Alwaysfly

Visited a client in Aberdeen yesterday and before entering the offices I had to watch a safety video which was 2-3 minutes and had to answer 3 questions, to prove I had watched it. Should this should be done on aircraft?

It winds me up the number of frequent and more worrying infrequent fliers who chose to be rude to cabin crew and dangerous to others by talking and reading newspapers while the safety briefing is taking place. The other week in CW, I watched a couple making menu choices with a member of cabin crew standing next to them!!

Thoughts?

corporate-wage-slave

There's a LGW purser who starts the safety video with "And after we have shown you the safety video I will be asking you questions to see that you have been paying attention". The Hefty Bunny video goes out, then at the end she says "Thank you so much for watching that, I can see you all paid attention to it, so there's no need for me to ask you any questions!"

shorthauldad

Given the statistical likelihood of being involved in any event in which the contents of the safety briefing would be relevant, perhaps the crew should just say "If you're interested in safety, read the briefing on page 1 of High Life" and leave it at that...

SteveF

I know where the emergency exits are. I know how to (un)fasten my seatbelt. I know where the life jacket is. I know about the lights in the floor. I also know that in an emergency it will probably be chaos anyway.

I do lower my paper/book and take my headphones off (although that's no longer a requirement) out of courtesy, but can't say I'm actually watching the video or listening to the CC.

Whether it's a good idea or not (I don't think it is), an exam (followed by what, resits or offloading for those unable to pass?) is not going to happen.

KenJohn

It is illegal to "impose" tests on people in certain countries without their express consent. You cannot "impose" test on employees in France I believe. You need their express consent.

In any case, what are the cabin crew going to do if you
a) refuse to answer
b) give a wrong answer
You have paid for your fare so they cannot kick you off the plane.

Also, how could flight crew know about passengers with learning difficulties. This would discriminate against them which would contravene the Human Rights Act. All passengers would then claim they had learning difficulties.

V10

It's an aircraft, not a primary school classroom.

In an ideal world people would pay attention, but they are adults and can decide for themselves.

I would say that the example you cite with the office is everything to do with protecting their own rears from expensive legal action, and nothing to do with any passing interest in your safety.

cornishsimon

Blimey !

That must be an interesting building in Aberdeen to visit

cs

Waterhorse

The seat belt thing is an odd one, it's amazing how many people find doing them up and undoing them difficult and have to look at the belts carefully. This is because they are very different to the car seat belt fastening. When we are under stress we often revert to what we first learnt, in this case the car seat belt. There is a fancy phrase in psychobabble that describes this exactly, cognitive failure, but the upshot is that in an emergency evacuation many people cannot get out of their seats as they cannot undo them. This is why it is shown how to undo them and fasten them in a safety demo.

You will not be able to rely on the crew or your fellow passengers to help you when the cabin is full of smoke and you are full of terror, the lights have all gone out bar the floor level lighting and there is mass panic going on around you. At this moment in time the frequent flyers, secure in the knowledge that these things hardly ever happen will be reaching for their shoes, which are now 14 rows ahead, taking off their headphones and asking each other what the cabin crew are yelling, looking for their very important stuff that they have spread around them, all the while being hindered by a seat belt that they thought they knew how to undo!

Alternatively those that have paid attention to the demo and have the info fresh in their minds will leave the aircraft and later will wonder why so many experienced travellers perished in the conflagration

It's all up to the individual how much care you take of your own safety even when all you need to do is listen and watch for a minute or so. If we, on the Flt deck, took the same casual, we know better attitude towards the safety of ourselves and our passengers that some of them take towards their own safety there would be many many more fatal aircraft accidents.

Jetstreamer

Let me guess, it was an oil & gas company? Visited one of those recently and I was told off quite seriously for walking up the stairs and not holding the hand rail! Then in another case I had a meeting postponed on me as the meeting room was booked up. As it was an informal thing I suggested we just sit around another desk with a coffee but apparently for health and safety reasons you can’t have more than one person sat at a desk unless it is in the meeting room. This all makes me feel very safe!

To stay on topic, I can’t see how that could ever work but the way health and safety culture is going who knows?!

Alwaysfly

Spot on! I was also reminded to hold the handrail

shorthauldad

Perhaps the briefing should be on the benefits of a healthy diet and exercising regularly? That would be far more effective in terms of preventing unnecessary deaths...

LTN Phobia

Some people have a reverse problem, you know.
Have to fumble with the car one because he/she flies more often than rides/drives a car. "Where's that metal flap!!! Oh... "

I can't remember which airline it was but they had a somewhat car-style seat belt buckle, I'm trying to think who it was.

FlyerTalker6245

I had exactly this on Cathay Pacific recently!

Silver Fox

Was alcohol involved?

PS. If not, why not ?

T8191

I always remind myself [2 or 3 times] of how the nearest door handle operates, in case there's zero visibility and incapacitated CC. I look at the overhead panels to see where the oxygen masks would emerge. I'm also getting the message on the seat belt buckle, which has been mentioned here on FT quite often in the recent past.

And I never put rabbits or Bears on the floor.