Before I bite into a piece of fruit...

...like an apple or a peach, I always wash it at the kitchen sink. By washing it, I mean I rinse it under cold water for about two or three seconds and dry it with a paper towel. I've read that you're supposed to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them but I've often wondered, does it do any good? Does that simple ritual really wash away some dangerous chemical or protect me from some dreaded bacteria, like E-coli? And if so, how bad can that thing be if it can be washed away so easily? Can't my fifty-year old body fight off something that can be rinsed off in a few seconds with tap water? But maybe I'm not doing it right. Recently at the grocery store I saw a brush for "washing fruits and vegetables" and even a liquid soap you can use with it. Is everyone else in America but me standing at their sinks for twenty minutes or so furiously scrubbing their apples? What if you drop one on the floor? Do you have to start the process all over again? If so, you may want to reconsider what you're doing because I don't think I've ever gotten food poisoning with my method. Heck, I may even stop washing fruits and veggies altogether.