Surviving your Summer
True or False? When a plane crashes, everyone dies.
I knew something was seriously wrong when in the midst of watching a television program, the glimpse of an ocean wave made my stomach clench with fear. I'm going on a sea voyage and to get there I need to fly. Now truth be told, I know the chances of a plane crash, or ship mishap are slim and people travel everyday without incident, but well, what can I say, knowing this didn't stop me from having trouble sleeping.
So to bolster my courage I turned to my local library and found The Survivors Club. In the style of The Tipping Point, The Survivors Club examines why we do the things we do.
The book promised to answer these burning questions for me:
- Why do so many people die when they shouldn't?
- What are the wrong things to do in a plane crash?
- Why do similar incidents always happen to the same people?
Which brings me to the question at the beginning of this blog. 'Does anyone survive a plane crash?'
Before reading this book my answer would have been the same as most people's: "If a plane goes down, everyone dies and there's nothing we can do about it." But the truth is that if your plane crashes, the chances of dying are small. Unbelievably small. Your survival rate is 95.7%. According to the author, if you listen to the on-board safety information, know your exits and are ready to move when an emergency hits, you've got a good chance of getting out alive.
What I learned from the The Survivor's Club…
Don'ts on a plane:
- Don't drink a beer or martini before getting on a plane
- Don't pop a sleeping pill before flying
- Don't listen to your IPod when you're rolling down the runway
Do's on a plane:
- Know that the majority of accidents occur within the first 3 and the last 8 minutes of your flight. Stay alert and be ready to act.
- Figure out an action plan. Know your closest emergency exit and count the number of rows to get you there.
- Finally to avoid becoming a statue during a crisis, repeat a mantra to yourself like "Stay calm. Don't panic."
Did The Survivor's Club make me feel any better about travelling? Definitely. And after reading about a man so drunk he fell off a cruise liner and survived for two days in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico before finally being picked up by a cargo ship, I think that maybe we humans are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for.
So am I still scared? Heck no… What's there to be scared of?
4 thoughts on “Surviving your Summer”
Great blog. That’s interesting about the 95% survival rate. I would never have guessed that was true.
Great blog! I am putting a hold on this title. I too feel a little nervous about flying.
I remember one trip flying back to Toronto and there was some heavy turbulence and then the quick descending of the plane that left my stomach weightless and queasy. No, I did not use the b-bag provided, luckily. Since then, I fear the notion of flying even though I find rising high up above the clouds in the bright sunlight exhilarating.
Hopefully, I will be more equipped during an emergency after reading this book. I now know not to forget to put my iPod away for the first and last 8 minutes of my flight.
I’m glad you liked the blog and I am happy to say that I made it back from my trip in one piece. The book really helped me to not be too nervous. Also, once on board the aircraft I made a point of reminding myself that to the pilots and staff on the plane, flying is just an ordinary everyday event.
But I have to say when I reached the Gulf of Mexico and looked down into the choppy water from the ship’s deck I could not believe that a man had fallen in and survived for so many hours. The ocean is so vast and so deep that it terrified me to even think about his experience.
The Survivors Club is a fun read. Hope you find the book as helpful as it was to me!
I am glad you are on solid land back in TO–safely, in one piece! I still remember looking down while flying and it always made my stomach perform flip flops. I am always amazed at how high up in the air the plane can go and how fast it can’travel while I am tucked away inside this thing.
For some strange reason, I love the ocean and enjoy scuba diving in its cool depths. Choppy waters may be a different thing altogether–I would probably avoid it and agree with you that it would be a terrifying experience.
I will look forward to receiving it soon!