Airbus Boycott?

I think most frequent flyers have noticed the unusually high number of aviation incidents lately. If you didn't, then take note. Most notable were:

• May 2009: Air France's Airbus A330 disappeared off the face of the earth [Link].
• Feb 2009: 50 people were killed when a small Colgan Air aircraft crashed into a house (Donnie? Donnie Darko?) [Link].
• Oct 2008: Qantas' Airbus A330-300 suddenly dropped in altitude [Link].
• Sept 2008: Boeing 737-300 crashes in Russia, killing all [Link].
• Aug 2008: Spanair's MD82 aircraft catches fire, 153 dead [Link].
• July 2008: Qantas' Boeing 747-400 developed a case of a hole in its fuselage while in mid-air [Link].
• June 2008: Airbus 310 crashes in Sudan [Link].
• Dec 2007: The year ended with another big crash in Turkey which killed all 57 people
  on board [Link].
• Sep 2007: Jetliner skids off the runway in Phuket [Link].
• Aug 2007: Twin Otter DH6 Turboprop crashes in French Polynesia, killing 20 [Link].
• July 2007: 191 died in Brazil as an Airbus A320 came in to land too fast in one of the country's worst aviation disasters [Link].
• June 2007: Plane crashes in Cambodia. Toddler is sole survivor [Link].
• May 2007: 114 dead as Kenyan plane crashes into swamp [Link].
• Jan - Mar 2007: 2007 was a particularly bad year for Indonesian airlines, with 3 aviation accidents in the first quarter of the year alone, one in each month. Not kidding. Quite unfortunately for Boeing, they were all Boeing 737s [Link].

I started to compile the list of passenger plan incidents since 2007 but it got too depressing after I got this many. There was an accident in virtually every month of 2007. It's pretty ridiculous, and it really doesn't help my recently developed fear of flying. Wtf.

Ophidiophobe

I have ophidiophobia. I don't think it's a secret to anyone who's known me for more than 2 days.

Main Entry: ophidiophobia
Part of Speech: n
Definition: a fear of snakes; also called ophiophobia
Etymology: Greek ophidion 'small snake'
From Dictionary.com

So now that you've learned a new word, my point is this: I hate when I tell people that I have a fear of snakes, that they decide to tell me things like, "But you should just go and touch one and it'll be fine and you won't be afraid anymore!" as if I live in a TV sitcom where all my insecurities, fears and problems can be solved in just one fun-filled, you'll laugh at this later, wholesome event that fits in a 30-minute or 60-minute time slot.

I am an ophidiophobe, and I stand by my fear. It's not an irrational fear. Snakes can kill you. Snakes can kill you in a very real and painful and sadistic manner. Seriously. Ever try looking at a python's teeth? Google Images it. Go on. I'll wait.

There you go. And the beauty of this beast is that they're indigenous to Malaysia, and no, not somewhere outside of KL, but in the very heart of it. Both family homes that I've lived in during my lifetime have had snake problems ranging from 6' pythons being found in the house to nests of King Cobras.

Again, I reiterate, my ophidiophobia is a rational fear and a fear based on the basic human instinct of survival and not being eaten alive. It's not an irrational fear of an animal that only lives in a country I'll never visit, or of inexistant monsters that go bump in the night, or of non-life threatening insects like spiders.

I have tried to deal with this fear in several ways. Well, just one way, really, which consisted of me going to the snake zoo-like place (whatever it's called) in Langkawi one fine day. I walked through it at a leisurely pace, I looked at the snakes, I kept getting mini heart attacks everytime my ponytail touched the back of my neck, and I got through the whole thing.

And yes, I'm still an ophidiophobe. And I'm proud of it. Leave me alone.