For all the fear-mongering headlines about airplane crashes, your chance of dying while driving versus flying is magnitudes higher. I sadly witnessed the scene of a serious car crash in Frankfurt.
Witnessing A Car Crash Scene In Frankfurt – A Haunting Experience
I was having dinner with friends ahead of my flight to Vienna. After a lovely dinner on my friend’s terrace in Westend, I proceeded toward the S-Bahn (train) station to return to Mainz. On Taunusanlage, near the Alte Oper, I came upon a crash scene.
Two cars had collided. I watched someone being removed on a stretcher and bowed my head to pray. What a tragic incident. The good news is that person, though gravely injured, survived. The bad news is that the crash was so unnecessary in the first place…it was apparently caused by some hoodlums who had failed to pull over and started a high-speed police pursuit through the busy streets of Frankfurt.
Our lives our fragile…I’ve reflected on that many times on Live and Let’s Fly. But to think that a man or woman just driving home from work became collateral damage is tough to stomach. It’s tough to see it right in front of you. Even if a crash victim survives, injuries are often permanent and there is long-term emotional damage as well.
And the humbling thing is that sometimes, no matter how careful we are, we get caught up in something horrible.
Here’s the point: appreciate each day, seek truth, and focus your priorities on what matters most. I had just enjoyed a BBQ with friends. Good steak, good wine, good conversation. It could just have easily had been me crossing the street 10 minute early and been plowed down by the hooligans in the white Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.
The three guys in the car jumped out after the crash and started running. Apparently, they escaped. But even if they evade the justice system, their conscience will convict them and they will live with the burden of their guilt, even if it only manifests itself in the quiet of the night as they lie sleepless in bed.
There is nothing you can practically do to prevent against incidents like this. This is life.
This is part of my summer in Germany trip report.
Or it could be San Francisco /Baltimore/Chicago/St. Louis/New Orleans/etc. where the hoodlums run the streets and have no fear of the police because we no longer enforce the laws in these cities. Expect more of this.
You get what you vote for. Enjoy!
I realize this is a talking point for every conservative. Well, more every far right conservative. But I can assure you I see lawlessness and issues in every U.S. city. In OKC two weeks ago I witnessed tent camps at underpasses all over the city. And the hotel had a handout that warned people to be very careful leaving valuables in the car given many recent break-ins. I mentioned to the desk that this is surprising to learn of in a more mid size U.S. city. He laughed and said, you can’t imagine how bad it is here and the police gave up long ago.
Spokane, a highly conservative area in Washington State, hundreds of catalytic convertors are stolen every night. It’s so bad that people are getting rid of any easily accessed vehicles like Prius etc. My car was actually shot at in the parking lot of the Courtyard Marriott there through the rear window when parked overnight. The police said it is all coming out of the Meth problem in Spokane and there is little they can do to control it.
Violence in America is NOT a blue issue. Or a red issue. It’s an American issue. And it’s everywhere.
It’s not a talking point it’s a verified truth.
I’m guessing you wet your pants a little when you pass a minority on the sidewalk
You really can’t help yourself, can you?
Or it could be some small town in a deep red state where people are free to slaughter kids in schools knowing the police will just wait outside with their coffee and Donuts.
You get what you vote for!
Why is everything partisan politics now a days?
I get it the right is angry, but they are always angry when they are in power and when they aren’t in power.
Crime like many things should be viewed by Americans universally as wrong and while Policing is imperfect it is what we have to deal with crime, that is just the way society is setup.
Hoodlums should not run the streets and IME they don’t actually run the streets, yes they will commit crimes, sometimes brazenly so, but that is a far cry from running the streets.
I get it, you are angry, it spills over on an travel blog that is not even about politics most of the time.
As an independent and someone who has voted for candidates from both parties over my life, I see it down the center, like the majority of people see it.
The USA like most places is imperfect, but it is my home and the country I love.
With regards to the car accident, it does make one think.
@Billy Bob: mass shootings are tragic and should never happen. But your take on red states is so wrong. Do some research and you will see that California leads by far all states in terms of historical mass shootings. Shady Hook elementary school in CT? Blue state. Aurora movie theater shooting in CO? Blue state. Las Vegas crazy shooting where 59 people were killed. They named their airport after Harry Reid. Do I need to share more. Of course they also happened in red states so forget you partisan mindset and try to find a solution that works for everyone.
