Dirty, dirty Braves fans
From the American Society for Microbiology and The Soap and Detergent Association, via Braves Blog, comes this tidbit about the dirty male fans at Turner Field:
Men really strike out when it comes to handwashing at sporting events, the study found. Only 57 per cent of the guys were observed washing their hands at Turner Field in Atlanta (the lowest figure at any of the locales). On the other hand, women hit a home run: 95 per cent were observed cleaning their hands at the same location.
Now the next time I’m watching TV and the fans in Atlanta start doing the tomahawk chop, I’ll know it’s not just racist, it’s unsanitary, too.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:09 am
He’s got a better chance to win with the Braves next year than the Mets, if that means anything to him.
REPORT COMMENT
September 28th, 2007 at 11:54 am
How in the world do you figure that? I mean, you could make that argument based on what players the teams have now. But the Braves could lose both Andruw and Edgar. And there’s no telling what the Mets will do in the offseason, but it’s a safe bet they’ll spend more than Atlanta.
REPORT COMMENT
October 9th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
I know this makes me sound incredibly dirty*. But here are the following reasons why washing hands at ballparks (at least at Shea) sometimes takes a backseat:
1) Lack of sinks. At each men’s rooms at Shea, there are probably about 20 urinals and three stalls. Problem is, there are only two sinks, which creates a logjam (maybe not an appropriate word to use about a men’s room, but call me edgy) at the sinks. Patience wears thin.
2) Lack of paper towels. By the fifth inning, all the paper towels are gone and not restocked. So wash your hands if you must. Just know that they’re going back to your seats soaked.
3) Freaking kids. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stuck behind five-year olds who take forever washing their hands. No, you really don’t need seven squeezes from the soap dispenser. Just move it along.
4) Lack of soap. See item 3.
5) The roar of the crowd. There’s nothing quite like hearing the crowd cheer loudly, letting you know that you’ve missing something great because you’re mid-stream. Washing hands then becomes secondary.
*Please note, I do wash my hands – with soap if available – everytime I visit the men’s room. I just understand why some guys don’t.
REPORT COMMENT
October 9th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Paul, you’re filthy.
REPORT COMMENT
October 9th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Don’t hate me just because I tell it like it is.
REPORT COMMENT
October 9th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
To add to Paul’s list, I shower everyday. I know exactly what goes in my pants and where my hands have been. I cannot say the same about any public place, let alone major league ballpark.
You’re probably better off touching as little as possible in there anyways.
Also, Purell, people! It comes in pocket size bottles for a reason.
REPORT COMMENT
October 9th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
I am here to blow the whistle on the “clean” female fans at Turner Field. Sure, 95% of them wash their hands. But I’m certain that almost the same percentage “hover” over the toilet out of an irrational fear of germs on the toilet seat, only to end up spraying everywhere. Gross, ladies. Gross. Sit down for chrissakes. It’s not like you’re putting your *face* on there!
REPORT COMMENT
October 10th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Ditto Paul and Rich. (For the record, I leave a public bathroom without washing my hands maybe once a month.) Paul is presenting real issues at a ballgame. And if necessary I am able to relieve myself and flush without using my hands on anything but a zipper. But if I’m eating, I gotta wash up. That’s just asking to get sick.
Quick aside: I wonder if ASM and SDA did any observations during poker tournaments. When you have 5 or 10 minutes on break and 100 people (mostly men) need to use a single restroom clear across the casino it can make for a time crunch at the urinals. A lot of guys who wear shorts just bunch up their leg near their crotch instead of using the fly. For some reason I have only seen poker players doing this.
REPORT COMMENT
April 6th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Coley you’re right, we lost Andruw and Edgar. We’re doing alright without them though.
REPORT COMMENT