Should this journo be shot?
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Should this journo be shot?
THE SUN 5th AUGUST 2001
MY FLIGHT WAS DEAD SCARY
EXCLUSIVE
By ANDY WILKS
PANICKY passenger Julie McGrath turned up for a flight which had the booking code K3DEAD.
Then she was shaken by being given a seat in row 13 — before learning to her horror that the pilot was a woman.
Julie said: "I know it shouldn't matter if the pilot is female, but there's something calming about the deep voice of a male pilot."
Teacher Julie's ordeal began when she and boyfriend Warren Kitson arrived at Dublin airport for their Ryanair flight to Luton.
Julie, of Richmond, South West London, said: "When I realised the code, I thought 'Oh my God, this must be a bad omen'.
"My heart sank when we got seats 13a and 13b. Then, when we were about to land, the plane reared up and starting climbing at a frighteningly sharp angle."
Warren said: "Julie was nearly in tears and had assumed the crash position."
The plane landed safely.
Last night a Ryanair spokeswoman said: "The numbers are generated by computer.
"Ryanair hope Miss McGrath will travel with us again."
But Julie, 32, said: "The only way will be if I'm personally escorted on to the plane by Brian from Big Brother."
MY FLIGHT WAS DEAD SCARY
EXCLUSIVE
By ANDY WILKS
PANICKY passenger Julie McGrath turned up for a flight which had the booking code K3DEAD.
Then she was shaken by being given a seat in row 13 — before learning to her horror that the pilot was a woman.
Julie said: "I know it shouldn't matter if the pilot is female, but there's something calming about the deep voice of a male pilot."
Teacher Julie's ordeal began when she and boyfriend Warren Kitson arrived at Dublin airport for their Ryanair flight to Luton.
Julie, of Richmond, South West London, said: "When I realised the code, I thought 'Oh my God, this must be a bad omen'.
"My heart sank when we got seats 13a and 13b. Then, when we were about to land, the plane reared up and starting climbing at a frighteningly sharp angle."
Warren said: "Julie was nearly in tears and had assumed the crash position."
The plane landed safely.
Last night a Ryanair spokeswoman said: "The numbers are generated by computer.
"Ryanair hope Miss McGrath will travel with us again."
But Julie, 32, said: "The only way will be if I'm personally escorted on to the plane by Brian from Big Brother."
Not shot, just forced to fly Ryanair to see what it's really like.
That's a dreadful piece of reporting which shouldn't have made it past a sub-editor's desk.
[Edited having read the original post properly !]
[ 06 August 2001: Message edited by: The Nr Fairy ]
That's a dreadful piece of reporting which shouldn't have made it past a sub-editor's desk.
[Edited having read the original post properly !]
[ 06 August 2001: Message edited by: The Nr Fairy ]
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A classic example of a non-story to fill up the pages during the Summer. Makes a change from stripy donkeys and ice-cream bans in Frinton.
I wonder what Ms. McGrath teaches - my guess is drama...
I wonder what Ms. McGrath teaches - my guess is drama...
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Considering that FR doesn't have assigned seating, how on earth could she have been 'given' 13A/B?
Sounds like a case of "My editor wants me to fill some space and I was out partying too late last night; my hear hurts and let's see what cr*p I can come up with that looks good and appeals to the intellect of our outstanding readers" time to me!
Incidentally, I know how FR's OpenSkies system allocates PNRs - it's in alphanumerical order. I last bought a ticket on them about four weeks ago, and the PNR was R519BG. I also had one at the beginning of March which was R39KBB; and in April I had R422AF; R4A6AD; R4A4AD; and R4AZAD.
Logically, then, this alleged passenger would have had to have travelled years ago - in fact I'd say before Ryanair even started in its present guise (now that's spooky!!) based on the usage of alphanumerics.
You know what the initial 'R' in the PNR stands for? You got it - Ryanair! (According to someone at OpenSkies, anyway) D - on the other hand - stands for Dunce ... which is what this journo is for being so easily caught out!
Yes, take him out and shoot him. Next!
Sounds like a case of "My editor wants me to fill some space and I was out partying too late last night; my hear hurts and let's see what cr*p I can come up with that looks good and appeals to the intellect of our outstanding readers" time to me!
Incidentally, I know how FR's OpenSkies system allocates PNRs - it's in alphanumerical order. I last bought a ticket on them about four weeks ago, and the PNR was R519BG. I also had one at the beginning of March which was R39KBB; and in April I had R422AF; R4A6AD; R4A4AD; and R4AZAD.
Logically, then, this alleged passenger would have had to have travelled years ago - in fact I'd say before Ryanair even started in its present guise (now that's spooky!!) based on the usage of alphanumerics.
