How flying messes with the mind
I despise flying with a passion. I am usually pretty level headed in life, but between the TSA, sardine seating, and assured death if something goes wrong, it is hard to be comfortable.<p>Passing out before take off and waking up after landing would be a DREAM for me! I usually am forced to take 3 benadryl and hope for the best.<p>There&#x27;s a reason I haven&#x27;t flown since 2012 :)<p>EDIT: Benadryl = diphenhydramine, which is cheap, non-prescription, and usually acts within 25 minutes. Enough of it can put you out even after you just napped.<p>&quot;You are less likely to be in an accident in a plane than in a car&quot;.<p>The above is a true statistic, but more nuance is required.<p>Firstly, the most dangerous situation is driving on a two lane, no barrier highway. This results in head on collisions, which often results in death.<p>If you can avoid that situaion, you are already doing better than most.<p>Additionally, you can control the type of vehicle you are in. A Miata is a deadly vehicle. A large modern SUV is safer.<p>Lastly, when something goes wrong on a plane, it goes &#x2F;really wrong&#x2F;. Hijacked = dead. Pilot error = dead. Fire = dead.<p>I don&#x27;t to be killed or burned or maimed in a plane crash. I don&#x27;t care if that means I have to drive a large, safe vehicle or avoid traveling in certain situations.<p>It is an idiosyncratic bias of mine, but it is an unnecessary game of russian roulette that has low, but uncontrolable risk.<p>Opting out is the safest choice I can make, per my estimation.<p>Lastly, humans have a low chance of dying in a warzone.<p>But Syrians have a higher chance.<p>Avoid being in a war zone. Statistics are your friend, averages are not.