Cabin Safety Demonstration

[Want To Fly]

I have just been on a flight in Europe and was once again sitting around poeple not paying any attention to the safety video. However, the airline I was on (one of Europe's flag carriers) gives out newspapers just before the safety video was shown. Surely it would be better to get safety done first, then worry about providing a service to passengers? The result of this was everyone with heads buried in papers while the video was telling us how to put on an oxygen mask. The paper won't provide the answer during a depressurisation. Would be interested in anyone else's thoughts.

[Peter L]

Want to fly,
As a crew member(down the back) you make a very good point and infact I have never heard the idea before put forward,good idea. However PAX's mostly don't give a damn about our little demo let along much the flight deck tell them either. Every single flight I do (long haul)when the flight deck put on the seat belt what do the pax's do??? Jump up and go for a walk. When you ask them to please sit for the obvious reason (Turbulence)they look at you like you have just p***st on their corn flakes. They are always always always standing before the plane stops at the gate (especially the club ones).I am not sure the pilots even know this??? So to explain to them that we will no longer be handing out papers until we have done the demo and by which time taking off, so no papers until after take off !!!! Well the children would have thrown all their toys around the cabin by then.

To conclude, a great idea but god help us if they implemented it!!!!!

Pete

[Longhauler]

Perhaps the requirement should be for the pax to explain to the cabin crew how to use the emergency equipment etc. Not practical of course but it sure would be an interesting experiment.

[pelican larry]

longhauler;
And grade them with bonus frequent flyer miles if they pass :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Just Curious]

Peter L...I agree 100% about pax rarely paying attention,about not sitting down when the seatbelt signs on etc. But I still don't think it justifies the airlines giving any further reason for distraction. I used to work for a Middle Eastern airline, and we had to haul a newspaper trolley down the aisle before and sometimes during the safety demonstration. Unfortunately people are more interested in their creature comforts, than the their own safety, and the airlines encourage this in the name of competition.

[flapsforty]

Want to fly, very good idea!
But I guess in these "anything to haul in the SLF" times, not one that will be approved by the marketing/sales departments. :rolleyes:

And to show that you're not alone in your sentiments of "The paper won't provide the answer during a depressurisation", the following: whenever I see too many heads burried in newspapapers during the demo, I interrupt the spiel with the oxygen mask might save your life in an emergency, your newspaper certainly will NOT. Always gets at least 50% of our dearly beloved pax to look up, which in turn inpspires the FA*s to put a bit more life into the performance. :D

Peter L, bit surprised at your statement that there's always standing about b4 the ac stops at the gate. Can't say that I have the same experience. Sometimes an ill advised pax decides to get up b4 time, but a few well placed words over the PA imeddiately have the desired result.
In my experience, any PA that deviates from the ohhhhhhh so carefully phrased standard texts will get the pax's attention. Add a bit of humor and some explanation as to why a certain action is desirable, and most pax will comply quite happily.

And as a last resort, there is always one's "delegated authority". When push comes to shove, I explain to a pax that The Captain has switched on the FSB sign, that The Captain of the ac requires him/her to sit down with the SB fastened and that failure to comply is an offence. Gets those b*tts in the seats real sharpish.

But humour works best. Last year december, pax on a Paris flight were already getting out of their seats while we were still on the runway. :eek:
"Ladies and Gentleman, this is your Purser. Those of you who would like to spend Xmas in a French hospital, please remain standing. Anybody else, for your own safety, please SIT DOWN"

Lotsa laughter and people SAT until I announced that we had arrived, please stand up and leave, enjoy your Xmas holls!!
A lot of handshakes, smiles and best wishes we got at the exit as well. :)

[Al Weaver]

>And grade them with bonus frequent flyer miles if they pass<

Now you're on to something!!. Only give them a mulitiple choice to check off and hand in to the F/A. Only if they get it right do they get their damn FF points. Or you can really turn the screws down and refuse to takeoff until the twit in seat 34A finally does get it right. :D

Of course for some people you might have to pare down the test to only one question, TRUE/FALSE, and then give them three tries.

[ 30 October 2001: Message edited by: lomapaseo ]

[Peter L]

Dear flaps forty,
Sorry to surprise you but I think you are probably always sitting at door 1 R ???? When was the last time you sat at the back of a 747 at door 5 R or L ????? As a regular guest of these 2 seats I see it every time, every time!!! I guess from that far forward you would need binoculars to see whats up back there!!! :eek:

Cheers anyway
Pete

[gravity victim]

In happier and more innocent days, the lifejacket demo, with hosties enthusiastically pursing their rouged lips around those little rubber tubes, for some reason had me riveted. :)

All v. dull now, except the glorious time that a strap got tangled with the bottom of a skirt, and hoisted it waist-high as the jacket was pulled back over her head....mumble, mumble slobber, time for a pill......

[PAXboy]

G.V. - don't forget to show us the pics ;)

We had a long discussion about the 'dance' in the SLF forum a few months ago and many amusing hints came out as to how CC get us to behave ourselves.

When we are just rolling the last 30m to the gate and they all stand up - I do keep hoping that the p/f will decide to make our day and step on the brakes sharpish. May one presume that insurance claims would be invalid as they had stood up before they were allowed?

As regards the demo of Oxy masks - I was flipping through a book written by an American FA and she relayed the story of an inadvertent release of the oxy masks during normal flight. It was a Japanese a/c and it is reported that a goodly number of the pax, immediately pulled the masks down and put them ... then turned their head to the Left and to the Right - just as they had seen in the demo.

I have to say that I laughed. A lot. :D

[Flintstone]

Anyone who gets in my way during an evacuation because they weren't paying attention will get trodden on.

As for the idea of putting on the brakes while all the idiots are retrieving their briefcases from the o/h lockers, I'd love to see it.

