Maybe…
It’s certainly better than the alternative.
World’s #1 Flight Attendant Calls it Quits at 85
In the old days, if you wanted to be a flight attendant, you had to be young, single and slim. That’s how things were when Iris Peterson got her start back in 1946. But during her more than 60 years in the airline industry, the world’s #1 Flight Attendant fought to end that kind of discrimination. Now, at age 85, she’s finally retiring.
Most of her work was through the Association of Flight Attendants — the attendants’ workers’ union. In 1953 she became the first official lobbyist for the organization (then called the Air Line Stewards and Stewardesses Association), and she quickly set to work changing policy. Not only did she see the repeal of archaic regulations — such as the one requiring that stewardesses had to leave the job when they got married — but also worked toward increased safety on airplanes, especially when engineers were creating the world’s first jumbo jet.
In fact, many of the things we take for granted on modern airplanes were directly affected by Peterson.
I’m always amazed when I read about people with such a passion and dedication to their careers. I wonder, how many travelers never realized they were flying with an industry legend?
[via Neatorama]
Video: Airbus A380 Test Evacuation
Last year we reported that the Airbus A380 passed its jumbo jet evacuation test in Hamburg, Germany, and here’s the video to prove it. The crew was able to evacuate all 873 people on-board in almost complete darkness in 77 seconds, with only one broken leg (out of 1,746!) and 32 minor injuries. Not too shabby!
Related: The Cranky Flier’s Look at the A380, Airbus A380: More Passengers Means More Toilets, and Touring the Airbus A380.
[via cynical-c]
Renting DVD Players at the Airport
Want to catch up on some movies during your next flight but not willing to drop bank to buy a pricey Video iPod or portable DVD player?
InMotion Entertainment rents DVD players and movies to passengers from the convenience of the airport itself.
InMotion stores are located in over 40 airports across America. Customers can pick up their rental at their departure airport and drop it off at their arrival airport (providing it has an InMotion store). Or they can simply mail it back using a prepaid shipping label and accompanying shipping bag provided by the store.
DVD rentals start at $15 a day and include one free movie, 2 digital headsets, and a y-jack headset splitter so that two people can listen to the movie at the same time.
The rechargeable batteries, however, only last for three hours so don’t rent yourself two long movies.
Checked Bags: Open Season for Pilfering
According to an article in my local paper today, listed as a news story from the Seattle Times, two baggage handlers were recently arrested in Seattle for pilfering laptops, credit cards and cigarette lighters from checked bags. I looked for the account of this on-line and saw that this happened back in February. I guess this is recent, just not last week which goes to show that the morning paper is not so current at times. Also, even though the article I read says that credit cards have been stolen, it might have only been one credit card since the handler was caught when he tried to use a credit card that didn’t belong to him. The woman who the credit card belonged to said that last time she remembered having it was at the airport. Maybe she didn’t check it in her bag at all.
I’m amazed anyone would check a laptop. I hope people with customers’ information stored in their computer take heed. And what is a credit card doing in a checked bag, if that is what happened? A credit card is so small-so thin-so light. Cigarette lighters I get; those aren’t allowed in the cabin. I’m stumped by the other two.
The article about checked bag thievery does give suggestions about how to prevent it. Not much. But, there is one tip. Use a TSA approved lock. The security can take these locks off to check the bag if need be and lock them again. Locking them again may or may not happen, but in general, according to the article, the locks will stop pilfering since the pilferer is looking for a fast steal. Your locked bag isn’t it.
The last trip I took, the only things taken out of my suitcase were my bottle of face lotion that was only ¼ full and a tube of Spiderman toothpaste I forgot I had. I slipped them into the side pocket of my suitcase after the airport security had it with them, but before the suitcase went through the X-ray machine. The security said it was okay to put the items there, but perhaps they changed their mind, and thought I looked like a whacko who gets a kick out of putting explosives in bubblegum flavored toothpaste and an almost empty bottle of Clinique.