Ridiculous gender political correctness in ATSB reports
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Ridiculous gender political correctness in ATSB reports
Reading the latest ATSB short investigation reports got right up my nose. It is difficult to concentrate on the investigative narrative when every now and again one's reading is brought short by the gender neutral official use of the word "they" to hide the gender of the pilot.
Example today:
Pilot comments
The pilot of NTQ provided the following comments:
• They were well rested and fit to fly prior to commencing the day’s duties.
› 2 ‹
ATSB – AO-2016-075
• Prior to departing Horn Island, they were well nourished and hydrated.
• While conditions were not perfect, they elected to conduct a visual approach as large head movements exacerbated their symptoms.
• They had no pre-existing conditions which may have contributed to the incident.
............................................................ .................................
Yet read the newspapers or listen to the media when they discuss criminal acts by individuals every day and the gender is used correctly rather than this absurd affliction of "They" by ATSB. OK so there may be a legal aspect to using "they" instead of she, he or it. That being so, why not simply say "the pilot"?
Example today:
Pilot comments
The pilot of NTQ provided the following comments:
• They were well rested and fit to fly prior to commencing the day’s duties.
› 2 ‹
ATSB – AO-2016-075
• Prior to departing Horn Island, they were well nourished and hydrated.
• While conditions were not perfect, they elected to conduct a visual approach as large head movements exacerbated their symptoms.
• They had no pre-existing conditions which may have contributed to the incident.
............................................................ .................................
Yet read the newspapers or listen to the media when they discuss criminal acts by individuals every day and the gender is used correctly rather than this absurd affliction of "They" by ATSB. OK so there may be a legal aspect to using "they" instead of she, he or it. That being so, why not simply say "the pilot"?
I didn't realise there was anyone left, with a modicum of knowledge of matters aviation, that took ATSB reports seriously any more.
You may well be the last, Centaurus.
You may well be the last, Centaurus.
Unfortunately it is the way all levels of government are required to write these days. I suppose because governments and the associated departments, GBE's and all manner of qangos are populated by gender neutral incumbants rather than people.
CC
CC
Last edited by Checklist Charlie; 14th Oct 2016 at 03:07. Reason: spelling!
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Hey, hey, hey!
Please read Centaurus' post #1 again.
In that, he asked that, if we must be gender-neutral, what is wrong with simply, "the pilot"?
Please pay attention.
Just as a p.s., how's your "wellness"?
.
Please read Centaurus' post #1 again.
In that, he asked that, if we must be gender-neutral, what is wrong with simply, "the pilot"?
Please pay attention.
Just as a p.s., how's your "wellness"?
.
Last edited by Stanwell; 14th Oct 2016 at 05:53. Reason: add ps
Who the hell cares?
It's not about political correctness it's just that it sounds more professional. Why include the gender of the crew when it doesn't pertain to a factor of the crash? It's just like a novel, don't mention it if it doesn't mean anything in the bigger picture. Like the brown paper bag for groceries in movies.
It's not about political correctness it's just that it sounds more professional. Why include the gender of the crew when it doesn't pertain to a factor of the crash? It's just like a novel, don't mention it if it doesn't mean anything in the bigger picture. Like the brown paper bag for groceries in movies.
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Stanwell
Please read the report. It is full of references to "the pilot". eg:
Please read Centaurus' post #1 again.
In that, he asked that, if we must be gender-neutral, what is wrong with simply, "the pilot"?
Please pay attention.
In that, he asked that, if we must be gender-neutral, what is wrong with simply, "the pilot"?
Please pay attention.
As the aircraft climbed towards the planned cruising altitude of 9,000 ft, the pilot began to feel light-headed, dizzy and short of breath. The pilot levelled the aircraft at 9,000 ft and engaged the autopilot. They then attempted to identify a reason for the symptoms, selected air conditioning off, opened a fresh air vent and ate a snack. No reason for the symptoms could be identified. As the flight continued, the symptoms intensified, the pilot felt tingling in their hands and fingers, and large head movements caused severe nausea.
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Good. Thanks oggers.
I couldn't help noticing, though, that "the pilot felt tingling in their hands and and fingers".
Just how many personalities did the pilot have?
That's a worry for a start.
I guess my point is that I'm a little annoyed with semi-literate PCers trying to muck around with the language.
As a wise Professor once said to me .. "Son, you must first know the rules before you can break them".
.
I couldn't help noticing, though, that "the pilot felt tingling in their hands and and fingers".
Just how many personalities did the pilot have?
That's a worry for a start.
I guess my point is that I'm a little annoyed with semi-literate PCers trying to muck around with the language.
As a wise Professor once said to me .. "Son, you must first know the rules before you can break them".
.
