Tuesday, January 11th 2011, 3:03 PM

Schwartz for News

ATMs are as dirty as public toilets, according to a microbiologist.

A team of researchers took samples from the buttons on a string of high-traffic automatic teller machines in England and compared them with seats of nearby public lavatories, the Telegraph reports.

While there's been no similar study for ATMs in New York City, the study is a good argument for standing online for a bank teller.

The swabs indicated that both the ATM buttons and the public toilet seats contained pseudomonads and bacillus, bacteria known to cause serious stomach distress.

Although it may be your bag that's making you sick rather than the icky ATM.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2011/01/11/2011-01-11_atm_machines_as_dirty_as_public_bathrooms_sez_study_bank_machines_lavatories_hav.html#ixzz1BHv86yY7