Mr. Johnson had never been on an airplane before. Having read many reports about air accidents, he was very worried when a friend offered him a ride in a small private plane. Eventually, his friend persuaded him it was safe, and Mr. Johnson boarded the aircraft.
His friend started the engine and began to taxi onto the runway. Mr. Johnson had heard that the most dangerous parts of a flight were take-off and landing, so he was extremely frightened and closed his eyes.
After a minute or two, he opened them, looked out the window, and said to his friend, "Look at those people down there. They look as small as ants, don't they?"
"Those are ants," his friend replied. "We're still on the ground."