I wonder how often a flight attendant has wanted to scream – “Come on people – Shut up and listen. I am not doing this for fun!” I challenge you – look around you on your next flight and see how many people are actually listening to the safety briefing. I have seen people sleeping, reading, chatting – anything but actually listening to the instructions.
I wonder why? Do they think that this will never happen to them? Do they think that they know it all already – after all they have been on lots of flights before and all this babble is SO BORING …
So how many times have you seen this on a flight
And you listen – right? Of course you do.
Until you get your picture snapped during an emergency on a flight. See how many people below are not covering the nose with the oxygen mask?
You see my thoughts are that if you cannot follow basic instructions about how to use the oxygen mask then how the heck are you going to get out of the emergency exit. This is why airlines think of ingenious and funny ways to capture the public’s attention regarding the safety briefing. Air New Zealand’s air safety videos are famous by now and worth a watch even if you aren’t going on a flight. This is their latest ….
When airlines don’t have this sort of entertainment flight attendants have been known to make up their own with some hilarious results. I am sure you have seen them on youtube.
What do flight attendants really think about having to make these announcements and most people on the flight are blatantly ignoring them? Here are some candid thoughts of one particular flight attendant –
Nuralia Mazlan, a flight attendant for Air Asia –
As cabin crew, we’re trained to be alert and vigilant at all times. It offends us, but there’s nothing much we can do if you refuse to listen. We’re paid for your safety so we take extra precautions just in case. But that can’t be said for all of us, only certain. Sometimes i don’t care as well, and leave it to these passengers to use their wits (if they think they’re smarter than us, then that’s ok) to save themselves in an emergency.
For example, Flight Lion Air 904 that overshot Denpasar airport’s runway crashed straight into the ocean at the end of the strip, most passengers evacuated from the aircraft without their life jackets on. When asked by the authority most of them admitted they were clueless of the location of these jackets as they didn’t pay attention to the safety demo and most of the passengers are not first time flyers either. The life jacket is just under the seats in front of you and if you paid attention, you would know.
Luckily the water was shallow, but what if it overshot and crashed into deeper water? That’s a good example of why you should pay attention to the safety demo. It doesn’t take even 5 minutes of your time to pay attention. This can save your life.”
Well that’s telling them Nuralia. Keep smiling buddy!
The Travel Lady's Blog 
Thank you for posting this. As a retired Flight Attendant I have stopped my announcement to get peoples attention before continuing. After doing this, a passenger thank me as he was involved in an emegercy landing and attributed his knowledge of what to do to the repitition of listening to the announcements and familiarizing himself with the aircraft safety features card located in the seat pocket.
We do this for the safety of ALL passegers on board as well as the safety of the crew.
LikeLike
Thank you Cathy for your comments – I cannot imagine the responsibility of getting passengers off a plane quickly in the case of an emergency when many of them don’t even know where the exit row is. I am sure it was a stressful job!
LikeLike
Thank you for posting this. I operate a motor coach and we play a safety video to which very few ever watch. Some passengers will talk louder when playing to over talk it. This video cover safety plus luggage policy and common courtesy, so when you mention a problem you refer to video which nobody watches. Never ending cycle.
LikeLike
So true Marilyn – thank you for adding that because it is maybe something I did not think of but we do so much coach travel both here in Canada and overseas that it makes sense. I have noticed that overseas they are starting to have seat belts in the coaches which they require people to wear. Also the common courtesy aspect is important with regard to where you place your luggage and how to behave on board.
LikeLike