The Change Mariner

Toronto: A City of Hand Washers

Tornoto Star:

You may have noticed someone in the airport washroom, grooming with one eye on the mirror, another on you.

When you leave, they jot down a note: Did you wash your hands?

Researchers for the American Society of Microbiology camped out at major airports across North America last August. The result? In Toronto, the summer of SARS has spawned a city of hand washers.

At Pearson International Airport, 95 per cent of men washed their hands after using the facilities, according to the study published yesterday. That figure crept up even higher for women, at 97 per cent, making Toronto far and way the leader among the six cities surveyed.

John F. Kennedy airport in New York is no hand-shaker's delight, with only 63 per cent of men washing up. Women in San Francisco revealed even sketchier habits, washing only 59 per cent of the time.