tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133703253863123050.post9014114821739753841..comments2024-02-21T03:48:52.674-05:00Comments on Flying Lessons: Killer Engines or Jaws Syndrome?Christine Negronihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190247339367487575noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133703253863123050.post-92014014895283346502011-03-05T10:41:04.158-05:002011-03-05T10:41:04.158-05:00I agree with your husband. Not just because his n...I agree with your husband. Not just because his name is Jim, but because he makes a very valid point. When we are alerted to an issue or event that touches a naturally occurring fear, we respond to it. People are not afraid of things or situations they can control. In contrast, when faced with something out of their control, from a rattlesnake to the loss of their job, they become fearful. This fear is generally irrational. Very few people who swim in the ocean will be attacked by a Great White. This, of course, does not apply to the film crews from Discovery Channel.<br /><br />Relating it to transportation, the statistics just don't support the fear. Tens of thousands of people die on the US highways each year. Compare that to the very few and sometimes zero fatalities for US airlines. Just a couple of days ago a mother lost control and rolled her SUV in Florida. Her teenage daughter and her friend were killed. They were not wearing their seat belts. This tragic event happens many times each month across the US. <br /><br />Rarely do people feel the same anxiety when getting in an automobile that they feel when traveling on an airliner. The only difference is that they feel in control in their car. It may not be a very good assumption here in metropolitan Houston. <br /><br />Captains de Crespigny and Sullenberger make good spokesmen for their industry because their noteworthy events give them the credibility to help people deal with their irrational anxiety. The accent and suave demeanor don't hurt either.<br /><br />What should give people confidence is that every day tens of thousands of flights world wide are completed without incident. These flights are instantly forgotten when passengers are greeted at their destination. When asked, "How was your flight/" The best possible endorsement a customer can give an airline is that the flight was uneventful.James Blaszczakhttp://web.me.com/jblaszczak/Flying_the_Backside/Blog/Blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9133703253863123050.post-3821707480779052192011-03-04T17:27:49.764-05:002011-03-04T17:27:49.764-05:00It's true that many journalists try to be noti...It's true that many journalists try to be noticed in the wake of an incident. That's why your "Jaws syndrom".<br /><br />On the other side, if there is an engine that, unexpectedly, can become a bomb (we don't speak simply about an engine-stop), that is not "Jaws syndrom". That is real and it has to be addressed.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15087759797201730451noreply@blogger.com