As long as we are on oxygen is it not safer to reduce our rateof descent?
One of the problems involved relates to how high the cabin peaks during the emergency descent .. with the general aim being to limit this to the low 20s. If the pressure loss is reasonably rapid a sedate rate of descent could well see the cabin depressurised in the mid to high 30s for the higher cruising aircraft.
At least two immediate considerations -
(a) flight crew incapacitation as described above - without a functioning flight crew member the probable outcome is unpleasant to contemplate.
I have no trouble believing the tales above .... while I have never experienced a depressurisation in flight, I had the opportunity for a chamber run (FL250 hypoxia exposure if I recall correctly) years ago prior to a Mirage jolly at ARDU (thanks again for the ride, Dave). Two of the chaps I was accompanying had been diving not all that long before and one had an ear blockage during the chamber repressurisation. While the flight surgeon sorted it out after a few minutes the fellow so afflicted (had he been a pilot) would have been of absolutely no use on the flight deck .. the man was in the most distressing agony .. certainly I never again went flying as crew or pax with cold symptoms
(b) passenger medical sequelae - consider that many of our older passengers will have existing medical conditions which may be aggravated by a depressurisation and such may not be related directly to the simple problem of hypoxia but rather to the pressure field to which their bodies are exposed