So much worse than the stranger belly-rub

Today at church - when I was already in my funk about the families participating in the Baptisms - I took Jakob out into narthex when he started to fuss. One member of the congregation - a smoker who forever stinks like an ashtray - swooped in on us. I kept backing away, but she totally ignored my body language (and frantic-protective-mother-bird gestures) and kissed Jakob on the face.

Again, this really bothered me, and on a couple of levels. First, there's just the practical aspect: Jakob has eczema, and his cheeks are extremely sensitive. They're inflamed more often than not. I want to protect them. Deficiency guy once touched Jakob's cheek (ok, he was here a lot) to point out that it was rashy; when he did so, he had paint on his hands. Deficiency guy was nice, but this made me soooo uncomfortable. And quite aside from the eczema, it's the time of year when colds are floating around. Please, people, don't give my son your germs! And where have those hands been? I have, to my perpetual disgust, spotted one of our neighbours in a public loo; she flushed and came out of the stall, and left without washing her hands. She's a physician!! I really don't want the great unwashed handling my Bärchen. If it's someone I know, or if someone asks nicely, that's one thing, but don't just assume it is ok.

Which brings me to my second point: isn't this a form of assault? I mean, it is touching without permission. What happens to people who caress an adult without permission? Why do these people think it is acceptable to touch an infant without permission, when they'd likely never brush the cheek of an adult.

If babies are people, then don't they have the right to personal space?