I don't know what it is but I don't think any of us are "exempt" from disaster. I know, however, how close I've been to a major disaster. This had nothing to do with planes but back in 1997 - the date is etched in my mind; 19th September - I travelled on a high-speed-train from Swindon, England to London. When I got home it was all on the evening news that a Swansea to London express had collided with a freight train at Southall, just west of London that afternoon. Consequently 7 passengers died and most of the fatalities occured in the First Class carriage at the very front of the train. This train would have been the next service from Swindon to London after the one I actually travelled on and I could so easily have been on it had I missed my train.

The thing that shook me the most was the fact that nearly all of the fatalities occured in the front carriage. Were I to have been on that doomed train, then I know 100% that I would have been sitting in that very carriage (coach G was a smoking carriage back then and is always the leading coach) which almost took the brunt of the collision. There were no fatalities in the Standard Class coaches. I took a while for me to dispell the fear of travelling on a British train again and now I hardly ever think of what might have been when I do travel. I'm just thankful, that's all.