| What do you do when you get on an airplane? After | | | | This passage from Ripley's excellent book provides |
| you have stowed your carry on, sat down, and | | | | some very important information: |
| buckled up? Honestly, do you listen to the flight | | | | "At the time of the Tenerife crash, psychologist |
| attendant's safety instructions? Or do you go about | | | | Daniel Johnson was working on safety research for |
| your own business, reading, chatting, or what not and | | | | McDonnell Douglas. He became fascinated by this |
| completely tune out the person telling you where the | | | | paralysis behavior, which had been observed in other |
| exits are, how to use your seat belt, and where the | | | | plane crashes as well. Floy and Paul Heck are both |
| nearest bathroom is located? Do you read the safety | | | | deceased now. But a few months after the accident, |
| information card? Have you ever read the safety | | | | Johnson interviewed them both. He made an |
| information card? | | | | important discovery. Before the crash, Paul had done |
| Let me share with you what I do. I always listen to | | | | something highly unusual. During the long delay before |
| the flight attendant's instructions. Always! The | | | | takeoff, heck had studied the 747's safety diagram. |
| primary reason I've always done this, and will | | | | He even walked around the aircraft with his wife, |
| continue to do so, is because I believe it is impolite | | | | pointing out the nearest exits. He had been in a |
| not to. As a teacher and speaker, I know what it | | | | theater fire as an eight-year-old-boy, and ever since, |
| feels like to be presenting to a group of people and | | | | he had always checked for the exits in an unfamiliar |
| have some not listen. I've always felt it is respectful | | | | environment. Maybe this is a coincidence. But it is also |
| to listen to flight attendants as they do their job, | | | | possible that when the planes collided, Heck's brain |
| especially since they are doing it for us. It is the | | | | had the data it needed to take action." |
| same reason you will never catch me going through a | | | | I'm not suggesting that I will survive an aircraft |
| supermarket check out talking on a cell phone and | | | | disaster before anyone else, just because I read the |
| ignoring the person helping me. It's just common | | | | safety information card and pay attention to the |
| courtesy. | | | | flight attendants, but evidence shows that it just |
| I also always pull out the safety information card and | | | | might help. Personally, I'm all for stacking the deck as |
| read through it. I then look around and visually note | | | | much in my favor as I possibly can when it comes to |
| where each exit on the plane is located in relation to | | | | survival. If Heck's story doesn't convince you to pay |
| my seat. I also try to pay attention to who is where | | | | more attention, here is another example from |
| on the plane. What kind of people are around; men, | | | | Ripley's "The Unthinkable." |
| women, elderly, kids, people who need help, or those | | | | "The National Transportation Safety Board has found |
| that look in good shape. I never like being anywhere | | | | that passengers who read the safety information |
| that I don't know how to get out of, and who is | | | | card are less likely to get hurt in an emergency. In a |
| around me. Just a habit I guess. | | | | plane crash at Pago Pago three years before the |
| Okay, so some of you are saying, "Good for you Mr. | | | | Tenerife accident, all but 5 of the 101 passengers |
| Polite Awareness guy. Here's an extra cookie to go | | | | died. All the survivors reported that they had read |
| with your coffee for being such a great airplane | | | | the safety information cards and listened to the |
| passenger." I never really thought of this much | | | | briefing. They exited over the wing, while other |
| before, it's just what I do, and I do a lot of things | | | | passengers went toward other, more dangerous but |
| other don't. However, I'm currently reading a very | | | | traditional exits and died." |
| good book called "The Unthinkable: Who Survives | | | | Bottom line. I want to be as prepared and safe as I |
| When Disaster Strikes And Why" by Amanda Ripley. | | | | can be. Not paranoid mind you, but I will stack the |
| In this book, Ripley shares a little about people who | | | | deck in my favor whenever I can. Keeping oneself |
| read the safety information card. | | | | safe is not just going to the gym to practice my |
| Ripley reports on Mr. Paul Heck, a survivor of the | | | | martial arts and self-defense skills. It's not just going |
| 1977 Pan Am accident in the Canary Islands. When | | | | to the range to practice shooting skills. It is a |
| the plane was hit by another plane on the airstrip | | | | combination of everything one does, with situational |
| while waiting to take off, 326 of the 396 people on | | | | awareness being one of the most important |
| board were killed. (583 people died total when you | | | | ingredients. I will always listen to the flight attendant's |
| include the passengers on the KLM aircraft that hit | | | | briefing, out of courtesy and to be prepared. I will |
| the Pan Am flight) Many of those who died on the | | | | always read the safety information card, even on |
| Pan Am aircraft would have lived if they had gotten | | | | small planes I am very familiar with. I will always look |
| off the plane before smoke and fire killed them. Paul | | | | around and make note of all the exits and the other |
| Heck, sixty-five, reacted immediately and told his | | | | passengers on board with me. You don't have to do |
| wife Floy, seventy, to follow him, which snapped her | | | | the same, but I seriously suggest you do. It might |
| out of her daze, and led her off the plane. Others sat | | | | just be the difference between life and death. |
| like zombies in a state of paralysis and perished. | | | | |