Are you ready to fly the friendly skies?

[Mensa]

The commuter flights are usually full but now they have empty seats. They tell me the transcontinental flights have really been hit hard, and that's here in Canada. By all accounts it's even worse in the U.S.

How about you, are you ready to board a plane yet or does the very idea make you break out in a cold sweat?

 

[Mz_Scarlett]

No worries at all! In fact I feel it is safer to fly now than ever before. I flew from Miami to Newark last weekend to see DontWaketheNeighbors and will be flying back there two weeks from now as well as for Thanksgiving and flying back home to Seattle for Christmas.

It WAS creepy at first- going to MIA and finding it practically deserted- but I will continue to lead my life from a place of strength vs fear

 

[pabloback]

am flying to mallorca on thursday for a long weekend , european flights have always had more security than us ones , so not so big a deal over here

 

[bluntforcemama]

Juspar flies internationally tomorrow, and I have no worries. This is the safest time to fly.

 

[shadowsource]

.

 

[ChaoticLil]

i'm flying Friday to Los Angeles. The way i see it, when it's my turn to go i'm going no matter what. So, i might as well enjoy life now while i have the chance.

 

[Aphrodisiac]

No scared ...

No I am not afraid to fly -- I never use to fly till maybe last year and I was afraid then but for some reason I am no longer scared even after all that has happen...

I will be flying the friendly skies on Continental Airlines.

 

[Mensa]

It made sense

I was told something by an expert in airport security. I'd mentioned that it was troubling that a handful of hijackers, armed only with knives, could commandeer a plane and wreak so much carnage. ...he told me that they more than likely had guns and bombs with them, not just knives. I asked how that was possible? He told me that the weak link was the ground crews.

He says they are usually hired by the airlines and poorly-paid because to pay them well would cut into company profits. It wouldn't take much to find one or two willing to stash a package aboard somewhere for some extra cash. He told me that there have been several incidents of drugs being carried in just such a fashion. The ground crew need never even know what it is they're hiding.

 

[Natalie Nessus]

.

 

[Simply Me]

I have always been terrified of flying. I have only flown once in my life, and I'm not sure I was breathing the entire time. But, yes , I would fly now if I had to. While my fear is somewhat based on the recent events, it stems more from a constant dream I've had that I would die on a plane. Dragon is flying over here from London this month, and to say I don't have moments of panic thinking about it, would be a lie. But like I've told my daughters, we have to live as if there is going to be a tomorrow. To do anything else would be cheating ourselves of many wonderful moments.

 

[cymbidia]

I fly often and have done so for years.

On October 10th i'm flying down to San Diego for a week to see MS and my parents. I did the same thing at the end of July. This flight cost me less than half what it cost - same flight and airline - in July. Additionally, i feel safer now than i did then (though i didn't feel unsafe then, either). Aside from the favorable monetary considerations, i think that security is *so* tight now that one's safety is a given.

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[Svedish_Chef]

I'll fly anytime just someone give me the ticket!

 

[Lancaster]

I'm usually well fortified before I fly, so it's never bothered me. Let's face it, there's nothing else to do at airports except sit at a bar.
If I was stone cold sober, it might be a different matter .....

 

[SexCrazedQT4U]

I was in California on vacation Sept. 11th.......I was due to fly home on the 22cnd, 3 X's my flight home got cancelled! Finally and with luck I actually got a flight home on the 2oth....2 days early, hmmmm?

I was a little nervous about flying....who wouldn't be. But when I gave it some thought, like others I realized it was probably one of the safest times to fly.

The only thing that was rather a pain was, checking into LAX airport 2 hours early! But what the heck, a little inconvenience to be safe!!! I'm worth it!

 

[luv2tvl69]

Absolutely....going to the bahamas the end of the month (as long as nothing transpires from now till then to prevent/postpone it)

It is really the safest time to fly...security is heightened (as it should have always been) people are more aware of their surroundings. Anyways I think any further incidents will be in another form, rather than air travel.

