Re: Are public restrooms safe?

[Guest guest]

This is a hoax....there are tones out there and they can be checked at

http://urbanlegends.about.com

Gazley

Mom to (Oct 8, 1998)

http://members.tripod.com/~MysticMom

Are public restrooms safe?

> From: MT2Heal@...

>

> This was a multi-forwarded email from a list I moderate for Sept.

expectant

> moms, so I chose to forward this to everyone who may not have seen this.

>

> An article by Dr. Beverly , in the Journal of the United Medical

> Association (JUMA), the mystery behind a recent spate of deaths has been

> solved. If you haven't already heard about it in the news, here is what

> happened.

>

> Three women in Chicago, turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period, all

with

> the same symptoms - fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular

> collapse, paralysis, and finally, death. There were no outward signs of

> trauma. Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood. These women did

not

> know each other, and seemed to have nothing in common. It was discovered,

> however, that they had all visited the same restaurant (Big Chappies, at

> Blare Airport), within days of their deaths. The health department

descended

> on the restaurant, shutting it down. The food, water, and air

conditioning

> were all inspected and tested, to no avail.

>

> The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the

> hospital with similar symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on

> vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her check.

>

> She did not eat or drink while she was there, but had used the restroom.

>

> That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove

out

> to the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the toilet seat.

Under

> the seat, out of normal view, was a small spider. The spider was captured

> and brought back to the lab, where it was determined to be the South

American

> Blush Spider (arachnius gluteus), so named because of its reddened flesh

> color. This spider's venom is extremely toxic, but can take several days

to

> take effect. They live in cold, dark, damp, climates, and toilet rims

> provide just the right atmosphere.

>

> Several days later a lawyer from Los Angeles showed up at a hospital

> emergency room. Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been

away

> on business, had taken a flight from New York, changing planes in Chicago,

> before returning home. He did not visit Big Chappies while there. He

did,

> as did all of the other victims, have what was determined to be a puncture

> wound, on his right buttock. Investigators discovered that the flight he

was

> on had originated in South America. The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB)

> ordered an immediate inspection of the toilets of all flights

> from South America, and discovered the Blush spider's nests on 4 different

> planes!

>

> It is now believed that these spiders can be anywhere in the country. So,

> please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for

spiders.

>

> It can save your life! And please pass this on to everyone you care

about.

>

> Officer Sylvia Steele

> Texas A & M International University

> 5201 University Blvd.

> Laredo, Tx 78041-1999

>

> Fax:

> Email: steele@...

>

> ---------------------------