NamelessWonder -
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Please be assured that I have always refrained from using the "SLF" slang to designate passengers. In particular, I do not like the "F" in "SLF" (as it denotes freight). For me, old school and education, passengers were always passengers, not even customers. If I refer passengers as "PAX", it is because the airline industry's official code/abbreviation for passengers. If the tower asks "how many on board"...? we could answer 375+15, meaning 375 PAX and 15 CREW... or 390 SOB for "souls on board" (not anything nasty in this SOB)...!
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I know that passengers are not all idiots. Unfortunately, I know from 40 years as pilot with airlines (now retired) and from conversing with the public, or reading Pprune, we crewmembers often deal with passenger
misinformation rather than stupidity. Such as "the plane will stall if all engines fail"... or "wow, you are a pilot, it is such a dangerous job"... "heavy jets glide like a brick"...!
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If I consult a surgeon for a surgery, I do not doubt his capacity to take care of a hernia, nor a lawyer to defend me in an ownership litigation. So, please trust those of us who are experienced crewmembers here in Pprune. As to my opinion of "Sully" and crew, I do respect their performance and judgment. As far as I am concerned, I never was a "hero" in my career. My passengers always arrived safely, because as a pilot, I wanted to arrive alive and well, and funny, if I landed safely, so did all the passengers.
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Do not ever ask me "is this airplane safe"...? If say "let's go", is because I am certain it is, I would never have risked my life, as I am not a hero.
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Bien à vous -
Happy contrails