I drive for a lo-co, and I'm relative newbie to the game (two years now), and have absolutely no bias so post without prejudice. As such...
Ask yourself this: a Ford Focus crashes on the M1, then a few weeks later a Ford Fiesta crashes on the M42. Do you refuse to drive Fords? Or only the Ford Focus? Or the Fiesta? Or all cars? Are they ALL flawed?
I have personal friends who are afraid of flying so I really do sympathise with this, I honestly do, BUT there is a problem among the non-aviating public - a big problem and one that I'm getting increasingly cheesed off with.
I heard this today from a friend of my dad who is 62 and reads the Daily Mail avidly, those who are fond of seizing on titbits and reporting them as fact.
Here's what he said to me this evening (not verbatim)
Him: "I see another plane's gone into the sea."
Me: "Yes, terrible news."
Him: "The same type as that Air France one, wasn't it?"
Me: "No, that was an Airbus 330. This is a 310."
Him: "The Daily Mail says it's the same."
Me: "Well it's not, they're two different aircraft."
Him: "Both Airbus though. That seems coincidental."
I was VERY angry. Because of what he reads at "street level" he is of the firm opinion that all Airbus are now dodgy because the Mail dare to point out that both AF447 and this latest disaster are Airbus.
And remember that I'm a Boeing driver. The media are frigging USELESS at reporting these events and even though I have EVERY sympathy with nervous pax I really do wish that just ONE media outlet would do an equation that didn't involve AF447 + Yemani = Airbus are deathtraps.
