Why are people scared of the drag strip?

Is it because the common man watches drag racing on TV and they think their car is going to go up in a ball of flames? Do they realize they do not have an alcohol burning funny car? Do they realize that they have nowhere in the ballpark of that kind of power?
I think I've heard every excuse in the world. First off is I don't want to crash my car? Well who in the hell is telling you to drive into the wall? They see those High horsepower cars get out of control and go into the wall and for some reason they picture their car is being some kind of high horsepower out of control car? Or my favorite is I don't want to beat on my car. Yet when I rev my motor up next to them at a light they're more than willing to floorboard it over an intersection with curbs only a foot away from their tires with the possibility of cars turning right in front of them...
What is the picture that comes into the common man's head when it comes to going to the drag strip?
I mean people with Dyno sheets all this trick suspension super duper everything and you mentioned the track and they're like- what no way!!! I'm not going to crash my car! I'm not going to beat on my car! LOL...

It might not be that a lot of people are scared of the strip itself. Maybe they are afraid of breaking something that costs a lot.