Friends from San Diego have just cancelled their visit to Dallas this weekend! Yes..Ebola

[misterhighwasted]

Wow. These people are very liberal, social minded & realize the odds of being infected while in Dallas are zero, however, they have chosen to stay out of Texas until there are no new cases.

We planned on attending the State Fair, something we do together every year.

They are educated, professional, adventurous people. Their decision surprises me, hurts, & yet I do understand somewhat. They said they simply feel like Dallas now has a rather dark cloud over it, a psychological mark. She admitted it is completely fear based, however enough to keep them from boarding a flight & being around a crowd in Dallas at this time. She said "each day we have heard more about the situation in Dallas that makes us just think its best to avoid that area for the time being."

That was our conversation in a nutshell.
Very well. This is beginning to really suck.

However I am curious..is there a larger fear based avoidance growing from this Ebola case?
After that conversation, I feel like I have to ask if the heaviness of this all could be affecting others similarly?

Sorry for this , I'm a bit stunned by her phone call just now.
Anyone care to talk me off the ledge this morning?

Dallas Tx. What stands out in history is JFK Murder & home of the 1st deadly Ebola case to show up outside Africa.
This is depressing.

[MineralMan]

1. People do weird stuff.

Fear is often the reason, whether the fear is justified or not. They won't fly to Dallas, but they'll get in a car and drive during rush hour. Go figure.

[lpbk2713]

3. And they'll eat food purchased at WalMart.

Just another thought.

[misterhighwasted]

5. LOl..OK that is kinda funny. cuz its the truth.

Some things in life make no sense at all

[redstatebluegirl]

2. OU Texas game is next weekend.

I had a friend call and offer us their tickets at face value because they are afraid of Ebola. Like the friends mentioned in the OP, these are educated people. I don't get it.

[misterhighwasted]

4. I want to move away right now. And not tell anyone where I moved from.

sad day.

[misterhighwasted]

8. NO ONE EVER MISSES the OU/TX GAME.

This really is evolving into a serious problem.

[snooper2]

6. I'm flying from Dallas to Phoenix next weekend

Should I expect to see people with masks when the plane lands-

Oh SHIT- ANOTHER FLIGHT FROM DFW

[misterhighwasted]

11. No masks, people will just avoid you. You're not flying United are you?

I don't find anything about this humorous today.
Guess I was kinda looking forward to the weekend we'd been planning.

[bullwinkle428]

7. I'm surprised Perry didn't do his press conference in a haz-mat suit,

given his ignorance.

[misterhighwasted]

26. LOL. Perry, the voice of reason in troubled times

[sharp_stick]

9. Educated people aren't necessarily the brightest

I saw that all the way through med school.

To show an extreme just take a look at Dr. Ben Carson, the nut-job du jour for the conservative bowel movement. When it comes to pediatric brain surgery he's a phenomenon but there's not a chance in hell I'd spend a minute with him in any other situation. He's as crazy as a shithouse rat.

[gratuitous]

10. Advertising works

Weeks of relentless fear mongering has produced a bumper crop of . . . fear. Color me every shade of shocked in the book! Even educated, liberal, social-minded people are subject to it. You could knock me over with a feather. My gast is thoroughly flabbered.

A note to some people: When you discount the disinformation from the popular media, bookmark this thread. There's a reason folks post the lies and nonsense broadcast to the nation, and "Who listens to (fill in the media outlet), anyway?" Someone does. And someone who really should know better, like the San Diego friends, is going to be persuaded. That's why there are countless "Can you believe this bullshit?" threads informing us of the current line of bullshit being peddled.

[misterhighwasted]

16. Yes. They agreed their decision to avoid Dallas was fear based,at least until there are no new cases

I'd probably do the same thing. Its about the unknown of a deadly virus, scant survival rate, horrific death & no cure. Each day the number of people being monitored in Dallas goes up.
I don't like it but maybe they have a point.