The Las Vegas shooter!? That guy was far right! what does Harry Reid Airport have to do with it? Was he upset about the name change 4 years before it happened?
I wish we could find a solution but the right doesn’t want to have a serious discussion… they just want to talk about mental health while simultaneously gutting mental health funding, and talking about sealing all the doors in a school, and having the military patrol schools.
No he wasn’t far right.
He was a Democrat.
Yeaaaa… No. He was a Trump supporter. Sorry he was one of you
If Harry Reid Airport bothers you, do you still refer to JFK as Idlewild?
I’m generally not one to use the term ignorant because most people who do can’t explain why, but I just can’t let this one go. So here’s why your comment shows unbelievable ignorance Billy,
1. Santastico is exactly right. If you want to use the occurrence of mass shootings (and what ‘color’ the state in which they occurred) to decide your politics – you should be red.
2. The point of RJB comment was that the ‘blue’ states don’t want to enforce laws and defund their police departments. Mass shootings don’t occur simply because the shooter thinks they will get away with it. Texas being red or blue wasn’t the issue – also, I doubt the shooter or his family were red.
3. To elaborate on point 2 – there are blue states that have gun laws just as loose as red states, so to imply that living in a red state puts you at risk to be a victim of gun violence does not make sense.
4. In NYC – one of the bluest cities – in the first quarter of this year alone there were 300 shootings. NYC has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, yet has almost more gun homicides than any other city in the country. I don’t like to make racial generalizations, but based on the statistics, I would guess the shooters and victims were not republicans. Just this week a poll showed 75% of NYC residents believe they will be the victim of a violent crime – find me a red city with that same stat.
5. Chicago, Seattle, San Fran – take a look at the violent crime statistics and homicides in the bluest cities and the numbers far eclipse mass shootings regardless of the state’s color.
6. On the topic of race – the perpetrators of gun crimes in those cities is over 90% minority, unfortunately about the same is true of the victims. It’s not gun toting, red-neck republicans shooting minorities. If you have different statistics I’d love to see them.
6. If you can’t admit that defunding the police and going easy on criminals is not one of the worst set of policies instituted by democrats, ruining major cities from coast to coast then your head is buried too deep in the sand to be pulled out.
So tell me – where are the statistics that show red states – or states with ‘looser’ gun laws – have higher levels of violent crimes per capita (gun related specifically), that the perpetrators are republicans, that the guns used to commit those crimes were bought legally, and that mass shootings in any state claim more victims per year than the combination of incidents in the blue state/cities.
My guess, if you can even muster a response it won’t have any substance other than some opinion based rambling that doesn’t actually address any of my points.
@Jason Alino: thank you for using data and not partisan emotions to address the issue. Yes, look at the blue cities. Read CNN today talking about the wake up call that California is ready to take on their elections. It is all about crime. Look at Chicago. Unreal!!! People get shot in daylight in the nicest areas of the city. I was told by several friends that live in Chicago: “do not come here!!”. Look at Minneapolis. Car jackings at gun point every day on posh neighborhoods. The problem is way bigger than what liberals say on TV but they only want to focus on one side of the coin.
What data? He didn’t provide anything, regardless of how true it is or isn’t.
Also, your Chicago friends are either lying, or misinformed, or you are just making it up. Or some combination of the three. Not surprising…
“I don’t like to make racial generalizations, but based on the statistics, I would guess the shooters and victims were not republicans”
Thank you. This is why after jan/6 I called white Republican males as terrorist scum. Not all of them are, but it’s just so much easier to call the violent far right as white Republican male scum.
You lack reading comprehension if that’s what you got out of his post.
One demographic in this country commits the most violent crime and it’s not white male republicans.
Jan 6th was a mostly peaceful protest.
It’s time to start water boarding white Republican males to find their latest terrorist funding sources.
Also time to use drone to blow up fox news headquarters, the communications hub and propaganda arm of these white Republican male terrorists.
