Comments on: Licking Your Fingers At A Buffet

By: Alexander

Alexander — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:30:35 +0000

I have complained about cashiers licking their fingers and upper management almost always is disgusted by it and always takes action. I a bank where I used to bank, cashiers were told they would be fired for finger licking. In Orange County, California, if a restaurant worker licks their fingers, that is listed by the Department of Health as a reason for citing the restaurant or closing it down.

By: stuart

stuart — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:08:00 +0000

I it is disgusting, saw some jackass at mcdonalds do it today, always want to say “how’s that shi_ taste”, and even to those hat don’t care, so you don’t mind someones spit all over the doorhandles etc?

By: Samantha

Samantha — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:45:12 +0000

What can we do about cashiers licking their fingers and ringing up groceries? My local Walmart just about every cashier in their licks their fingers. It takes me longer to search the registers and find a cashier that is not checking out customers and licking her fingers, than it does for me to fill my basket. Cashiers actually get an attitude if they are asked not to lick their fingers while checking me out. One cashier actually called a man crazy because he asked her not to lick her fingers while checking him out because it is germy, unsanitary and nasty. What can be done about finger lickers, it makes me sick in my stomach and I have actually left my cart of groceries in the store because I have seen the cashier lick her fingers and see saliva on her hand. I try to explain it to my mother in this way, would she let a cashier spit in her hand. To me it is the same thing, they lick their fingers, touch your loose produce and vegetables after touching money all day, foods, cash register, going to the bathroom. Germs are accumulating all day I know, but to watch someone put saliva on their finger and then touch my food that I will have to put in my refrigerator, freezer, cabinets. My daughter will not touch the bags once she sees a cashier lick their finger. I have to put on a glove and wipe my items off before I can put them away. I would not leave the restroom and see an employee leaving the restroom without washing their hand, then go behind a food counter and fix my food. The same rules should apply with cashiers licking their fingers. One manager said that they cannot provide the wax stuff for the cashiers, a cup of water to wet the tips of their fingers would be fine with me. Anything besides saliva

By: erika evans

erika evans — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:28:41 +0000

I’m writing a public speaking pet peeve essay thing. Yeah, and finger-lickers are my pet peeve.

By: mark

mark — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:01:28 +0000

Actually Eric, I normally avoid buffets because most buffets do not properly hot thier foods at adequate temperatures increasing the likely hood of food bourne illness not to mention chewy put feces on the tongs (lol) As well as most buffets food really sucks.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:18:02 +0000

Mark you lick your fingers at the buffet, don’t you.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:20:42 +0000

Yes you are correct, in the fact that it introduces bacteria into the food likley the dose introduced is not sufficent to get you sick unless and untill the food harboring the bacteria laden feces is “incubated” for about 4 hours, in a temperature range of about 42F to 135F. and close to 100F is a prime incubation temp for most bacteria. Now of course you must look at what bacteria, the dose leve required for creating illness in “most” people, and the gerenral physical condition of the person ingesting the feces laden food. If the feces on the tongs were really a huge problem do you think any restraunt owner would have buffets or if they did would they stay open long?

And as for E. Coli, normally is found in the gut of most living creatures and is non-pathogenic. on the other hand the E. Coli that is closing establishments is E. coli O157:H7. Another interesting thing about E. Coli. since it comes from the gut it is used to gage the level of fecal contamination in water and other things, as fecal contamination is a prime source of introduction of pathogenic organisms.

Food served is not sterile by any means it is simply reduced in the numbers of bacteria by cooking to have a dose level which is likely to not make you ill. These bacteria over time give proper growing conditions repopulate.

Yep just cuz were talking about fingers the point is where have those fingers been?

My point is still a disgusting behavoir the real health threat comes from how the venu if holding the food and assuring the temperatures of the foods are such that it reduces the rate at which bacteria grow!

By: chewie

chewie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:39:41 +0000

Hang on a minute, Mark… so if I go wipe my ass with my hand and return to the buffet for some delicious crab legs and happen to coat the tongs with feces, that’s not a problem? E. Coli has shut many a restaurant down. Granted, the complaint is about licking your fingers at a buffet and I’m talking about feces, but some people have pretty dirty mouths.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:40:25 +0000

Actually even if you have finger licking it is not going to affect you. The utensils are not capable of supporting bacterial growth. It is a well know fact that bacteria must be given about 4 hours of optimal temperature to replicate enough to cause disease. This means I can come along a deposit my germs upon your buffet food not just to the tongs but to the food itself, so long as this food remain at hold (135F or above) or at cold hold (41F or lower) then bacterial growth will not occur in the food to the point where it will make you sick. So the real risk at the buffet is the temperature control of the food kept on the buffet, and believe me buffets have a very large amount of temperature violations when the local health authority arrives.

Now if your talking about viruses such as Nora virus, this stuff is so contagious if some in the buffet is infect your going to get it from the door handle before you even get into the restaurant.

But now that you mention it the licking the fingers is not a very appetizing activity to view.

By: Jay Gilly

Jay Gilly — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:09:39 +0000

This is a problem with restaurants in general. But you can’t even buy raw lettuce any more without it being contaminated with nasty things. Sheesh. When do we get our Star Trek replicators?