about STRAWS

So this is a New York thing...well, maybe it's more broad than that, but it's CERTAINLY not a NC thing and that's my comparison.

Every time I buy a bottle or can of some drink, I am given a straw. It used to be that I didn't take much notice but I mentioned it to someone at work and she was AMAZED that I would question such a thing. She explained that one day, her husband caught her drinking straight from a can and he smacked the can out of her hand.

Everyone agreed that I was the weird one for NOT using a straw with a can. As they see it, there are countless germs on the top of a can of soda. If you put your mouth on these germs, you are crazy. That's what the straw is for.

Ok, I'm with you. BUT...did you ever realize that the germs you are so scared of are on the tab of the drink...the tab that you push INTO the drink?

Additionally, let's be real about something: there are germs ALL over the can. Not just on the lip. And your HAND is on that can. Do you wash your hands right after touching the can? The money you paid for the can with? Money is horribly dirty. So is that can (at least according to you). And all those germs are on your hands. Now what? You rub your eyes. Eat some french fries. Bite your fingernails.

People only really wash their hands after using the bathroom. SOMETIMES before they eat. But honestly, even people who wash their hands before they eat actually only wash them before a MEAL. And meals are generally eaten with utensils. Nobody washes their hands before snacking and snacking is usually done with hands.

I'm not suggesting we all bathe in germs, but let's have a little perspective. The straw is NOT doing anything. And for that matter, neither does RINSING fruit. I will never understand why people rinse fruit under water for 10 seconds before eating it. It does NOTHING. I promise.