Restaurant touchscreen technology

[smadath]

I don't use my fingertip when I use a touchscreen. I use my knuckle. Then I wash my hands/use Purell.

People are just as disgusting as touchscreens. And that's not to say anything about them personally. At fast food places, they take your order, touch money (and who knows where that's been), then touch your food and cup when they put it on a tray. Germs are crawling around everywhere! Touchscreens are no worse than everything else.

 

[bcla]

My credit card company deposits $100 - $200 per month into my account. The more I charge the more I get back.

I was really rolling in the cash when you used to be able to buy rolls of dollar coins from the US Mint with free shipping. The Mint took credit cards. Buy $10,000 in coins, deposit them immediately into your bank account, and get $200 free dollars. Of course it was too good to last.

Yes I’ve heard of that since I was a big proponent of those dollar coins. But I thought they instituted a limit fairly quickly. I found this story where a guy ordered $15,000. It came in 6 boxes, weighed around 300 lbs total, and the first bank where he attempted to deposit them refused them because of a lack of available room in their vault. Apparent he got an appointment the next day where he got a hand slip that said it was subject to a final count. And he needed a dolly to be able to move them.

https://www.riskology.co/the-day-i-bought-15000/

 

[MillauFr]

I also don't use cash because of all the fecal matter on all of the bills. Those dollar bills are filthy.

 

[Veronica Jude]

I'm so confused. Where do they have touchscreens at restaurants? Admittedly, we do eat ff sometimes with the kids (I ain't too proud) and use mobile ordering, so I may have missed something not going into the restaurant.

ETA: I can only imagine how nasty my own phone is. Yuck.

I see them more in airport restaurants than anywhere else.

 

[kimblebee]

Doesn't bother me one bit. I don't give a poop.

I'm "immunocompromised" too, but I just don't understand the germophobia stuff. It's part of daily life, a little common sense is all you need.

Why did you use quotes? It kinda makes it seem like you don’t think it’s a real thing.

 

[cinnaminny]

I'm not too worried about it for me personally. For other people though, bleh. I am really into hand washing.

When you have to pay people $15-$20 per hour to take orders restaurants are going to look for ways to cut costs. You don't think that Costco can really make any money selling those hotdogs for $1.50.

That's optimistic. I think they would have switched to that model regardless of what they had to pay their employees. If they had to pay their employees 3 dollars an hour, their goal would still be to make more money.

 

[cinnaminny]

The fact is that anything that might be found on a touch screen would also be on door handles, counters, tabletops, etc. Just basic hand washing should be employed whether or not one is opening the door or using a screen.

Exactly. Touching things in public is GROOOOOSS. People need to wash their hands more.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Most things touched in public have some amount of fecal matter on them, that’s why hand hygiene is important.


Also, maybe don’t lick the screens or your hands.

 

[bcla]

Most things touched in public have some amount of fecal matter on them, that’s why hand hygiene is important.


Also, maybe don’t lick the screens or your hands.

Most McDonald's have these now, although the ones I've seen are more a rectangular box.

The main issue I have with them is that the way they're dispensed. It's stored as a roll sitting on its end in the stand/container. If nobody has grabbed one in a few minutes, the one at the top is already dried out. What's inside and not still in the roll may be dried out. I've literally pulled out about 5 until I got one that was still wet.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just curious about those touch screen devices, do they fall under the jurisdiction of the health department? What about other items on a restaurant table like salt, pepper, ketchup, hot sauce, etc? Do those ever get cleaned or inspected?

Yes, they do. (See the latest FDA Food Code below.) Cell phones are no longer allowed in kitchens or around food because of their germ content, and the other things you mention all fall under routine sanitation.

https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/UCM595140.pdf

In addition to the FDA, restaurants are also subject to local and state health department rules.

I don't use my fingertip when I use a touchscreen. I use my knuckle. Then I wash my hands/use Purell.

People are just as disgusting as touchscreens. And that's not to say anything about them personally. At fast food places, they take your order, touch money (and who knows where that's been), then touch your food and cup when they put it on a tray. Germs are crawling around everywhere! Touchscreens are no worse than everything else.

As mentioned above, they are when it comes to being around food.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I thought this was an excellent article, too, from Food Safety News:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/03/touchy-feely-restaurant-screens-covered-with-creepy-crawlies/

 

[EscalatorKid]

It's cute how everyone is freaking out about the touchscreen but nobody considers the chairs, tables, counters, door handles, money, their phones, their keys, the food, the air around... The napkin and ketchup dispensers, the self-service fountain...

Nobody is avoiding any of this anywhere public.

Sensationalist stories meant to drive traffic to the story/comments to get ad revenue.

 

[Floridaman999]

I must live a sheltered life because I've never seen or used one of these.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I must live a sheltered life because I've never seen or used one of these.

It's probably where you've eaten at. I've encountered both the table top versions (like at Chili's, Red Robin, etc) and the large ones like at McDonald's where you ordered off of the kiosk and then go to the counter.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Most McDonald's have these now, although the ones I've seen are more a rectangular box.

The main issue I have with them is that the way they're dispensed. It's stored as a roll sitting on its end in the stand/container. If nobody has grabbed one in a few minutes, the one at the top is already dried out. What's inside and not still in the roll may be dried out. I've literally pulled out about 5 until I got one that was still wet.

The problem is those only kill some of the nasties that can be found in fecal matter like C. diff which isn’t killed by alcohol based sanitizers or most other cleaners.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's cute how everyone is freaking out about the touchscreen but nobody considers the chairs, tables, counters, door handles, money, their phones, their keys, the food, the air around... The napkin and ketchup dispensers, the self-service fountain...

Nobody is avoiding any of this anywhere public.

Sensationalist stories meant to drive traffic to the story/comments to get ad revenue.

It's only "cute" until you or your family has had a serious food-borne illness yourselves.

 

[GreatLakes]

Anyone touching the screens would be touching the menu and anything else. People worry about such stupid things. Just don't put your hands in your mouth when you are done touching them and you are fine. If you are eating something with your hands, like a sandwich, I hope you are smart enough to wash your hands after touching anything.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I think it’s important to reiterate that actually washing your hands when possible is better than using hand sanitizer too...

 

[bcla]

The problem is those only kill some of the nasties that can be found in fecal matter like C. diff which isn’t killed by alcohol based sanitizers or most other cleaners.

Doesn't benzethonium chloride take care of that? I've read that one benefit is a bit of residual antimicrobial activity even after it's dry. I don't particularly like alcohol-based hand sanitizers anyways because they dry out my skin.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Doesn't benzethonium chloride take care of that? I've read that one benefit is a bit of residual antimicrobial activity even after it's dry. I don't particularly like alcohol-based hand sanitizers anyways because they dry out my skin.

Yes but some bacteria like C. diff are sporulated and difficult to kill even with the benzethonium chloride. Manual washing helps to physically remove them so the wipes are better than the gels or foams in any case. Like you said, I wouldn’t trust the effectiveness of wipes left out and open to the public like that. I’m not really concerned though because I practice good hand hygiene