Why are they spending $50-$75 for fake 3" nails? My first guess would be they're STUPID women. Sorry if that comment is too blunt for your taste, but stupid/ignorant people are who I see working at these fast food places.

As for your hand-washing habits, good for you, I'm glad to hear it. My own experience with the general public is that about half don't bother. My wife worked with several women who had the long nails, and she was disgusted by their lack of hygiene. One actually told my wife that using a dry paper towel was the same as washing with soap and water!

Other's in this thread make light of the whole hygiene issue and tell us "the world is full of germs, get over it". OK, tell that to the folks who are losing kidneys from e-coli infections. There obviously has to be a balance between germ-phobia and how the real world operates. I don't expect Wendy's kitchen to be as clean as an operating theater. But employees who ignore obvious sanitation and simple remedies are part of the problem, not a solution.