Monday, January 25, 2010

The crash of the Ethiopian plane off Beirut

Just last night, I was reading the latest issue of the Economist (and I encountered two or three uses of the word "reckon"). And I encountered this sentence: "It runs one of Africa’s biggest airlines." And I remember pausing after reading it and thinking: would I trust Ethiopian airline? And why do I seem (as somebody with terrible flight anxieties and fears) to trust the airlines of advanced rich countries? I know it is a matter of cash and spare parts and training, but I really get nervous in the airlines of developing countries. On my flight back, I have no trust of Lebanese Airlines and yet I am more trusting of American airlines European airlines. This crash today is not going to assuage (I think it is the first time I use this word on this blog, but it is a good GRE word) my fears. And regarding the crash: I thought. Were the Ethiopian citizens on board ever abused by their Lebanese employers? Probably yes.