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Are you afraid to fly?


Randomguy

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The difference between US security and some foreign security can make for some serious humor.

Japan boarding inspection back in the day of film:  I take out all my film canisters and ask for hand check instead of x-ray.  The agent pushes them back and says "OK, we know what film is".

Japan incoming customs:  While standing in a long line at customs a facilitator/translator takes womaxx and myself around the corner to another booth where an agent stamps our paper work.  The translator smiles and says......"you are old.  We trust you"

Malaysian arrival terminal:  Get passport stamp.  Collect luggage.  Move forward looking for customs line but find ourselves at the exit door where the car is waiting for us.  I asked "where is customs"?  My son says "see those two sitting at the card table by the wall.  If you have anything to declare go see them".

Arriving in Singapore with son's father in law and family (Rich Crazy Asians).......whisked past everything to waiting multiple SUV motorcade from Marina Bay Sands................Holaaaay Shit.

CT departure inspection for international flight.  Ask for hand inspection of film camera instead of x-ray and spend the next 30 minutes having the camera swabbed for explosives?

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On commercial airlines no... But last summer the wife and I took an open cockpit biplane ride on a 90 year old Waco Taperwing. My wife got the pilot to do some minor aerobatics. The wife loved it, but they had to pull my azz off the seat like a suction cup after we landed. :unsure: 

 

bi.jpg

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I don't enjoy it.  I have been through some pretty crappy stuff in some small planes.  I will do it if I need to but much prefer to drive.  It's also about the herding around that you have to do at public airports.  I hate being herded.  

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9 minutes ago, wilbur said:

No idea what you are talking about..

You wouldn't but the coach seats back with the peasants are something from the dark ages.  I expect that the next stage will be to prepack passengers in the cargo area and load them on in containers like pets.

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To answer the topic question: no I don't fear flying. The odds of dying on a plane flight is much less than for driving a car.

As to security, even as late as 1999 I noticed a tremendous difference between U.S. and Israeli security.  The Israelis were interviewing everyone individually as we LEFT the country on Royal Dutch KLM Airlines after a tour. I think it was a training exercise for Massad. They used a couple of very friendly, attractive women to disarm us.  I was asked questions like what is the national origin of my last name (Irish) and what did I do for a living (teach chemistry and physics).  Then they got deeper, "What is the curriculum of the chemistry course you teach?" "What did you do in Egypt the week before you arrived in Israel?" Etc.

On the other hand, I flew from JFK in New York to a connecting flight to Greece in Amsterdam in 1996 when TWA Flight 800 blew up 15 minutes behind us. When the Dutch were looking closely at the X-ray picture of my carry-on bag closely, I said, "That's a camcorder." The guard immediately recognized that was right and sent me through. When returning to America, everyone had to be asked a series of questions for 5-10 minutes, read from a card by U.S. officials.  The guy we got spoke in deadpan and didn't make eye contact as he read the questions which would have told him NOTHING about whether or not we were terrorists.

I felt like asking for the administrator and berating him for such an irresponsible interrogation but, of course, I knew better than to risk retaliation and missing my flight.

Ever since then, I've noticed that American security is based on following a script whereas other countries follow common sense.

It reminded me of my father telling me that American soldiers in WW2, particular his Darby's Rangers, were taught to think on their own where their opponents were taught to follow the book and not think on their own and that gave the Rangers an immediate advantage.

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...yes. Flying on an airplane is one of the few things that provokes some anxiety in me.  I think it's the combination of complete lack of control in the situation coupled with the enormously catastrophic possibilities when something goes seriously wrong.  I have read the statistics about flying versus driving, and I don't care what they say.

I have run into burning buildings without thinking twice about it, but flying creeps me out.

And don't get me started on breathing everyone else's germs in the closed and pressurized passenger compartment. #Ebola

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27 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

don't get me started on breathing everyone else's germs in the closed and pressurized passenger compartment. #Ebola

It is remarkably easy to pick up something when packed in and trapped like that.  I used to love flying before the whole terrorist thing happened, now it is just one ordeal after another.  Total pain in the ass now.

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I'm not afraid of flying in a commercial jetliner or dirigible.  I haven't flown in a helicopter, but I expect that would bother me more. 

However, it's no longer a particularly pleasant experience

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59 minutes ago, Kirby said:

I'm not afraid of flying in a commercial jetliner or dirigible.  I haven't flown in a helicopter, but I expect that would bother me more. 

However, it's no longer a particularly pleasant experience

Flying in helo’s is a kick in the pants.  I loved it.  It’s not as scary as you might think.

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My brother's father in law died when his plane crashed on takeoff.   :(

Tons of entertainers and such have died in small plane crashes.  Lots of other people too, but we usually hear about the entertainers.  Ever hear of an entertainer dying on a commercial jet crash?

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