Need help overcoming nervousness about terrorist attacks

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I have a trip to Las Vegas planned for July. In early February the FBI reported that a terrorist attack was "expected" in the next three to six months. The trip is something I am definitely looking forward to, but my brain is telling me that it makes no sense to fly with these wackos trying to blow up our planes.

I am looking for help convincing my irrational mind not to worry about these creeps and to go on my trip.

Leaving aside Ruveyn's suggestion (that I can only assume was typed with tongue firmly planted in cheek...) I have two thoughts:

1) If a rational argument is going to help put this in perspective, then look at the numbers. The number of terrorism related aviation incidents in the USA can be counted on the fingers of two hands: 6 incidents involving commercial airliners (including the 4 on September 11, 2001), 1 involving a general aviation aircraft, and 3 incidents at airports. And that list covers a period of over 76 years, since the first sabotage of an aircraft in 1933.

The number of fatalities involved in all of these 10 incidents are a little over 3,000.

Let's take the worst year: 2001. In that year 622,131,000 people boarded 8,789,123 scheduled airline flights in the United States. 0.00045% of flights in that year were the subject of terrorist related activity. 246 passengers and crew were killed, or 0.00039%.

You have a better chance of being struck by lightning, or choking on your dinner than you do of being on board an aircraft in a terrorist event.

2) However, if, as I suspect, your fear is irrational, rather than rational, and that no amount of looking at the numbers is going to give you any assurance, in which case I suggest that you look for a counsellor to help you address your fear, and give you some strategies for working with it.

I'm afraid that Vancouver, BC might be next, on the list. Vancouver's got all the sky train stations. I can think about many places, where terrorists can hide their bombs, in a sky train station.

If you see anyone on the plane with an Arabic appearance it is probably just a coincidence so just ignore it. Any unattended baggage is probably not a bomb and just someone's clothing. Similarly if the plane starts making funny noises and shaking - it is probably just turbulence. If the air-stewardess looks worried it is probably because of none-work related stress at home. If you doze off and dream of the plane crashing you are probably just remembering that film where everyone dies in a plane crash except for the few people who get off then start to die bizarre and horrible deaths one after the other. So nothing to worry about. I hope I've managed to put your mind to rest. Have a good flight.

they wont hit vegas, they willl want to target big, hoover dam maybe?

You have a greater chance of being killed by a falling coconut that being killed in a terrorist attack.

Are you afraid of falling coconuts?

You are literally a 1000 times more likely to die in a car crash driving to and from the airport than to die in an airline crash. And yet you won't think twice about getting in a car.

It is just irrational fear. Put on some dark sunglasses and an iPod to tune out the world around you, and just go do it.

Here's how to wart off all terrorists attacks: wear only black clothes, carry jackknives and small arms, and sing, "Paranoia, paranoia, everybody's coming to get YOU!! !".

They are looking for terrorists to hit planes now, so this is probably not the tactics that the terrorists will choose this time around.

I had to respond to the attacks at the Pentagon because my special duty detail was the disaster preparedness team (it wasn't all accounting for me!). I also had to fly to TX in October of 2001 for a training school. I sat a few seats away from 3 Arabs in their turbans. Believe me that was uncomfortable! I then had to spend months handling irradiated mail because of the Anthrax that made its way to the Post Offices that handle the DC mail, government mail, and my own home mail. Oh and that same year I had to constantly be on the lookout for the DC area Snipers- Muhammed whats-his-name and Malvo. That was a hell of a year, and I still almost crap myself when a plane flies a little too low out here in the stix.

So I get it why you are afraid, but I can assure you that you will be OK. You should go and have a good time!