Would you share with a stranger?

[MonkeyDishwasher]

That makes me think of another point. How many people share birthday cake at work? Most people might have a couple "friends" at work, but for the most part the rest of their coworkers are basically "strangers" as it relates to our current discussion.

Yes, but you'd generally know if someone from your office were recently sick or if they had some sort of contagious disease. There's also a difference between germ sharing in different types of food. A "dry" cake which is server using a cake cutter will hold any potential germs at the point of contact. Dripping ice cream will spread anything that may hit it.

It's like sharing a bowl of chips and salsa. At a smaller gathering you'll generally trust the stuff because you'll know the people there well enough to know if they were sick or not. At a huge house party, it's probably better to pass because you don't know who's touched those chips or double dipped, and if they only touched the chip they're actually picking versus touching a few different chips while making a choice.

And did you know you're more likely to get someone else's germs from a bowl of salsa than a bowl of nacho cheese? It's all to do with the thickness of the sauce.

 

[Matt71]

Yes, but you'd generally know if someone from your office were recently sick or if they had some sort of contagious disease.

Maybe at your office. My company has 70 employees and I only have regular contact with 5 or 6 of them. When the company has a function or a pot luck or something like that we all eat together whether we work in teh same department or not.

There's also a difference between germ sharing in different types of food. A "dry" cake which is server using a cake cutter will hold any potential germs at the point of contact. Dripping ice cream will spread anything that may hit it.

I guess I should have been clearer, but don't most people eat ice cream with cake?

It's like sharing a bowl of chips and salsa. At a smaller gathering you'll generally trust the stuff because you'll know the people there well enough to know if they were sick or not. At a huge house party, it's probably better to pass because you don't know who's touched those chips or double dipped, and if they only touched the chip they're actually picking versus touching a few different chips while making a choice.

This goes back to one of my earlier points and the study I posted. Someone you "trust" is just as likely to double dip as someone you don't, but because you "trust" them it's ok to share. I really wish some people would comment on that study.

This, of course, does not apply to PPs that won't share with ANYONE.

And did you know you're more likely to get someone else's germs from a bowl of salsa than a bowl of nacho cheese? It's all to do with the thickness of the sauce.

I do now

 

[Tricia1972]

I warned before that if this became a post where people weren't free to share their opinions without having to defend them that we'd close this thread.

We're rapidly deteriorating into being off topic, as well as becoming more of a debate and less of a sharing of our opinions. Including the requirement to read a study in order to comment.

OP has a good idea of how well his offer to share would be received and this thread has run its course on the restaurant board. Moving to the Community Board for further discussion/debate.