to find it rude when people ignore the safety talk on an airplane?

[Beograde]

I find it rude when the aircrew ask us to for just a few minutes attention before we take off, and so many people keep on reading, etc? I know most people have flown a lot of times before, and maybe won't learnt something, but I think we're only being asked for a couple of minutes attention or so, and it just seems rude and disrespectful.

AIBU?

[Binkybix]

back in the box thanks for that - v interesting, although terrifying accounts of crashes. I have to say though, it unnerves me somewhat to find out that they might use the safety talk to tell us that an emergency exit isn't working. I woula have assumed that they would fix it before using that plane?!!

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

YANBU. I fly a lot for work and the people who are just too cool to spare 3 minutes of their time to watch and listen drive me nuts. Even worse are the ones who have to be seen to be cool and so ostentatiously hide themselves behind their newspaper/trashy novel. I care because they are going to be the ones getting in my way in the event of an emergency, idiot.

[squoosh]

Ok sometimes I watch if the air hostess has a particularly bad hairdo, or if they're being particularly dramatic and Zoolanderesque.

[notcitrus]

I'm deaf anyway so little point in listening even when they're in a language I speak, but I do always look for my nearest exit, where the oxygen is, etc.
And I have been on a flight where we all had to brace as the turbulence was so bad, not so much for fear of a crash but if a locker comes open the contents and peoples carrying junk fly everywhere and duty-free booze on the head isn't funny!

[PtCatalyst]

I've been in a plane since (a few times) and I'm fine with it - I totally love flying! Statistically, I'm now immune to all further plane crashes anyway

[FromEsme]

PtCatalyst eek, scary. I am terrified of flying. Are you scared now when you get into a plane?

squoosh yeah the lights and whistles seem ridiculous. But I guess they do no harm, are cheap and might have some small effect.

[PtCatalyst]

I think the point of the safety demonstration, even when you've heard it 100s of times before, is to reinforce what you need to do. I have been in a plane crash (in a light aircraft) and when the pilot said "brace for impact", I did it automatically - something I wouldn't have been able to do if I hadn't listened to the safety briefing (and read the safety card) on every flight I've been on.

The seatbelt thing is also relevant - there are lots of different kinds of seatbelt out there, and knowing how to quickly undo the one you're wearing at that time is very important. The seatbelt that I was wearing when I was in a plane crash was one that I was unfamiliar with, and that's the only time I panicked - I could not, for a couple of seconds (though it felt a lot longer at the time) work out how to get out and it really scared me. Luckily everything was ok (although the plane was a write-off) and everyone got out safely and uninjured, but I found out afterwards there was only a 50:50 chance of that happening...

[cutegorilla]

Unless there are extra masks at all seats there can't be one where you sit with the baby on a free for all easyjet type flight. And although I've heard about the existence of life cots for babies in the safety brief it is never explained where to get them from.

[squoosh]

Yes it does, it would make me think 'that reflective badge and tooty whistles nonsense' is really going to come into its own right now.

[FromEsme]

squoosh it's not about them changing, it's about it being fresh in your mind. Panic does weird things to people.

[ChasedByBees]

And having just read the thread, I've found the answer to the oxygen mask question. Sobering reminders from Backinthebox though.

FromEsme There wasn't an option of a carrycot position on the short haul flight we took DD on.

The thing is, I think with a baby, it would be useful if the stewards came to explain stuff like that at the time. I had to ask for the extension seatbelt and ask how it worked - the stewards seemed irritated so I didn't get the chance to ask about the mask.

[FairPhyllis]

aldiwhore Good luck with waiting until you are in the air to read the safety leaflet, because statistically one of the most dangerous phases of flight is the takeoff ...

[squoosh]

Well I would certainly know what to do as I have seen safety demos 100+ times. They really don't change much you know.

[FromEsme]

aldiwhore actually, most people survive because they know what to do, not because of luck.

[aldiwhore]

YABU. If you include those who quietly don't listen, or continue reading.

