I am out in the field doing work for an extended period (away from TX). Therefore, the workers all tend to eat together at various folks' new apartment hotels. One friend always (NOSE TO THE BIG BOTTLE) smells/sniffs whatever is to be drank (alcohol, juices, flavored waters). That is unhealthy and I have told her that but she continues to do it and says its not like she is contaminating it. Is this a gross habit to you when the big bottle is to be shared (poured into glasses) by all? Its okay for her to smell HER glass but, I am uncomfortable with her loose boogers falling into the bottle!
it's unhealthy to smell something? really?
how many people actually walk around with loose boogers plopping out their noses?
the drink-smeller is weird, but i think you've got her beat.
khairete
S.
Not sure this is what you mean, but...
It is customary when a table orders a bottle of wine with dinner, for a member of the group to 'inspect' the wine prior to it being poured in glasses by the server. And doing so immediately after it's uncorked allows the tester to experience the full 'flora', flavor, body of the wine. Once it's poured into glasses this effect is somewhat diminished.
Is that what you describe here?
As far as sniffing things like bottled water or juice, yeah that's a little odd. Perhaps she has sensory issues? Does she sniff her food, her hands, peoples hair, etc.?
There is also a school of thought that wine kills many bacterial/viral germs as well.
Anyway, instead of possibly appearing to be the only uncultured swine at the table (or the only diner concerned with health, depending on how you look at it), why not just order you OWN beverage?
Just dunno how else to fix it.
:(
I agree with Suz T. It's not like she's rubbing the top of the bottle all over her nose. I always smell things as I'm cooking - guess that's gross too? But no grosser than someone tasting something off the spoon and then putting it back into the pot, which I see famous chefs on tv do all the time!
I don't know about you, but boogers don't usually just drop out of my nose! If they do yours, then that's gross and you should do something about it!
why is it gross to smell what you are about to drink? We use our sense of smell to tell us a lot about what something will taste like, if it may be good, or if it is rotten.
Order your own, separate drink.
Does she put her nose right on the bottle? If so, yes, that's annoying. But if not, and she just gets close, it's still annoying but she won't get too many germs on it.
You won't get sick from it; it's probably just something you need to try to ignore and let go, and remember that you've probably had worse food handling from things you've been served in a restaurant.
Smelling the mouth of the bottle is not unhealthy. Anyway, You all drink from the same bottle; therefore you're already sharing germs. I don't think this is gross. It is odd. Not many people do that.
After your SWH: Since you pour from the bottle, I'd ask her to wait and smell the liquid in her glass. That is a reasonable request. I wouldn't give her a reason for the request because when you do then she can reasonably argue that the reason isn't valid. Just ask her to not smell the bottle.
Have whoever has the bottle pour the liquid into her glass so that she doesn't ever have the bottle in her hand. One person could serve everyone else, even.
Yuck. Pour her glass first.
Gross!
It would bother me.
There are a couple of ways to fix this.
1) - as a group - tell her to knock it off - everyone keep the container away from her and someone always be pouring her drink into her own glass
2) - don't drink what she's drinking - order separate drinks - no communal pitchers/bottles/karafs - if this is meals prepared in an apartment - bring your own personal individual bottled/canned beverage (soda, ice tea, Starbuck's what ever).
3) - don't eat together all the time or stop having meals with her.
There's such a thing as too much worker togetherness - people can get on each others nerves.
It's ok to take a break from each other at meals.
I think that it's disgusting, and since she refuses to stop even after being asked, I would--in a normal speaking voice, not a quiet one--say something like, "Wait--let me pour mine before you stick your nose in it." Maybe she'd get it and maybe she wouldn't, but I would certainly not try to hide the fact that I refuse to have any of it after she's violated it with her nose.
Ugh... that would bother me, too.
And I agree with the thought that telling her WHY just gives her something to argue against.
Just ask her not to, and to smell her OWN glass after it is poured (and pour everyone else's drink first, just in case).
And the idea to try to maneuver so that she never gets a hand on the bottle would be helpful too.
Good luck.
Eww.
Apparently not everyone understood your post! Sorry. I did and have to say that's nasty! I wouldn't poor a drink from a bottle that someone had put there nose on to sniff. Gag me!
Gross! I wouldn't want to drink from that bottle after she touched her nose to it!
What do you do at a fancy restaurant when the maitre d pours a glass of wine and hands it to you?
**Edit - Well I am glad you cleared it up when you edited your original post. Anyway, it is an easy fix. Don't give her the bottle. Poor it in her glass and hand it to her like you are the maitre d and let her sniff her own glass.
Have you ever smelled the milk in the jug before poring it into a cup of coffee?
I just think everyone has been guilty of putting the bottle to their nose, although what you describe sounds like she has issues. Don't fight it, just let her sniff her sniff away at her own glass.
