Jobs such as mechanics, janitors, day labourers, and other forms of work that fall under the dirty, dangerous, and difficult umbrella tend to be shunned by many members of the public. And despite the fact that the men and women who take up these roles play an active and crucial role in society, while also making an honest living for their families and themselves, they continue to bear the burden of stigma from society.
Man criticised for having poor personal hygiene due to motor-oil stained hands
Just recently, a Facebook netizen had uploaded a photo to local community Facebook group KL娱乐站, explaining how he had suddenly found a sharp piece of metal in his lunch after having consumed half of it.
“I had some food packed for lunch and after eating it midway, I found a piece of metal wire.”
And while his intention may have been to point out how dangerous that sharp bit of metal in his food could have been, some netizens have taken to criticising the man’s personal hygiene, pointing out how dirty and black-stained his fingers and fingernails appeared.
“Your fingernails are so dirty.”
“Your hands are simply too filthy! Just wash your hands before you have a meal!”
“Your fingernails are so black.”
“Your hands are dirty enough as it is.”
Wife of a car mechanic comes to his defence
However, netizen 林晓萱 has since come forward to defend the original author of the post against the volley of criticism he has faced over the state of his hands. The wife of a car mechanic herself, she said that her husband himself has been on the receiving end of such remarks in the past.
“I just came across this post where some netizens have criticised the original author for not washing his hands before eating, and criticised him for being unhygienic and having black fingers. When I read all that, I felt hurt.
It’s not that they don’t want to wash their hands clean. Sometimes, they just can’t get all the stains out, despite how hard they try to scrub them off.” she wrote.
Pointing out that her husband works with cars daily, she adds that he had also been mocked and teased for having hands that were stained black by motor oil.
“Some have even asked him ‘Doesn’t your girlfriend mind you having such black hands?’
But it doesn’t just stop at black-stained hands. In the automotive repair industry, it is also incredibly common for mechanics to suffer cuts and injuries all over their hands. I’m too busy being worried about him than I am concerned over how black his hands look.”
Sharing a photo of her husband’s weathered hand over her own pale one, she said that she is proud of how her husband’s ‘black-stained hands’ have toiled to allow their family to live comfortably, as he was making an honest living like everybody else.
“So what if his hands are black? I’m proud of him regardless, because it is with those same hands that he has allowed our family to lead a good life.”
Netizens are quick to rally their support behind her
Her post, which has since gone viral across social media, has resonated with many netizens that echoed in her sentiments.
“His hands may be black, but his heart is pure and clean. Keep it up!”
“What do his hands have anything to do with anybody else? If there ever comes a day when these critics have a car breakdown, I hope they don’t look for a mechanic.”
“Chances are after work, he was probably too tired and hungry to obsess over such small details. Besides, it’s not like he ate with his bare hands. He only used his fingers to pick up the small piece of metal wire after he had found it in his food. Obviously nobody would have finished the remainder of the food after finding a piece of metal in it.”
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