On simple hygiene

I know I mentioned I love riding jeepneys for the sense of nostalgia that creeps through my veins every time I do. However, there is this one pet peeve of mine that drives me nuts whenever I reach out my hands directly to the driver's.

Their hands just looks (and I believe are) teeming with all kinds of germs! Oh my graciousness, why can't they keep their hands decently clean? I mean, yes, they work with engines, wheels, coins, and all that, but those are not excuses to let dirt eat your hands all afternoon! It is not just disgusting to look at, it is plain unhygienic.

Of all the jeepneys I have rode in, there is this one driver that was, at least, conscious of his hands. I mean, after getting people's fares and putting these in his coin box, he wipes his hands (or his fingers, at the very least) with a rag.

Some people might say that this is just another rant, but hey, does it not bother you that different kinds of diseases are on their way to your system, and all they needed was a good pass from the driver's hands to yours?

Let's take a concrete ground wherein to base this judgement. If even once you observed a driver's hand as he reaches for the fare from your hands, you would see that a decent hand is barely visible. It is literally black all over with matching "eyebrows" on their fingernails. Just try observing, sweeties, and I wouldn't need any affirmation at all.

There were programs launched by relevant government agencies with regard to keeping drivers a pleasant sight to the public. Drivers were given deodorants and free services to dentists so they look good to the commuters.

Although being body odor and halitosis free are, no doubt, important, keeping their hands decently clean is equally important if they want to keep passengers helping them get the fares to their hands. That is as long as they do not develop stretchable hands ala lastikman or Dhalsim (of Street Fighter).

The thing is, the main interaction between driver and commuter is not armpit sniffing or face to face talking; it is a commuter (read: me and you) reaching a fare to the driver, touching each other's hands in the process. Now you may picture this scene in a romantic movie with everything going in slow motion as your hand touches the driver's, but this is not some chick flick wherein you fall in love at that moment with a Barry Manilow score for background. You are actually reaching for a great deal of germs there.

So do I have to write a letter to the MMDA or LTO or LTFRB to mandate drivers to keep their hands clean? Or do I just have to tap each jeepney driver and tell him to try washing his hands, at least?

What would you do?