:mad:

[PPRuNe Dispatcher]

I was riding in the jumpseat on a Friday night flight from Frankfurt to Heathrow, a flight I took about 40 times in two years.

We'd landed and were stopped, waiting for an aircraft to cross in front of us before we could get to our gate. One of the cabin crew called up the flight deck and told us that several people were standing and were refusing to sit down as they were in a hurry.

The captain spoke on the PA :
"Those of you sitting down might wonder why we've stopped. I have to apologise for delaying your journey but we are unable to move while any passengers are standing."

Polite, effective, and guaranteed to make those idiots who wouldn't sit down feel very small indeed.

[DOC.400]

Wasn't there an FA on a flight with just a few businessmen who said" Well, I'm going to do the safety brief, but no doubt you all know this?" The businessmen nodded, "In that case, sir," she said pointing at one of them,"Would YOU like to do the demonstration on tonights flight....."

Had a very twee little computer animated video for the demo on Helios to Cyprus last week -my son's and I were debating what the out-takes could be -mostly revolved around the youngsters life jacket inflating to an incredible size, popping and whizzing youngster around the cabin to the sound of accompanying raspberries!! Oh, well, it passed the time.....

[Avman]

Out of politeness I pay attention to the safety briefing. However, when I'm on my 6th flight inside four days on the same type and with the same airline, I can assure you that I do find it a little superfluous. I believe that most REGULAR travellers know how to fasten and unfasten a seat belt; how to use an oxygen mask and don a life vest. Don't slate me though because I do mentally perform my own safety briefing so that I am prepared to act if the **** hits the fan.

[PAXboy]

Avman - Agreed. Count those rows and check to see if your nearest exit is behind you!

R.P. - I follow a similar rule. If I am in Biz and have no checked bag, then I will move as soon as the person next to me does. If I have a checked bag then I am usually last off, irrespective of where I am sitting.

With regards to the bottles incident, I have heard that the aisle seat is where most injuries occur. Either during loading/unloading, or during turbulence with lockers opening and their contents falling. One of the reasons I prefer window seats!

[Firestorm]

Do Cabin Crew ever ask pax seated next to an emergency exit to ask the pax to explain to the crew how to open the emergency doors in the event of an accident?

Only once have I had emergency exit opening explained to me whilst travelling as a pax. And that was whilst travelling in uniform on a BRAL ATP flight a few weeks ago. Well done BRAL. But are they the only company that do this?

[Blacksheep]

Travelled on Qantas once. Captain ordered us to listen to the safety briefing - "The cabin crew are about to give a safety briefing to which you WILL pay attention!"

I watched the whole thing very carefully, especially the sexy bit where the cabin attendant simulates blowing down the tube. I mean, I was terrified the Captain would come charging down the back and attack me with his didjer-eedoo or worse, slap a ball and chain on me leg if I didn't pay attention. There was no exam afterwards though. A shame, I'm sure I'd have got 100%

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Through difficulties to the cinema

[Trislander]

What really gets me is when people switch on their mobile phones on the approach to landing. It is a breach of the mobile phone user's network contract to use mobiles in aircraft - at whatever stage of the flight.

Then as someone mentioned earlier, people take no notice of the fact that they have been told to remain seated with their seat belts fastened until the aircraft has come to a complete halt and the seat belt signs have been switched off. They just get up and start opening the baggage lockers while the aircraft is taxying.

As you leave the aircraft you notice how many passengers have left rubbish and food strewn out over the floor, on the seats etc. Why do they have such little respect?

In the baggage hall- Why is it that no-one seems to take any notice of the signs which clearly state that baggage trolleys and small children are not to be within the green area or behind the line around the carousels? No-one stands back and no-one can get to their bags.

Just a few points about the people who have little respect for the service airlines and airports try to offer.

Has anyone else noticed this???

Trislander

[PAXboy]

Trislander - Oh Yes. Big time!

This is from a British perspective but aspects may be familiar to other countries.

Firstly, note how dirty the streets of Britain are. Note how people throw litter from car windows. They do the same in aircraft, except that the windows are not open, so they drop it on the floor, like they do the train and bus.

Secondly, when I first travelled by air (Dec 1965, aged nine) my parents told my brother, sister and I that we were to behave as if we were sitting in the living room of our parent's friends. So we behaved ourselves!

In the 1970s air travel had to expand and it did so in two ways. The 747 and continuing in the 1980s with the 767 which really re-wrote the book. But also, the discount long haul. Bless Sir Freddie Laker's cotton socks but he filled planes with folks who had never been on them.

Unfortunately, in the rush to get new pax on the wide bodies, no one was going to tell them how to behave, how to treat the cabin staff, how not to drink, how to be prepared for an emergency, how not to carry loads of duty-free etcetera.

Twenty years later, here we are! They sold tickets and made out it was a bus or a train and that's what many of them do :confused:

[Blacksheep]

What about my Democratic Right to throw my empty beer cans where I like, belch loudly and fart in public, push snivelling pinko wimps off the sidewalk, wear a dirty singlet in the street and take my shopping all the way back to our trailer park in the supermarket trolley? Freedom is what its all about buster! Just because I'm living on Social Security doesn't mean I can't travel in an airplane - so whats all that wimpy pinko "Safety Briefing" cr@p about anyway? Who cares? You wanna take away our freedoms and turn us all into a bunch of commies or something? I'll stand up in the aisle while the aircraft is taxying if I feel like it and that silly safety belt thing doesn't make it round my beer-gut anyway.

In the 21st century perhaps there have been a few social changes, so that former luxuries such as motor cars and air travel have become more accessible to people of lower social standing than previously? I'm afraid that manners aren't what they used to be... :rolleyes:

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Through difficulties to the cinema