[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hey there.
When was the last time you traveled?
You tap your transit card, you board, they welcome you in, and then you throw your carry on into the overhead like you're competing in the airport Olympics.
Then you buckle up and then you breathe in whatever everyone else has left behind.
Tonight on Public Facing the Podcast, we're talking about what might actually be traveling with you.
The bacteria on rental car steering wheels.
The mystery funk in airplane cabins.
The best seat is the bus seat that's definitely seen things.
And cruise ships, huh? Well, those are floating buffets for both humans and microscopic chaos.
This is toxic transportation.
What's growing where you're going?
The episode that may have you wiping down every armrest for the rest of your natural life.
And yes, you're absolutely going to rethink touching that tray table.
Let's roll.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: From the natural state. This is Public Facing the Podcast with Jo Hol.
[00:01:53] Speaker A: Now, planes, you know the those that are sky high germs.
Yeah, those have one of the most scrutinized air filtration systems in public transportation.
The FAA notes most commercial aircraft use HEPA filtration that removes 99.7% of particulates. And cabin air is often comparable to that of offices or homes under normal operation.
Rare mechanical fume events are the bigger concern, not routine cabin air itself.
That coming from the Federal Aviation Administration.
So why does flying still feel like entering a pressurized germ capsule?
Well, because of people.
And people are gross.
See the real risks?
Tray tables harboring bacteria.
Seat belt buckles rarely deep clean between flights.
And that dehydrating cabin air that's recirculated human proximity.
And there's always that guy coughing in 14C.
Now, airplane etiquette should include if your cough sounds like an old lawnmower trying to start, you do not need to be at 36,000ft.
Do you wipe your seat area down? If so, what do you wipe it down with?
What length do you go to to ensure that your area is clean? If you do that kind of thing?
If your cough.
Well, never mind the cough for now. We'll go back to that. Because what about those that take their shoes off on planes?
Is this considered a criminal offense or a personal freedom?
Or is this something deeper?
Should airlines provide sanitizing wipes as a standard?
This segment is sponsored by Delta Air Lines. From gate to great. Whether you're flying for business, family, or because your cousin picked a destination wedding in the middle of nowhere, Delta Air Lines connects you to over 300 destinations worldwide.
Delta because sprinting through terminal B still Counts as cardio.
So now let's talk about helicopters and the other private air transit.
Nothing says I've made it like entering a helicopter.
And nothing says I regret this.
Like realizing that there are six people sharing one tiny airspace with your pilot. Casually saying bit of turbulence today.
Now the things that you, you struggle with in settings like that, it, it's a, it's a risk because it's a, it's a tight cabin exposure and limited airflow compared to what a large aircraft has.
And there is also the element of motion sickness spikes, also noise exposure and finally a stress induced fatigue just because of the experience.
See, helicopter rides are basically, here's luxury anxiety at 128 miles an hour.
Now if you had your rathers, would you rather take a 30 minute helicopter ride with mystery sneezing passenger or take an eight hour ride with no air conditioning?
An eight hour bus ride with no air conditioning.
Now the fact is, no matter what you chose, there are no winners.
We've gone through planes and automobiles to a certain degree, but we have not yet gone through trains. Now trains and buses, those are the public transit petri dishes.
Mass transit means mass sharing.
Particles, surfaces, air, and occasionally someone's tuna sandwich.
Now transit systems can expose riders to elevated particulate matter depending on ventilation and crowd density, especially those underground systems in older infrastructure such as those subways.
Now general transit air quality findings are widely documented in urban exposure studies.
So some of the risks here are those high touch rails, the seat fabric contamination, the poor ventilation in older fleets and those peak hour density times.
And finally the respiratory exposure.
Now I have just a little rant wanted to go over with you.
Why is it every city bus temperature is either arctic survival simulation or it's an active greenhouse experiment?
There is never any middle ground.
This segment is brought to you by Greyhound. Need to travel across the country while questioning your life choices? Well, ride with Greyhound. Affordable fares, nationwide routes and enough roadside gas station coffee to legally classify as fuel.
