Susan Dornquast was bitten on the leg by a 5-foot bull shark in South Carolina the other day while standing in about 2 feet of water. It takes just one of these reports a year to refuel my shark fear, which keeps me out of the ocean. My irrational fear even extends to lakes and rivers and swimming pools at night (only at night with the pools). I can’t say how I figure a shark would get into a swimming pool, or why, but neither can I shake the fear that one might be there if it’s dark and I can’t see for sure that one is not.

Statistics reveal that I should be far more afraid of automobiles, particulate matter and bagels (for their lack of whole grains), but I drive, breathe and eat those (respectively) without much concern.

Stats to ponder as you drive to the beach this summer: Sharks attack no more than a few dozen people a year and kill just a handful around the world most years. In the United States alone, more than 40,000 people die in auto accidents every year.