Last edited by Stanwell; 14th Oct 2016 at 09:49.
Well, you can't say 'felt a tingling in his or her fingers' without sounding like a total goose, so maybe it's forgivable in that instance!
Perhaps 'the pilot reported feeling a tingling sensation of the fingers' might be appropriate? I think the ATSB should employ someone to sort this out ASAP, on $200 k per annum.
Perhaps 'the pilot reported feeling a tingling sensation of the fingers' might be appropriate? I think the ATSB should employ someone to sort this out ASAP, on $200 k per annum.
As AOTW states above, there are many ways of structuring sentences to avoid the dreaded "their" when used for the singular possessive.
All it takes is a good command of the language we speak and some intent.
Use of "their" when applied to a single person would be (or used to be) marked incorrectly at high school level. It's lazy, incorrect and a disgrace at government publication level.
All it takes is a good command of the language we speak and some intent.
Use of "their" when applied to a single person would be (or used to be) marked incorrectly at high school level. It's lazy, incorrect and a disgrace at government publication level.
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"Their" is now considered a gender neutral pronoun, thus its usage here is correct
Languages evolve, if it didn't we would still be saying things like: "O brother, where art though" or to the extreme, "GRUNT"
Language is no different to technology.
Languages evolve, if it didn't we would still be saying things like: "O brother, where art though" or to the extreme, "GRUNT"
Language is no different to technology.
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Oh c'mon, Square Bear..
Evolution is one thing - pig-ignorance and attitude is another.
Not so long ago, I was taken aback when a spotty-faced, 'cap on backward' employee, whose communications made
no sense to anybody, got in my face and told me .. "That's how it is now - Get used to it!"
Oh? said I. .. School playground rules, is it?
I must remember to put my hat on the other way, I thought.
BTW, he was looking for another job very soon after.
.
Evolution is one thing - pig-ignorance and attitude is another.
Not so long ago, I was taken aback when a spotty-faced, 'cap on backward' employee, whose communications made
no sense to anybody, got in my face and told me .. "That's how it is now - Get used to it!"
Oh? said I. .. School playground rules, is it?
I must remember to put my hat on the other way, I thought.
BTW, he was looking for another job very soon after.
.
Last edited by Stanwell; 14th Oct 2016 at 12:01.
The report mentioned 1 pilot.
Then it described how they became ill. I thought I had misread now many pilots were onboard!
Certainly a distraction when trying to understand what was going on!
Then it described how they became ill. I thought I had misread now many pilots were onboard!
Certainly a distraction when trying to understand what was going on!
Curved ball here. A pilot father of a current RAAF instructor pilot [male] tells me that in the gender world the return of service for a female is 50% that of an equivalent male and that Pearce graduate female pilots have the option of their choice of first postings/types vs. the dream sheet and lottery for the males!
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Stanwell
Hi,
as horrifying as might be to some, there are around 1000 new words added to the English Dictionaries every year.
To put it in an aviation sense, whilst I might gaze nostalgically at a DC3, l sure as sh*t don't want to travel to London in one, a 777 for me thank you very much.
In the words of a most recent Nobel Prize winner for Literature: "Times They Are-a Changing".
And that was written in 1964!!!
(PS: when I went to school one was not allowed to start a sentence with AND, as I just did....liberating times now eh).
Hi,
as horrifying as might be to some, there are around 1000 new words added to the English Dictionaries every year.
To put it in an aviation sense, whilst I might gaze nostalgically at a DC3, l sure as sh*t don't want to travel to London in one, a 777 for me thank you very much.
In the words of a most recent Nobel Prize winner for Literature: "Times They Are-a Changing".
And that was written in 1964!!!
(PS: when I went to school one was not allowed to start a sentence with AND, as I just did....liberating times now eh).
There's a difference between evolution of a language and outright errors.
The entire population could start using: "Would of got the job", and the entire population would be in error. The entire population could start using: "The Blues are versing the Maroons", and the entire population would in error.
You're free to start using: "Your free to start using", but you'd be in error.
Mistaken usage is not evolution.
Grammar: It's the difference between knowing your **** and knowing you're ****.
The entire population could start using: "Would of got the job", and the entire population would be in error. The entire population could start using: "The Blues are versing the Maroons", and the entire population would in error.
You're free to start using: "Your free to start using", but you'd be in error.
Mistaken usage is not evolution.
Grammar: It's the difference between knowing your **** and knowing you're ****.
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singular they
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/us...he-versus-they
Some people object to the use of plural pronouns in this type of situation on the grounds that it’s ungrammatical. In fact, the use of plural pronouns to refer back to a singular subject isn’t new: it represents a revival of a practice dating from the 16th century. It’s increasingly common in current English and is now widely accepted both in speech and in writing.