Aloha,
>Oh, are the Canadians getting touchy too?
I used to travel regularly from Michgan, USA, to Ontario, Canada and back
on business. The US and Canadian border officials cooperated with each
other all the time. Formally and informally. You know, border crossing
pranks like search the people and/or vehicles on one side, let them cross,
call the guys on the other side, so they are also searched on that side.
Ha! Haa!
So far as I can tell, being *touchy* is a job requirement for border
officials.
>It's all a bit sad. But then so is a plane full of people getting blown up
>just to prove someone's pet political theory.
In fact, aircraft bombings are rare, compared to the number of flights.
Terrible, but infrequent, events. We spend a lot of resources guarding
against these rare events.
In contrast, we (in the USA) spend few resources guarding against car
bombings. Drivers and vehicles are not routinely and regularly checked.
Despite, for instance, the memory of the Oklahoma City Bombing.
When I travel by air, I do have a few superstitious or ritual things that
I try to do to assure a *safe* journey. If I can, while boarding I touch
the
fuselage of the aircraft at about eye level, while thinking positive
thoughts.
When I cannot make contact with the outside of the aircraft, I do feel a
little unsettled.
And I have done this since my very first flight.
I wonder how many of us are doing things to *enchant* the airplanes that
we fly on? Flier's magic and folklore...
Musing On My First Airline Flight, On A 707, My Seatmate Was
A Boeing Engineer Who Rode On The Dash 80--Gave Me Confidence! Rose,
Pitch
p.s. Dash 80 barrel roll video here:
http://www.aviationexplorer.com/707_roll_video.htm
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