Attention all customers: Have any of you ever heard of the swine flu?!

[BowserKoopa1]

I was working the register over the busy weekend. A customer and his wife come up to my register to check out. Suddenly he coughs directly in my direction without covering his mouth. I quickly take a couple steps back and check them out as fast as I can. As soon as they are done checking out, I rush to the bathroom and scrub my hands as best I can for 2 or 3 minutes.
I don't suppose any of these idiots have ever heard of a small epedimic going around called the swine flu?! Or have they been living in caves?!
I have had this happen before where customers just cough or sneeze in my direction and don't give a crap in the world if they get us sick, and of course we can't say anything to them or run the risk of getting a complaint.
Now I will ask all of you to please forgive my paranoa. But my best friend's stepdad has the swine flu, he's probably got it in his system right now but hasn't shown symptoms yet, and now my nephew who lives with us has caught it. So yes, I think I have every right to be afraid and concerned.
Getting back to the main point, I just can't believe how stupid customers can be (then again they are customers and need ) and that they just go around coughing without covering their mouths. What pisses me off even more is the fact that there are some who actually don't give a shit if we get sick. You'd think people would be mroe careful about spreading germs with something like swine flu going around. Then again, we all know how stupid customers are.

[Utter_iMADNESS]

So what if they complain? If they do and a manager sticks to their side then you can complain that you're working in unsafe conditions. A worker's union would eat that up and that would catch quite a bit of attention.

[Broomjockey]

But my best friend's stepdad has the swine flu, he's probably got it in his system right now but hasn't shown symptoms yet, and now my nephew who lives with us has caught it. So yes, I think I have every right to be afraid and concerned.

Hate to tell you, but then you've probably already got it too, and just aren't symptomatic.

And while I agree that it's sucky and rude to cough or sneeze in someone's direction, I disagree with your harping on swine flu. It's always rude. Swine flu has nothing to do with it. Even if swine flu didn't exist, it'd still be off the scales on the "don't do that." Be less fixated on swine flu.

[Soulstealer]

I hate the hysteria over swine flu. Every few years there's a new influenza strain that causes panic. If people just took good precautions in their day to day life there would be a lot less cases. And to be clear any influenza can be deadly not just the swine flu.

[Mamadrae]

I agree with Emperor Broomjockey. Last I remember being told it was RUDE to sneeze and/or cough without at least attempting to cover your mouth and nose. At the least I was taught to direct it elsewhere if my hands where not free, like at the floor. Swine flu or not, one should never spread disease and germs if they can help it.

[fireheart]

I agree with Emperor Broomjockey. Last I remember being told it was RUDE to sneeze and/or cough without at least attempting to cover your mouth and nose.

Emperor Broomjockey?! O.O

On the other hand, I've been taught to cough into my elbow if I can't cough or sneeze into a tissue.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

On the other hand, I've been taught to cough into my elbow if I can't cough or sneeze into a tissue.

That's what I try to do, but sometimes I misjudge distance and end up making a fart noise.

[BowserKoopa1]

As I said before, it just seems like these asshole customers don't even bother making a simple effort. As is the case with many other customers, they don't give a dam if they get us sick. All they care about is their dam purchase. That's what this post is about.

[tropicsgoddess]

I don't like the hysteria over it, but I still think that with any illness it's best to be as cautious as possible. Especially if you're pregnant, elderly and have a weak immune system or major health issues. Jeebus, how disgusting and selfish is that to just cough in somebody's face and not even cover their mouth?!!

[MergedLoki]

I hate the hysteria over swine flu. Every few years there's a new influenza strain that causes panic. If people just took good precautions in their day to day life there would be a lot less cases. And to be clear any influenza can be deadly not just the swine flu.

Agreed.

the 'flu' that comes by EVERY year around xmas is WAY deadlier than the swine flu. has been. (and thats not just because the swine flu is 'newer' it's a % thing). Based on the % of people who have got swine flu FAR FAR fewer numbers have died as oppose to the hundreds+ that die each year from the 'regular' flu.

regardless yes coughing/sneezing/etc. directly AT someone while making NO attempt to cover your mouth or something is rude as hell.

I get that in the hospital all the time (although if someones hacking up a lung I'll quickly throw gloves on and NOT get face to face with them. a tactic you don't have sadly).

[Darkforge]

To be honest, I hate customers who don't cover their mouths, but worse is if they sneeze, then use the hand they sneezed in to hand you money, or take the change from you (bonus ewww points if you get slime on your hand)

<swine flu rant>
As for swine flu, meh, it wasn't so bad. All 6 of us in my office came down with it within a few days of each other (we all had some cold like symptoms and then one of us got diagnosed so we all got it checked). We mutually agreed to just continue working and to hell with it. It wasn't the best few days but we took it easy, and made each other a lot of hot lemon drinks, ate properly and had plenty of fluids and got some early nights and within a week we were all back on our feet.

To be honest Swine Flu isn't something to be scared of unless you're in a risk group, in which case any amount of other illnesses are just as bad for you or worse. IF you come down with it, take it easy, rest lots and make sure you have someone who checks on you from time to time so that if it does get a lot worse they can help you out.
</swine flu rant>

[blas]

A lot of people lack basic common sense and.....err what's the word.....I can't even think of it, but yeah, that other word, when it comes to basic hygene and preventing themselves and others from getting sick. Especially the latter part.

One thing I definetly do not miss about my old department is there is this one older lady who never covers her mouth when she coughs. And she does the full blown mouth totally open tongue out super loud "Hwack hwack" cough.....coughing all over everything around her. Then they wonder when up to 5 people will call in sick on a given night certain times of the year.

If I have to cough while I'm working on something, rather than contaminate my gloves or the product, I cough into my elbow.

[Andara Bledin]

I never cough into my hand. That's just disgusting. Instead, I use the back of my hand, since I don't use the back of my hand to touch anything, it's a pretty safe location.

I do wonder about how sanitary a well-used cloth handkerchief is, tho... I know at least on person who uses one, and it's really disgusting. Particularly since my work will supply facial tissue to anyone who asks.

^-.-^

[otakuneko]

And they thought me and one of my co-irkers (picked up the habit from him) were being anal for keeping hand sanitizer in our cubes, and wiping down the keyboard and mouse with alcohol wipes (and whatever else we could get before the wipe ran out) before a shift...