Mom banned from McDonalds for complaining

[Velgadess]

growing up as a kid I played in these things. never noticed or cared if it was dirty. I was a kid, playing at mcdonalds. I had my priorites.

video clip in news link.

http://www.azfamily.com/video/yahoo-...132592808.html

PHOENIX -- An Arizona State University professor's campaign against dirty restaurant playgrounds got her banned from several McDonald's in the Valley.

Dr. Erin Carr-Jordan, a mother of four, started recording and posting videos of trashy playgrounds, and quickly built an international following. Her lab tests, which revealed dangerous bacteria on the equipment, have been featured on network broadcasts and in major national newspapers.

This week, Carr-Jordan was notified by an East Valley franchisee's attorney that she is no longer allowed in any of his McDonald's restaurants that have playgrounds.

"Rather than have someone come into the playgrounds and do the right thing and make them clean and safe, they told me not to come in anymore," Carr-Jordan said.

In a statement, a McDonald's spokesman said the corporation had been working with the doctor to address her concerns, but said she's become "disruptive" to employees and customers in the restaurants owned by the franchisee. The entire statement is below.

Carr-Jordan says even though she's banned, other volunteers are coming forward.

"I've had emails from all over from parents saying they'll go in to swab [the equipment]," she said.

Carr-Jordan shares her findings on her website, www.kidsplaysafe.net.

Statement from McDonald's spokesman
"We take feedback about our restaurants extremely seriously. Over the past several months we have engaged in open and honest dialogue with Dr. Carr-Jordan in an effort to address her concerns and review her findings.

"We are still committed to doing this. It appears that recent actions by Dr. Carr-Jordan have become disruptive to the employees and customers within our franchisee's restaurants, which prompted the letter from his attorney.

"We remain committed to working with an internal team on ensuring that our PlayPlaces are clean and safe for all customers."

Danya Proud, Spokesperson
McDonald's USA

[NynJa]

You mean kids who pick their noses and cough without covering their mouths are leaving bacteria around?!?!? HOLY SHIT ALERT THE PRESSES.

[Plow]

after the last day of school in 2nd grade my mom took us to burger king and let us play in the "soft" playpark

I jumped off the top of the entrance tube into the ball room, and my head hit the crossbar above it... right between the pads, where a bolt was sticking out. Still have a scar you can see pretty clearly if I brush my hair the right way.

Spoiler: show

coolest story ever, I know

[kuronosan]

Ah, so according to Nynja it's okay for kids to play in month-old food swarming with bacteria that they then might put in their mouth, eat, and become sick because they're stupid.

It's a health violation for those playgrounds inside a restaurant to be dirty, you know.

[Plow]

That's why the playgrounds are always either fully outside or in a "separate" area with doors between it and the restaurant.

[MaachaQ]

The headline makes it sound like she's an ordinary mom... she's a doctor who's making a living publicizing the dirty conditions at some playgrounds. Of course the stuff is dirty, I'm sure most parents aren't making their kids wash their hands after eating and before playing, since the kids are too excited to wait and parents are probably still busy eating themselves. I expect most of those playgrounds are cleaned once a day, after closing time, and maybe get a more thorough cleaning once a week or so.

Pretty much any public area is going to be teeming with germs, parents need to take proactive care of their own kids rather than expect everyone else to do everything for them. I carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with me everywhere and try to use it whenever I or my kids have been touching less-than-clean stuff and plan to put our hands anywhere near our faces.

[Byrthnoth]

I like kids, but they're little plaguebringers. I'd want to see playground bacterial conditions compared to first grade classrooms before getting my outrage on.

[ikethegreat]

I expect most of those playgrounds are cleaned once a day, after closing time, and maybe get a more thorough cleaning once a week or so.

Rightttttttttttttt

[Qalbert]

month* year*

[Qalbert]

and that's if you're lucky

[Dimmauk]

Hope the kids are safe, those playgrounds are nasty!

Posting from my fecal matter covered cancer machine

[Ksandra]

I wish we knew more, but as it stands if everything in the article is true then the women was being retarded about the situation. People love to target McD's for everything yet EVERY TIME I see this shit I see McD trying very hard to comply and make things right.

