Disgusting standards of hygiene in pubs
14-May-2008
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Disgusting standards of hygiene in pubs

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I am totally appalled by the disgusting hygiene in pubs.  Bar staff collect the empty glasses inserting their fingers into the glass, holding them where customers have had there mouths. They then make no effort to wash their hands before serving the next customer, usually passing the customer his drink by holding the glass by the rim, ensuring that the pathogens on the dirty glasses are passed on.

People serving food are not supposed to eat or smoke to prevent saliva being passed from their fingers to the food.  What really annoys me is seeing bar staff smoking in the gap of the bar with the flap up thinking that they are not breaking the rules because they are not smoking behind the bar.  They of course do not wash their hands when serving a customer.  Likewise it is common for bar staff to eat behind the bar and when being disturbed by a customer, give their fingers a good lick before handing the customer his glass by the rim.

It is also disgusting for customers to have their existing glass refilled whereby their germs can be transferred to the beer tap and transmitted to the next customer.  Likewise optics where the rim of the glass is pressed against the release mechanism also transmits germs when the same glass is used.  This is an ideal way of getting hepatitis.  In pubs that serve food it is common for bar staff to collect the dirty plates and then serve a customer food or drink without washing their hands.  It is a myth that alcohol kills germs otherwise beer would not go off.

Looking past the guiness pump ata bar

It is also disgusting when free snacks are put on the bar. 70% of males do not wash their hands when going to the toilet – Yuk.

It is also a common sight to see customers take a piece of cheese from the bowl on the bar and give it to their dog, placing it nicely in its’ mouth before putting their fingers back in the bowl – Yuk. I have seen the landlady of a local pub feed her own dog and not wash her hands before serving customers.  The lady is a trained nurse and should know better.

The local pub, bar staff

The bar lady in another local pub was seen mopping the floor with a mop used in the toilets.  The handle of the mop was filthy but she then on to serve customers without washing her hands, of course making sure that she handled the full glasses by the rim.

The other day a barman emptied the dog bowl and was about to serve us with a beer.  My friend told him that dogs lick their testicles and that he was likely to get tertiary genital herpes (untrue).  He rushed to wash his hands!  Bar staff collecting dirty glasses or ashtrays quite often pass the dirty items over your drink – ugh.

The landlord of a local pub cleans his spectacles and then dries them on the same cloth used for drinking glasses.  As mentioned in somebody else’s gripe you have to use the dirty door handles to exit the loo.  I got round this problem by using a tissue.  There is of course nowhere to dispose of the tissue.

The health department at our local council will do nothing, they tell me, unless you can prove you have caught some disease from these disgusting practices.  I am therefore grateful for the opportunity of posting this gripe.

By: Disgusted from Brighton


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The comments made are true of some venues around the country, but please don't group all bar staff together. I have spent a lot of time making sure my staff always handle glasses on the lower half, leaving the top clean for the customers whining gobs! We also always wash our hands after smoking and eating, and in fact after pretty much everything. If you want to visit a pub with quality service and standards of hygiene come to York and ask for the Wonkey Donkey...

By the way - before you start on any more one-sided rants of such magnitude take an English course: your grammar is appalling!
*Donkey God  27-Feb-2008 15:36

 
You'd be hard pressed to find a decent service in a public house these days. In fact, finding a good service of any kind in this country is a rarity. The other week I was in a public house and asked the staff for some beer mats as the table had been for a swim. This member of staff gave a twisted expression as a reply to my request and just stood there like a cardboard cut-out. The whole country is finished it really is.
*Davey Boy  02-Jul-2007 15:57

 
My Bad
Bacteria, yeasts and molds are three types of microorganisms. Some people often confuse, and almost always misunderstand, their functions, but they are just as real and alive as you are. They eat and grow. They reproduce and die.
So same old same old
*Citysmurf  22-Jun-2007 20:15

 
Not all bacteria is bad anyways, and humans in general are less tough compared to other animals against bacteria because of our hygeine standards over the last few hundred years. I'm not saying you shouldn't try to avoid dangerous bacterias, but you don't need to be wrapped up in disinfected cotton wool constantly.

Also, yeast is not a bacteria, it is a fungus.
*Lawl  16-Jun-2007 12:05

 
If he manages to do this he then wont be able to pass your ale as yeast (yes a form of bacteria) has been used to make your beloved drink.

