Airlines: Are They Safe Yet?

So, I am a big flier. I absolutely love to step on a plane and go see my dad in Florida. For that matter, I will step on a plane ever chance I get. However, in 2000 the hit movie 'Final Destination: Flight 180' hit theatres. Within the opening scenes an entire plane explodes due to unknown reasons. As many watched the thriller/suspense/horror they developed an irrational fear of planes and flying. What most don't know is that the odds of dying in a plane crash are very low. Well guess what, a year later we had a terrorist attack involving none other than: planes. So here we go again with people being terrified not of planes exploding but being hijacked. Okay, so years later people are getting comfortable around planes again. Security is beefed up and the FAA has all of there planes inspected and makes sure everything on the up and up. NO THEY DON'T! Just when we thought it was okay to start flying again all you have to do is pick up the news paper to realize that the FAA is slacking on regulations. Granted these episodes of 'slacking' aren't on the commercial airlines. They are for the rich few who want to use an airplane as a taxi. As said in the USA Today, 249 people died as a result of lax regulations on these 'flying taxis'. So here we are in September 2009 and it isn't the terrorist killing us. It's our own safety patrols.