SLFguy
I wasn't having a go at the pax, Ian Royland, it was tongue in cheek.
I know for a fact that I would be more than a tad concerned if I happened to be on a flight that initiated an emergency descent. As an ATCO though, that fear would probably be caused more by the worry of what other A/C we might hit on the way down, rather than the actual descent itself... the pilots are well trained and very skilled in dealing with emergencies.
Of course, as a passenger, I would neccesarily be privvy to what had caused the descent, or what the cause of the depressurisation was, so that in itself would compound the fear.
During this incident there was understandable and perfectly normal reactions from the passengers, it's just the fact that the journo has managed to twist it so that although it was a well executed (and therefore safe) manoeuvre, it was an incident that endangered the lives of thousands!!