I love to travel. I live for the opportunity to visit a new place, observe the culture, sample new foods and absorb the history. It’s something about a new place and different people that reminds me how beautifully diverse our world is. *cue PBS documentary music* However, I wish there was an alternative to getting one place to another. I know driving across the globe is not an option but I kinda wish it was.
As a person who travels frequently one would think that I enjoy flying or at least get used to it but the truth of the matter is flying kind of scares me! Take off and landing terrify me! It is the moment when all sort of stuff goes on thru my head…most of which includes the plane exploding.
When I tell folk how I really feel about flying, they are quick to remind me “yeah but flying is safer than driving a car.” And to them I have two answers… 1) statistically speaking the more I fly, the more I am at risk of being in a plane crash and 2) how often do you hear of someone walking away uninjured from a plane crash? Not often because there is no such thing as a plane fender bender. Plane crashes are catastrophic and there is no way to water that down.
As if the risk of plummeting from a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet wasn’t enough, I come across this article and this one which only confirms that I should be just as concerned while I am in the air. Please read the links so that you can be just as bothered as I am. And allow me to highlight the following:
Pilots sleep during flight? Who is flying the plane dammit?!?! A computer? Is that what happened to the Malaysia flight?
Those oxygen mask only provide you with a 15 minutes supply of air? How am I supposed to breath with no air?
There is so much about these airplane truths that make me uncomfortable! The one about people stealing life jackets really did me in.
No! Not cool! Souvenirs? You people ought to be ashamed? Putting other passengers’ lives at risk because you want to have a memory of your flight to Topeka? It is there for emergency situations not your sentimental purposes!
So no, I don’t like flying…at all. For now I will continue to book my tickets all for the thrill of another stamp in my passport. Maybe on my next flight, something this cool will happen:
Seriously how cool would it be to have this be your serenade for take off and landing? What if flying was a Disney experience…it would be the happiest flight (read least terrifying) flight ever!
twillaamin.com 