Sometimes it's hard to speak up.

One thing I've noticed lately is that folks who work in food services are not very well versed in the health rules. Or if they are, they ignore them all the time. I was at a fast food restaurant and the guy kept touching his hair (ecch) and not washing his hands. I also never see anyone even wiping their hands after they take money and before they touch the food.

But yesterday I finally spoke up. We were in line at Trader Joe's and the cashier kept sneezing. Granted, she pulled her t-shirt up over her nose each time, but the final straw was when I saw her blowing her nose into her t-shirt collar. When it was our turn, as she reached for our food, I said, "Could you change your gloves first, please?" She did it, but she acted like I was a germphobe for asking.

Uh, you really should be WASHING your hands. My request is not out of line.

Fortunately, this experience is not the norm at our Trader Joe's.

Why is it so hard, though? It seems like the rules are pretty damned clear. Hell, they're plastered in each fast-food restaurant's bathroom, just about.

sigh.