Look up anwar al Awlaki. He was a brown skinned terrorist, but an american citizen, who was summarily assassinated for his terrorist propaganda. We, as a nation, have to start killing white Republican male terrorist propagandaist as well. They call it free speech, but it’s terrorist propaganda. Time to kill them all with targeted drone strikes authorized by the president.
White Republican terrorist male scum, you will never win.
“Jan 6th was a mostly peaceful protest.”
Yeah, no.
Dude, I live in chicago. In the actual city, not the suburbs, and it’s a beautiful city. Not the violent hellhole you scared of your shadow Republicans think it is.
Also look at the top 10 most dangerous cities. All in red states. Here’s another tibit… New york and Chicago are nowhere near the top.
To address your points.
1. Your opinion
2. Blue states defunding the police is a fox news myth. Nobody with any power is pushing this
3. Again all the top dangerous cities are in red states, so maybe the blue gun laws (which aren’t as many as you think) have an effect.
4. 300 shootings in a city of 10 million? I’m sure there are plenty of red towns with a much higher RATE. Note: rate, not raw numbers
5. Ill say this, I feel safer in these cities than I would in a small town in Mississippi.
6.yea no rednecks targeting minorities… except the grocery store shooter in Buffalo… and Dylan roof… and the el paso Walmart shooter… and the synagogue shooter. Most of the shootings you cite are of mutual combatants in gang neighborhoods… I feel no fear that I will be shot by a gang member at target.
@santastico… your friends that say don’t come here are wimps. I assume they live in Naperville? I feel more secure raising my child in Chicago than some small town in Texas or Tennessee. I’ve been here 11 years and the only remotely crime related thing that has happened to me is someone went through our car glove box because my wife left the door unlocked.
Sorry no time to look up stats… too busy looking at the amazing sunset over the beautiful skyline tonight.
If you are too scared for the big bad big city maybe Huntsville Alabama would be a good vacation spot for you.
@Billy Bob: All myths, right? Enjoy your beautiful town.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-weekend-shootings-at-least-48-shot-8-fatally-in-memorial-day-weekend-gun-violence/2845854/?amp
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/man-charged-in-shooting-that-nearly-killed-lincoln-park-man-other-robberies/2834666/?amp
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/woman-charged-with-attempted-murder-after-shooting-at-car-on-kennedy-expressway-at-addison/2851724/?amp
Where did I say the city was crime free? I just said it’s safe for the average person. The vast majority of crime occurs in certain neighborhoods. Occasionally crazy things happen elsewhere.
Memorial day weekend was a great example of how great the city is. A large latin music festival in Grant Park downtown and Coldplay at Soldier Field at the same time. Walking around it was electric. Now summer festival season is starting, it’s going to be great!
Enjoy the arts and crafts fair, or whatever your town offers for entertainment
You really did a great job proving my point Billy – none of your responses are backed up by actual data, just your opinion. The 10 most dangerous cities are in red states? What are the 10 and where is your data coming from.
Defund the police is myth perpetrated by Fox News? That’s the most laughable of all – there are politicians who ran on that as a key campaign point. Seattle, one of the most dangerous cities in the country now (although you apparently have secret data that does not place it in the top 10) where city officials made a point of saying they had a goal of defunding the police by 50%. Chicago, SF their mayors and ran on very public defund the police campaigns. If defund the police was really all made up by Fox and never put into place they must have some kind if crazy Jedi magic because I know many blue voters switching red based solely on that.
Your answer to #4 – again, simply your opinion based on absolutely nothing. Your opinion is not data or fact. It was also 300 just this quarter. Also, the point of that number was people are killed by gun violence in blue cities with very strict gun laws so to say red states or places with lose gun laws are the problem is a fallacy. I will grant you, that on a state level per capita red states have higher gun homicide rates, but here’s the key thing that people like you will never address – who is committing those crimes? Is it white, male republicans? No, gun violence in the red states as well as blue is committed disproportionately higher by minorities (and against minorities). Another thing you don’t take into account is states that may be one color but have cities the other.
Take note of this As an example – Ohio was red in 2020, and 2 of the top 10 deadliest cities in US are in Ohio (Cleveland and Dayton). It just so happens that those two cities are in counties that were squarely blue. You clearly have no concept of how to understand data and will continue to shoot yourself in the foot (no pun intended). If you really want to make the argument that the deadliest cities are in red states and it’s a republican problem, look at the counites and the perpetraitors.
