This is just a saying that means you don't want to go anywhere a
certain, place, person, thing, or situation. For example, "I
wouldn't touch a shark with a ten foot pole." This means that you
want absolutely nothing to do with sharks, not even be in the same
area as a shark. It can also refer to a situation: "Lisa and Rick
are fighting again. Man, I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot
pole." You just really want to stay away from their drama.