Who among us hasn’t fallen asleep on a plane with their head resting on the window frame? It’s a common habit, but it may be a bad idea, according to a flight attendant who warns against the practice in a TikTok video.
So. Just why shouldn’t we rest our heads against an airplane window?
Well, that TikTok tipster / flight attendant is a guy named Tommy Cimato. He points out that loads of people have wiped their hands and all sorts of other things all over the window.
The window and surfaces near it can harbor nasty microbes, according to microbiologist Jason Tetro (aka the Germ Guy), author of The Germ Code. But they aren’t the bugs you might be expecting.
Scientists have tested these areas. And they found that high-touch surfaces are hot spots for transmitting germs. In airplanes, in restaurants, public bathrooms, and more.
So. Exactly what kind of germs can end up on plane windows?
An airplane’s window area can be a petri dish for germs like Staphylococcus aureus, which some of us have on our skin, as well as influenza A and other viruses, which can survive on surfaces for several hours. They’ve also found fecal matter on that window area.
In snoozing there, you also may be smooshing up against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can survive for about a week on the window frame or shade. As you may have heard, MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics, so it is a health scourge. Because the window is a nonporous surface, any bacteria that have been transferred there can potentially end up on your skin and possibly your nose.
Staph or other pathogens could get on you, but if your skin is intact, they won’t be able to infect you unless you touch your face and transfer them to your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Another concern: picking up a nasty gastrointestinal infection. There are some viruses, like norovirus or bacterial causes of foodborne illness, that could be found on these surfaces and make you sick, especially if you don’t wash your hands before eating.
So they say we should wipe down surfaces with a disinfecting wipe and wash our hands (or use hand sanitizer) before doing much of anything.
The Canadian Broadcast Channel (CBC) recently conducted an investigation into airplanes of all varieties. They swabbed surfaces on 18 flights and found E. coli, staph, and mold on many high-touch plane surfaces, including the tray tables and seat pockets. And the window.
Flying the Friendly Skies may no longer be a thing these days. Rising costs. Long waits in security lines. Unruly passengers. And now this. Poop on your window.
Happy trails to you…
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“Wash your hands of your troubles, and you’ll be surprised how often they disappear.” — Napoleon Hill
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“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” — Benjamin Franklin
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“People don’t think about the invisible world around them, but it’s always there.” — Louis Pasteur
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“Cleanliness is next to godliness.” — John Wesley
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