There's No Need To Worry

This may be the start of my first recurring post for this blog, so you might see it again from time to time. Here's a short list of things (and for some of us, phobias) that have been passed around and down from generation to generation. Well, it's time we learned a few things about them so we can let go of our fears and stop worrying. Life is stressful enough these days, right? Okay, so here goes (smile)...


1. "OMG! That hairy, nasty spider on the wall is going to jump on me any second now!"

News Flash: In the United States, there is only one family of spider, called Salticidae, that is capable of jumping and these spiders are not commonly found in houses (they actually prefer forests). Generally, spiders do not seek people out and attack them. It's not in their nature. Spiders are only going to crawl across you if they're headed somewhere and you're in the way. As for the hairiness, what can I say? They are indeed hairy!

2. "Some crazy person is going to push me onto the subway or railroad tracks!"

News Flash: In old movies, "falling" onto the train tracks is a convenient way for a character to meet his maker. But, in reality, getting injured or dying that way is rare. Realize that every weekday, about 34 million trips are taken on public transport in the United States. In 2009, a total of 17 people died in subway, rail, or light-rail stations and that number includes people who were pushed as well as those who fell by accident. And, virtually no deaths come from making contact with the third rail. Yes, touching it can be fatal, but it's hard to reach. You are safer on a rail platform than you are on the sidewalk a few feet from your home.

3. "Why did the plane's engines suddenly get really quiet after takeoff?"

News Flash: Pilots use an abundance of thrust to get an aircraft off the ground. Once aloft, they cut back on it. Why? Reason #1--The plane doesn't need that much power anymore. Reason #2--They have to comply with local noise regulations. Some passengers grab armrests at that moment, as there's a sense of falling. But, the plane isn't dropping... it's just accelerating less rapidly.

4. "I'll be struck by lightning if I carry an umbrella with a metal tip (or a BlackBerry) in a storm!"

News Flash: Contrary to what we've been led to believe, metal doesn't attract lightning. Even a lightning rod doesn't... it can only conduct lightning, should a bolt happen to strike nearby. People who are zapped while holding a golf club or listening to an iPod are just in the wrong place at the wrong time and that's anywhere outside (wrong place) during a thunderstorm (wrong time). Carrying an open umbrella may slow you down if you're running for cover, but the fact that the umbrella is part metal doesn't factor into it at all.

5. "When the elevator stops at my floor, it bounces disturbingly and seems as if it's about to plummet downward!"

News Flash: The elevator isn't really bouncing... it's adjusting to make sure its bottom is level with the floor outside. That way, you won't trip when getting off. The cables supporting an elevator are designed to stretch and contract with its load. So, when a car slows down at a floor, it re-levels itself as people walk in and out. Besides, elevators never fall. If one safety feature malfunctions, there is a host of software, mechanical, and electrical protection devices which prevent that type of catastrophe from happening.

Relax! Feel better now? Meow!