A few weeks ago, I discussed the chances of being involved in an airplane accident and how the fear seems greater than the threat. Over the past week, there have been four isolated incidents of unruly passengers in aircraft. While in flight, it is often easy to forget that you are a part of a closed environment, subject to the actions and reactions of everyone around you. With the introduction of Wi-Fi on certain airlines and flights and American Airlines releasing individualized video streaming for passengers, flight is becoming more and more like our daily, individualized lives where we exist in oblivion to the world around us while plugged into video, music and telecommunication.

The rash of incidents began on Sunday when a Continental Airlines flight bound for Chicago had to make an unscheduled stop in St. Louis after an unruly passenger attempted to open the emergency hatch during the flight. According to reports, the passenger, Reynel C. Alcaide, rushed to the front of the plane and wrestled with a flight attendant while repeatedly trying to open the door. Later that day, a Delta flight from Detroit to San Diego was grounded in Albuquerque after a flight attendant found a suspicious note in the bathroom. The plane, passengers and baggage were searched upon landing and were found to be safe.

Sunday night, an American Airlines flight to San Francisco also overcame a disturbing interruption. Passenger Rageit al Murisi was subdued by flight attendants and passengers after bolting to the helm of the aircraft and pounding on the cockpit door in an attempt to enter. The skies were calm on Monday as air traffic returned to normal but Tuesday evening onboard a Delta flight from Orlando to Boston a drunken passenger was taken into custody after landing and charged with disruption of the flight. He had been quickly subdued by other passengers including an off-duty police officer after attempting to open the pressure sealed emergency hatch.

Though these events have caused quite an uproar and increased awareness of passenger safety and behavior on flights, thus far, all have been resolved quickly and peacefully with swift action by flight crew, passengers and authorities on the ground. In the fear stricken United States, the immediate emotional reaction was one of fear of the return of terrorism threats in the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden. With the ten year anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaching, it is not surprising that this is where the mind immediately turns.

Also on Tuesday, it was announced that beginning next year, all cell phones will be required to carry a chip that allows the US government and president himself (or a representative) to send text alerts about terrorism and other large scale threats to public safety. While in theory this may sound like a good idea, the result may be something less than desired. These four events over the last week have reignited a fear of flying that is entirely illogical. If it were not for the sensationalism of national and international news, we as a society would be much calmer today. While there is always the possibility of an accident or attack, the actual odds of falling victim to an attack are painfully small. Perhaps our energy would be better spent praising the positive actions of everyday heroes and being thankful for what we have instead of fearing the unknown.