I hate to fly anywhere, any time, based on the old "if God had wanted us to fly, He'd have given us wings" reasoning. It isn't natural to strap a motley bunch of people into a metal tube and send them hurtling across the skies going 300 miles an hour at 32,000 feet. Even though travelers are assured that flying is safer than driving, I'd rather do my crash and burn on the pavement than inside a missile heading nose first for ground zero. And forget about using the seat cushion as a flotation device: what idiot really thinks that instruction provides even a modicum of comfort to a passenger flying over creeks, ponds, and endless miles of waterless desert or snow-covered mountains?
My fear of flying is not alleviated with all the recent information being provided about how often bird strikes cause air emergencies, as well as crashes. As big as the problem appears to be, in my world someone should already have found a work-around for the threat of a flock of flying geese bringing down an airliner. I'm thinking a screen barrier between the bird and the jet engine could be a start ... .
However, after two planes in about a week did the abrupt nose-down into the ground a few months past, killing all aboard both planes, industry spokespersons are now claiming that these airline crashes are probably caused by pilots who aren't paid adequate salary because consumers are shopping for ways to save money on airline tickets and travel. Airline safety is now dependent on salary and benefits packages? If passengers, such as I, were willing to pay a few more dollars for the ticket, planes wouldn't crash?
I'm thinking, Are you f-ing kidding me? at this point in the reporting.
The burden for the deaths of victims in a plane crash may rest on the public's shoulders, those selfish individuals who refuse to pay an average of $8 more per ticket, according to one airline rep quoted in the press release (msn.com). Extending that premise, we have a list of potential consumer causes for airplane crashes:
-- Selfish passengers who bring one bag on a flight cost the airline revenue it generates from charging for additional bags, revenue that could be used to pay pilots a decent wage.
-- Purchasing food in the terminals, rather than paying for airline in-flight fare, is another costly mistake made by passengers, who are also coping with the loss of the free little bags of salty peanuts we all anticipated in the past eras of airline affluence.
-- And so few people paid $3 to rent the headphones for the "free" in-flight movie that many airlines have now done away with in-flight films! Think of the increased pilot salary potential afforded by 100 passengers each renting headphones at $3 a pop that is lost because some selfish consumers refused to ante up.
Yes, passengers may be the root cause of the airline accidents, if you believe what the media is printing, but what about other causes for plane crashes, causes not related to the failure of the passenger to pay premium prices for too many small seats too close together in an airplane that is likely to be departure-delayed and end in lost luggage? The best the airline industry can come up with is insufficient salary satisfaction?
It's far more likely that there is a design fault and/or a mechanical problem with the aircraft than a salary issue with the pilot: after all, (s)he dies when the plane plunges nose first into the ground at 300 miles per hour, regardless of how much salary the pilot earns. That's a fairly permanent way to settle a salary dispute, don't you think? Who benefits from that tactic? Not the pilot, I'm thinking. Is the public supposed to believe that the airline is gambling that the lawsuits from the victims, including the flight crew and passengers, as well as anyone at ground zero, probably offset any revenue losses that would be incurred by paying pilots a higher salary?
Think outside the blame box and stop citing unsatisfactory salary and/or selfish consumer syndrome when everyone aboard an aircraft perishes in the crash. Believe me, it's not the end to the flight anyone -- pilot, crew, and/or passengers -- anticipate when we are sitting on the tarmac feeling smug because we saved $8 and still got an aisle seat!
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4 comments:
I've read a different twist on the pilot wage concern. It essentially says that low pilot wages increase risk by pushing them to take second or third jobs.
It wasn't that the pilot was intentionally being dangerous, they just worked during their government regulated sleep/rest periods.
Not smart on the part of the pilots, but it's the type of stupidity that human beings are often guilty of. I'm sure there are plenty of car accidents each year due to sleep deprivation.
The entire idea of blaming the consumer for not paying enough money is absurd on every level that I can think of. The same argument could be used for not doing service on the plane or trying to fly with insufficient fuel.
It's the airlines responsibility to provide a safe service and charge whatever they need to make a profit. Otherwise they should close down the business.
My two cents. :) Good Morning.
Since well over 95% of all crashes are attributed to pilot error, regardless of how much those pilots make, then it stands to reason that airlines should provide the salaries, benefits, training, and whatever else is required to keep them happy, healthy, and alert while carting 100, 200, 300+ passengers and crew around the country.
I'm willing to pay more for tickets to reach that level of assurance that the pilot and crew are going to be in the best condition possible.
I only ask for a couple things from the airline: get me there safely, guarantee the seat I picked and paid for will actually be there when I get to the plane, and send my luggage either with me or in a way that it safely achieves my destination at the same time I do. Anything beyond this is really gravy.
However, I also reserve the right to complain about shoddy behavior and service (aka, leaving the gate and making me sit on the tarmac with no bathroom, food, or ability to stretch my legs for more than 30 minutes.
If these needs mean I pay more, then I pay more. It's as simple as that.
ryn: I absolutely would love to have a movie and lunch day with all the girls!
As for the prank, it was a daughter who does not have, or know that teacher. However, I most definitely told her that she will accept whatever consequences come from her bad decision to let her friend make that call. I completely understand what you said about it, too, but it was his reaction to my daughter who had nothing to do with it that upset me. The way he dealt with it was very innappropriate in my opinion... that's all.
"It isn't natural to strap a motley bunch of people into a metal tube and send them hurtling across the skies" he he he he lol
My sentiments precisely, and don’t ever wash your hands in the airline sink, use sanitizer. your drinking water should always come from a sealed bottle. I think of an airplane as the miniature, airborne version of a street corner in down town Tijuana. OK, maybe that is my OCD talking but some 20 out of one hundred and fifty eight airplanes did test positive for having tap water that was contaminated with dangerous levels of e-coli, that is the poop germ. Ewww!
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