FROM THE COAST

“Have you ever been reluctant to put a public telephone receiver to your mouth?” asks the maker of OliverShields, a new product on the market. Well, no, but what is an OliverShield? It’s a disposable mouthpiece cover that prevents oral contact with those nasty invisible germs on public phones. Though this is “not an AIDS product,” according to promotional material, no doubt the Massachusetts manufacturer will benefit from AIDS-induced germ paranoia. And if you’re wondering about that clever name, the president of OliverShields just happens to be named-you guessed it-Oliver.