Some thoughts on flying
I like to sit in the Emergency Exit row of the plane since it’s a well-known fact that you get more legroom (note to all - there is a definite problem with the legroom provided on a plane when a 5’6" man complains about it). The only drawback is that before departing, the flight attendant always comes up and asks, "Sir, are you prepared to help other passengers get out of the plane in the event of an emergency?"
I always answer, "yes." But really, it’s only a partial answer. My full reply is more along the lines of, "yes, I plan to help other passengers by giving them a live demonstration of how to be the first person out the door if this thing goes down."
I’ve also always wondered why they demonstrate what to do in the event of a water landing if you’re on a flight that doesn’t actually go over any water. I was on a puddle-hopper from Cincinnati to Toledo, and according to the handy map in the super-stimulating in-flight magazine, the only body of water along our flight path is a pool belonging to some guy in Dayton. So unless we’re planning on trying to ditch in his yard, I think it’s okay to skip that section.
Ever notice that, although smoking on planes has been banned for over 10 years, the captain still feels the need to turn on and off the "no smoking" sign that appears in front of each row? Why does he need to do that? Electronic devices (like my iPod or a Discman) have been banned during parts of the trip for almost as long, but they don’t get their own indicator. On a flight this afternoon, I actually got in trouble with a flight attendant because I apparently missed the announcement that I needed to "turn off my electronic device" (because you need to have had the volume cranked up to the max to hear the speakers that literally sit in your ears over the roar of the engine). You never miss hearing something over the sound of smoke - I think they have their little flashy indicators backwards.
I also noticed a strange sign near the front of my 16-passenger plane that I still don’t understand. I swear the sign was made up of a picture of a man then what looked like a table with a screen on it, and then a picture of a woman. For the entire 35-minute flight, the pictures were crossed out with a big red "/" through it. The same flight attendant who had been annoyed with me over my iPod was less than impressed when I pointed to the sign and asked, "Why is there no meeting women in the onboard Internet café?"
I always answer, "yes." But really, it’s only a partial answer. My full reply is more along the lines of, "yes, I plan to help other passengers by giving them a live demonstration of how to be the first person out the door if this thing goes down."
I’ve also always wondered why they demonstrate what to do in the event of a water landing if you’re on a flight that doesn’t actually go over any water. I was on a puddle-hopper from Cincinnati to Toledo, and according to the handy map in the super-stimulating in-flight magazine, the only body of water along our flight path is a pool belonging to some guy in Dayton. So unless we’re planning on trying to ditch in his yard, I think it’s okay to skip that section.
Ever notice that, although smoking on planes has been banned for over 10 years, the captain still feels the need to turn on and off the "no smoking" sign that appears in front of each row? Why does he need to do that? Electronic devices (like my iPod or a Discman) have been banned during parts of the trip for almost as long, but they don’t get their own indicator. On a flight this afternoon, I actually got in trouble with a flight attendant because I apparently missed the announcement that I needed to "turn off my electronic device" (because you need to have had the volume cranked up to the max to hear the speakers that literally sit in your ears over the roar of the engine). You never miss hearing something over the sound of smoke - I think they have their little flashy indicators backwards.
I also noticed a strange sign near the front of my 16-passenger plane that I still don’t understand. I swear the sign was made up of a picture of a man then what looked like a table with a screen on it, and then a picture of a woman. For the entire 35-minute flight, the pictures were crossed out with a big red "/" through it. The same flight attendant who had been annoyed with me over my iPod was less than impressed when I pointed to the sign and asked, "Why is there no meeting women in the onboard Internet café?"
posted by Kevin at
11:04 PM
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