Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Silly Season

I don't want to diminish the sadness of the recent air tragedies.  However, one of TV networks took it too far.  The network expressed outrage over the rash of incidents, man made and accidental.

Let's examine the numbers.  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines here in the U.S. handled more than 640 million passengers last year.  That doesn't count foreign flights!

As long as you stay in safe areas of the world, you'll be fine.  The statistics are far in your favor, and it was irresponsible for the TV network to push the panic button.

And, then there is the Good Housekeeping survey that shows people in our area are among the unhappiest in the country.  Yes, we've had some crime issues, coupled with political corruption, long winters, and a horrible economy.  NewsFlash for the people surveyed and who complained:  You don't know how good you have it.  There are worse places out there, a lot worse.

Many years ago, it seemed there was always a survey showing our area was a good one in which to do business.  We would do a story.  A few months later, another survey would come out, from a different organization, showing this was a lousy place to set up an operation.  You didn't know who to believe, and you know what happened?  We stopped doing stories on surveys like that.   It was pointless.

If you're happy, I applaud you.  If you're not, it might be time to re-assess.