 

[SweetNick]

Its still more dangerous to get into a car. I like flying, just need to get some money saved up to do so. No problems here about getting on a plane except the 3 hour check-in process.

 

[MishkarinaSkye]

I don't think I will for a while.. I still look up in the sky and see them go over and get really scared. The sound, the smell, I don't think I could handle it right about now.. Maybe in a month or two....maybe not.

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Absofuckinglutely!!!

I have a trip booked into NYC at the end of October for a birthday festival weekend. I'm takng my daughter and we plan to celebrate my birthday there, together with my son's birthday.(He was born one day and thirty years after me). Look out, NYC; we are on our way and we are planning to party!!

blue

 

[Juspar Emvan]

I fly, I flew into USA a few days ago and head out again this afternoon. I have no qualms about flying, never have. There have always been risks both human and mechanical, and that hasn't changed.

I am concerned about the attitude that security has picked itself up to perfection now though. This is far from true. I read the other day how a man smuggled four of the box cutter knives used in The hijacks on board, just to prove that security hadn't been fixed. He did it twice, just to drive home the point, and got away with it both times.

Security is heightened, but it's not fixed guys. A little fear is healthy, it is still a dangerous activity. Even if it is less dangerous than going by car.

 

[Renegade]

If I had someplace to go where it would be best to take an airplane, then I'd definatly go for it. Would I be nervous? Yeah. But only because of the usual worry of airline accidents and not because I feel we would be hijacked. It's a lot safer to fly right now, although I do miss being able to wonder around the airport more freely while awaiting your flight.

Awhile back, I'd say either early this year or late last year, there was this news story that I found very funny at the time. It was about an airport where, right before take off, the pilot radioed in to the tower for clearance. Right before ending his transmission, the co-pilot entered the cockpit and the someone greeted him with "Hi, jack" as the pilot turned off the radio.

The story ended on a happy note. Security came running to the plane and it took about a hour before the misunderstanding was cleared up. Nobody was hurt, and the airplane left, albeit, a little behind schedule. The news over here covered it on a light note since the whole thing seemed funny at the time. If the same thing were to happen again today, you gotta wonder how different the results may be both in news coverage and on how security handled it.

 

[Natalie Nessus]

Thinks about all of the above posts while waiting for the cab to go to the airport....

Play nice without me for a few days.

 

[lobito]

I flew last week internationally, and domestic to get back home.

I felt safe flying, as I always do, BUT I wasn't happy about getting to the airport 3 hours early, only for the workers to show up an hour later, and NOT check my luggage thoroughly.

I was carrying on the plane, not checking in, my video camera, never checked to see if it worked or not, 2 digital cameras, again never checked, a disc player and my laptop computer. The ONLY equipment checked by a human being was my disc player. THEN I started to feel VERY unsafe about this so called stepped-up security.

Once I got back to Houston (Bush int.), it was even scarier. I wasn't asked by customs or security to check anything there either.

The two things most noticable to me about travelling in the U.S. were one, the Houston airport was nearly empty on a Monday afternoon at 1pm, which in and of itself is STRANGE beyond beliefe, and the second being that I was proud to be among what few people there were that wore anything supporting the U. S.

Will I fly again? Yep, you betcha, in a heart beat. Will I go early? Yes. BUT, I feel like I would insist that they check My electronics thoroughly before letting me through the gate. The problem is, do they see this is a terroristic/bomb threat? Do I need to go to jail for insisting that the workers (probably minimum wage) do their jobs correctly?

 

[Calamity Jane]

I'd fly again. I don't particularly LIKE flying... I'd rather drive. I don't like being crammed in with all those people I don't know, breathing their air and not allowed to smoke.

I am trying to convince my husband to take the girls and fly to Seattle next week. I wouldn't put my kids on a plane if I felt it was unsafe.

 

[Natalie Nessus]

I returned safely with no drama apart from the annoying person in the seat next to me who kept asking "What kind of accent is that?"

Answer: Mine