Friday, January 16, 2009

US Airways Hudson River Landing

If you'd seen it in a movie, you would have thought it a real stretch in the believability department. I don't recollect the last event that caused me to think it was some sort of miracle, but this crash of US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport, then running into a flock of geese that killed the engines, forcing the emergency landing in the water, with no one killed, is definitely a miracle.

And, apparently, the miracle came about in no small part due to the pilot's calm skill, in addition to the flight crew's, equally calm skill, at doing their jobs to perfection.

But, what crossed my mind when I read about how the passengers remained calm, for the most part, how they made an orderly exit from the slowly sinking plane, was this....

Now, I may be going, once again, into totally politically incorrect territory here, but what if one or two of the passengers had been of the hugely obese sort? Would we have had such a happy ending? What if there had been a hugely obese person onboard, and that person happened to be out at the end of a wing, upon getting out of the plane, causing the plane to tip, like a teeter totter?

I really think it is time to have a universal ban on oversized people getting on a plane. It is not fair to the other passengers, both for safety and for comfort sake. I know I would not want to be seated next to someone who oozed into my seat. I believe if that happened I would make a fuss and ask to be moved.

It may sound harsh, but I believe if a person allows themself to get into a fat state of bloatedness, due to self indulgent overeating, that they should expect not to be allowed to do some things. Like sit on certain pieces of furniture. Or use certain types of public transportation.

The rights of the majority, with the majority of us not being hugely overweight, outweigh the rights of those who's sloth has put their own health at risk, to endanger us who have not. It's that simple.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

well, obviously all the fatties got off the plane this time, but you do make an interesting point.

and by extension, should we treat cigarette smokers,drug addicts and alcoholics in our hospitals?

ah, life is such fun and at least we have the luxury to ask such questions.

was an interesting "miracle".
I hope the pilots of the planes I get on are just as skilled.

see ya
ET
http://tariksport.com/ET-just-thinking/

Bluegrass Pundit said...

At about the two minute mark you can see US Air Flight 1549 skid into the Hudson. Then, you can see the passengers climb out onto the wings. This video is 10 minutes long. Actual video of Flight 1549 skidding into the Hudson.