My favourite pop culture moment about washing hands is from Pulp Fiction, when Jules and Vincent are in a bathroom cleaning up after Vincent shoots Marvin in the face.
Jules accuses Vincent of not properly washing his hands. Vincent says he did.
“I watched you get them wet,” Jules says, adding that Vincent needs to add soap to qualify as "washing your hands."
If only Burnaby men would at least get their hands wet – that would be a dramatic leap from the current situation I witness every day in our city.
Based on what I see, many Burnaby men don’t even get their hands wet, let alone actually putting soap on their hands.
Every day I am in a mall, a restaurant, a pub or a recreation centre in Burnaby and I see men come out of a stall or leave a urinal and walk out without washing their hands.
Every. Single. Damn. Day.
It’s disgusting and a reason why I usually avoid shaking hands if I can, because I’ve seen too many men ignore basic, common decency.
But it’s more than just gross – it’s dangerous with the arrival of coronavirus because health officials say it’s the No. 1 thing people can do to protect themselves and others. Now we can’t afford men to be pigs because of their lack of hand washing. Seriously, dudes, get it together. (I can’t speak for women because I don’t know their hand-washing habits, but I’m figuring it’s a far better situation than with men.)
As for not touching your face, well, that’s a tougher thing. I never realized how often I do this until I tried to stop.
Here is what health officials advise:
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If a sink is not available, use alcohol-based hand-rubs to clean your hands as long as they are not visibly soiled. If they are visibly soiled, use a wipe and then a rub.
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• If you sneeze or cough, cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or the crease of your elbow.
• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
• Do not share food, drinks, utensils, etc.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
