How can I stop restaurant cashiers from putting their hands on the rim of my cup?

Question

Whenever I go out to eat at a fast food restaurant or cafeteria, I order a drink. The drink comes in a paper cup, which is located behind the counter. The cashier hands me the paper cup, holding it by the rim, where my mouth is supposed to go. This is unsanitary, especially since they are handling money. I am trying to prevent this from happening.

One obvious solution is to use a straw; however, there aren’t actually straws at the cafeteria where I work. And I cannot grab my own cup, as they are behind the counter.

How can I tactfully stop the cashier from putting their hands where my mouth goes on the rim of the cup?

Answer 1

I’m also a germ and sanitary conscientious person and understand your reasoning. But for these types of situations, there really isn’t much you can do without potentially upsetting someone.

Any food service place has a protocol and dedicated system governing how they behave. As a customer or user, you really don’t have much say over this. That’s the downside towards utilizing these services.

Workers aren’t very aware of germs like this and are more focused in servicing customers quickly. The only way to prevent them from putting their hands around the rim is to tell them beforehand. You can say:

Could you make sure you grab the cup by the hold instead? Thanks.

They might insinuate that you’re telling them their hands are dirty and they’re unclean. Prepare for a response where they might be offended.

You can always grab a towel or such to wipe it down afterwards, or even carry a straw. If you’re comfortable being “that customer” and don’t mind asking for your own tailored service then by all means go for it. Otherwise, it’d be best to avoid it because some workers might get offended.