Other than that, the rest is just your own feeling based on absolutely nothing. Your response to #5 begin another great example. So my point in invalid because you wouldn’t feel safe in a small town in the south – what the heck does that prove. I wouldn’t feel sage in big city in the north.
When you have an actual argument come back, otherwise I welcome you to continue turning blue votes red – maybe you work for AOC who must be some kind of republican operative because nobody does a better job of turning people off of the democrats.
There’s many top 10 lists, but here’s one from CBS news… there all pretty similar.
1. Detroit Michigan. Purple state
2.st louis. Red state
3. Memphis. Red state
4.baltimore. purple state
5.springfield, MO. Red state
6. Little Rock. Red state
7. Cleveland. Red state
8.stockton , CA blue state (you got one)
9. Albuquerque. Who even knows what NM is
10. Milwaukee. Red state
I’m talking about state laws. County laws make no difference, state takes precedence. Anyway I was just responding to you saying blue state gun laws make no difference. Maybe they do maybe they don’t, it’s just interesting that the worst cities are almost all in red states.
I don’t know about those other cities, but the mayor of Chicago did NOT run on defending the police. That is a fact. She was a freaking prosecutor. The police hate her, but so does pretty much everyone for different reasons.
If anyone switched their votes it’s because they bought the propaganda. Defund the police is not happening, that’s a scare tactic that apparently working based on your posts.
I have better things to do than look up crime stats, but the vast majority of these shootings among non white non Republicans that you cite are targeted at other non white non Republicans for specific reasons. I have no fear that I am going to get clipped in a drive by in downtown Chicago. I get much more nervous when I stop in some hillbilly town in downstate Illinois that I’ll be harrased if they see my chicago city sticker in my windshield… which is why I fly anywhere outside of Chicago.
My argument is that Chicago is perfectly safe for the average person that knows how to avoid danger, based first hand knowledge… and that America needs to get its act together with gun violence, because unlike gang violence, mass shooting can and do happen anywhere at anytime
Or you could have been Jewish in the same country 80 years ago. Imagine their horror.
And why is Mercedes Benz always involved in deaths in that country? Seems nothing changes with some companies.
Probably one of Merkel’s migrants.
What a stupid racist xenophobic comment.
Cops in the USA are just out of high school. Jocks who can’t do anything else, and whose only job is to take the bullets for the public and die. And for that they are paid very well
Yet they are about useless. When confronted with a gunman they cower in fear. When confronted with an unarmed person, they all become rambos and start blasting. Cops are pathetic.
Every ten years, the public should audit death rates of cops on the job and if they are being paid in proportion to the death rate compared to the average. I suspect you will find cops are disproportionately overpaid. Bunch of cry babies.
Cops aren’t the problem. Criminal apologists like you are.
The bigger question is if Random gawande is just a troll, an angry [redacted], a potential terrorist Arab who throws gays off buildings, a dot headed Indian jealous of Pakistanis. Or a Packi who never has gotten over Gandhi and Mother Theresa calling them out for being animals, or maybe a [redacted] that sells their kids in Southeast Asia for a bowl of rice. Who knows? Perhaps he is a Russian with a little dick upset all the good looking women in his country end up in strip clubs in NY and Vegas.
I could go on all day but I think we understand that all this racism is killing us. We are better than judging each other*
Unless it comes to the upgrade list, then [redacted] everyone.
Dave, come on…attack the idea, not the poster. Keep the language clean.
I was trying to make a point. I didn’t make it a reply so you could delete my post if you wanted. But I understand and will try to ignore the garbage he posts.
But no guarantees.
Eh, he is no worse of a troll than you are.
Unfortunately, the 3 hoodlums will never think of the victim in the crash when they are lying in bed.
I feel like the comment section of this post turned in to something resembling a bad car crash
We are best situated to help learners learn as we are reflective in design, practice, assessment and evaluation. We are never fossilized in methods because of our continuous engagement with new approaches. Our team expresses a fundamental principle of popular qualification: best teachers are always keen to learn; thus we are always in tune with new ideas to enliven our pedagogical prowess.