Are you ever bothered by the fact that in most public restrooms the handle you pull to dispense paper towels is slimy from the previous user who pulled on the handle with wet hands?
About two weeks ago I discovered that someone was sensitive enough to this situation to design a paper towel dispenser that gets around this problem. I can't remember where I saw this dispenser--it might have been in a restroom at the Penn Stater Conference Center. What the designer had done was to redesign the handle from the typical 1" by 1" square to a long, horizontal bar about 8" by 2". Furthermore, above the bar was a diagram of how you were supposed to push down on the bar with your entire left forearm, thereby avoiding the need to dispense the towels with wet hands. Perhaps not a perfect solution, but ingenious nonetheless.
There are, of course, far graver problems associated with washing one's hands in a public restroom. Consider the fact that after a people have used a toilet in a stall, touching or rubbing who knows what part of their bodies during the process, the first thing that they touch after leaving the stall is the faucet of a sink. (if, in fact, the person washes his/her hands--otherwise the first thing touched will be the handle of the exit door.) After washing--which could be little more than a one-second rinse with no soap--people then deposit water and whatever is left on their hands on the faucet as they turn off the water. So, there's a lot more stuff to consider before people reach for the paper towel dispenser handle.
I've devised my own OC rituals to work around such contamination worries, although when I'm in a hurry I simply choose not to obsess.
About two weeks ago I discovered that someone was sensitive enough to this situation to design a paper towel dispenser that gets around this problem. I can't remember where I saw this dispenser--it might have been in a restroom at the Penn Stater Conference Center. What the designer had done was to redesign the handle from the typical 1" by 1" square to a long, horizontal bar about 8" by 2". Furthermore, above the bar was a diagram of how you were supposed to push down on the bar with your entire left forearm, thereby avoiding the need to dispense the towels with wet hands. Perhaps not a perfect solution, but ingenious nonetheless.
There are, of course, far graver problems associated with washing one's hands in a public restroom. Consider the fact that after a people have used a toilet in a stall, touching or rubbing who knows what part of their bodies during the process, the first thing that they touch after leaving the stall is the faucet of a sink. (if, in fact, the person washes his/her hands--otherwise the first thing touched will be the handle of the exit door.) After washing--which could be little more than a one-second rinse with no soap--people then deposit water and whatever is left on their hands on the faucet as they turn off the water. So, there's a lot more stuff to consider before people reach for the paper towel dispenser handle.
I've devised my own OC rituals to work around such contamination worries, although when I'm in a hurry I simply choose not to obsess.
Comments
Defecating is something that I try to do at home. If I have to defecate in a public restroom, I have another ritual that I use. I won't describe that one but I will mention that the toilet seats that are "U" shaped are by far the worst as they leave a gap in the front where my penis and testicles might encounter the cold and wet (it is always wet) porcelain toilet. I haven't tried using the germicide on my penis or testicles. I suppose it would be OK on my testicles and most of my penis but, there are certain portions of my penis that probably would be effected in a negative fashion if they were introduced to germicide.
There was an episode of Seinfeld a while back in which George took off his shirt before using a public restroom. It was funny subject matter but, it made perfect sense to me. Most toilets have an area behind the seat that collects urine and liquid feces and maybe other fluids. That area is seldom cleaned by store employees. If I am wearing a long shirt which I almost always wear as they hide my alien pregnancy, the long, back portion of my shirt is likely to rest between the seat and the tank which means that it will come in contact with some nasty stuff! I am glad that there is usually a hanger or hook on the stall door. Juggling my disrobed shirt, keeping my penis and testicles away from the front part of the toilet, being carful not to let my divers cause a splash (even though I flush before using public toilets), keeping my feet spread far enough apart to avoid stepping in the puddles around the base of the toilet, thinking about how I will slide the door securing lever to the open position when I am finished, and trying to keep my mind occupied by reading the graffiti would be far too much for me to deal with.
Maybe a healthy dose of exposure to germs would actually help me by increasing my immunity to diseases. Thanks for continuing my obsession with this topic.
Personally, I just hate it when I sit on a toilet to find that I have just dipped my penis in the water at the bottom of the bowl.
I just added your post to my favorite memories list.