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*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. *
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You mean like those three guys did yesterday? With the penknives and phony pilots licenses? Looks like the security is airtight.
after they were seated on the plane. A few more minutes and they would have been in the air.
I’m no more afraid to fly than I was last time I flew, a week ago. But that leaves me at the “white knuckle terror” level. 
Jarbaby I completely understand and respect your fear, but I’m not sure that what you’re saying in a thread for people who are discussing being afraid to fly is very helpful. You know in your rational mind that the probability of anything happening on any one particular flight is very small, even now. You may be afraid, but several other people are trying to conquer their fear and to continue arguing about how terrorists are going to take over your flight, my flight and everyone else’s flight isn’t conducive to the defiancy I personally feel we should be showing.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t be aware of the risks, and that we shouldn’t acknowledge that there is increased danger, but I think it’s best to express your concern and then move on. Being afraid is natural, but spreading fear isn’t helping. As ever, all MHO.
I appreciate what you’re saying Francesca, but Johnny L.A. rubbed me the wrong way by somehow implying that I was weak or letting the terrorists conquer me by looking out for my own safety. The question was, are you afraid to fly?
My answer is YES, and no amount of pride in my country will make me unafraid to fly.
jarbaby
Do you honestly think it was ‘close’? They held off until the ‘last minute’ in order to get as many people in place as possible. That plan was NEVER in any danger. You make it sound like someone said ‘Oh wait, we need to stop that plane. I hope we get there in time.’. That plane was going nowhere.
I’m telling you people. Security is very good right now. Don’t believe the fear mongers.
Oh, and on another note: Be sure to hear the word ‘confirmed’ when listening to the news. everything else is suspect.
I understand people’s fears, but I am not afraid. In fact, I want to fly more than ever just as a sign that I won’t be intimidated.
It won’t stop me from flying. I’m heading to California in Novenber, landing at LAX. Anyone that tries to hijack the plane I’m is going to have to kill me.
That was surely not my intent. If you took it that way, I apologize.
According to this story from the NY Times all the people detained but 1 have been released. They had NOTHING to do with the WTC and Pentagon attacks.
So CALM DOWN people. This is not the second wave.
I probably won’t fly anytime soon. I have no reason to, and I figure why tempt fate? If I had something truly important I needed to be at - like a funeral - I would probably look into driving, and if that didn’t work out, I’d consider flying.
I have coworkers who are supposed to fly in the next few weeks for business. If my boss approached me to go to a conference or some such business activity, and it involved flying, I’d say no way. I know the risk is low, but quite frankly, my job is not important enough to me to risk flying.
We are due to holiday in Barcelona in 10 days time but I do not think we will go.
Personally I consider that I am still in far, far more danger of dying if I am crossing the road, or driving around, than I am if I fly.
Mme N. does not share this view so naturally I respect her wishes, and her reasons, and that is that.
Its very far from tempting fate. Are you just going to board yourself up in your house for fear of car accidents and being struck by lightning too? Get out move on and experience life… This accident should show anyone that is finite…
At 11:40am on Tuesday, October 16, 2001, I will be boarding Northwest Airlines Flight 353 from MSP to SFO. This will be my first ever time flying. I’ve been nervous about this trip since the day I got my flight information, 5 days before the attacks. Did the attacks make my fear worse? Yeah, sure. Will I likely spend a good part of the trip nervously checking out my fellow passengers? Maybe. I’ll probably cry when it becomes time to leave my dad to board the plane. I’ll make sure to spend lots of time with my family the day before, and I’ll make it clear to them how much I love them before I leave. And I’m going to be very, very scared. But I still have to board that plane. I made a plan to go to California, I made a plan to drive with Caldazar from SF to LA to meet my fellow Dopers.
I say, with recent stress, I need this vacation now more than ever.
I really hope to see you there, Rose.
I’ve always been a nervous flyer. I have tickets to fly to my family for Thanksgiving, which I bought about three weeks ago, and I too am not letting those bastards stop me from flying.
I may be scared, but I’m not going to let it stop me.
Not Afraid. In fact, I’m planning a trip to Hawaii very soon.
Actually My fiancee and I are flying from Tampa to Newark next month for a wedding and are a bit nervous about getting back on a plane. We will get back on of course, we are just a little scared right now.
Well it’s time to hear from some men now
I’ve never been at ease flying, and recent events will certainly not help that. But if I had a flight scheduled, I’d sure as hell go. I’d put on my best Wildest Bill attitude and say “just let somebody try to commandeer my flight with a few razor blades”.
No, I’m not particularly scared to fly now. This is going to sound absurd, but I’m too scared of driving to be scared of flying.
I’ll be flying from Raleigh-Durham to DC next month to see my parents, as I do every couple of months. I am firmly convinced – and have been for several years – that if I tried to drive that far, I would end up in a smoldering heap of metal by the side of I-95. So what choice do I have? I can’t afford to be afraid of flying too.
(OK, I suppose Amtrak or Greyhound would be another possibility, but it would be damned hard to spend the rest of my life confined to public ground transportation, at least in this country.)
You know, under the circumstances, being a afraid is not irrational. It is damn scary to know there are people out there willing and able to kill thousands of people at one blow. If you don’t find that frightening there’s something wrong with you.
On the other hand, I’ve never been one to let fear me stop me. In fact, after a very unpleasent almost-crash in a commercial airliner 12 years ago I not only resumed flying, but I also went out and earned a pilot’s license. It’s part of my personality to confront my own fears, to keep functioning even when in gibbering terror.
When the VFR private pilots are given the OK to fly again I’ll be one of them, exercising my freedom to take to the air. I’ll also be keeping an eye out so I don’t accidently run afoul of an F-16 because it would be a shame to get hurt due to a misunderstanding.
On the other hand, not everyone is like that. So, search your own soul on this and come to your own decision. Folks like Johnny LA and me would be more than willing to get back into the air right now. Other folks will likely never fly again. Know what? I’m cool with both positions. Being able to choose what risks you will take is a part of being a free person.
I’m supposed to be flying back to Dublin on Monday. I’m a bit nervous about it, but at least it’s a nonstop out of the country. My mother was supposed to fly from San Francisco to DC on Monday, but the conference she was going to has been postponed - THANK GOD. It was her flight I was really scared about.