Fear: Unexpected Disruptions
Convinced your cruise ship is going to end up like the Costa Concordia? Your plane will be the next to vanish from the radar? You’ll be pick pocketed or part of a new terrorist attack?
High school sports kill more Americans every year than terrorist attacks, and the same goes for pedestrian and bike accidents. According to the State Department, the number of civilians killed overseas as a result of terrorism between 2001 and 2013 was 350. – From Boston Globe.
If that’s the case, then why are we so afraid? Because the news doesn’t put a bike accident on every channel 24 hours a day for a week, but they do with any unexpected disruption to daily life. Our brains remember it and we begin to imagine the whole world is far more unsafe than it really is.
Not only that, but we’ve ridden a bike or crossed a street. These seem simply like unfortunate incidents, compared to information about a place we’ve never been or seen. It’s harder to put aside your fear when it’s coupled with the unknown. A few good ways to resolve this:
- Seek out friends who have been there for advice
- Learn more about your destination (travel blogs are an awesome tool!)
- Consult a travel agent specializing in that destination or travel style – they will be on top of all the most recent news and can provide expert advice
- Find ways you can be more aware of your surroundings and situations that make you feel confident, not afraid
- Consider all the the news stories you see at home of accidents and crimes, but would still visit those cities