[gordner]

The pilot "if it aint Boeing I aint going" saying is due to the differences in design philosophy of Airbus and Boeing. Boeing puts their faith in the pilot and therefor does not limit his interaction with the control of the aircraft, Airbus puts their faith in the computers. An airbus will actually limit a pilots ability to control an aircraft to remain within the aircrafts design parameters. So if a pilot on a Boeing has an issue (perhaps air to air collision imminent) he could stand the thing on the wing tip to avoid it, the Airbus would limit the bank angle to remain within the normal operational envelope to avoid stressing the airframe.
Pilot's want Boeing because they are in control. To the guy in the back, the safety records are highly comparable and as such, who really cares....