YANBU if you think that if someone doesn't wish to listen that means they should still talk.

I don't fly often. I do not listen to the safety brief. It freaks me out more than I need to be freaked out. Once in the air, I read the brief, it's all there on paper.

Mostly you will either die or be lucky and live, if the plane goes down. Occassionally you will be saved by knowing the right thing to do, and that is on the leaflet.

[squoosh]

I'd care if you were the aisle seat passenger blocking me from leaving my window seat because you didn't know what to do. How would I know you were a frequent flyer, pilot, cabin crew, rude or just scared witless

Believe me, I know the demo, I know the drill. I also have an inkling of how I would react in such an emergency.

I was once in a plane that suddenly seemed to drop rapidly. The woman behind me started screaming her prayers, I just grabbed the thigh of the man next to me. He didn't mind.

[FromEsme]

As someone upthread said, if you have a baby on your lap, you would have an extra oxygen mask.

I thought you knew the safety demo by heart? Don't you remember "lifecots for babies"?

[ChasedByBees]

I can see your point but I could probably give the talk myself I've heard it so often.

And I do take safety seriously, I sit near the exits in the aisle row and I count how many rows to the exit door. I know how to open the emergency door (although that should be the responsibility of those in that seat). I know how to inflate my lifejacket (pull the cord, top up with the straw thingy), put on my oxygen mask (doing my own before others) and I know to remove heels as I go down the slide.

I try and listen occasionally but I'm just feigning politeness.

What worried me recently travelling with a baby was that the strap to attach her to me was linked by a single loop of fabric - she'd be dead in a crash and probably so would I as I can't brace in a crash. Where would her oxygen mask or lifejacket if I'm in a fully occupied row of three seats?

[FromEsme]

When a pilot says on here that they listen to the safety demonstration, I think it's probably a sign that not listening makes you a bit foolish.

Like others have said, I'd be pretty pissed off if I died because you blocked my exit because you were dithering about not knowing what to do.

[teenagedreams]

''I'll continue with my devil may care attitude and read my book through the safety chat. Why would anyone care that other people weren't listening??''

I'd care if you were the aisle seat passenger blocking me from leaving my window seat because you didn't know what to do. How would I know you were a frequent flyer, pilot, cabin crew, rude or just scared witless?

[teenagedreams]

YANBU

It's common courtesy to listen when someone is giving you information that could save your life. Your actions in the event of a crash can also directly affect the safety of other passengers.

One plane that was hijacked ran out of fuel over shallow waters metres from shore. Many passengers died as they inflated their life jackets before exiting the plane and so drowned.

Another interesting example of an emergency following landing, no passengers were killed but I'm sure the safety briefing played a big part of that. www.liveleak.com/view?i=0b8_1187619407&comments=1

Also, the plane crash documentary on channel 4 was a survivable crash for some passengers if they were in the right part of the plane (obviously down the luck) and in the brace position.

[cutegorilla]

The seat you will have been allocated will have two masks.

Not on easyjet, they don't allocate seats.

[Backinthebox]

Anyway - this popped into my in-tray this morning. Although they are costly to make, every so often an airline makes a new safety video that's well worth watching. You'll notice nearly all the words are exactly the same as the standard version, but it's somehow just a lot less boring!

[MustTidyPlayroom]

Having been on a plane that needed to do an emergency stop just prior to take-off the brace position wasn't an option - we were all thrown into by the braking force (only a few people had bags land on their heads).

The most disturbing thing was the captain saying something along the lines of...

"apologies for that Passengers, a warning light was lit and as I didn't know what it meant, I decided it was best to find out on the ground rather than in the air.

Anyway as the light has gone out now I'll try and take-off again..."

Thankfully we got to our destination in one piece!

[Backinthebox]

The legal requirements of the safety briefing video and the approval process it has to go through mean that it is costly and time consuming to change it. There are so many things that must be included in the briefing that there is not really much space to change things about a bit to make it more 'fun.' It's a boring and necessary part of the flight.