You know what the initial 'R' in the PNR stands for? You got it - Ryanair! (According to someone at OpenSkies, anyway) D - on the other hand - stands for Dunce ... which is what this journo is for being so easily caught out!
Yes, take him out and shoot him. Next!
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What the journo missed though, was the allocation of the VERY low cost external overwing seats, these are always the first to go on account of the view and leg room, but its a well kept secret, so perhaps we should'nt talk about it!!
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TAKE THE TRAIN NEXT TIME YOU SILLY VACUOUS COW! The types of girls who fly planes generally aren't of the airhead,hysterical PMT prone variety,so don't worry your useless little head about it...
Christ..GIMME PATIENCE>>
Christ..GIMME PATIENCE>>
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Give this person who wrote the article a break folks. Put yourself in his place: Whenever he meets any of his old friends in the business and they ask,"...and who do you work for now Andy?"...and he replies, "Er umm actually I'm at the Sun".. Picture his embarrassment when they smile and become patronising.
Add to that the way in which his attempts at accurate reporting keep coming back with the exhortation from the sub-editor: "Make it more interesting and stop including facts!"
Would-be journos who write that sort of drivel for the Sun should be pitied-not castigated by those who work in decent industries.
[ 06 August 2001: Message edited by: Lou Scannon ]
Add to that the way in which his attempts at accurate reporting keep coming back with the exhortation from the sub-editor: "Make it more interesting and stop including facts!"
Would-be journos who write that sort of drivel for the Sun should be pitied-not castigated by those who work in decent industries.
[ 06 August 2001: Message edited by: Lou Scannon ]
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No, I don't like The Sun either, but you have to admire the paper for being very good at what it does. It is the most successful paper in the country (along with its Sunday sister) and its graduate training course is hugely oversubscribed. If it is irreverent, bigoted, downmarket, or whatever, that is because there are a lot of people like that, and many of them buy the paper.
You have to compare apples with apples; the red-top papers are primarily for entertainmeent, but there are alternative grown-up papers on your local news stand.
You have to compare apples with apples; the red-top papers are primarily for entertainmeent, but there are alternative grown-up papers on your local news stand.
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UR:
You're not seriousley defending that Rag are you???
Don't you remember it's sister paper 'inciting to riot' last summer. Prseume you're not a paediriatician?
What alternatives are there? Even the broadsheets are covering 'tabliod' stories nowadays.
Boycott dead tree products!! Save the rainforests!!!
You're not seriousley defending that Rag are you???
Don't you remember it's sister paper 'inciting to riot' last summer. Prseume you're not a paediriatician?
What alternatives are there? Even the broadsheets are covering 'tabliod' stories nowadays.
Boycott dead tree products!! Save the rainforests!!!
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I'm not defending it, Swashplate; I'm trying to keep it in perspective. It's a free country with a free Press and if over 3 million people want to buy The Sun every day, that is their decision. My decision is not to.
The Sun is very good indeed at capturing the mood of its readership. Unfortunately that mood is usually stupid and usually wrong!
The Sun is very good indeed at capturing the mood of its readership. Unfortunately that mood is usually stupid and usually wrong!
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Watching a review of the weekend papers on Saturday morning TV made me shout at the telly (& the wife, kids and dog). Some serious news was around (terror attacks in London, Middle East troubles, NI peace process, possible recession, FMD fraud claims, Royal parade in London etc. etc.) Not too bad for a summer Saturday, however the Sun front page spread was all about theat bloody Big Brother Helen
Is it not about time some of these Red-Tops were reclassified as an entertainment daily's or something, then they may not have to fill columns with rumour and scaremongering and seemingly made up trash like the article above. Then, even if they did, it would be seen as entertainment (read fiction) instead of so called news
Is it not about time some of these Red-Tops were reclassified as an entertainment daily's or something, then they may not have to fill columns with rumour and scaremongering and seemingly made up trash like the article above. Then, even if they did, it would be seen as entertainment (read fiction) instead of so called news
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I quote a previous poster:
How do you know that the passenger, apparently named, Julie McGrath actually exists?, this may have been a fictitious story beginning to end!
[…] the stupid cow should not be allowed on another aircraft
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I agree, stupid piece of nonsense from a stupid newspaper.
However, FR get fawningly favourable publicity from the media most of the time.
If you make a pact with the devil you'll eventually pay for it.
However, FR get fawningly favourable publicity from the media most of the time.
If you make a pact with the devil you'll eventually pay for it.
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Rumour has it that a large number of the UK people who buy a red top on a daily basis are wondering why that shining globe that appears in the sky during the day is named after their favourite 'news'paper!
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Along the same lines, with stories just being used to take up space - I read in the paper about a family who were flying to CDG to go to Eurodisney, and had to get off 4 aircraft as they were tech. Strangely, I seem to remember reading exactly the same story a week or two ago!