Has anyone else noticed how refilling the souvenir cups is handled? In many restaurants, they dump out the leftover drink and promptly dip the cup directly into the ice.

Uhm.. if it's a refill there should be an ice scoop used. (IMHO) Heck, some might go as far as saying that the splash from refill is unsanitary.. I'm not apart of the latter group.

I have always seen them use a scoop, and hold it above the rim of the cup so as to not touch the cup itself.

While getting the swirled Banshee soft serve last week, I couldn't help but notice that the young man who takes your filthy, sweaty, germ-infested, water-ride-water-soaked money is the same one who turns around and fills your cone. Yum!

If you touched something else that was as dirty as money is, you'd run to the nearest bathroom and scrub for a while. But since it's money, you think little of it and go right to the mouth.

Don't get me started on laminated menus, either.

Basically just don't touch anything and you'll be okay.

Gotta strengthen that immune system..

Can't live constantly in fear, I don't worry about any of that stuff and never get sick

You think thats bad..

How often do you wash that credit card/season pass/ID of yours that gets handed off all day?

Hmm...

The dirtiest thing the average adult handles: gas pump handles. Virtually never cleaned...

^ I believe that. At least there's a semblance of cleanliness to most public restrooms and kitchens. They don't even try with gas pumps.

You think thats bad..

How often do you wash that credit card/season pass/ID of yours that gets handed off all day?

Hmm...

My credit card might get handed to a cashier once in a while (with most of the swiping and scanning going on on my end), but the money in my wallet has been in tens of thousands of wallets and tens of thousands of hands. *shrug* I'm not a germaphobe... just pointing it out!

Supposedly 90% of bills carry traces of cocaine. I'm 90% certain that my credit card doesn't.

So there's a 10% chance you use cocaine?

You know, significant digits and all that. And I don't know what those Square credit card scanners have been smoking...

If someone has a compromised or suppressed immune system, one (of many) things they shouldn't do is get anything from a soda fountain. Sealed bottles or cans only. If we are lucky, the nozzles on the machines are cleaned every day. The tubing on the inside, however, rarely gets cleaned. It's a great place for things to grow that wreak havoc on those weakened immune systems.

Wouldn't the acid in the carbonated water stop most growth?

Hi-C or non-carbonated Fanta, on the other hand....

Terp--who would be far, far more worried about ice machines.

Don't forget all those dollar bills that had came into contact with exoctic dancers!

We would think so...but not so much. BMT patients are told not to drink anything away from home that isn't sealed. The bacteria in fountains that a normal immune system would ignore can make them severely sick with infections that there may be no treatment. Ice machines are equally a huge no-no.

Those concerned about bacteria in soda fountains should especially appreciate the Coca-Coca Freestyle machines. With no plastic tubing and cartridges that get replaced, there are less places for bacteria to potentially grow.

The company I work for is a mechanical company that repairs pretty much anything in a restaurant. It would sicken you if you knew the amount of calls I take with mold and other things in the lines of a fountain machine and/or ice machine. It's disgusting.

If you carry the cups around the park, touch the rails, undo the straw and put it in your mouth, it's filthy dirty. You leave the cup in a bin, with other peoples items, disgusting. There is a chance that you pick up someone else's cup and not realize it is pretty gnarly, too.

I do want to add, I have no knowledge of what Kings Islands maintenance is on their fountain machines and ice machines. I can presume the majority of stands that have drinks empty out their ice bins nightly. That should cut down on some of the "issues" some companies face. .

I worked in fast food in the Seventies.

Ice machines were emptied...if the power went off long enough.

Otherwise....never, ever.

Yea I worked fast food ten years ago. The ice machine in the fountain head was emptied every time it was emptied by a customer ... Then we would grab the ice bucket and dump more ice in.

I worked at an Arby's in Cambridge where we found a moth in the ice bin. We were told to scoop him out. We also had ants in the fountain heads.

Conversely, I worked for my dad at a restaurant and he made sure we cleaned everything everywhere.... He would even clean the floors with a tooth brush

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Restaurants are not as clean as you think.. and that's assuming you expect mediocre cleanliness. There are exceptions, I'd expect, but man. Once you see what goes on, ew.. but you will probably still dine there anyways.


Food for thought, how dirty do you think your cell phone screen gets? Taking it in the restroom, always having to touch that screen between after other various activities and interactions..

Honestly, I'm not that grossed out by public bathrooms or restaurants. I can guarantee that they are probably cleaned more often than my bathroom or kitchen. Does your fridge have an automatic ice maker or water dispenser? How often do you clean it? Just some "food" for thought.

Think of all the times you sit on that toilet seat. You indirectly touched mutiple people's butt's... And fairly high chance you not gonna run over to the sink and put your butt in their and soap it down...

Theirs also, water fountains, ride restraints, the water from a water ride, those tray you use to pick up your food (some of them don't get cleaned properly), doors, and soo much more!

Here's a final thing to think of, you turned on the water to wash your hands, if you touch that again with your hands, you just got your hands dirty again, with someone that has been wiping their butt or just got done using a urinal...

I ride the Washington Metro.

Not for the fastidious.

That's for sure.

At least, unlike the New York Subway, it hasn't been reported to have bed bug infestations.

Yet.

Sad thing is the bed bugs might be the least of your worries...

As long as I don't get Ebola, I am not too concerned.

As long as I don't get Ebola, I am not too concerned.

You say that since you don't have bed bugs.

Something tells me you might become concerned.