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Old Nov 30, 2014, 10:11 am
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Directionally challenged on a plane

Just witnessed from row 2 on 767 - pax (who had been standing in the way of everyone when gate staff were announcing priority boarding) gets on and is directed down the plane by cabin crew. Reaches row 3 and starts muttering about row 35 - pax in 3B helpfully points out that this is row 3 whereupon she tries to go back to door 1 to get more precise directions... (at least I hope she wasn't trying to go to cockpit)

I wonder how some pax you see onboard survive in daily life (it explains the need for those signs warning kettles may get hot etc.)
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 10:26 am
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It does seem to affect a few. I had a similar experience on my way to DUS a few years ago. It was a 767 (funnily enough) I was in row 2 when an elderly passenger asked if it was row 14.

Last edited by vibrex; Nov 30, 2014 at 10:29 am Reason: Typo
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 10:57 am
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Originally Posted by lorcancoyle
I wonder how some pax you see onboard survive in daily life (it explains the need for those signs warning kettles may get hot etc.)
On FT that means "person who does not fly a lot could become very attractive"
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 11:31 am
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It happens all the time.
Boarding a 737 or A319 (front door) "which way do I go?"
"Please turn right" (add various words the voices in my head say )

Lots of people don't know how to get into the washrooms either. Door handle is lifted up instead of pushed down, or people pull on the ashtray instead of pushing on the big "PUSH" sign.
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 11:50 am
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It is clearly a sign that educational standards are slipping not just in the UK but elsewhere too. The number of passengers who do not recognise numbers, cannot count, and do not know that C follows B in the alphabet beggars belief. I see it on every flight. How these people even manage to make it to the airport astounds me!
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 12:02 pm
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If it is bad on aircraft, it is 100 times worse on the train. I have had people tell me that I am sitting in their seat when:
a) They have a different seat number in the same row
b) They are in in a completly different row
c) They are in a different coach
d) They are meant to be on a different train.

The best one so far was a gentleman who expected to sit where I was sat, as he had that seat reserved on a previous train which he had missed.
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 12:07 pm
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Originally Posted by Yesitsme
Lots of people don't know how to get into the washrooms either. Door handle is lifted up instead of pushed down, or people pull on the ashtray instead of pushing on the big "PUSH" sign.
That explains why the Boeing employee that showed us the first 787 was so excited about the new locks on the overhead bins that you "push at the bottom, pull at the bottom, push at the top or pull at the top and everytime it will open" didn't understand it at that time but now it makes sense.
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 12:11 pm
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Originally Posted by kanderson1965
If it is bad on aircraft, it is 100 times worse on the train. I have had people tell me that I am sitting in their seat when:
c) They are in a different coach
ah yes I experienced that on a virgin train

I was seated at a "travellers club" seat and next station a gent got on and insisted I was in his seat
after a few minutes arguing the train manager appeared and informed him
"you are in the next coach Sir this way please"

off he went with not even an apology
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 12:45 pm
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Originally Posted by lorcancoyle
Just witnessed from row 2 on 767 - pax (who had been standing in the way of everyone when gate staff were announcing priority boarding) gets on and is directed down the plane by cabin crew. Reaches row 3 and starts muttering about row 35 - pax in 3B helpfully points out that this is row 3 whereupon she tries to go back to door 1 to get more precise directions... (at least I hope she wasn't trying to go to cockpit)

I wonder how some pax you see onboard survive in daily life (it explains the need for those signs warning kettles may get hot etc.)
The worrying thing with these pax is. How would they react in a genuine emergency? A simple command from CC to evacuate from the front doors and they could just end up standing in the aisle in bewilderment complete with their hand luggage!
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 12:54 pm
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Originally Posted by Yesitsme
Lots of people don't know how to get into the washrooms either.
I've seen that quite a few times people repeatedly pulling the toilet doors when all that is needed is a gentle push which is indicated by the sign which reads PUSH
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 1:13 pm
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Sometimes I do wonder if we opened the flightdeck door (when they get confused and pull on it for 2 minutes) what they would do?

A) immediately close it fearing a snap air marshal judo chop out of nowhere
B) stare aimlessly into the light like a fly about to be zapped
C) ask....."is this the toilet??"
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 1:20 pm
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Originally Posted by jacobitetraveller
ah yes I experienced that on a virgin train

I was seated at a "travellers club" seat and next station a gent got on and insisted I was in his seat
after a few minutes arguing the train manager appeared and informed him
"you are in the next coach Sir this way please"

off he went with not even an apology
Virgin Trains are a bit of a cluterf--k. On their longer trains they have coaches F and U right next to each other. It goes ABCDEFUGHJK

The reason the layout is so crazy is because some Pendolinos are two carriages longer than the original config but they only left one spare letter between standard and first.

The sensible thing would have been to reletter the carriages and start First Class at J (like East Coast) which would have given enough spare letters for standard.

Carriage layouts (scroll down a bit): http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/trains/onboard-shop/
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 1:25 pm
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And the next time you are on the highway, remember, most of those same people have driver's licenses.

Last edited by Doc Savage; Nov 30, 2014 at 1:59 pm Reason: Damn you, autocorrect.....
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 1:34 pm
  #14  
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I was on an aircraft - a TG A330 I think - which had its first row of seats numbered as row 11.
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Old Nov 30, 2014, 1:41 pm
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Originally Posted by HIDDY
I was on an aircraft - a TG A330 I think - which had its first row of seats numbered as row 11.
Indeed; once airlines manage to come up with a row numbering scheme that starts at 1 , increments by 1 and doesn't miss numbers out , then may be grounds to complain about passengers not being able to understand row numbers

I have been on aeroplanes that the 1st few rows were numbered 1,2,4,8,9,10,12,14 as well as , similar to TG, where row numbering started well beyond 1 ( e.g. CX starting with 12 then 14-19 and then skipping to 30 )
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