Fear of Flying

It was announced today that Tony Kornheiser is leaving the "Monday Night Football" broadcast, due to what Tony called a fear of flying.

Believe me, I can understand. I'd be fine if I never get in an airplane again. I'd much rather drive or take the train. I might have to travel for work in a couple months, about 800 miles away, and if I do go I'm going to inquire if I can drive rather than fly.

I don't like being in a plane. I don't like the take off, and I don't like the landing. You must understand, though, it's not a fear of flying --- it's a fear of crashing. The flying part is fine. It's what happens when the flying doesn't happen the way it should that I have a problem with.

The way I figure it, if I'm in a car moving about 70 mph on the ground, or in a train moving at a similar speed about 10 feet or so off the ground, and something happens, I have a chance. If I'm in a plane that has an issue a few thousand feet off the ground at hundreds of miles an hour... forget it. Game over, man.

I know the statistics. Flying is the safest method of travel, based on fatalities per hundred million miles travelled. My reply consists of two words: "what" and "so" (not necessarily in that order). It doesn't matter how long the odds are, how big the X in that 1-in-X ratio is... eventually the 1 is going to happen. (This is the same reason my wife and I spend a small amount on lottery tickets every week - we know how unlikely it is. But, eventually, somebody wins.) I'd rather not be involved when that 1 comes around, is all.