If they're dirty, they're dirty, and she did have a right to talk about it, but if MCD did contact her (like they said) I do believe they are probably working on a better requirement system for how often the play area should be clean. So her making a stink inside the restaurants is pretty stupid. It takes a bit for policy changes to be created/go into effect.

[Aksannyi]

You know, no one was this terrified of germs when I was growing up, and I turned out just fucking fine.

[Deadgye]

I like kids, but they're little plaguebringers. I'd want to see playground bacterial conditions compared to first grade classrooms before getting my outrage on.

Pretty much this. Any place where a bunch of children swarm is going to be as infectious as hell. Who the hell cares about germs, unless the playgrounds are breeding small pox or something I really don't think it makes a difference.

[NynJa]

Ah, so according to Nynja it's okay for kids to play in month-old food swarming with bacteria that they then might put in their mouth, eat, and become sick because they're stupid.

What part did I say its ok? I just said why are you fucking surprised at the results? Hey, did you know that when you go to bars, people usually come out drunk?

I expect most of those playgrounds are cleaned once a day, after closing time, and maybe get a more thorough cleaning once a week or so.

Would you go in there for minimum wage?

[Neoscrilla]

Can't we just get rid of all the kids?

[MaachaQ]

You know, no one was this terrified of germs when I was growing up, and I turned out just fucking fine.

I think part of the freaking out about germs is actually causing more allergies/asthma/food sensitivities/etc that kids nowadays seem to be getting. I remember reading that kids who grow up on farms where they are exposed to more/nastier germs when they are young have far fewer problems when they get older with immune system related problems. I spent alot more time outdoors playing with animals than either of my siblings, and while my sister has asthma w/mold allergies and my brother has a grass allergy, I have no allergies AFAIK.

edit: Found an article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001815/

There is also evidence that infants exposed to certain airborne allergens (such as dust mites and cat dander) may be less likely to develop related allergies. This is called the "hygiene hypothesis" and sprang from observations that infants on farms tend to have fewer allergies than those who grow up in environments that are more sterile.

edit: and some more

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0905174501.htm
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/296/5567/490.short
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...ene-hypothesis

[Melena]

You know, no one was this terrified of germs when I was growing up, and I turned out just fucking fine.

This, though sadly working at a McDonalds with a play area, I was disturbed with how many employee's had sex in the ball pit when the dining room closed.

[Celeste]

Oh, this thread makes me squee. Oh yes it does, yes it does. Thread! Thread! I shall name it thread and it shall be my thread, squeey, squeey!

This, though sadly working at a McDonalds with a play area, I was disturbed with how many employee's had sex in the ball pit when the dining room closed.

I'd be a cum dumpster for a McDonalds if everyone agreed to fuck me in the ball pit while I was wearing a Ronald McDonalds mask.

[Valisk]

I think part of the freaking out about germs is actually causing more allergies/asthma/food sensitivities/etc that kids nowadays seem to be getting. I remember reading that kids who grow up on farms where they are exposed to more/nastier germs when they are young have far fewer problems when they get older with immune system related problems. I spent alot more time outdoors playing with animals than either of my siblings, and while my sister has asthma w/mold allergies and my brother has a grass allergy, I have no allergies AFAIK.

edit: Found an article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001815/

Funny that you mention that because a friend of mine was telling me that just last week. He's in med school and we usually go over shit he learns or he tells me interesting fact from time to time. (I always ask him if he's seen anything gruesome yet. He's on a surgery rotation right now). Anyways, he said that yea, you really want to be exposed to as much stuff that won't kill you early in life so your body knows how to handle it later in life. That's basically how immunizations work anyway. They expose you to a controlled, minor portion of the bacteria so your body can fight it off and prevent it from happening for the next 10-15 years. Chicken pox is a perfect example of wanting to get it early. Chicken pox rarily occurs twice (but can) and if it happens at too late of an age, it can be deadly. But yea, as you said, allergies are probably the biggest thing that can be reduced by experiencing things early on.