Safety Brief - Is it compulsory to listen?
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Safety Brief - Is it compulsory to listen?
I saw the following statement made on the UK Guardian "Comment is Free" Blog today. And I wondered if this could be true?
It all sounds a bit much to me!
Personally I fly only freight, but I would be interested in what passenger captains would do if they heard their cabin crew issue such threats to passengers.
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/...tolerance.html
I have been flying as pax on average about once a week, for years and NEVER listen to the brief, and would get really miffed if I were treated in such a manner.
It all sounds a bit much to me!
Personally I fly only freight, but I would be interested in what passenger captains would do if they heard their cabin crew issue such threats to passengers.
A plane trip on a UK airline, from Alicante to London. Most of us on the plane fly two or three times a year.
Airline stewardess demonstrates life jacket while plane revs engines at start of take off. After the first 10 times we know the drill. Man sitting on a seat in the aisle continues with book. He's seen the drill before, knows where the exits are, no need to watch.
Stewardess insists he watches. Man explains he knows it all by heart and recites the relevant passage. Stewardess tells him he has 3 seconds to put book away, sit up and watch, else the plane is stopped, he gets slung in jail and faces £5,000 fine for causing a safety hazard in plane.
Man says, very well, I would like to take note of your name. Quick as a flash, stewardess turns over badge and refuses to reveal identity.
Airline stewardess demonstrates life jacket while plane revs engines at start of take off. After the first 10 times we know the drill. Man sitting on a seat in the aisle continues with book. He's seen the drill before, knows where the exits are, no need to watch.
Stewardess insists he watches. Man explains he knows it all by heart and recites the relevant passage. Stewardess tells him he has 3 seconds to put book away, sit up and watch, else the plane is stopped, he gets slung in jail and faces £5,000 fine for causing a safety hazard in plane.
Man says, very well, I would like to take note of your name. Quick as a flash, stewardess turns over badge and refuses to reveal identity.
I have been flying as pax on average about once a week, for years and NEVER listen to the brief, and would get really miffed if I were treated in such a manner.
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Im sure if the Captain said there was an emergency you would be begging for the crew to go through the safety demo one more time! Are you one of the mobile phone/blackberry guys who always try and make yourself look important by having to press buttons and take calls? How would you feel if i came into your workplace and as you tried to have a meeting talked loudly and made phone calls bet you would be peed off. Iwould bet money that if it really came down to it, you dont know that emergency procedure as well as you think you do.
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I,ve been an airline pilot for 30 years.I pay attention to the safety briefing always whenever travelling as a passenger even on aircraft types I know really well.Just as we always carry out a review of the rejected take off drill in the cockpit before every departure.The safety brief refreshes the drill in your mind and highlights the nearest exit to you for that particular flight.An accident with poor lighting ,smoke and confusion is not the time to start finding that out.Apart from all that its good manners to pay attention and show respect to someone carrying out their duty of looking after your welfare.I have enormous regard for the level of safety training my colleagues in the cabin have to undertake.Cabin crew well know who has paid attention you might find you get better service during the flight if you show an interest in this most important of their responsibilities.
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marlowe Im sure if the Captain said there was an emergency you would be begging for the crew to go through the safety demo one more time!
So do many, many other pax. And flight crew who are on board as pax certainly know it!
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Try closing your eyes when you leave the aircraft next time, cos that what its like when the thing is full of smoke. The best you can hope for is crawling along the floor following the emergency lights to the exit, assuming you are proceeding towards it and not away from it.
Before every take off we go through an emergency brief in the flightdeck, it's an insult to our highly trained cabin crew if you cant be bothered to spend a couple of minutes watching theirs.
With regard to your quoted incident, I applaud the cabin crews actions. Passengers with books, newspapers and the like distract those who are trying to follow the briefing.
I suppose you also rush for the emergency exit row for the extra leg room.
Before every take off we go through an emergency brief in the flightdeck, it's an insult to our highly trained cabin crew if you cant be bothered to spend a couple of minutes watching theirs.
With regard to your quoted incident, I applaud the cabin crews actions. Passengers with books, newspapers and the like distract those who are trying to follow the briefing.
I suppose you also rush for the emergency exit row for the extra leg room.
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Lord Lucan, do you know the safety demonstration for every airline and type of aircraft flying the skies? They are different!
Even if I position as a passenger I watch the demo. It's polite to watch the crew AND provides you with what you need to know.
Even if I position as a passenger I watch the demo. It's polite to watch the crew AND provides you with what you need to know.
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I ALWAYS follow the same procedure when on the ground. I note the exits, look behind as well, and plan my escape. 'jump over those poeple in front, 'cos they are not listening, and won't know what to do, kick that big guy in the teeth because he won't know either. Etc. On the ground, I can do something to save myself. In the air, I can do nothing, so don't worry at all. I ALWAYS read the card, mainly because it encourages the guy next to meto do the same, otherwise they probably wouldn't bother.
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I always listen and make a point of showing that i am, looking around cabin at doors etc nodding with humble thanks. It's amazing how the service improves if your spotted.
ps if mr bmw blackberry is on the phone,tutting and tipping your head back dramaticaly will only amplify your support for your fellow aviators/trixs
ps if mr bmw blackberry is on the phone,tutting and tipping your head back dramaticaly will only amplify your support for your fellow aviators/trixs
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Lucan,I really reallly do hope one day when the unthinkable happens you are not in my way or I WILL GO OVER YOU. Yep, I also take note even when positioning on the same type of aircraft I fly for the very same reasons as all the others. Not to do so is Ignorant, stupid and just shows how much an a**ole you are
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I cannot see how it is impolite to carry on quietly with one's own business. In my experience only about 10-20% of the pax watch the brief. Are we all being rude?
