> What I hate about airports and hospitals is that they now force you to relinquish total control over your own sphincters in order to be there; that, I think, is why so many people die in hospitals. The loss of control.

Well, no.

What is correlation not, again?

Stop. Turn right. Take your shoes off. Accept this tube into your sphincter. Don't gag. Look into this camera.

In speaking about having no control, I was actually just referring to the loss of bodily autonomy at TSA security checkpoints, not the danger of a plane crash.

Also, to your specific question, while correlation between [1. sitting at a bar, smoking a cigarette, 2. imminent death] is low, and correlation between [1. hospital where you can't drink or smoke, 2. dying] is quite high, that was actually the humorous part of my critique.

There just happens to be a weak correlation between people who are fervent readers of HN and those likely to get my sense of humor.

Humor often gets in the way of interesting discussion because of the ambiguity it introduces. Perhaps you can find another outlet for it, then bring your more serious thoughts here?

Whippersnapper, at one point HN was full of jolly, good fun, and filled with cracks and quips.

I quite like noduerme‘s writings, because it’s novel, raw, and most of all original. Pedantism for its own sake is not discussion — but noise. And most of all… he’s been here longer than you and still retains the original ethos of this platform (punk, create, disrupt — not curmudgeon, consume, and conform).

Name-calling, appeal to seniority, and nostalgic callbacks aren't deepening the conversation much; or likely to win anyone over.

FWIW I do appreciate hearing from another perspective. And didn't think this was a forum encouraging punk, cracks, quips, and raw thoughts. Perhaps the commenting guidelines have become to 'square' as the kids say.

ham sandwiches

You may have missed the point in time where you could pass through an airport without being treated like you were being booked into jail. Or the time when you could go out on the street without being surveyed as if you were in prison. But there was, in fact, a long time where you were not forced to show ID or submit to random checks or be scoped eyeball to asshole by cameras. I suppose you're okay with that because you're "not doing anything wrong" but that sort of proves the point that they were so successful in creating a society willing to inculcate their children into believing that such an insane degree of degradation and voyeurism by the authorities was necessary to keep them "safe". They didn't win by convincing your parents, they won by convincing your parents to teach you that you should submit.

> unlike a [...] airport, I'm not likely to die here

What?

Yeah, i am confused too. Are airports known for high death rates or something? I don't even remember the last time I heard about someone dying at an airport outside of a warzone.

I think the OP has a fear of flying and hasn't read the statistic that he was far more likely to die on his way to the airport instead of using the safest form of travel.

> but unlike [an] airport, I'm not likely to die here

Have you talked to a professional about your phobia?

I've mentioned to my shrink that I've never seen someone die in a bar, but I've been in two plane crashes; is that what you mean?

[edit] technically two "incidents", one which didn't touch the ground, the other which slid off the runway... I shouldn't make it sound worse than it is, but twice in a plane full of screaming passengers is enough.

Yes. Those improbable experiences clearly traumatized you, as you can tell by the confused replies here.

I fly a lot, and those were many years ago. I do still have nightmares on them. But it's the way the security guards act when I pass through that's traumatic. I'm not - and never will be - accustomed to being treated like I'm in prison or in the "hands" of someone. No one tells me to take my shit off or put it on. Submission to that, from some punk - ah, there you tap the nerve of real abuse, not some one-time accident. And believe me, they understand the effect it has on people who've survived abuse. Abuse of the public is the point. That's why I gloatingly submit to pat-downs rather than go through their miscalibrated machines, and I force them to look me in the eye when they grab my balls.

I should mention that I also always, always ask for a pat-down rather than walk through the body scanner. And it's usually received by the TSA agents with a shrug and grin and something like "I hate having to stand next to that thing".