A few years ago, I wouldn’t have touched it.

Then again, we didn’t find this kind of coffee pot a few years ago.

Over and over, I give my cup a quick rinse, fill it from the bathroom sink, and empty my used cup of water into the pot’s reservoir. Just as endless guests before me have done. Sure, the water is heated, but not boiled. Probably just enough to awaken and enliven a cesspool of lingering germs.

I’m a queasy traveler, but one who can usually say “meh.” Since childhood, I’ve used a silent chant to get me past various ick-factors. Iffy bed linens, gross carpet, stained towels, everything but the remote. Because you know: I stay in a lot of hotels each year, and they run the gamut from three to six stars. Never below three stars but, believe me, star ratings can be uh… subjective.

“Pretend you’re camping,” I say to myself. Cuz when you’re camping, a little dirt? Meh.