Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!810!Phil.Scovell From: Phil.Scovell@f810.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Phil Scovell) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Emergency exits Message-ID: <12666@bunker.UUCP> Date: 10 Jul 90 20:22:01 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Phil.Scovell@f810.n104.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:104/810 - Electronic Library, Denver CO Lines: 57 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 9076 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] I haven't been getting echoes for a few days and am getting caught up now. It looks like I missed out on some of the discussion over emergency exits on airplanes. This apparently came from comments I made some time back about my wife and I, along with our three children, bbeing made to move because we were seated in the row with an emergency exit. This was do, of course, because we are both blind and because two of our three children at that time were under the age of twelve. This one is difficult to call. I have a good friend, not blind, who was in a plane crash here in Denver in the mid 1970's. The plane got about 400 feet off the ground, pulled its landing gear up, and then lost air speed and crashed. The large 727 broke into three parts. It was a miracle there was no fire since the plane was full of fuel for take off. A couple of rows in front of him a woman, still strapped in her seat, was screaming because she had multiple fractures and the plane was broken open right where her legs dangled over the edge. My friend helped several people off the plane and then unbuckled the broken woman who was bleeding from multiple cuts all over her body, and carried her, still screaming, to the emergency exit over one wing. He climbed out on to the wing and with her in his arms, jumped to the ground ten feet below and began running. Everyone figured the plane would blow any second with all the fuel. My friend ran about a hundred yards and laid the woman on the ground where medical personal began working on her. My friend turned around to walk back to the plane to help others but found he couldn't walk; his ankles had both broken when he jumped the ten feet to the ground from the wing. I've told this little story because I talked with my friend at length at the situation inside the plane to try and get an idea of what it might be like for a blind person in the middle of that panic. If a blind person, or a sighted person for that matter, were seated in an emergency exit row, and couldn't get out because of injuries or because of panic, they would probably be trampled by those trying to get out. I personally think the airlines are somewhat justified in this case by not allowing the blind, the young, or anyone in a wheelchair in those rows. I frankly don't want to sit there because of the panic by those trying to get out. Wherever I sit on a plane, and I've flown thousands of miles over the years, I listen carefully when they tell me where the exits are. Often I'm one row a head or behind an exit row which I figure is a safer place to be anyway. I would not wish my young children seated in an emergency row because of the fear they might be over run by those trying to escape. As I said, this is a difficult one to call. I feel emotionally slighted over this because I'm blind but I do see the reasoning behind it. I, however, think it's wiser to be seated close, but not right on, an exit row for the reasons stated above. >From my friend's description of what is happening inside a crashed airliner, I think I'd be better off seated somewhere else in the plane. Let me put it this way. If you are blind and if you are on a plane and if you are still alive when it goes down, it's going to be every man/woman for themself. Just get out! One more piece of advice, pray! Phil. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!810!Phil.Scovell Internet: Phil.Scovell@f810.n104.z1.fidonet.org