BY THE WAY, YOU’RE BETTER OFF BEING ON AN AIRPLANE.
THAT’S HOW BAD IT WAS.
>> IT WHATS THAT BAD.
>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT DANGEROUS
BACTERIA.
BACTERIA. YOU CAN PICK IT UP BEFORE YOU
EVEN GET ON THE PLANE.
THERE IS A STUDY OUT OF THE UK
FINDING THE PLASTIC BINS IN THE
SECURITY LINE HAVE THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF VIRUSES AT AIRPORTS.
SO HOW DIRTY ARE THEY HERE?
WHAT IS THE GERMIEST PART OF THE
PLANE?
PLANE? TODAY IT’S THE GERM METER, WE’RE
PULLING IT OUT SWABBING THE
BINS, ARM RESTS, TRAY TABLES ON
THE PLANE.
THE PLANE. BUCKLE UP FOR THIS ONE.
>> THERE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
>> Reporter: WEEKS AGO A FLIGHT
LANDING IN NEW YORK QUARANTINED.
>> BACK TO YOUR SEATS.
PLEASE KEEP THE AISLE CLEAR.
>> Reporter: 19 PEOPLE REPORTING
FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS.
JUST ONE DAY LATER, TWO MORE
FLIGHTS LANDING IN PHILADELPHIA
QUARANTINED.
QUARANTINED. 12 PASSENGERS COMPLAINING OF THE
SAME SYMPTOMS.
SAME SYMPTOMS. HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY IT WAS THE
FLU, LIKELY CAUGHT OVERSEAS.
SO HOW GERMY ARE PLANES?
THE ROSSEN REPORTS TEAM PUTTING
ON THE GLOVES TO TEST IT ALL.
SWABBING SURFACES AT MAJOR
AIRPORTS AND ABOARD MAJOR
AIRLINES.
AIRLINES. FIRST UP, THE BINS AT THE TSA
SECURITY LINE.
SECURITY LINE. I GET IN THERE SWABBING IT ALL,
EVEN THE HANDLES THAT YOU TOUCH.
LOOK AT THAT!
616 ON THE GERM METER.
ANYTHING OVER 100 ON THIS IS A
FAIL.
FAIL. SO THESE TSA BINS HAVE FAILED BY
A LOT.
A LOT. BY THE WAY, A COUPLE OF TSA
WORKERS JUST WALKED BY AND THEY
SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I SAID OH, WE’RE TESTING THESE
FOR GERMS AND DIRT.
THEY SAID, YOU DON’T NEED THE
GERM METER, THEY’RE GROSS.
EVEN THEY KNOW.
THEY TOUCH THE STUFF ALL DAY.
THE NEWS GETS EVEN WORSE.
WE SEND THE SAMPLES TO A
CERTIFIED LAB.
CERTIFIED LAB. THE TSA BINS WE SWABBED CONTAIN
E. COLI AND OTHER GERMS.
>> THEY’RE BACTERIA WE FIND IN
THE INTESTINES.
THE INTESTINES. THEY ARE FECAL BACTERIA.
THAT MEANS THEY’RE CONTAMINATED
WITH POOP.
WITH POOP. >> ASIDE FROM MAKING MYSELF TO
SICK TO MY STOMACH, CAN THEY
MAKE ME SICK?
>> YES, THEY CAN CAUSE
INFECTIONS IN HEALTHY HUMAN
BEINGS.
BEINGS. YOU TOUCH YOUR EYE, CERTAINLY
WITH GET AN EYE INFECTION.
IF IT GETS INSIDE A CUT, YOU
COULD HAVE A TISSUE INFECTION.
>> Reporter: SO GIVE YOU AN IDEA
HOW GROSS THE TSA BINS ARE,
LET’S COMPARE THEM TO THE
AIRPORT BATHROOM.
AIRPORT BATHROOM. I SWAB THE TOILET.
REMEMBER, THE BINS CAME IN AT
616.
616. LOOK AT THAT.
ONLY 32.
ONLY 32. THAT MEANS THIS AIRPORT BATHROOM
IS CLEAN.
IS CLEAN. IT PASSES THE GERM TEST.
THE AIRPORT BATHROOM TOILET AND
THE FLUSH BUTTON ARE CLEANER
THAN THE TSA BINS WE PUT OUR
HANDS ON AND STUFF IN.
GROSS.
GROSS. HOW BAD IS IT IN THE AIR?
LET’S FLY.
LET’S FLY. WE SWAB IT ALL FROM THE ARM
RESTS --
RESTS -- 429.
429. THEY’RE REALLY FILTHY.
>> Reporter: TO THE SEELT BELTS.
>> 589.
>> 589. THIS BUCKLE IS DISGUSTING.
>> Reporter: THAT SEAT BELT ALSO
TESTING POSITIVE FOR BACTERIA.
THE BACTERIA THAT CAN MAKE YOU
SICK.
SICK. BUT THIS NEXT TEST EVEN
SURPRISED US.
SURPRISED US. I’M SCARED TO SEE THIS.
THE TRAY TABLE.
I SWAB AND SWAB --
GUYS.
GUYS. 1,688.
1,688. THAT IS SKY HIGH.
AND LOOK THIS TRAY TABLE, IT
LOOKS CLEAN.
LOOKS CLEAN. BUT LOOK AT ALL THOSE GERMS.
YOU EAT HERE.
ANOTHER ONE CONTAINING THE
MOTHER LOAD OF BACTERIA.
INFECTION CAUSING BACTERIA.
>> PLUS, THEY’RE MORE DIFFICULT
TO TREAT WITH ANTIBIOTICS WHICH
MAKES THEM MORE CONCERNING.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
RESULTS?
RESULTS? >> THE TRAY TABLES HAVE BACK
TEAR YASHGS SEATS HAVE BACTERIA
ON THEM, THE AIRPLANES ARE
FILTHY.
FILTHY. >> I LOVE THAT FROM THE DOCTOR.
WHAT IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS?
THE AIRPLANES ARE GROSS.
THE T IS.
THE T IS. A CANNOT CONTROL GERMS ON THE
BINS.
BINS. THE AIRLINES DO A GOOD JOB
CLEANING THE PLANES, THEY TRY.
THERE IS NO WAY TO CLEAN EVERY
SEAT BETWEEN EVERY FLIGHT.
NO WAY TO GET THAT WRAPPER THAT
SAVANNAH OR HODA PUT INTO THAT
LITTLE POCKET.
LITTLE POCKET. SO EXPERTS SAY IT’S UP TO US.
BRING THE BACTERIA WIPES.
YOU WERE SAYING YOU DO THAT ALL
THE TIME.
THE TIME. >> I BRING CLOROX WIPES WITH ME
ALL THE TIME.
>> THAT’S SMART.
IT DOES WORK.
>> SO YOU’RE SAYING THIS ROSSEN
REPORT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY
AMTRAK?
AMTRAK? >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. TAKE THE TRAIN.
>> I’M SURE IT’S BETTER THERE.
>> ALL RIGHT.