A supermarket employee has made a public plea for customers to stop a disgusting habit she witnesses daily at her job.
The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed her frustration over customers taking out banknotes or lottery tickets from their wallets and then putting them in their mouths, according to a report by News24.
She revealed that some customers even go as far as licking their banknotes before using them to pay. The employee has now lost her patience with those who continue this unhygienic practice. She and her colleagues have sometimes felt compelled to refuse banknotes from customers because they were too "moist."
"I work in a supermarket. Why have some customers reverted to the revolting pre-pandemic habit of holding money and lottery tickets in their mouths? Or even licking them?" she said.
"My colleagues and I have refused to accept such money and asked if they have another note or a card. With lottery tickets, you have 180 days to check them, so we ask them to come back in a few days."
The employee questioned how these customers would feel if the roles were reversed.
"How would these customers react if we started putting money and lottery tickets in our mouths before handing them over? They would be horrified," she said.
She added that if any customer complains and wants to speak to a manager, her superiors would back her and her colleagues 100%. "Please stop this disgusting habit for good," she urged.
Part of her concern stems from the potential spread of coronavirus, as there is a slight risk that the virus could be transmitted through cash or lottery tickets.
A recent study in the UK found that 19 different bacteria were present on various British coins and banknotes, including potentially life-threatening ones like Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus faecium (VRE).
Do you agree with the supermarket employee? Should people stop the bad habit?
