An Unsettling Encounter

[HoratioCaine]

My first thought would be lesions from crystal meth use. Users will pick open sores on the skin.

My guess? Speed bumps. Crystal Meth makes the skin itch like crazy, and the accompanying malnourishment often leaves the skin open to infection. Meth heads scratch and rub until the skin breaks, causing a lesion. Just my guess.

Ah...speed bumps. I knew there was something I wasn't thinking of. Makes perfect sense. Oregon has a huge meth problem. We can't even get over-the-counter pseudoephedrine (i.e., Sudafed) anymore without a prescription, since the government is cracking down on meth production. She didn't appear to have meth mouth, but everything else looks about right for what you guys have described. And yeah, I washed my hands the second I got to the gym.

 

[joshmpdx]

My guess? Speed bumps. Crystal Meth makes the skin itch like crazy, and the accompanying malnourishment often leaves the skin open to infection. Meth heads scratch and rub until the skin breaks, causing a lesion. Just my guess.

I see that you're in Portland, though, so it could very well be infected track marks. Either way, Lysol and a shower and you're good to go. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Speed bumps was my first guess as well.

what part of town was this in?

 

[Isaac]

I just realized how horrendous my grammar and spelling seemed to be in my previous post. I would like to say...I get a free pass because I just returned home from a 14hr shift

 

[HoratioCaine]

what part of town was this in?

I live in Wilsonville, which is where this happened. (I put Portland on my profile just for geographical recognition by those who aren't from around here.) She said she's from Northeast P-town.

 

[HoratioCaine]

I just realized how horrendous my grammar and spelling seemed to be in my previous post. I would like to say...I get a free pass because I just returned home from a 14hr shift

Hey, no worries. I was hoping someone in the medical profession would chime in. That's just what I was looking for.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Man, this was just a nasty read. Sorry you had a run in with such a situation. I once had a rather smelly individual in my car with me. I had to soak the passenger seat with lysol wipes (since I have cloth seats) to get all the stench out of the seat.

Lesson to be learned? Do not give a ride to a stinky co-worker, it is not worth it.

 

[wilsonent]

Did you get her phone number?

 

[HoratioCaine]

Did you get her phone number?

No, but I gave her yours.

 

[wilsonent]

Sorry about the snide comment. All you really need to worry about is Staph infection. This bacteria is easily transmitted from an open wound from person to person. If you get it on your hand, then wipe your nose, and your nose happens to be raw from allergy or a cold, the next thing you know, you look like Rudolph the red nose reindeer. Swollen nose, abscess, trip to the ENT physician, of which I am one.

All you need to do is wash your hands, and wipe down your car with alcohol. You will be fine.

 

[Stubblefield]

Did you get her phone number?

I think the question is: "was she hot?"

 

[TimmyBoston]

Get to your doctor and get checked out, regardless this will put your mind at ease.

Good luck.

 

[Em Kahler]

Just be feeling lucky you got off easy, no stainless steel bracelets.. I had a friend that picked up a gal like that and she shook him down for money after he figured out what she really was up to and stopped the car. She stared screming etc, crazy he paid her off to get her out of his car.

 

[Kratos]

Just be feeling lucky you got off easy, no stainless steel bracelets.. I had a friend that picked up a gal like that and she shook him down for money after he figured out what she really was up to and stopped the car. She stared screming etc, crazy he paid her off to get her out of his car.

Paid her? I sure wouldn't have done that. She'd have gotten out of my car, one way or another.

My 1st thought was the meth mites as well. They sometimes use tools to pick at the sores. It can get pretty ugly. Sometimes meth by-products crystallize in the sores, but most of the picking is due to imagined sensations. I can not understand for the life of me why people choose to get into this sort of crap.

 

[Topgumby]

Go to the doc for a physical, that you are probably due for anyway. Mention the incident to the doc and put your mind at ease.

 

[HoratioCaine]

Sorry about the snide comment.

Not snide at all. I got a good laugh from it. My response was in the same spirit, but maybe it didn't come through in my writing. Thanks for the pointers. You can bet I wasn't about to put my hand to my nose after shaking hers until I got it good and washed. I'll call my doc tomorrow and ask if I even need to come in. From the sound of it, this is pretty minor stuff...could have been way worse, but fortunately wasn't. Thanks, everybody, for your replies.

 

[Bobtrumpet]

Did you get her phone number?

No, but I gave her yours.

One of the things I like about this group - even in the midst of a thread like this, there's room for a little humor.

 

[ouch]

She was dressed...how shall I put this...like a "working woman," complete with fishnet stockings and garters (honestly, I didn't notice this until she got closer to the car

You're not kidding anyone.

 

[HoratioCaine]

You're not kidding anyone.

Funny you should say that. I got to thinking more about what happened and how it looks. I'm actually a bit hesitant to call my doctor today, for fear she will actually think I picked up a street walker as a john and only discovered after she got in the car that the goods didn't pass inspection. I know you're probably kidding, but I re-read my initial post within that cynical context, and I can see how it looks like I may have had less than pure motives in picking her up. (And if you or my doctor might have doubts, just imagine what a cop would have thought had I been pulled over. Yikes!) Not that I'm out to prove anything, but what I wrote is honestly how it went down. I'm still shaking my head today over how stupid I was, and how potentially disastrous things could have been. I'm just lucky that, as it stands, this probably will go down as an interesting, slightly entertaining non-event.

 

[cfriend]

She was right, I love to help people as well. No rides here though, you're much nicer than me.

As much as I'd like to consider myself a caring individual, as a rule of thumb I don't give anyone rides, roll down any windows, or have any physical contact with people who are clearly unwell, living on the street, or hard on their luck. It's unfortunate they've fallen on hard times, but there's no way of knowing what you could expose yourself to in the process, be it a health risk, or physical safety.

In regards to your encounter, I'd wipe down the seats pronto, but that's just me.

 

[Austin]

As much as I'd like to consider myself a caring individual, as a rule of thumb I don't give anyone rides, roll down any windows, or have any physical contact with people who are clearly unwell, living on the street, or hard on their luck. It's unfortunate they've fallen on hard times, but there's no way of knowing what you could expose yourself to in the process, be it a health risk, or physical safety.

In regards to your encounter, I'd wipe down the seats pronto, but that's just me.

Unfortunately, I have to agree. I remember when Dad used to pick up people and bring them home to the consternation of my mom. He would feed them and even give them jobs. Of course that was a different time.