On Apr 5, 9:11 am, Martin wrote:
> On 5 Apr 2007 06:59:04 -0700, "Iceman" wrote:
> >On Apr 5, 4:06 am, Martin wrote:
> >Air travel is the safest form of travel given the distances and number
> >of people involved
>
> Number of journeys is a better criteria than distance. The space shuttle is the
> safest form of transport by distance, but not for number of passengers carried.
If you have to get from A to B, the safest way is plane. Even if you
don't look at the distances involved, you're probably at greater risk
on your morning commute than on a typical plane trip.
> >- only the crappiest Third World airlines have any
> >statistically noticeable risks.
>
> The plane I saw at Rome airport with the top of the fuselage burnt off as the
> result of a terrorist's grenade belonged to Pan Am.
One incident doesn't prove anything. You better avoid the London and
Madrid subways, and all buildings in New York. I took a Cambodian
motorcycle taxi once and somehow didn't crash. Therefore Cambodian
motorcycle taxis have a 100% safety rate.
> > But trains are also very safe. The
> >danger of a car or bus accident is much greater than the danger of
> >terrorism or a crash while traveling by plane or train.
>
> It's not just either/or, both are possible.
All kinds of things are possible, but unless you never leave your home
you will always have some risks and it's a matter of being smart about
them. Almost all forms of commercially available transport are
extremely safe statistically except in some of the world's poorest
countries (dodgy airlines, overcrowded ferries, motorcycle taxis,
amphetamine-using bus drivers driving all night on poorly-maintained
mountain roads...)
> > The biggest
> >danger on trains is that you'll get robbed while asleep or distracted.
>
> I've never been robbed on a train or anywhere else, except at home.
I've never been robbed either, but robberies on trains are a problem
in parts of Eastern Europe and Asia. In parts of Latin America they
warn you not to take buses at night, since a lot of them get
roadblocked and robbed by bandits. In Mexico City there are a lot of
crimes involving unlicensed taxi drivers, so travelers are told to
only use official taxis. In South Africa travelers are advised to
avoid unlicensed van taxis. You have to know what risks you are
dealing with in each country you travel to.
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