Do you have a hand sanitizer on you? Well, you should. I for one have at least five different disinfectants in my purse at all times. I am not germophobic, just well- informed. I don't have an obsession with contamination: I act on knowledge, not on irrational fears.
Take smartphones, for example. Excessive use of these devices leads to crossed eyes, curved spines, lowers sperm count in men of reproductive age and causes skin irritation due to nickel, chromium and cobalt used in their manufacturing. If you think these are just health scares, think on this: smartphone screens typically house more germs than toilet seats! And if you use your mobile in the bathroom, the level of germs rises to hazardous and may provoke vomiting, diarrhea and serious infections.
In Japan they take this threat very seriously. But trust the Japanese to come up with a solution for everything! At Tokyo's Narita International Airport they now have special separate dispensers with toilet paper for smartphones. At 86 toilet cubicles at the airport's arrival terminal you are encouraged to wipe both yours and your phone's behind. When I heard of this genius germ-busting initiative, I immediately started an online petition to have the same thing introduced in airports across the U.S. Got only 3% of signatures so far, but hope springs eternal!
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