You're Afraid of THAT??

Yesterday I read an article on my local news page that just up the freeway from my house, a small plane had to make an emergency landing ON THE FREEWAY!  I immediately shared the story on facebook with a satus update:

"EFF.THAT. I'm sweating just thinking about it."

To which I get the usual responses questioning why this would bother me.  You see, friends, I have a fear of low-flying aircraft.  Most aircraft in general, but the lower they are, the more I sweat.  I have no problem being inside of a plane.  I do not fear flying.  But if I have to, say, walk out on the tarmac and board the plane using one of those step ladders instead of a normal terminal-to-plane-door setup?  Pit stains.

People don't understand this fear.  They think it's irrational.  I don't care.  The lower a plane is, the easier it can crash into the ground, sending fire-y debris flying all over the place.  Let me give you a few examples.

I sometimes drive to work down a two lane country road that splits rice and produce fields.  At the far end of this road, there is a crop dust plane port.  Every morning these bastards are low-flying back and forth over the fields (and the road I am trying to drive on) to dust the crops.  It's like they are taunting me, laughing in my face.  A few months back, one of these planes crashed and the pilot did not survive.  This happened.  In a field not far from the ones I drive by at least 3 times a week.  Too close for comfort friends.

Another recent incident was an SUV that was driving out to a private runway and a plane flying in or out was low enough that it slammed into the SUV.  Granted, I don't make it a habit of driving anywhere near private runways, but still, you get the point.

And then there is this issue from yesterday with the plane LANDING ON THE FREEWAY.  Can you imagine seeing that in your rearview mirror?!?!?  Or being the car behind the plane coming in for an emergency landing?  No.effing.way.  I would probably have had a heart attack or passed out from the panic/anxiety. 

I also don't like the fact that they are so obnoxiously loud.  I think the size + the loud noise makes my heart race even more.  I remember when my brother was going through the police academy, they had a family night for the cadets to invite family to come out and see what they had been doing in the program.  We were standing outside talking afterward and the police chopper did a low fly-by.  I almost shat myself.

And if you know anything about current events and saw the news about the recent space shuttle Endeavor being piggy-backed onto a 747 or some other monstrous plane to be flown from Texas to LA?  They did a low fly lap around downtown Sacramento on their way.  People were outside for miles and miles, on top of freeway overpasses and all that just to catch a glimpse of this disaster.  You know who wasn't out there?  This girl.  The only one left standing after the plane crashed and killed ALL of the innocent bystanders and took out every building in downtown Sacramento...

Idiots

Okay, that last part didn't happen.  But it could have...

Seriously, the people that were sending around pictures of that thing in all its glory afterward, might as well have been sending me a picture of a trantula.  No.Thank.You.  My blood pressure went up looking for pics to post here.

Sooooooo, that's my irrational fear.  Do you have any fears that make complete sense to you, but make others think you are coo-coo for cocoa puffs?