October 28, 2008
Free Hand Sanitizer from Metro
Starting today, WMATA is going to hand out free bottles of hand sanitizer at select Metro stations "to raise awareness of easy ways to reduce the chances of passing germs as the fall flu season begins." The handouts are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. today, tomorrow and Thursday at these stations:
- Tuesday, October 28, at Eastern Market and Farragut North
- Wednesday, October 29, at Franconia-Springfield and Braddock Road
- Thursday, October 30, at Forest Glen and New Carrollton
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[enter monkeyrotica's crude sex joke here]
:)
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Washing your hands works, if you use soap and spend more than 2 seconds under the water. I work with women who only hold their hands under the water for 2 seconds and then dry. I never used to be a germaphobe, but with the cold/flu season here, I will think more of it.
Out damn germ!
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I assume the bottles are small enough that they won't be confiscated during the random bag searches?
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Actually, germ-wise, the Metro is nothing compared to your average handbag. Now there's an e-coli epidemic waiting to happen. Heck, the average toilet seat is cleaner than the average computer keyboard. How often does your keyboard get cleaned? The crapper at work gets swabbed with bleach once a day. Yes, the keyboard you're using RIGHT NOW IS A PLAGUE WAITING TO HAPPEN.
So, yeah, I'm really looking forward to those "random" bag searches on Metro. Those jackbooted thugs are entering Typhoid Mary territory.
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are germs or terrorists a bigger threat??!? i can't deal with more than one thing at a time.
WMATA, YOU'RE SCARING ME!!!!
i must go curl up in a ball now, the world is too much to bear.
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Along with the hand sanitizer, Metro will also be handing out information pamphlets about how you can help prevent the spread of germs while at the same time creating anti-biotic resistant strains of the flu with our free purell.
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Misinformation alert, Rukasu: Purell and other alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not contain an antibiotic, and as such, using them does not foster the creation of drug-resistant bacteria strains (which is why hospitals, among other places, increasingly use them).
When Metro starts handing out "antibacterial" liquid soap, then we can complain.
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Though, Rukasu, it's refreshing to see someone out there paying attention...
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Additionally, over use of alcohol based hand sanitizers, such as Purell, can actually make you more susceptible to illness, because they dry out your hands, creating cracks in your skin, through which germs, microbes and viruses can find their way in to your body.
Your best bet: wash your hands thoroughly with warm/hot water after riding public transportation and apply a small amount of lotion. And, yes, Monkey is right -- clean your keyboards (and phone, file drawers and other commonly used/public items in your office) often.
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i wish they'd hand out free Astroglide and Altoids too.
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Come one, come all- WMATA will be now be dispensing Flu Shots! Don't worry, the needles are clean... they've been sanitized with our free Purell!
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My wife and I call it "washing off the Metro"...
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One word: gloves.
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I'd settle for KY Warming Gel and a shot of rye.
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@monkey: i keep reading that as "KY and a warming shot of rye." just as good, i like the warming where i can see it. er, taste it. er...
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WMATA would have a lot more satisfied customers if they kept their KY and handed out hot toddies, mulled cider, and hot buttered rum. This sure as hell is the weather for it.
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Let's all shake on that.
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This may be controversial to say...but, hey, fuck it!!
What they should be doing is handing out condoms at stations that are within areas that have high teen pregnancy rates. Just sayin'.
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That's why I wear gloves on the metro. Even in summertime. Plus it's fancy.
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So with the new random bag searches, this means that Metro won't let us bring our own drugs into the system, but will give us free alcohol once we get there?
Gives a new meaning to the term "rail drinks."
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Just don't drink it inside a station, or you'll be shot on sight.
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At first I thought this was another case of Metro involved in a colossal waste of our tax dollars and fares, but then I realized the trick here:
Metro hands you a bottle of hand sanitizer. If you take it, you are identified by the Transit Police for a bag check. When they confiscate the hand sanitizer (it is highly flammable and could be used top make a bomb or weapon). They can now recycle the bottle, giving it to the next poor victim.
And if you refuse the "consent search" of your bag then attempt to enter the Metro through another entrance, you will be engaged in suspicious behavior that, presumably gives them cause to search you without consent. Nice Catch-22, Metro!
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@ Stanton Park:
Even better: they leave the hand sanitizer out on a table, and if you take it, you are immediately arrested for theft, a la the NYPD a year or so ago.
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Free is free, but I got to Franconia-Springfield at 5:05 AM this morning and they weren't there yet. Bummer!
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Handing out bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to subway riders?
Brilliant-they can use them to mix a cocktail if the Metro is running late, or perhaps as an incendiary device if they're frustrated, or maybe just use the ingredients to create a camp fire within the subway in case the heat drops off.
Only in Washington would you find people making a decision to solve one problem, that in turn creates a problem 5 times more problematic. Many government agencies actually ban alcohol-based hand sanitizers within their facilities--so how is that Metro thinks its a good idea.?
There are PLENTY of alcohol-free, rinse free hand sanitizers that kill all of the nasty pathogens, without the dangers of alcohol-based products (brands include Soapopular, Hy5, and others--easily purchased at stores or online).
Get with it Washington..A new sheriff is coming to town--show him that you have some smarts! A good blog on the topic of alcohol-free hand sanitizers is at htt://www.handhygienefacts.blogspot.com