The thing to decide throughout this entire piece by Anne McIlroy is whether the woman is for real or not.

You open the door of the gas station washroom, scanning and sniffing for biohazards. It seems safe. No overflowing urinals or toilets. No sewer stench and your shoes don't stick to the floor.But research suggests that the riskiest part of your pit stop may come after you flush. Hot water taps usually have far more fecal bacteria on them than toilet seats do, University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba says. "I'm good at using my elbow," he says.Consider that when you flush with the lid up, fecal bacteria are propelled into the air, landing on the tank, the floor, the seat and the toilet paper, unless it is protected by a dispenser. Hot-air dryers can also propel bacteria around the room.

When you turn the water on at the sink, it disturbs the microbes that dwell in a slimy matrix in the drain, says Gideon Wolfaardt, professor at Ryerson University. "Those cells get airborne," he says. The surfaces with the most germs include the urinal handle, the lid of the sanitary napkin receptacle and the knob or handle of the door on the way out.There are also plenty of germs in kitchens, schools and daycares, buses and subways, as well as at work, especially if you eat your lunch at your desk. Shopping carts are covered in microbes. So is the average shower curtain.

There are potentially harmful bacteria almost everywhere microbiologists such as Dr. Gerba have looked.How dangerous is it for us?No one can say for sure, because … in North America you could be exposed to the microorganisms that cause hepatitis A, Norwalk, bacterial dysentery, meningitis and various forms of diarrhea.Scientists have found that the herpes virus can survive for up to 72 hours on inanimate objects, and Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasite that is spread through sexual activity, can also survive on moist objects. Still, you can pretty much rule out getting an STD, even if you sit down on the toilet seat.

Men have an advantage when faced with a filthy washroom, because they can more easily urinate outside. There are a number of funnel-like devices on the market that allow women to do it standing up without taking off their clothes, including one called the She Pee.Washing your hands with soap and water for roughly 30 seconds is the best way to make sure you don't get sick from the germs in restrooms or other public places, experts say. Some recommend using a paper towel to turn off the tap and to open the door on your way out.

This is but a fragment of Anne McIlroy’s article in the Globe and Mail and even then it's abridged. If your penchant in reading material is toilet talk, then this is for you.