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Should I avoid cocktails with ice on planes?

Air travel can be stressful, and sometimes the only way to make that experience a bit better is with a good drink. If you’re a germaphobe, or tend to get sick on planes, you might want to avoid the ice. Unfortunately, the hands and the scoops used to dole out ice are not always pristine.

As one flight attendant recently told MarketWatch, “Between ice scoops, I’ll probably touch a seat, a Coke can, my tablet to charge someone for a drink, their credit card, a tray table and the car. So basically my hand snatches up all those lovely germs and then goes back into the ice drawer to pick the scoop back up and do it all again.” Random screenings by the EPA have confirmed that the ice does indeed carry bacteria.

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So the next time you’re on a plane and need a drink, order a beer, a glass of wine, or take your spirit straight with no ice.