Greyhound getting you there eventually.
Here we are, back to automobiles, because this one's gonna hurt for real. Because your own car feels safe.
But think about it.
How often do you sanitize things like the steering wheel, the touchscreen, the gear shift, those cup holders. Exactly.
Rental cars are shared chaos.
Studies frequently show rental car touchpoints can host significant microbial contamination if not thoroughly disinfected between users.
This translates to you are literally touching somebody's vacation residue.
Now I'll do a fun segment here. This is called guess that smell.
You have to ask yourself when you're in any of these modes of transit, that smell, is it air freshener?
Old fries?
Forgotten gym socks?
All of the above?
Well, the correct answer didn't even make it to the list. The correct answer is Rent a Rec Special.
What's the nastiest thing that you've ever found in a rental car?
This segment sponsored by Enterprise Rent a Car.
Need a ride? Pick from thousands of locations with Enterprise Rent a Car. Because sometimes your car breaks down and sometimes you just want to test drive responsibility.
Enterprise will pick you up and hopefully wipe down the steering wheel first.
So now on to RVs and that good old road trip living.
Everyone knows what the RV dream is, right?
Freedom, adventure, national parks and the reality there's tiny plumbing, questionable tanks, and one person forgetting how the bathroom system works.
And hidden risks like mold in ventilation systems or water tank bacteria, carbon monoxide concerns, limited sanitation infrastructure, and sleep deprivation from that good old adventure parking.
You know, nothing bonds people faster than collectively realizing the RV toilet is backing up.
That bonds families.
But that's trauma.
And that's America.
When it comes to cruise ships, or as I like to call them, the floating fungi festivals, cruise ships get a bad reputation and suddenly some of it is earned.
The CDC notes norovirus accounts for more than 90% of confirmed GI outbreaks on cruise ships, largely because of close quarters and shared dining, creating ideal transmission conditions from the CDC.
Now there are. There's a recent 2026 report that says that including the outbreaks that are affecting over a hundred passengers aboard major vessels.
From the New York Post, this happens largely.
Well, it happens for several reasons. One one of which shared buffet utensils, crowded enclosed spaces, cabin turnover.
Look folks, when you are getting off the cruise ship, you are just getting out and right behind you, somebody's coming in. It's really, in many respects, it's no different than how the the turnover is in the hotel and motel industry.
Now, what about surface contamination and people refusing to report symptoms?
Here's my logic. If someone says I was throwing up all night, but I'm fine now, well, they should not be at the breakfast buffet touching the tongs knowing what you know. Now, folks, let me ask you would you still cruise knowing the risks?
This segment sponsored by Carnival Cruise Line ready to set sail. Book your next adventure with Carnival Cruise Line. Great food, ocean views and enough hand sanitizer stations to make a germaphobe weep tears of joy.
Carnival choose fun responsibly.
Now, if I had to.
This is not an all inclusive list, but this is certainly a good base I would call this Joe's Public Facing Travel Survival Kit.
And what would I always pack? Things like sanitizing wipes, hand soap, water bottle, face mask if needed.
Maybe just in case.
Now disinfecting spray and some common sense.
Yeah, let's try that one for an item on the list. Maybe that should go higher up.
And maybe, just maybe, stop licking your fingers before touching communal surfaces.
That's where I draw the line.
Look, travel isn't the enemy, but being careless is.
So whether you're flying first class, riding coach, road tripping, cross country, or cruising towards unlimited shrimp, here's some that you should take on.
You see, awareness is the difference between a great trip and becoming patient zero.
This has been Public Facing the Podcast. I'm Joe Holman.
Until next time, stay informed, stay curious, and for the love of public health, wipe down that table tray.
[00:16:53] Speaker B: Thanks for listening to Public Facing the Podcast with Jo Holman. Visit us online at publicfacingpod Stream and on
[email protected] publicfacingpod.
[00:17:10] Speaker A: Sa.
