It was reported in the New York Times today that a honeymoon couple who had planned to go to Egypt changed their plans and decided on Denmark, feeling it was a safer destination considering the current environment. The were among the dead on the Milan to Denmark flight that crashed on the runway in Milan a couple of days ago. <BR> <BR>I guess your individual safety is in the hands of a higher power.

When it's your time to "go" (from this world), it's your time to go. You could be sitting at home watching TV when lightning hits a tree and crashes onto your roof, which collapses on top of you. You could go out to your curb to get the morning paper just as a truck jumps the curb & hits you. NO ONE KNOWS THE EXACT MOMENT THEY'RE GOING TO GO! (And most don't know by what means, either.) Live your lives, folks, this is not a dress rehearsal. <BR>BC

BC, <BR> <BR>I totally agree. We say here in Brazil that just turkeys go the day before ( Christmas, Thanks Giving, and so far). If the day arrives, no matter where you are, or what you're doing, is time to go. <BR> <BR>There are other things we can do to fight general tendencies, for example, change and improve a life style, a general health condition, a relationship, a job, but not the day or time to leave definitely the planet. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Friends of mine cancelled their trip, "it's just not safe to travel right now." Last Thursday, she was hit by a car while walking across the street near her house. She died the next day. You just never know, do you.

And sometimes it's fate to stay home! My mother & I cancelled our 9/19 trip to Paris due to being concerned about being stuck there. While we would have been gone, my husband ended up in the emergency room, could have died. He would not have been able to get himself there. So if we had gone as planned, there is a very good chance that my husband would be dead right now. Pretty freaky! Fortunately, he is recovering well.

I couldn't agree more, BC! I was beginning to think I was in a minority of 1 with that outlook. <BR> <BR>xxx - I think I'm right in saying that statistically the highest percentage of fatal accidents occur in the home. <BR> <BR>Patrick - I'm so sorry to hear your friend's sad story ... <BR> <BR>Steve <BR>

Isn't it ironic that I was just saying at lunch today that what differentiates Americans from the rest of the world is that we aren't fatalists, that we don't accept the status quo, that we believe we have it within our power to change anything, improve anything, alter everything, even defy death. Well, some of us do . . . .

Swell-here I am, just finished canceling my trip to Europe and planning to drive somewhere instead-now after reading these stories, I will be afraid to go out the door,a tree will fall on me,a plane will fall on me, my car will fall on me!!Ha, I guess someone was right when they suggested that we just leave these things in "Gods hands" or to fate,whichever you ascribe too.Stay safe everyone~

Sorry to read about your friend Patrick. <BR>A friends grandmother was here in Calif in 1971 when the earchquake hit the valley. She left as soon as she could get a flight home to Iowa. Two weeks later she was killed in a tornado. <BR>BTW - I thought that airlines did not dump waste anymore. They have holding tanks like a camper that get emptied after they land? <BR>Regards, <BR>Art <BR>

Anyone who drives instead of flying just isn't paying attention to the real odds.

What would you propose someone do when traveling a distance that might take 6-8 hrs to drive-fly? Sometimes it isn't possible-so should we stay home and keep an eye on the odds? Then you can think that a plane could hit your house while you sit it in afraid to go out~too much worrying going on here-live until you die.

Wonder if someone can confirm this story I picked up somewhere. A Japanese family took a trip in August 1945. To Hiroshima. <BR> <BR>The good news? They survived. And went home at once. To Nagasaki. <BR> <BR>And they survived again. I really hope they had long and happy lives. <BR> <BR>What's the opposite of serendipity?

The God, the Allah, or the Jehovah who sent us accidents also sent us common sense. Part of common sense is knowing what is likely, or checking with the State Department if you don't know. These anecdotes are charming, but we all live our livers by guessing what is most likely to be true. Fond though I am of medieval Cairo, I must admit Egypt is less safe overall than Denmark. <BR> <BR>It sounds pious to say "we are in the hands of the Almighty", or "In shah Allah", but that's not how Saladin or Jinnah lived, and nor should we. God gave us rationality. <BR> <BR>Sorry to write so plainly. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines

Ben Haines! <BR> Well said! C

That is very ironic, and very sad. It reminds me of one of the saddest stories from United Flight 93, the one that crashed in Pennsylvania. A middle-aged man was on that flight, headed to California to attend the funeral of his son who had been killed on his honeymoon (in a car accident, I think.) <BR> <BR>We all certainly have <I>some</I> degree of control over our personal safety & health, through the choices we make -- e.g. wearing a seat belt, not smoking, not walking alone at night in dangerous part of town -- but I also believe that when your number's up, your number's up.

So, they went to Copenhagen via Milan??? Were they Italian?

"really"-I didn't get it.What did you mean? surely you weren't being facetious? What does being Italian have to do with anything? Why did you post that? <BR>There are so many sad stories, actually about 5,000 sad stories.The man who had just moved his family to California and came back to DC to pick up the family dog, and he and the dog were on one of the planes.Too many sad stories~

Puzzled, <BR> <BR>The story was reported in the New York Times. I think what "really" meant is that if the couple were flying from NYC to Denmark why would they go via Milan? That would be really out of their way. If they were Italians living in Italy then flying from Milan to Denmark makes sense.

the couple you are all referring to, were Italian.