sundries

[rm]

Pretty and my wallet survived the vet without anything too dramatic happening. Yay. She's at work with me now.

Plane makes emergency landing when dude tries to open emergency door mid-flight. This part of the story makes me furious and puzzled: "A passenger, Casey Coleman, told 7News that flight attendants directed all of the females to the back of the plane and all of the males to the front. Coleman said a flight attendant ordered the men to hold down the passenger over the intercom."

Dogboy & Justine did not win the festival, which is fine and as I suspected. The plays that tied for first place I actually liked a good deal. I remain baffled how one of the others even made the finals and interested in the degree that I don't think short play audiences want the content of these things to linger.

A Buffalo woman has been charged with blinding a lesbian in one eye in an anti-gay assault.

sparkindarkness brings us a list of recent trans-related news items, most of them appalling. I keep saying this over and over, but trans issues, gay issues, and feminist issues are everyone's issues. In a world where gender isn't a supposed dichotomy and "feminine" isn't a dirty word EVERYONE -- even straight cis-gendered men -- is safer.

This story on medical radiation errors is almost impossible to read it's so awful, but should be read anyway. I wonder, to what degree, I can barely read it is impacted by my Cold War childhood. This was, in a way, how we all thought we were going to die.

I like Patty times-evelentybillion. So I'm going to get some work done now (cat is in the office with me!) so I can get home to her!

Comments

[delchi.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda curious about that myself. It's not part of any regulation or standard that I'm aware of. It might have been a heat of the moment decision by the flight attendant. Still some toerag trying to open the door while in the air ... well I'll add that to the ever growing list of reasons I don't fly anymore.

[malle-babbe.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering how in the hell one moves a plane full of people around mid flight and in a panic given how narrow the aisles are on the average plane. The planes I ride on from here to the East Coast have only one aisle.

One would have to possess the strength of the Incredible Hulk to get a door open midflight, the pressure difference pushes the door shut. Still, what is with folks flipping out and charging the cockpit or trying to open a door? Or doing so in a post 9/11 world and act surprised when they get dogpiled and charged with a felony? Is there an air rager hivemind that overtakes these people?

[delchi.livejournal.com]

One can only guess, but here are a few things ....

Based on experience, it's not hard to open the door. There are hydraulic systems in place, and also they are designed to open in emergency cases - so there are mechanisims that allow most anyone to do so.

As far as the pressure goes, the higher you get the LESS pressure there is from the outside ... this is why the interior of the plane is pressurized. It is referred to as explosive decompression. If one was to open a door in flight it would most likely be ripped open shortly after the airtight seal is broken.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_pressurization )

Also in the case of some doors, on some airplanes, explosive bolts are present to open things up in a emergency. Usually this is the sort of thing you see in the tail end of the aircraft where the bottom part of the tail is blown off and a rubber slide is inflated for exit.

As far as people flipping out - claustrophobia can make people do amazing and irrational things. Also the effects of altitude, panic attacks, and other mental/physical conditions can put people into a 'fight or flight' mode in which opening the door at altitude the most sensible thing to do. The last thing on their mind is the legal ramifications of their actions.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

i assure you the emergency exit doors CAN be opened mid flight. and would cause a massive out rushing of air as the higher pressure INSIDE the plane tried to leave.

the article i read said nothing about this moving of the passengers.. nor did it say the stews asked anyone to restrain him. the passengers who said they did restrain him acted on their own in the interview i saw? has the story changed this much?

from the stories i saw (and as i said, stories change) he was taking pills, and drinking, prior to the event.. so i suspect other problems.

[malle-babbe.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess I'll make sure my seatbelt is extra snug then...