Flying is probably one of the safest ways to travel, but there can be problems. Discuss what can go wrong on the ground and in the air
Reading for information.
Now read the article. A group of air travellers was invited to comment on their flying experiences. Was their order of importance the same as yours? Did they mention any of the problems that you discussed?
Travellers’ Tales
Every year a magazine called Executive Travel organizes a competition to find the Airline of the Year. Travellers from all over the world are invited to vote for the most efficient, the most punctual, the safest and the friendliest airline. The winner in 1985 was British Airways. The competition asked travellers what for them was most important from an airline, and the results were as follows:
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The competition also invited travellers to tell their most horrific stories of the nightmare side to international travel. Replies included six hijacks, fifty-three cases of engine failure or trouble with the landing gear, eleven lightning strikes, twenty-three bomb scares, thirteen cases of food poisoning, eleven near misses and two collisions with airport trucks.
Bad flying experiences begin on the ground, naturally. One American airline managed to double-book an entire 747, but this is nothing compared to what happened on an internal flight on a certain African airline. The flight had been overbooked three times. The local military sorted the problem out by insisting that all passengers with boarding cards should run round the plane twice, the fastest getting the seats. An overbooked flight that was going from Heathrow to America gave one traveller a bit of a shock. Dressed only in trousers, shirt and socks, he had been allowed by the stewardess to leave the aircraft to see if he could get a colleague aboard. He returned a few minutes later to find the 747 closed up and about to start moving – with his shoes, wallet, passport and luggage inside. Banging frantically on the door got him back inside. A similar event was seen by a businessman on a flight from Bangladesh. Passengers were waiting for take-off when there was sudden hysterical hammering on the door. At first the cabin crew paid no attention. The hammering continued. When the door was finally opened, the pilot got in.
One frequent flier lost a certain amount of confidence when the cabin staff asked him to sit in the lavatory during take-off, so that they occupy the seats nearest the emergency exit. Another lost faith in the pilot’s navigational skills when passengers were given lifeboat drill on a flight between London and Manchester.
For nervous fliers, a journey to be avoided was one between Gatwick and Montpellier, where the in-flight entertainment consisted of watching pieces of the engine falling off. Another passenger was asked to hold the aircraft door closed at take-off and landing.
Baggage is a rich source of horror stories. There was the unlucky traveller who left Chicago in minus-23 weather. He was going to an important meeting in Dallas, where the temperature was 80-plus. Unfortunately, his suitcase had gone to LA, where it spent the next two days. The customers he was trying to impress were more than a little surprised to see him going round in a thick suit, heavy overcoat and fur hat.
Comprehension check
1. Look at the list of disasters in paragraph 2.
· Which happened on the ground?
· Which happened in the air?
· Which could have been both on the ground and in the air?
2. After paragraph 2, how many disasters are described?
3. Why did some passengers have to run round a plane?
4. Why did a passenger and a pilot have to knock on the plane door to get in?
5. Why was it surprising to have a lifeboat drill on a flight from London to Manchester?
6. What does in-flight entertainment usually consist of? Was this experience entertaining?
7. Why was the Chicago businessman inappropriately dressed?
What do you think?
1. The competition was answered by very experienced travellers. Why do you think they put safety so far down on their list of importance?
2. Why do you think the cabin staff on one flight wanted to sit near the emergency exit?
3. Which of the stories were funny but dangerous? Which were funny but not dangerous?
HAVE YOUR SAY
1. Nothing can match airplanes for speed and comfort, but some people object to flying. Here are their possible objections. Would you like to add to this list? Would you like to cross anything out? Write down your counter-reasons in favour of flying.
1. You take too great a risk. You may crash. Modern jet liners fly too fast and high and it’s dangerous.
2. Flying is too expensive.
3. Planes are too fast and you don’t have time enough to adjust yourself to new surroundings and enjoy the trip.
4. You can’t see anything but clouds while travelling.
5. You get airsick.
6. It’s difficult to book a flight at the height of summer season.
7. Your flight may be delayed or cancelled due to weather conditions and you will have to spend hours at the airport.
8. Your flight may be diverted to another airport.
2. Sum up all the arguments for and against flying.
3. Have you ever travelled by air? Share your experience with the class.
ACT IT OUT
1. Learn the dialogue “I’m not keen on flying” and act it out in class.
I’m not Keen on Flying
- So you are off to Murmansk, are you? How are you going?
- By plane. I’m not all that keen on flying though.
- Why not? It’s much quicker than any other way.
- Well, it always makes me nervous. I don’t think it’s natural to be all that way up in the air.
- I know what you mean, but there are very few accidents these days.
- Well, perhaps not many, but when there are there isn’t much you can do about it, is there? Of course I don’t believe that every other flight runs into some kind of trouble, but still...
- Well, I’m sure you’ll be all right.
- I suppose so, but I still don’t like it.
- But it’s all over pretty quickly and then you can forget all about it.
- Not really. I’ll keep thinking about the flight back.
VOCABULARY
Every other
1. all the rest
e.g. Every other boy in the class knows the answer.
2. alternate
e.g. Write only on every other line.
keen (on), a
(infml) enthusiastic about
e.g. keen on going abroad
run into sb, v
meet unexpectedly
run into sth, v
1. collide with
e.g. The bus ran into a wall.
2. reach (a condition)
e.g. run into debt/ danger/ difficulties
3. reach (a level or figure)
e.g. His income runs into five figures (= is now 10,000 pounds, dollars, etc. or more).
NOTES
accident, n
an unfortunate or undesirable happening which was unexpected and caused injury, loss, suffering or death
ðmeet with an accident
have an unexpected misfortune
ðby accident(= by chance)
▪Cf.: incident, n
happening of secondary importance
event, n
happening of greater importance both in history and personal life
2. Imagine that you are flying to Singapore. The passenger in the next seat is nervous and scared as she/ he has never flown before. Try to reassure him/ her.
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TRAINS