I was interested to note that the Terrorism Preparedness stuff is really good advice for going on a date, too: 1) Be aware of your surroundings; 2) Be aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior; 3) Do not be afraid to move or leave if you feel uncomfortable or if something does not seem right; 4) Learn where emergency exits are located; 5) Assemble a disaster supply kit; 6) Be familiar with different types of fire extinguishers, and know where to find them (and hard hats). Okay, so the last one’s just generally good advice, but you never know when familiarity with fire extinguishers and hard hats will be useful on a date.

On a semi-related note, I never really took the airplane emergency briefing seriously until I was flying on an AWACS and got the real briefing: “The lights on the floor won’t work; count the number of seats between you and the exit, and feel your way by seat back, because you won’t be able to see through the smoke. Better yet, just follow one of us; but don’t be slow, because we won’t wait.” I still mostly ignore the flight attendants’ spiel, but I do note far more carefully where the nearest exit is now.