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Jeez, give me a break. I want my Kindle and my iPad. When I fly economy I sit in the exit row. I know how to open every door I sit beside. I once had a FA quiz the economy row on how to open the window exit. I was the only one who answered. Then she asked, "Is she right" No one had a clue. I don't need to listen to the safety briefing. I could give the safety briefing. And if everyone panics (or anyone panics) all bets are off anyway.
On life jackets. I bet you could listen 100 times and unless you've actually taken out a life jacket and looked at it, you could easily be stymied at how to put it on. Have all reading material banned during take off and landing, ban all conversation during take off and landing and ban all day dreaming if you want passengers full attention. |
The safety briefing is played out. By the time they show you how to put on your seat belt, they have already been through the cabin making sure you are buckled in. If a time traveler from the 50's is on the plane, just remind them they cannot smoke. No one cares for the word placard.
Then comes the flight times, the pilot is going to tell us that eventually, double effort. Oh don't forget to mention soft drinks are complimentary but the overpriced listeria wraps are not. The FC bathroom is not yours and you are missing out by not signing up for their CC. If it was quick and informative maybe............. |
Originally Posted by flying_geek
(Post 23671566)
I don't see how electronic devices affect people paying attention to safety videos much.
By far the single biggest reasons for not paying attention are "I know all this" or "I am too cool to look like I care about this". (My wife wrote her master thesis on inflight safety videos - I read more statistics and research on this than I thought existed.) That said, and to comment on one of the posters remarks that we have all seen it often enough - we actually haven't - most of us anyhow. Yes, we know where the exits are - but do you really know how to put that life jacket on properly? - do you really know you have to pull hard to start the flow of oxygen (and not just take the mask?) etc... Maybe 16 years ago I was on a Lufthansa flight where we ended up putting life jackets on (we landed on ground but were not sure we could fully stop before the water) - I had been Senator for several years (LH's 150K status) - and guess what, putting this life jacket on was way harder than I thought. There was plenty of time and of course I figured it out - still - I then realized that we don't know as much as we think. I do think this FA union suit is not about safety, otherwise they ought to be advocating for stowing books and other objects that could just as readily become a dangerous projectile and/or distract someone from the safety briefing. |
Originally Posted by rbphilip
(Post 23671921)
As a frequent flyer (50+ flights this year), I count the number of rows forward and backward to the emergency exits long before the FAs start instructing people on how to use a seat belt. By the time the safety briefing has begun I'm listening to music and reading. When I couldn't listen to music, before being plugged in to my phone was allowed at takeoff, I read and ignored the safety briefing nearly as effectively.
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Originally Posted by manneca
(Post 23672007)
Jeez, give me a break. I want my Kindle and my iPad. When I fly economy I sit in the exit row. I know how to open every door I sit beside. I once had a FA quiz the economy row on how to open the window exit. I was the only one who answered. Then she asked, "Is she right" No one had a clue. I don't need to listen to the safety briefing. I could give the safety briefing. And if everyone panics (or anyone panics) all bets are off anyway.
On life jackets. I bet you could listen 100 times and unless you've actually taken out a life jacket and looked at it, you could easily be stymied at how to put it on. |
Originally Posted by 84fiero
(Post 23672406)
You make a good point about actually executing some of these actions not always being as straightforward as we think. But is watching the safety video for the umpteenth time going to change any of that? No, because watching a video and/or listening to a verbal description will only ever go so far. What would really be helpful is to occasionally offer passengers a chance to actually practice pulling the O2 mask tube, donning the life jacket, opening the door, etc. in a training environment. Though I'd guess that the majority of the public wouldn't avail themselves of the opportunity if it were offered.
I do think this FA union suit is not about safety, otherwise they ought to be advocating for stowing books and other objects that could just as readily become a dangerous projectile and/or distract someone from the safety briefing. |
I can only speak with my recent experience with UA, but I always leave my headphones in now during the safety briefing. The problem with the "safety briefing" is that it's not only about safety. First there's 2 minutes of CEO propaganda about all the good things United does for Veterans or for the Disabled. Then there's a 4-5 minute safety video, followed by commercials with some lady waving her hands around saying how she can "see Brazil in [her] future" with this amazing credit card, and then a commercial for DirecTV. It's ridiculous. I'm going to take my headphones and music any time over this series of amplified commercials that I can't otherwise turn off.
If it's about safety, play a video and move on with it. If I'm going to be subjected to 10 minutes of commercials, I'm going to listen to my own music thank you very much. |
This shows how poor the focus is at the union. They should file suit to prevent "service animals" and bare feet on the plane. They should do whatever they can to return civility to the skies. Let business people use their devices. They represent the bread and butter of the airline and they are the ones the FA's should be looking after.
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If the concern is really about safety, how about the FA's quit half azzing the demo like just stretching the elastic on the face mask instead of really putting it on your face... or just pointing in general to somewhere down the plane while saying the plane has overwing exits. Or my latest favorite, the United video where the woman in the cab makes the driver put on his seatbelt, but isn't wearing hers when the "turbulance" hits. Nice move United, back seats have shoulder belts too.
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Originally Posted by rbphilip
(Post 23671921)
As a frequent flyer (50+ flights this year), I count the number of rows forward and backward to the emergency exits long before the FAs start instructing people on how to use a seat belt. By the time the safety briefing has begun I'm listening to music and reading. When I couldn't listen to music, before being plugged in to my phone was allowed at takeoff, I read and ignored the safety briefing nearly as effectively.
Old habits die hard. Even nowadays I still can't help myself counting seat backs and reaching under my seat to check the life-jacket is actually there - better to have these things and never need them etc. etc. P.S. The first time I ever rode in a VC-10 (as a cadet), I was given the jump seat. The Capt said "Welcome aboard. If it all goes to s*** I will be out of that window and down the rope like a rat on an anchor-chain. You'll need to sort yourself out. Now sit there and don't speak until you're spoken to!" Ahh, the good old days :) |
Originally Posted by fisherofsouls
(Post 23674628)
P.S. The first time I ever rode in a VC-10 (as a cadet), I was given the jump seat. The Capt said "Welcome aboard. If it all goes to s*** I will be out of that window and down the rope like a rat on an anchor-chain. You'll need to sort yourself out. Now sit there and don't speak until you're spoken to!" |
Count me in the camp of "have heard the briefing enough times I could give it myself from memory". And I've flown on the same model planes enough times to know where the exits are and which one's closest to me.
So no, my life does not depend on listening to it again, especially given that half the time the microphone is clicking on and off all through the briefing, so that it's "To buckle your ... and tighten ... is illuminated" and so on. |
Originally Posted by ubernostrum
(Post 23679401)
So no, my life does not depend on listening to it again, especially given that half the time the microphone is clicking on and off all through the briefing, so that it's "To buckle your ... and tighten ... is illuminated" and so on.
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Originally Posted by pushback
(Post 23679430)
So while were at it, here's a general rant about PA volumes. Even with my Bose QC3s on. Are these people ever subjected to listening to their own announcements?
But the PA can still be heard, I concede. Especially the duty free and non-safety related items. |
Originally Posted by weero
(Post 23680225)
But the PA can still be heard, I concede. Especially the duty free and non-safety related items.
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