jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Although there are germs all around us, our immune system seems to cope pretty well. Remember "Dirty Jobs," the TV show? Mike Rowe went through all sorts of filth, yet he survived. Still if you want something to worry about, click on the link below.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/77521

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

Yikes!

Chris

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

Yikes! Sometimes we fly a lot. Think I'll hold it now! LOL!

Chris

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

One word: Depends. :D

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

The writer of this piece mentions taking a bath in urine and thinks it is full of bacteria. Not true. Assuming the person doesn't have a urinary tract infection, bathing in that person's urine is actually a great way of cleaning yourself. Urine is sterile. It will keep you from dying of thirst if you would drink it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, it is sterile, but not for long. Let it sit around for a while, and, well, enough said.

dirty dave

I worked in a waste water treatment plant when I was young. It was crappy job. This was before the modern treatment plants. I worked around about 20 guys. It seemed no one was ever sick even during flu season. I often wonder if our daily exposure to ever disease and sickness maybe built up our immune system. I even watched the older guys at the time wash and eat the tomatoes that grew out of the dried sludge piles. Maybe exposure is the best deterrent to illness.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've read that kids who grow on farms with all sorts of animals and vegetation, tend not to get asthma. The body is very good at developing immunity, given the chance.

2Dragons Loc: The Back of Beyond

That is probably true, however, when you travel, there's a whole different ethnicity of germs out there waiting for you. We would get a cold every time we went on a plane or a cruise, so we made up our minds to touch nothing on the planes, especially the reading paraphernalia provided, and we used germicidal hand sanitizers constantly. Did not put our hands on stair railings, etc. The result was that we came home without contracting one miserable cold, flu or gut bug. It does pay to be careful when traveling. We do not read any of the magazines or newspapers provided in doctors' waiting room either as you just know those are loaded with respiratory germs just waiting for the the unwary. I know I'm sounding pretty paranoid about germs, but my colds generally turn into pneumonia or worse, and I've had too many vacations ruined by getting sick because the planes aren't clean. I'm sure they start out clean, but after you get a couple of hundred people on board, clean is no longer a factor.

Ka2azman Loc: Tucson, Az

Some might consider that paranoia actions but I just flew from Seattle to LA and the guy next to me was deep coughing, sneezing etc. He was reading the magazine provided and sneezed directly into it, turned the page and then replaced the mag into the back of the seat. Thought for sure i was gong to come down with something; even the girl next to the window cringed into the corner because of his actions. He never used a tissue, just his hands AT TIMES. Other times just directly into the air in front of him.

I wipe down the seat area when I fly, and keep my hands from my face as much as possible even in the terminal and wipe stuff down there! Also touch as little as possible at doctors offices too, including to make sure I carry my own pen.

SmittyOne Loc: California

My God, how in the world did I ever survive in my 12 years of travel all over the planet, while in the U.S.A.F., in some of the filthiest places mankind has ever created.

Someone up there somewhere, must like me.

:thumbup:

2Dragons Loc: The Back of Beyond

It helps when you get all those immunizations that the military takes great delight in sticking you.

Ka2azman Loc: Tucson, Az

When i was in no one seemed to get colds or the flu. Must have been the isolation to military bases and not mixing with the population in general maintaining the health code of the U.S.A. with food and water purification which the USAF uses.

I did become ill from being in the field and crawling through filthy rice paddies. Was in the Da Nang hospital for 4 days vomiting. Cause: not washing hands before eating. Of course we only had water that we carried on our backs for drinking , so where would I get water to wash my hands. Was a long time before alcohol wipies!