FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Odd Question: Is anyone on this forum scared of flying?
Old Apr 3, 2008 | 7:48 am
  #14  
pedxing
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I'm actually going to take your question seriously...

Funny enough, I really do hate flying.

I dislike the "no control" feeling - being totally at someone else's mercy. The pilot might be great (as I know most are) or he might have had a fight with his wife, stayed up all night, lost his dog, etc and be not so good. Same for the FAs, GAs, ATC, etc. Anyone anywhere could totally ruin my day because of something I have no part of.

I dislike the massiveness of the air travel industry. It costs trillions of dollars to get me from Cleveland to Dallas, despite what my ticket receipt says. Those planes are up there day in, day out. Airports are massive building projects. Air travel produces tremendous amounts of pollution and waste. Everyone is shuttled around like cargo. It's a nightmare, when you think of it in these terms.

Especially when there is bad weather, I dislike the thought that no one is really in control. Flying is like skiing - you can't do it at all if you have to be ready to stop on a dime. Once the plane is up, it cannot come down safely without tremendous skill and planning, and that's sometimes not possible. Throw in some bad weather and unforseen circumstances, and you had better hope you've got Alfred Haynes or that DHL crew in command! And sometimes even they can't do anything - no one is to blame in lots of instances.

So yeah, I really hate flying. I just get in, hang on, shut up, and wait to get there.
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