And just how is listening to the brief for the thousandth time going to help me find the exit or get the mask down?
If I am sitting by an emergency exit I read the instructions or, on the rare occasion when one is given, I listen to the personal brief given to pax sitting in these rows.
I can see this touches a nerve with some who need to fling insults. Why does my not listening to the briefing imply that "I would not know what to do?"
I have been a professional pilot for 35 years, I probably have a reasonable idea of what to do!
I say again: Just how is listening to the brief for the thousandth time going to help me find the exit or get the mask down?
And just how is listening to the brief for the thousandth time going to help me find the exit or get the mask down?
If I am sitting by an emergency exit I read the instructions or, on the rare occasion when one is given, I listen to the personal brief given to pax sitting in these rows.
I can see this touches a nerve with some who need to fling insults. Why does my not listening to the briefing imply that "I would not know what to do?"
I have been a professional pilot for 35 years, I probably have a reasonable idea of what to do!
I say again: Just how is listening to the brief for the thousandth time going to help me find the exit or get the mask down?
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Lord Lucan as professional flight crew you of all people should be setting an example to fellow passengers when travelling in the cabin.How do you expect to be treated when operating if you display poor attitude to another flight crews cabin colleagues.Respect is won by a profession not given by right.
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A large percentage of the pax are frequent flyers and ALREADY KNOW IT and do not bother to listen. This is the reality of the situation. Why should I "encourage" them?
I say again:
Just how is listening to the brief for the thousandth time going to help me find the exit or get the mask down?
I say again:
Just how is listening to the brief for the thousandth time going to help me find the exit or get the mask down?
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Originally Posted by Lord Lucan
I already know it
Besides, by ignoring the safety briefing, you have in effect relieved the airline of any responsibility they had for your safety.
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Originally Posted by Lord Lucan
I already know it
I already know it
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There is a legal requirement on the Captain to ensure that all of the passengers are suitably briefed, however there is no compulsion on the passenger to listen. All passengers are carried in accordance with the standard conditions of carriage which would almost certainly allow the Captain to offload or refuse carriage to any individual or group that he felt were refusing to comply with the legal requirements.
The first line of this quote is,
, which probably sums up the overall accuracy of the rest of the article, so I would be inclined to take the article with a hefty pinch of salt.
The problem with safety briefings is that there is a balance between achieving the required level of information transfer without terrifying the individual, and as we all know the product is often fairly bland as a result. However in a real emergency it is often the case that the sudden onset of frightening and extremely high stress reality causes the human brain to, in effect, shut down a large part of the reasoning centres to concentrate on the necessary "fight or flight response". This has the effect of shutting out responses that are not already part of the short term memory process or that are naturally instinctive. This is why we as pilots brief before every take off and landing even though the items we brief on are already something we should know. In other words we are briefing the fact that there is a real possibility that in the next few minutes this scenario could happen for real.
Passengers often mock the fact that they really don't need to be told how to operate a seatbelt, however investigation has shown that in some emergency situations evacuation has been delayed by people wasting time trying to unfasten the seatbelt. That is the one they are instinctively used to.........in their car, where the buckle is down the side of the seat and not in their lap. Those who listened carefully to the briefing should have the advantage of having this information in the short term memory.
As a pilot it is quite astonishing that you do not listen to the briefing. You of all people should understand the importance of the short term memory refresher. Even though you fly freight, you should have the common courtesy to pay attention to the crew member demonstrating this information (where appropriate), and even if you still consider the information superfluous to yourself, it sets a very poor example to other passengers around you if you give the impression of not paying attention.
For what it may be worth, I know the briefing format as well (as do most crewmembers) but in an emergency I am particularly qualified to not only lend valuable assistance, but also to ensure I do not become an additional part of the problem. That is best achieved by listening carefully to the briefing and hopefully encouraging others to as well.
The first line of this quote is,
Airline stewardess demonstrates life jacket while plane revs engines at start of take off
The problem with safety briefings is that there is a balance between achieving the required level of information transfer without terrifying the individual, and as we all know the product is often fairly bland as a result. However in a real emergency it is often the case that the sudden onset of frightening and extremely high stress reality causes the human brain to, in effect, shut down a large part of the reasoning centres to concentrate on the necessary "fight or flight response". This has the effect of shutting out responses that are not already part of the short term memory process or that are naturally instinctive. This is why we as pilots brief before every take off and landing even though the items we brief on are already something we should know. In other words we are briefing the fact that there is a real possibility that in the next few minutes this scenario could happen for real.
Passengers often mock the fact that they really don't need to be told how to operate a seatbelt, however investigation has shown that in some emergency situations evacuation has been delayed by people wasting time trying to unfasten the seatbelt. That is the one they are instinctively used to.........in their car, where the buckle is down the side of the seat and not in their lap. Those who listened carefully to the briefing should have the advantage of having this information in the short term memory.
As a pilot it is quite astonishing that you do not listen to the briefing. You of all people should understand the importance of the short term memory refresher. Even though you fly freight, you should have the common courtesy to pay attention to the crew member demonstrating this information (where appropriate), and even if you still consider the information superfluous to yourself, it sets a very poor example to other passengers around you if you give the impression of not paying attention.
For what it may be worth, I know the briefing format as well (as do most crewmembers) but in an emergency I am particularly qualified to not only lend valuable assistance, but also to ensure I do not become an additional part of the problem. That is best achieved by listening carefully to the briefing and hopefully encouraging others to as well.