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Student finds toilet water cleaner than ice at fast food restaurants
Tampa Bay 10 News ^ | 2/14/06 | Dave Balut

Posted on 02/14/2006 9:08:30 AM PST by Feiny

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To: feinswinesuksass
Flush the toilet once and get fresh water with little bacteria.

Take a cup of ice that has been sitting and exposed to multiple opening and closing of the ice container lid, not to mention cups scooping out ice cubes, and there should be a difference.

However, if the ice is being made as most fast foods restaurants are wont to do with their current soda/ice making machines, there is something wrong with the water piping to the machine.

61 posted on 02/14/2006 10:57:41 AM PST by N. Theknow (Kennedys - Can't drive, can't fly, can't ski, can't skipper a boat - But they know what's best.)
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Comment #62 Removed by Moderator

To: spunkets
I've never been in a fast food place or a restaurant that had ice sitting out in the open for use in drinks. On a salad bar to keep the food cool yes, for drinks no.
63 posted on 02/14/2006 11:24:38 AM PST by swmobuffalo (the only good terrorist is a dead one)
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To: swmobuffalo

Once the water comes out of the faucet, it's exposed to air. Then it's crushed. Some may have dispensers, but they're still exposed to air. I remember them scooping ice out of some container.


64 posted on 02/14/2006 11:30:31 AM PST by spunkets
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To: feinswinesuksass

I drink toliet water with my lips on the bowl. Would that effect the out come of the test?


65 posted on 02/14/2006 11:34:13 AM PST by sausageseller (Look out for the jackbooted spelling police. There! Everywhere!(revised cause the "man" accosted me!)
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To: blueminnesota
So if they don't get it out of the toilet, where are they getting it from?

The ice machine, which they don't clean often enough. The customers don't see the ice machine, they do see the toilet. Guess which one gets the management attention?

66 posted on 02/14/2006 11:41:35 AM PST by El Gato
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To: swmobuffalo
There is air in the ice bin. The water also touches many surfaces from the point it enters the ice machine to when is dispensed as ice. It is impossible to have all those surfaces bacteria free.

You have more bacteria under your finger nails than fresh water just dispensed into a toilet.

67 posted on 02/14/2006 11:43:32 AM PST by sausageseller (Look out for the jackbooted spelling police. There! Everywhere!(revised cause the "man" accosted me!)
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To: Red Badger
One cup of toilet water, please.........and hold the ice.......

LMAO...

68 posted on 02/14/2006 11:45:52 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: feinswinesuksass

Too bad Dave Balut has no public email at the station. He needs to be freeped.


69 posted on 02/14/2006 11:46:05 AM PST by sausageseller (Look out for the jackbooted spelling police. There! Everywhere!(revised cause the "man" accosted me!)
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To: feinswinesuksass
My guess is that the ice machine never gets cleaned....and the grubby little hands that work at these places are all over the ice.....

Yeah, agreed. Anyone that's worked in a restaurant knows how many hands go into ice makers when "no one's looking."

Also, what kind of bacteria is in each? There may be more in the ice, but if what's in the toilet water can cause disintery or the like, then wouldn't that mean that the TW is worse? IDK, I'm not a microbiologist.

70 posted on 02/14/2006 11:47:44 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: bobbdobbs
What sort of bacteria? Airborne bacteria?

Toilet water would have no time to pick up airborne bacteria if she collects it just after a flush brings in fresh water.

Ice cubes are generally manufactured on-site by running a thin film of water over an inclined cold plate. Once the layer of ice is thick enough, the cold plate heats up enough that the ice sheet slides down the incline onto a gird of wires which melt through the ice, cutting it into rectangles.

The "cubes" then sit in a bin until used. Due to the lag time in producing cubes, they have to store them ahead of time, so they are exposed to air for some number of hours.

Obviuosly they are going to have a chance to pick up more airborne bacteria just by length of time exposed to air.

Good post!

71 posted on 02/14/2006 11:49:40 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: Cicero
You make the basic point. There are bacteria all over everything all the time. The air is full of them. Ponds are full of them. But most are harmless.

Human waste is another matter. It tends to be filled with harmful bacteria. That's why it's OK to fertilize the fields with cow or horse manure, which team with bacteria, but you want to be careful about using human waste.

In places like India and China they do traditionally use human waste to fertilize the fields. But you have to adapt to it, and foreigners are likely to get sick if they eat raw fruit or vegetables for that reason.

So, the question is, what KIND of bacteria? Numbers are less important.

Again, nice post. I should have read on before my initial blathering reply. LOL

72 posted on 02/14/2006 11:50:42 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: feinswinesuksass

And a cup of Yogurt has more bacteria than a cup of raw sewage.

It's not the amount, it's the TYPE.

No wonder science education stinks in this country.


73 posted on 02/14/2006 11:52:50 AM PST by frgoff
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To: feinswinesuksass

Having said all these things, the human body is remarkable in terms of what it can filter out digestively. It's far worse to have a finger full of bacteria and stick it up your nose for example.


74 posted on 02/14/2006 11:52:52 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: Red Badger
"One cup of toilet water, please.........and hold the ice......."

Ding-Ding-Ding!!!!!

We have a winner!!!

LOL!

75 posted on 02/14/2006 11:57:47 AM PST by albee ("Those that bite the hand that feeds them will lick the boot that kicks them!" - Eric Hoffer)
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To: frgoff

"No wonder science education stinks in this country."

And ;your point is?


76 posted on 02/14/2006 12:18:01 PM PST by swmobuffalo (the only good terrorist is a dead one)
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To: feinswinesuksass

EEWWWW!!!!!! That is REALLY nasty!


77 posted on 02/14/2006 5:53:50 PM PST by Clintonfatigued (John Paul Stevens for retirement)
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