Do you use public drinking fountains?

[ny biker]

I don't get sick often and when I do, it's mild.

Unfortunately not everyone reacts like that. I've had experiences where everyone at work gets sick and is better after a week, while I'm still coughing up parts of my lungs three weeks later. This is why I developed my germaphobe habits.

[Crankin]

I'm like GLC, in that I don't routinely think about germs. I used to get sick all of the time, but since I started spending more time outdoors, it's decreased immensely. So while I have some chronic things, I just don't worry about stuff like this.
I rode through a lot of farm country on my recent Vermont tour, but with no ill effects. When I told DH about the chicken poop issue based on this thread, he said it traumatized him and couldn't get it out of his head!

[Pax]

I work at a university and use the public water fountains all day, refill my water bottle at least three times a days from one as well. I don't seem to get sick very often (except the endless belly issues left over from the Mexico trip), I wonder if it's related to being around 40,000 college kids who seem to be sick A LOT; maybe I've gained a better immune system from it?

[emily_in_nc]

I rode through a lot of farm country on my recent Vermont tour, but with no ill effects. When I told DH about the chicken poop issue based on this thread, he said it traumatized him and couldn't get it out of his head!

Oh gosh, I am so sorry! My DH was on the same ride as me and drank from his water bottle with nary a problem. I guess just a small % of folks on the ride were affected by the bacteria. I still use water bottles and don't worry about it, and my immune system tends to be pretty good in that I rarely get colds, etc. I think what happened on that ill-fated Bike Virginia is very rare, so I hope your DH won't let it worry him unduly.

[OakLeaf]

I flew out of LGA my last trip, and they now have no-touch water bottle refilling stations at the drinking fountains. A slot with an optical switch (and no soap to gum it up like the optical switches in the handwashing sinks), a high-flow vertical spout, zip zam zoom. I would love to see more of these!

[nuliajuk]

Scary mention of campylobacter in this month's Discover magazine. In the Vital Signs feature was a man who turned out to have Guillain-Barre syndrome. Apparently one of the things that can trigger it is this bacteria. It has a lipid profile similar to the fatty myelin sheathing on nerves.

[Crankin]

Don't worry, Emily... he got over it! He's like me, essentially does not worry about this kind of stuff.
Oak, that drinking fountain sounds like an awesome idea. I can think of a few places around here where they should be put in for cyclists.

[ny biker]

There's a water fountain at my gym that also has a sensor at the back for bottles. You hold the bottle upright in front of the sensor and the water comes out a tap directly above it. But there is also a regular water-fountain spigot in the front.

==

On Saturday I did a ride in the rain. I thought about this thread every time I took a drink from my water bottle. Yesterday and today my stomach has felt kinda queasy. Nothing serious, just enough to make me think about drinking from that water bottle in the rain. I'd do it again, though. I think.