To disagree with your post, I think the nature of this virus pretty much sells itself when it comes to fear.
Some marketing dept did not invent the EBOLA virus.
But they can certainly exploit it for all its worth $$$.

[gratuitous]

24. I did notice a change in the tone yesterday and today

At least on NBC, they're trying to downplay the risk factor. Heck, the Toady Show even brought on Dr. Oz to tell the audience not to be such scaredy-cats (I don't know what sort of epidemiology training he has, but he has an authoritative voice and nice hair). I'm not quite cynical enough to think that the popular media ginned up the fear so they could ramp it back down, but I have observed that fear sells and sells quite well. Calm reporting of just the facts with a little analysis isn't nearly so lucrative.

In the cycling community, the saying goes "Nobody can pedal the bike for you." I probably wouldn't have canceled a trip to Dallas (should I ever have occasion to go there), but I can't make that decision for others.

[KurtNYC]

12. Fear is a feeling, not a fact.

We are increasingly encouraged to feel rather than think. For example the little button on FaceBook says "Like" -- there isn't one that says "I agree" or "I also find this to be true."

When people act on irrational or over-blown fears, they make themselves into victims. They may lock themselves in their houses, or shoot innocent people, like that woman who shot her grand daughter. People who act based on imaginary fears want to be proven right -- they want others to think that they were right to be afraid, and that can lead to horrible actions like we saw in the shooting of that WalMart customer. Negative expectations can create negative outcomes. Fear is a dangerous, contagious thing.

On the brighter side: Btw, not the "1st deadly Ebola case" since the person has not died and is likely to recover with treatment. That may help Dallas as a whole to recover.

I lived in NYC after 9/11. The city emptied out. There was fear and depression but the more days that went by without confirmation for those fears, the better things got.

[misterhighwasted]

23. "I lived in NYC after 9/11. The city emptied out." Yes. 9/11.

You make a great point.
To live through that & walk on beyond the horror of such a sad day, puts into perspective my concerns.
Thanks

[Gothmog]

13. This is a sad decision

There is very little risk

[unblock]

14. the flight is riskier than the destination; the car ride to the airport riskier than the flight.

people are generally rather poor at evaluating risk, particularly when it comes to long shots.

[dembotoz]

15. so if i start a rumor that there is ebola in green bay-maybe i can get some cheap

packer tickets?????

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[misterhighwasted]

20. I'd definately grab a chance at that Packers Game

its devious but...

[YarnAddict]

17. Wonder if this will lead to

cancelling the midterm elections in Texas?? Especially since Wendy Davis apparently kicked Abbott's butt in the debates . . .

[misterhighwasted]

18. Extreme voter suppression tactic. Abbotts goons are probably preparing a statement as we speak

She did kick his butt didn't she.
He's just so dumb

[DustyJoe]

19. Human Nature

Peoples sense of self preservation and protection is a strong force.

I live in the 4-corners and our quietest time was the
original hantavirus outbreak.
No one traveled, few shopped, was like a ghost town for a long time.
All over some mouse pee.

[misterhighwasted]

21. One thing we can count on..there's always another crisis to follow the last one

How many crisis have we gone through just this summer alone?

[Egnever]

22. Americans are easily led by fear.

Home of the brave once but no more.

[misterhighwasted]

25. Fear for profit. MSM's dirty secret

*

[Zorra]

27. I would do the same thing. There have been

far too many mistakes made in the handling of this epidemic and capitalists will tell us to keep on shopping until we bleed out.

Wait and see seems wise to me.

[misterhighwasted]

29. Yes. Expecting convenience store gas stations to start selling little bottles of EBOLA Cure.

Wait for it...

[cbdo2007]

28. They actually have a greater chance of staying in San Diego and dying from the Flu...

than they do coming to Dallas and getting Ebola.

But to each their own. It's sad that so many people live their lives in so much fear.

[misterhighwasted]

30. True. Or dying from heat stroke..Temps are in the 90's today

They are not used to that heat.

[SheilaT]

31. Good point.

And even their risk of dying from the flu in San Diego is incredibly small.