I AM NOT A LEPER!

[Shabo]

Worst thing I have ever had was a pretty nasty cough cold (probably bronchitis, just wouldn't go away). I ended up bruising my ribs from the coughing. Quite painful, and it lasted for like a month. I sucked it up and went to class and work anyway, but I remember one day that I felt like crap more so than usual, and I had just finished a full day of classes. I walked into work, my boss took one look at me and goes, "do you want to go home? You don't look so good." I couldn't thank her enough, because I was just going to suck it up and keep my mouth shut.

And for the lady that could DIE from that cough... Plastic makes it possible. As in plastic bubble so you can be germ free no matter what, and we won't have to worry about you yelling at us for normal bodily functions, like coughing and sneezing.

Working at a university fixing computers, I go around to a lot of different offices and have the opportunity to catch anything. (Also, anyone living in dorms or apartments is open to catch anything in the building as ventilation is frequently linking each apartment's air supply.) So I went down to the admission's office, and one of the ladies was sick. She kept offering me hand sanitizer until I explained to her that I believed in purposely infecting myself with whatever to boost my immune system. Not to mention that the hand sanitizers don't kill everything, so you are left with stronger and stronger germs every time. I have no issues with the people who do use it though (besides the nasty smell of the stuff).

[Becks]

There is also the little fact that people like to forget. Once the symptoms show, in most illnesses (stomach bugs notwithstanding) the infectious phase has passed. The point they infected you was when they felt alright and had no idea the bug was attacking thier system. You are also more likely to catch something from the crud on money then someone who serves you for maybe five minutes.

You beat me to it, Ginger Biscuit.

I always say that.

Is it too weird if I run up to certain coworkers when I'm in the last stages of a cold and say "Hug me, I'm not contagious anymore!!"?

[rerant]

The lady in the OP's story could've had a disease which greatly effects her immune system, thus making a simple cold possibly lethal. What she's doing outside in that case is an entirely different matter ... Just thought I'd throw that thought out there.

If she did in fact have a disease that would make a cold lethal then she's playing Russian Roulette just be being outdoors. In which case her health is her responsibility not mine, so if a cold is going to kill her she's pretty stupid for going shopping in a crowded store during the winter.