Licking stamps is in bad taste.
That was a bit of yesterday's news, right?
I often wonder how the human race ever evolved as we are constantly told this, that or other is bad for you from butter to now licking stamps!
According to these so called surveys and experts I should have died 30 years ago!!
I wonder how much DNA is on used stamps soaked from mailings.
I thought this was timely, and as Ian said, it has been happening throughout history. This is a piece of medical/philatelic history about a stamp gum pandemic, as the linked article says, from the time when stamps first came on the scene to the early 1900s.
I you didn't read the article, do you remember the old stamp dispensing machines that were in stores? They had the words "Sanitary Stamps" on the machine. This is why. Sanitary packing of stamps sort of like masking the public today. Old tricks never die. They just change their shape.
One place I worked when I was younger had flat-bottomed glass bowls with sponges in them. You filled them with water halfway and you could then moisten stamps and envelope flaps without using your tongue.
That's what cats are used for.
Dan C.
Cannot remember the last time I licked a postage stamp. This happened in Acapulco, after getting stamps from a pharmacy that sold stamps to tourists, I used my bottled water to wet the gum with my index finger. Someone who saw me thought I was crazy. No. I was being safe... Same happened in Egypt. I do not lick envelope flaps either.
Remember the Seinfeld episode where George´s bride to be dies after licking the cheap wedding invitation envelopes because the glue was toxic?
"More information on this can be found at this link: Postage Stamps Are Deadly"
...and I drank water straight from the garden hose, too!
Why, I'm surprised my tongue didn't swell up and choke me to death right then and there!
I heard about a guy whose friend got sick after sending some letters.
He was so worried about it he started to wet his finger to attach the stamp and seal the envelope.
His friend recovered (apparently it was bad shrimp) but he got a paper cut that turned septic and died.
Not sure what the moral of the story is but...
I won't lick stamps with pics of clowns on them because they taste funny..
I better be on the alert. I licked some old stamps today to use as postage.
"Oh, I am sure licking a present day US self-adhesive stamp will be deadly. It has a chance to remain stuck in one's throat and cause suffocation."
Reminds me of that "Seinfeld" episode about death by cheap glue! rrr...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNK0Pez0Sb4
Yes! The Sanitary Stamp Vending Machine! I have one in my basement...
note that the vending machine only states that the FOLDERS are sanitary...
those stamps are probably just crawling with disease!
The Washington Post reported that a new disease was discovered. It is called "Postage Stamp Tongue Disease". Other news papers also reported about this, namely: The Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Constitution, The New York Times, The Boston Budget, and the London Daily Mirror.
The articles stated that by licking the gum on postage stamps, one took the risk of contracting from as little as a sore throat to cholera, and could possibly die. The articles warned that postage stamps threaten the nation’s public health.
This was reported in the December 2019 monthly issue of Linns.
More information on this can be found at this link: Postage Stamps Are Deadly
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
Licking stamps is in bad taste.
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
That was a bit of yesterday's news, right?
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
I often wonder how the human race ever evolved as we are constantly told this, that or other is bad for you from butter to now licking stamps!
According to these so called surveys and experts I should have died 30 years ago!!
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
I wonder how much DNA is on used stamps soaked from mailings.
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
I thought this was timely, and as Ian said, it has been happening throughout history. This is a piece of medical/philatelic history about a stamp gum pandemic, as the linked article says, from the time when stamps first came on the scene to the early 1900s.
I you didn't read the article, do you remember the old stamp dispensing machines that were in stores? They had the words "Sanitary Stamps" on the machine. This is why. Sanitary packing of stamps sort of like masking the public today. Old tricks never die. They just change their shape.
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
One place I worked when I was younger had flat-bottomed glass bowls with sponges in them. You filled them with water halfway and you could then moisten stamps and envelope flaps without using your tongue.
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
That's what cats are used for.
Dan C.
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
Cannot remember the last time I licked a postage stamp. This happened in Acapulco, after getting stamps from a pharmacy that sold stamps to tourists, I used my bottled water to wet the gum with my index finger. Someone who saw me thought I was crazy. No. I was being safe... Same happened in Egypt. I do not lick envelope flaps either.
Remember the Seinfeld episode where George´s bride to be dies after licking the cheap wedding invitation envelopes because the glue was toxic?
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
"More information on this can be found at this link: Postage Stamps Are Deadly"
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
...and I drank water straight from the garden hose, too!
Why, I'm surprised my tongue didn't swell up and choke me to death right then and there!
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
I heard about a guy whose friend got sick after sending some letters.
He was so worried about it he started to wet his finger to attach the stamp and seal the envelope.
His friend recovered (apparently it was bad shrimp) but he got a paper cut that turned septic and died.
Not sure what the moral of the story is but...
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
I won't lick stamps with pics of clowns on them because they taste funny..
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
I better be on the alert. I licked some old stamps today to use as postage.
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
"Oh, I am sure licking a present day US self-adhesive stamp will be deadly. It has a chance to remain stuck in one's throat and cause suffocation."
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
Reminds me of that "Seinfeld" episode about death by cheap glue! rrr...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNK0Pez0Sb4
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
Yes! The Sanitary Stamp Vending Machine! I have one in my basement...
re: WARNING!!! Postage Stamps Are Deadly - Reports From Various Newspapers
note that the vending machine only states that the FOLDERS are sanitary...
those stamps are probably just crawling with disease!