The average person's risk assessment is confusing to me.

First off, re Oliver Tree: I never had a strong desire to ride in a helicopter and I'm probably just going to avoid them forever now, barring a medical emergency. 

I love airplanes though. Well, maybe not how cramped economy is, or how dry the cabins are, or how people always close their windows now, or that one time I got stranded overnight in Vegas. 

But generally? Planes are enjoyable to me. I like when they drop in the air! And I like the uninterrupted study time (unless the person in front of me almost destroys my laptop by putting down their seat while I have my tray table up. Dude, really? Breeze extra legroom, here I come.). 

I also love roller coasters, water slides, and carnival rides...obviously. 

Carnival rides are actually statistically just as safe as fixed rides. Why? They've got to be inspected, by LAW, every time they're constructed. People blow out of proportion the rare incidents of negligence. 

Two helicopters colliding? Miss me with that crap. Nope

I do get nervous on ZIP LINES, but I understand the statistical safety, so I'm not going to freak out if someone else does it. I just don't like being told "hey uwu, if you don't pull the lever thingy down CONSTANTLY you will be STUCK UP THERE! ^____^ " But even so? It's probably fine. 

Things I will not do, that the average person will:

  • Jumping off rocks into lakes or oceans. Come on now. Paralysis risk. Why would I risk completely losing my bodily autonomy for the rest of my life, for a thrill that lasts less than 10 seconds?
  • Biking without a helmet. I do NOT care how slow or "easy" the ride is. If there's not a helmet, I'm not going. No exceptions. Ever. For anyone. Under any circumstances. No. Do you want your personality to change against your will? Because that's what can happen when you split your head open. Do you want to risk your intelligence reverting to the level of a small toddler? Because that can also happen. If a carnival ride you're on crashes, you are probably just going to die, which is obviously preferable to these listed consequences. 
  • Bungee jumping, sky diving, or wing suiting. Come on now. I think sky diving is not that bad statistically, but why would I ever need to jump out of a plane? Why is this necessary?
  • Mountain biking. People kept breaking their collarbones and splitting their heads open. I am once again asking why I would need to do this. 
  • Rock climbing or full-blown mountaineering. I do not trust myself enough to vertically scale a cliff. I do, however, enjoy watching people video themselves on those portaledges. It's kind of cool. 
So why do people freak out when I ride a little swing ride (really??) at the carnival, yet make fun of me for refusing to bike without a helmet? 

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