Here are our favorite disgusting stories of 2008. You’re welcome!

It should go without saying that some of these are really, really nasty. You’ve been warned.

15: Study: There Is All Kinds Of Nasty Crap In Your Bottled Water
Here are a few choice goodies found in the water: Coliform bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium.

14: Mystery Of Strange Things Found In Vitamin Water Solved: Harmless Mold
The rep also told me that this is not the first time Vitamin Water has heard of/seen instances of these kinds of molds in their bottles. So, no hazard, beyond the gag factor of finding a harmless mold in your drink,and perhaps even the potential for a science fair project idea!

13: Scientific Study: Double Dipping Is As Gross As You Think It Is
The way I would put it is, before you have some dip at a party, look around and ask yourself, would I be willing to kiss everyone here? Because you don’t know who might be double dipping, and those who do are sharing their saliva with you.

12: Purina Isn’t Bothered By Dog Food Infested With Fly Larvae Maggots
I had already fed our two labs two meals of the infested food before realizing there were numerous maggots and fly larva. When I called to speak with Purina about this the response I got as…”as soon as our food leaves our factory, it’s no longer our problem.” …disappointing.

11: Hey Air Travelers, You Are Extremely Disgusting People
Flight attendants often say that the biggest messes they have to deal with are dirty diapers left in seat-back pockets or worse, handed to them while they are serving beverages and snacks.

10: Man Finds Mouse Baked Into His Hot Dog Buns
I see the little ears. Clearly that’s a tail. I don’t know what that is, part of his leg or something,” the man told NBC.

9: VIDEO: Maggots Found Squirming In Box Of Goobers
“My wife’s box of Goobers was ALIVE and crawling with maggots…I peered inside the box and saw lumpen, misshapen Goobers with maggots or some kind of larvae crawling everywhere.”

8: FDA: Pardon Me But Your Bakery Warehouse Is Full Of Rodent Excreta Pellets
[L]ive rodents observed along side a rodent trap, running under pallets containing finished food products and collapsed boxes used by your firm, and a live rodent that you brushed off of your shoulder onto the floor, and then kicked under a pallet holding finished food products.

7: American Airlines Forces Passenger To Ride In Urine Saturated Seat
[Your passenger] literally sat in a urine soaked seat (the seat belt was soaked also) for the duration of this 2 hour flight! [There] was offered no compensation, no alternative seating, nothing.

6: PHOTO: Dell Breaks Your Laptop, Sends Replacement Full Of Pubes
Not just any hairs – these could only be described as pubes. I hate to be so crude, but pubes are pubes. Not the incidental curly hair, but rather mini-tufts between the keys. My only guess is that Ron Jeremy was the previous owner.

5: Texas Roadhouse Steak Stuffed With Pubic Hair
According to the criminal complaint, later that night Kropp placed hair in a second steak, turned to a co-worker, and announced, “These are my pubes.”

4: Why You Should Wash Your Old Navy Pants Before You Wear Them
Colleen is going to wash her clothes before she wears them from now on. Why? Well, she bought a pair of pants from Old Navy that were, well, soiled. You know. In the crotch region. By a female. The words “snail trail” were used.

3: Peeping Tom Sears Manager Sued For $27 Million
The young girl, whose age is described as “prepubescent,” is said to have been traumatized when she suddenly noticed Lee leering from the ceiling while she and her mother were trying on bathing suits. Lee admitted his culpability. The lawsuit states, “During the search of the room, police officials recovered sexually explicit magazines and seminal fluids.”

2: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Refuses Bathroom Access To 5-Year-Old, Who Then Has Diarrhea In Front Of Them
I explained she had diarrhea and couldn’t hold it and told them she was about to go on the floor. They refused again and never offered me any alternatives. I begged them to have a heart and that she was 5 but by that time she had lost it all over herself and me.

1: Woman Sues American Airlines Over Masturbating Passenger
When the woman opened her eyes, she saw that an unknown man had moved into the seat next to her and was staring at her as he masturbated, the suit states. The woman turned toward the window in embarrassment and in an act of nervousness began to run her fingers through her hair where she noticed “a substantial amount of an extremely sticky substance in her hair,” the suit states.

With 6 stories, Meg is your grossest editor of 2008, followed closely by Ben with 4. Chris, Carey, and Jay each had 1 and your wholly unbiased author had 2.

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