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Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 17:27:23 -0500
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Subject: Re: Flying is not safe
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Reece R. Pollack wrote:

> Personally I feel much safer flying the skies of the Nation's Capitol
> than I do driving its streets.

I think there is a lot to be said for the notion
that how safe you feel is, with the exception
of reckless and careless behavior, at least as
important as how safe you actually are (in the
context of comparing accident statistics for autos
vs. motorcycles vs. planes).

My life is impacted much more by the *perceptions*
that I have and that the people around me have (my
family, friends I fly with, etc.) than it is by
any hard factual data (when it comes to my comfort
in flying!).

I think that at some point all but the most analytical
of minds just ends up saying "Heck ... my odds are
pretty good in either case provided I exercise as
much caution as possible."

Assuming we aren't trying to develop actuarial tables
I'm not sure what bantering statistics of this nature
around really gains us, aside from some minor
academic interest. If someone firmly believes flying
isn't safe, they aren't going to change their mind
because you thrust some statistics in front of them.
It's a tricky process, but I think showing them is
the only way. And even then, you just have to accept
that some people will always feel that taking your
feet off the ground isn't safe. Period.

Brett

-- 
Brett Rabe                            Email : brett@uswest.net
Systems Administrator - U S West      Phone : 612.664.3078
Interact - 3S                         Pager : 612.613.2549
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Minneapolis, MN USA                   Fax   : 612.664.4770

         One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
