What worries/frightens you more...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:44am

natural disasters, or terrorist attacks?

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:46am

The former all the way. Man can stop a man but man cannot stop nature.

[M J R]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:47am

What a great question...

I would have to say terrorist attacks. At least for many natural disasters we can have some sort of warning besides "Level Orange" and "Level Red".

[Thenardier]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:51am

IT depends...

But Terrorist Attack worries me...

Natural disasters frighten me...

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:53am

Terrorist attacks because they seem likelier to occur. Of course, if I were to be on a hijacked plane, I wouldn't have to worry about getting killed in the blaze as it crashed into something. I'd die of a heart attack or shock right away. (I know this because even when a plane drops slightly, my hairs stand on end and I'm on the verge of tears.)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:53am

Natural Disasters

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:57am

I'm not afraid of terrorist attacks, and it's because you're more likely to die quickly. With natural disasters, you can lose your home, your pets, everything you own, and survive, and have to rebuild everything from scratch.

That scares me more than dying.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 12:57am

Thenardier, why don't they both frighten you?

You can bet I'd be in tears if I were the victim of either and didn't die right away.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:02am

If it's my time, it's my time.

I always expect a terrorist attack (though this is hardly always the case) to come out of the blue...not really expect it or not have enough time to react...as opposed to knowing a natural disaster is coming....

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:04am

"If it's my time, it's my time."

That's a good attitude. Mine is more like, "WHY, WHY, WHY!" *tears streaming*

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:04am

"If it's my time, it's my time."

Exactly right. I have no problem with that at all - I just hope that when it happens, it's quick!

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:08am

I haven't led a positive life. "If it's my time, it's my time," is a good attitude but not for those who haven't reached the point where all the good stuff starts happening. (and if I'm lucky, my point is coming in the next year. I do not want to be swept away in a flood or killed in an orchestrated plane crash before then!)

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:09am

My neighbors and I had this discussion a few years ago when TWA Flight 800 exploded virtually over our homes. At the time no one knew what the cause was (we still don't--REALLY!). At the time we'd go swimming and find parts of the plane washing ashore and my neighbors were out in their boat when they picked up a sneaker that was floating by and it contained part of a human foot.

We all hoped that the explosion was due to a mechanical malfunction because there was no evil attached to it.

I would apply the same thought to the question at hand. A natural disaster is not equated with evil. Still, the loss of life and property is devastating.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:11am

Yes, I hope it happens quickly.

And when it's my time, that better be when I'm OLD and READY.

That's my time.

[JayKid]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:21am

I am definetly more afraid of terrorist attacks because it comes without you knowing and without a way to prepare or defend against it. It is, for the most part, out of your hands.

Natural disaster is also, out of your hands, but not as much so in my mind in a way. A natural disaster... you know it's goin to happen and where and can avoid being hurt or killed. If there is a hurricane... I'd get me and any family out, as well as friends too if I could get them too. Leave and come back.

Sure everything is destroyed, but you can save your life by evacuating and can even protect yourself during the storm by being in a certain area (basement or something) and doing all the right things.

Sure they are both scaring and frightening... but I am way mroe scared of the terrorist attack.

Also, being in New York... weather is nothing here, aside from the snow, which my solution is, don't drive that day and be careful if I need to (only 18 and no daily job to drive to). Terrorist attacks are more likely to occurr here and kill IMO than any natural disaster.

That's my thoughts...

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:21am

"At the time we'd go swimming and find parts of the plane washing ashore and my neighbors were out in their boat when they picked up a sneaker that was floating by and it contained part of a human foot."

Everytime I read something like this - which has been fairly often over the last few years - I get really scared. I don't want to be disassembled! What kind of world do we live in that people can fall from the sky and end up in several pieces? Isn't that what happened to Aaliyah?

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:24am

"Also, being in New York... weather is nothing here, aside from the snow, which my solution is, don't drive that day and be careful if I need to (only 18 and no daily job to drive to)."

Driving to work in New York. Hmmm. Do you live upstate?

I actually renew my driver's license every time the date comes, but I only use it for identification purposes. I had a premonition that if I kept driving in this city, I'd be killed... and I responded to said premonition by walking and catching the subway as much as I could!

[JayKid]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:35am

Yea, I'm like 30 miles upstate from NYC (westchester county).

And of course, if I lived in NYC, then the snow doesn't matter at all since I wouldn't be driving in the first place.

I love New York... weather is awesome here.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 1:50am

EvelynNesbit, I love your posts in this thread...because they resemble my sentiments exactly!

Terrorist attacks tend to be violent, cruel and full of anguish and motivated evil. Natural disasters are horrific, too, but there's a "c'est la vie" aspect to it; you can't be mad at an act of God.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 2:04am

Wouldn't New York be extremely vulnerable to hurricanes if it were to get hit directly? I think I remember watching a PBS special on it...

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 2:07am

Probably, but it's not in an area that's known to have hurricanes.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 2:10am

I would surely test my legs running if a hurricane hit New York while I was there. Wouldn't have the guts to rent a car and drive off - I'm sure it would be a perfect ending for me if the car were to crash into a pole just as the floods approached me.

[JayKid]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 2:19am

yea, hurricanes would probably suck for New York, but it is highly unlikely one will hit....

and HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY likely the ones that hit will be very destructive. We had one like 5 or so years ago and it didn't really do much. I don't think we'll have a hurricane that is destructive like the ones down south... ever. This area just isn't one prone to deadly hurricanes.

However, the hurricane 5 or so years ago did destroy my friends downstairs. His hill in his backyard was just grass with a crappy path (the hill was VERY steep) so the rain flooded the hill and they had a mudslide which then destroyed their pool (those circular like 4 foot deep ones) and the whole downstairs was flooded and destroyed.

They got these stone walls with piping to drain the water from the ground afterwards though... so no more mudslides. It sucked though... luckily noone was downstairs when it happened.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 2:23am

Interesting links: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/38hurricane/hurricane_future.html
http://www.nypress.com/18/29/news&columns/aaronnaparstek.cfm
Not to freak anyone out but it is not something to take lightly either.

Updated On: 8/31/05 at 02:23 AM

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/31/05 at 2:28am

Natural disasters and terrorist attacks aside, the scariest thing to me is still getting killed in a car crash. Scary because it's much more likely to happen to me than a natural disaster or terrorist attack. I don't understand how other people can just be accepting of this, rather than pushing for cars and streets to be completely safe! (they both could be - there is no reason for anyone to get killed driving or sitting in a car.)