You attempt to leave the pub but you cant as someone else has touched the handle... no your stuck in this disease ridden hell. One might think that fred should stay at home or a padded white cell where everything is clean or is it..... Wait there are bacteria living inside me..."nurse fetch me a scalple"

And although Fred may pick holes in my spelling, punctuation and grammer from this blog, my bacteria has been round longer than his English. With this in mind he will proberbly retort by talking about my class, well although I may not be a doctor, lawyer or royalty I do work in a pretty good profession and a bartender twice a week for fun. I am no sponger of the state, and I do not have an ASBO. I have my own personal standards of hygene which allow to remain healthy and smell goooooooood, (do you like my spelling of 'good' Fred) does this annoy you.
Before you write a reply to this blog fred I leave you with this final thought....

Computer keyboards are havens for some nasty superbugs that can live nestled in among the keys for at least 24 hours,
*Citysmurf  16-Jun-2007 11:55

 
Bacteria has been round forever and will more than likely outlive us. Unfortunatly you can never get around the fact that it exists and it lives off you. Imagine walking into a pub and being served by someone who is dressed head to toe in scrubs. while waiting for your ale the bartender washes his hands and takes care not to touch the taps as this may contain harmful bacteria. While aempting to pour your ale from the pump with no hands he then proceds to find you a glass that no human hands or lips have touched.
*Citysmurf  16-Jun-2007 11:54

 
Not to worry tricky, there are others out there who feel like you do. Why does this "Moron" feel the need to slate hygene standards in pubs. Has he been reading recent articles about hygene and bacteria and how pathogens will eventually kill you? Well having worked in a bar for 12 year I have never managed to kill someone by touching the rim of there glass. To be honest I would be more concerned to who's Rim Fred has been touching. Seems to me he is slightly anal anyway.
*Citysmurf  16-Jun-2007 11:54

 
Disgusted from Brighton, I agree with everything you say. But in general, males and especially pub-dwelling males are absolutely disgusting, and don't know how to SPELL the world 'hygiene', let alone have any idea of what it is!

This is one of the reasons I hate pubs and clubs... YUCK.
*Pub dwellers are sad alcoholic losers  08-May-2007 08:24

 
Get a life - If this is all you have to worry about then you are a very lucky man.
*KenB  28-Dec-2006 03:23

 
Check out Mr Jobsworth.

I started to read your post but fell asleep after two lines. Is it any good? I daren't try again as might drop off again and hit my head on my desk.

Once that happens the germs on my desk will transfer to my head, I'll scratch my head and the germs will get on my hands. OH MY GOD! Somebody call an ambulance.

There are some serious nutters posting on this gripe. It seems to be OCD heaven.

Next time I drink a pint I'm going to scratch my ass and rub it on the glass and hope one of you freaks drinks out of it next.
*Woo  29-Sep-2006 11:17

 
None of us who wish to enjoy clean food and drink have to put up with sloppy standards of hygiene. Nobody has to "like it or lump it" as implied by the previous respondent. The clientele of his or her pub would probably put most decent customers off long before being tempted by a libation served by someone of the same impoverished intellect.
A range of legislation exists to protect the consumer by requiring that food sold is safe and of good quality. Pubs are required to comply with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs relating to all stages of production, processing and distribution of food. Hygiene requirements must be complied with and food must be protected against any contamination that is likely to render it unsafe for consumption. Under the Food Safety Act 1990, it is an offence to sell food or drink for human consumption which is not of the nature or substance or quality demanded by the consumer. Responsibility for enforcing food safety legislation rests with Local Authorities through their respective Environmental Health Departments. Complainants have ultimate recourse to the Head of Environmental Services of the Council, or failing that, to The Local Government Ombudsman should they feel that their complaint has been unsatisfactorily dealt with.
Raising lapses of hygiene with staff or managers of pubs is generally a fruitless exercise, mostly greeted with the type of illiterate comment demonstrated by the last respondent.
Calls to Environmental Health at the local council are treated in the strictest confidence and they are obliged to investigate every complaint, often finding more health problems behind the scenes. Breaches of food safety standards result in extremely heavy fines and possible closure of the premises, leaving no room for arrogance on the part of the pub proprietors. So next time you encounter the attitude of "like it or lump it", you know the number to call - all in the strictest confidence!
*Stads Reiniging  26-Sep-2006 20:21

 
okay people, if you want to really trash something, then please go ahead and jump on the other side of the bar? It seems to me that you have one serious OCD!

And most points about how money etc, has more germs and potentially lethal pathogens (as you seems to think are everywhere) have already been made... I'll just say, if you don't like how a pub or bar operates, guess what? Go somewhere else!

(P.S do you know how many of your bank notes probably have traces of drugs on them, or how many hands have touched them?)
*sum1intherealworld  19-Sep-2006 05:21


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