Poll: Have you had a UFO ‘experience’?

Following Sonoma’s self-described UFOlogist Jim Ledwith’s recent Valley Forum op-ed (“E.T.: Time to Be Serious,” April 5) about the existing evidence that travelers from outer space are actively visiting the Earth, letters to the editor have continued to come in both vouching for, and dismissing, his assertions. So, in the true spirit of journalistic investigation – or, “probe” as this subject demands – we asked readers if they’ve ever, to borrow Ledwith’s term, had a UFO “experience.” While the pool of responses was limited – only 34 brave readers provided feedback on whether they’d had an encounter – an eyebrow-raising 9 percent claimed to be “experiencers.” All told, more than 26 percent have seen a UFO and over 60 percent of respondents believe in UFOs. Strangely, the only criticism of the poll – calling it “one of the dumbest polls the I-T has ever done” – was from someone who claims to have seen UFOs, leading us to believe they’re not fully grasping the gravity of the situation.

Here a few of the comments:

This is one of the DUMBEST polls the IT has ever done. Why not ask about local issues?

Anything is possible.

Plowing snow for the DOT in Tahoe one night I took my mid-shift break at 0-300 in a school parking lot. Got out of the plow and looked up to see a giant black triangle moving directly north to south, no lights, no sound, blocking out the stars on a moonless night. I watched it pass overhead and then clear the Echo Summit ridge and disappear. Altitude was not far above ridge top, so maybe 12,000-14,000 feet. Most likely a military aircraft of some kind and not a B2 Bomber or F117. First time I’ve talked about it.

This one time, at Band Camp...