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October 2005 Poll #2
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October 2005 Poll #1
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Should the Space Shuttle fly again?
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Yes
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75%
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No
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21%
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Undecided
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5%
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Total votes: 106
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Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez has made threats about invading the Dutch Antilles. Would the Netherlands have the motivation and ability to retake these islands?
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Yes
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40%
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No
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43%
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Undecided
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16%
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Total votes: 92
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Comment: Our readers obviously have faith in the ability of NASA to continue operating the Space
Shuttle safely. Let us hope that the aging vehicle can continue to fly without further loss of life until
it is retired around 2010.
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Comment: This one ended up with a rather evenly divided result. If Venezuela does follow up on its
threats, it will be interesting to see how the Netherlands responds. Will the country follow the example
of the United Kingdom after Argentina invaded the Falklands and pursue military action? Or will the Dutch
dependence on Venezuelan oil be considered too important to risk a confrontation?
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September 2005 Poll #2
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September 2005 Poll #1
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There have been five major airline crashes in the Americas, Europe, and Asia within the past month or so. Does this spate of accidents make you any less willing to fly?
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Yes
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16%
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No
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75%
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Undecided
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9%
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Total votes: 104
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Will the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and its effect on fuel prices have any impact on your upcoming travel plans?
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Yes
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39%
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No
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56%
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Undecided
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5%
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Total votes: 99
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Comment: Once again, our respondents have overwhelmingly shown their dedication to flying and very
few have indicated they would be less likely to fly due to the recent accidents. Most of these accidents
occurred in places where airline safety lags behind that of more developed nations, which likely plays a
large factor in the effect on people's impressions.
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Comment: Even though the general media always focuses on how high gas prices change people's
behaviors, our polls have traditionally shown that the effect is relatively small. It is interesting to
note that a much larger percentage of respondents than normal do indicate that their plans may change
because of the destructive hurricane season.
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August 2005 Poll #2
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August 2005 Poll #1
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Should the US Army stop naming its helicopters after American Indian tribes?
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Yes
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23%
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No
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68%
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Undecided
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9%
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Total votes: 128
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Should the ban on using cell phones aboard commercial airliners during flight be lifted?
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Yes
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38%
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No
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55%
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Undecided
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7%
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Total votes: 109
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Comment: In this age of political correctness, it seems that there is an interest group that finds
something offensive about everything. It is probably inevitable that protests will eventually be lodged
against the US Army for its tradition of naming helicopters after American Indian tribes like the Apache,
Iroquois, Kiowa, Comanche, and Black Hawk.
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Comment: Altough there is little evidence that cell phones interfere with any of the communication
and navigation systems aboard commercial aircraft, cell phone coverage at high altitudes is usually
intermittent at best. Even if this limitation is overcome thanks to better technology and improved
cellular service, the idea of sitting next to someone aboard a cramped aircraft and overhearing their
boring personal conversations for hours at a time is certainly not a very appealing idea.
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