Restaurant Hygiene
Despite the fact that I’m only 2-1/2 months out from my kidney transplant, I still occasionally eat at restaurants. I’ve always been cognizant of how clean a restaurant is, since I worked in McDonalds while in high school. One of my pet peeves is when a person cleaning a table uses the same rag on the seats as they do on the table (a big no-no at Mickey D’s). However, since my transplant and resulting immunosuppression, I’m even more fanatical about it now.
This past weekend, the 3 of us went to lunch with my wife’s mother and sister. They seated us at a table that obviously was dirty. The hostess noticed it, and put down the napkin-wrapped untensils on the dirty table and told us she would be back to clean it. When she cleaned it, she put the utensils back down ON THE WET TABLE ! (capillary action can wick germs into the napkin and onto the utensils) I let it get that far to see what she would do, and when she hadn’t replaced them, I told her of my immune status and asked for clean utensils. Needless to say, I didn’t get a pleasant response. She wasn’t nasty, but I could tell that she was pissed.
2 weeks ago, we went away for the weekend, and when we were waiting for a table at a restaurant, the host picked a cloth up off the floor and WIPED OUR TABLE OFF WITH IT! I mentioned it to the waitress, and of course, got another pissed-off look.
Am I being unreasonable? Even if I DIDN’T have a suppressed immune system, I would still expect that our utensils and napkins not be placed on a dirty table, nor should a rag that was on the floor be used to clean our table off.
Oh my goodness. That is simply appalling hygiene. I’m one of those people who will ask waitstaff for clean items or if I’m suspicious of a chronic lack of hygiene, I will simply leave. Gastroenteritis or food poisoning are both serious matters.
I don’t hesitate to speak up. Especially now, since my immune system is suppressed from the medications, and food poisoning could be fatal to me.
You are not being unreasonable at all. How gross.
Jeff, did you see the link on my main blog about germs? (Ewwww….I’m about to ruin your day.) The water with lemon got me as that’s about all I drink in a restaurant. My daughters worked at McD’s when in high school and they won’t hardly eat at one now. I think “ignorance is bliss” is probably true in most fast food places, and a lot of others. Hang in there!