ago and it's completely put me off!

theworldistoosmall · 29/07/2019 15:38

I couldn’t have resisted saying the tongs wouldn’t have been in peoples mouths.

I don’t use tongs. I pick up with the bag.

recrudescence · 29/07/2019 15:44

I don’t use the tongs but I do only touch the rolls I am going to buy.

Original poster
Howlovely · 29/07/2019 15:45

@Floopily, yes it was in Lidl! It's put me off too 🤢

OP posts:
huglessduglas · 29/07/2019 15:49

Same I cannot buy from Lidl's bakery unless I am the first person through the door. I also use a bag over my hand to place in another bag rather than the tongs - there is no need for bare hands touching the food and I really don't think you can claim to only be touching what you are buying its just rank.

rainbowbridge · 29/07/2019 16:23

Gross. If she doesn't want to use the tongs she should bag up her hand first.

LizB62A · 29/07/2019 16:29

I don't buy anything that is unwrapped anymore that can be touched by the public.
That's ever since seeing a woman with a bad cold picking up unwrapped loaf after unwrapped loaf trying to decide which one to buy (that was in Waitrose)

And to everyone who uses a bag to pick up the bread - there's no point if everyone else has used their hands. Yuk !

IncrediblySadToo · 29/07/2019 16:29

I don’t use the tongs, I’ve seen kids lick them, adults drop them etc no thanks

I’m quite capeable of picking up the single item I’m buying & me & mine are eating though. If guests are likely to be eating it I’ll use another bag to pick them up

But the manky tongs - nope

Her behaviour was revolting

IncrediblySadToo · 29/07/2019 16:30

But I rarely buy things ‘loose’ unless I’ve seen them being put out

beluga425 · 29/07/2019 16:32

Bleurgh!
Hotel breakfast buffets have a lot of this. Just minging.
If you don't like the tongs then turn your bag inside out and use your hand inside the bag.

beluga425 · 29/07/2019 16:37

Just remembered, realised that the Tesco I used to frequent left their pastries out overnight. There were loads of those mouse poison holders around the edges of the store. Hardly surprising as the mice had about 7 clear hours alone to feast and dance on all of the baked goods.

MummyOfTwo92 · 29/07/2019 16:38

I once did a food safety course and the teacher was telling us that he always checks the toilets before he eats any where because if they aren't clean neither is the kitchen were food is made. He also spoke about these places where you can pick your own, safe to say I don't any more 🤢.

I have seen people sneeze over the pasta salad bar in Morrison's. Disgusting.

ChikiTIKI · 29/07/2019 16:44

You've just put me off cheese twists haha :)

I agree it's rank... I saw something similar at a posh service station, everyone picking up fancy loaves of bread and then putting them back down. I'm already on edge at service stations because I know everyone has just been to the loo before heading to the shop. They have low down tables of fudge etc too which must get messed with by little children. It's gross!!

MereDintofPandiculation · 29/07/2019 16:52

I really don't think you can claim to only be touching what you are buying its just rank. Why not? If there isn't a roll that is sufficiently sticking out from the rest for me to be able to pick it without touching anything else, then I use the tongs.

I've had many years eating from buffets and salad bars and pick your own roll places without knowingly picking anything up, and haven't had a stomach upset in the last 30 years. So while I couldn't bring myself to eat something I'd seen someone sneeze over, for example, I find what works for me is just not to think about what could have happened to the food.

codenameduchess · 29/07/2019 17:02

That's grim op, she thought the tongs were unhygienic but happy lick her fingers 🤢

I've been caught off guard by DD (3) touching the cookies in Lidl's bakery and ended up buying them.... I've seen where DDs hands go, I couldn't in good conscience walk away.

I've also seen an elderly lady pick up and inspect several loose scones at my local m&s food, didn't buy any and put me right off the sneaky scone I'd nipped in for!

EmeraldShamrock · 29/07/2019 17:22

Yuck. Yanbu. I worked for a large facility company servicing big name supermarket stores, they requested custom made sneeze guards for the self service deli and pizza makin stand, they'd had reports of snot, bacteria, feces, from the health inspector.

Nautiloid · 29/07/2019 17:26

Urgh! I was in Wilko getting pick and mix today with my DC. There was an offer on it, so there were 12 children who wanted sweets...and they had ONE scoop out. Goodness knows why as we've been in the same store before and there have been lots.
No one used their fingers. Many of the younger children couldn't use the scoop effectively yet.
It was bloody torture, took about 30m in a baking hot shop. Grin

lololove · 29/07/2019 17:28

@MummyOfTwo92 that sort of thing worries me ever since I found a long hair in my salad from Morrisons. I'll only buy it from them if I'm in there at 8am as they open.

Our Lidl once had a massive matted knot of hair under a load of buns - I've felt nauseous about their bakery stuff ever since.

BertsFriend · 29/07/2019 17:33

I would never buy anything edible unless it's wrapped, as I've also seen a very bad sneezing incident in Morrisons over their unwrapped bread shelves. Some people are disgusting and I wouldn't risk eating something with bodily fluids from the people that don't wash their hands.

Original poster
Howlovely · 29/07/2019 17:41

I really try not to give it too much thought as I'd probably end up not eating out anywhere so I think we just have to trust people who cook our food in kitchens, etc. Obviously members of the public are a completely different kettle of fish! Honestly, some people are just disgusting. Some of your stories are horrifying! 😷🤢

OP posts:
MrsAJCrowley · 29/07/2019 18:00

What bothers me more with unwrapped things on open shelves and buffets etc is the fact that so much of it is at sneeze height... gross!

Dogdogcat · 29/07/2019 18:15

I have a friend who completely put me off "public food". Public food is food you find at a bake sale or potlucks. Her mother was a home care nurse and saw some pretty disgusting things in people's kitchens. Some of these people were baking for bake sales. She wouldn't eat anything unless she knew the person who made it.

Likethebattle · 29/07/2019 18:17

I watched an old man more or less ‘fondle’ all the morning rolls in the local shop to find what he wanted.

Likethebattle · 29/07/2019 18:19

@Dogdogcat I don’t like food like that either as people let cats up on worktops. The cat which has walked in a litter tray or outside!!!