How safe is it, really?

Unlike a motorcycle, a pilot gets to choose his
level of risk.

LOL, Obviously you do not ride a motorcycle. I race up and down Palomar
Mountain, Ortega Highway, and many other popular Southern California sport
bike roads. Motorcycle riders definitely choose their own level of risk
every time they get onto a motorcycle. However, I do largely accept the
premise that when I am flying, the likelihood is that if I have an accident,
it will be because of my poor decision process. On the other hand, if I have
a motorcycle accident, it is more likely to be an accidental or intentional
action from another motorist.

"Slip'er" wrote in message
news:sldrd.190623$hj.62009@fed1read07...
Unlike a motorcycle, a pilot gets to choose his
level of risk.

LOL, Obviously you do not ride a motorcycle. I race up and down Palomar
Mountain, Ortega Highway, and many other popular Southern California sport
bike roads. Motorcycle riders definitely choose their own level of risk

I like the idea of a motorcycle but I live in Boston and the thought of
riding around here sends chills down my spine. I get nearly run down at
least once a month by soccer moms in SUVs because they don't see my low car
in their blind spot when they change lanes without signaling (one of many
fine local traditions). I'm surprised at how *few* motorcycle fatalities
there are around here. (FYI, I used to work at a local newspaper so I did
see "all the accidents that didn't make the news")

The way I look at it is that in an airplane, it's relatively unlikely that
I'll pay for someone else's mistake. Not impossible, just exceedingly
unlikely. There are very few chains of events leading to a fatal accident in
which an avoidable pilot error does not feature at some point.

I have friends who ride and they have told me about defensive driving and
such, but the fact remains that riding a bike in a populated area, you will
often be surrounded by vehicles capable of turning you into a grease spot.
You can do a lot to protect yourself but there's an infinite number of
possibilities where another driver's screwup will punch your ticket.

-cwk.

On Wed, 01 Dec 2004 16:59:51 GMT, "C Kingsbury"
wrote:


"Slip'er" wrote in message
news:sldrd.190623$hj.62009@fed1read07...
Unlike a motorcycle, a pilot gets to choose his
level of risk.

LOL, Obviously you do not ride a motorcycle. I race up and down Palomar
Mountain, Ortega Highway, and many other popular Southern California sport
bike roads. Motorcycle riders definitely choose their own level of risk

I like the idea of a motorcycle but I live in Boston and the thought of
riding around here sends chills down my spine. I get nearly run down at
least once a month by soccer moms in SUVs because they don't see my low car
in their blind spot when they change lanes without signaling (one of many
fine local traditions). I'm surprised at how *few* motorcycle fatalities
there are around here. (FYI, I used to work at a local newspaper so I did
see "all the accidents that didn't make the news")

The way I look at it is that in an airplane, it's relatively unlikely that
I'll pay for someone else's mistake. Not impossible, just exceedingly
unlikely. There are very few chains of events leading to a fatal accident in
which an avoidable pilot error does not feature at some point.

I have friends who ride and they have told me about defensive driving and
such, but the fact remains that riding a bike in a populated area, you will
often be surrounded by vehicles capable of turning you into a grease spot.
You can do a lot to protect yourself but there's an infinite number of
possibilities where another driver's screwup will punch your ticket.

-cwk.


I ride my motorcycle to work in Philadelphia every day, year 'round
except for when there is snow or ice on the road. I keep a constantly
evolving contingency plan in my brain for what I'm going to do when
this car, or that car attacks me. I avoid minivans with women drivers
on cellphones at all costs. I know that sounds sexist and I don't
mean it that way. I don't think that women are inherently worse
drivers than men, but the one's that fit that description are deadly.
Point is, I don't feel like I'm in anywhere near that level of danger
when I fly. The reason is that I don't have to deal with all of those
people that are trying to kill me. I only have to protect myself from
myself (for the most part). With myself as the greatest risk factor
when I'm flying, that is an ideal situation in which to control and
minimize the risk, unlike on the bike.
Rich Russell

"Richard Russell" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 01 Dec 2004 16:59:51 GMT, "C Kingsbury"
wrote:

mean it that way. I don't think that women are inherently worse
drivers than men, but the one's that fit that description are deadly.

Actually on the whole women have a better record than men by a non-trivial
amount, primarily because they are less likely to drive recklessly. Though I
would still stay far away from that minivan.

Point is, I don't feel like I'm in anywhere near that level of danger
when I fly. The reason is that I don't have to deal with all of those
people that are trying to kill me.

It's basically true- on a bike death is rarely more than a few seconds away.
In a plane this is only true during certain phases of takeoff or landing. If
you're alert you have a better chance of stopping an accident sequence
before it runs its course.

-cwk.

On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:22:02 -0800, "Slip'er"
wrote:

Unlike a motorcycle, a pilot gets to choose his
level of risk.

LOL, Obviously you do not ride a motorcycle. I race up and down Palomar
Mountain, Ortega Highway, and many other popular Southern California sport
bike roads. Motorcycle riders definitely choose their own level of risk
every time they get onto a motorcycle. However, I do largely accept the
premise that when I am flying, the likelihood is that if I have an accident,
it will be because of my poor decision process. On the other hand, if I have
a motorcycle accident, it is more likely to be an accidental or intentional
action from another motorist.


You started out arguing against this premise but in your last sentence
supported it. Sure, you can choose a level of riding that has more
inherent risk than conventional road riding, but the point is exactly
as you stated in your last sentence. On a bike you are much more
likely to suffer the consequences of someone else's error (that is,
you have less control over the total risk involved in the activity).
Rich Russell

You started out arguing against this premise but in your last sentence
supported it.

Yes and No. (how's that for bipolar disorder)

I saw the preceeding discussion as having two premises that were being
comingled:

(1) Pilots get to choose their level of risk while motorcycle riders do not.

(2) Motorcycle riding is more dangerous than flying due to external factors
related to other vehicles.

I disagree with 1 and support 2.