the concept of an emergency in these anarchic conditions does not bear thinking about
I fear you may be over dramatising this BigFrank. Believe you me, when I and my colleagues are shouting 'Brace Brace' or 'Come this way - jump jump' then it won't matter what language the individual speaks, they are going to get the message loud and clear. Our emergency procedures are designed to transcend language barriers so your assertion
after some (many many ?) poor blighters have died or been maimed for this basic reason
is likely to be if not as easyflyer83 so succinctly expressed it 'rubbish', then certainly erring towards scaremongering. I'd also like to reassure anyone thinking of sending an elderly non-english speaking relative on a journey that they will be perfectly safe, be put on the correct aircraft and looked after for the whole journey. As far as I am aware there are no lonely old ladies wandering forever lost and unnoticed around the airports of the world! But it could make a great Hollywood movie!