Re: Cruising
 

i cant swim either Margaret,,,,but you will go when your number is up....no choice ....lol
Although my late hubby who would not fly said.It might be someone elses number up,,and he didnt fancy going too

Re: Cruising
 

:D:D:D

Those great main drag (no pun) scenes in American Graffiti came to my mind when I read the title. Oh for the days when I went trolling for broads in my Cougar XR7 convertible, 8 track blaring away.

Re: Cruising
 

Eric, I have a very pictorial imagination...but, that is a picture no artist could paint :)

Re: Cruising
 

You have to imagine about 40 years ago.;)

Re: Cruising
 

Yes, I was around then...can do that...bloody hell, Eric...... the babe magnet:D

Re: Cruising
 

Sorry....I forgot it was Sunday...pardon the mild expletive...perhaps I should have said 'Blood and sand' :)

Re: Cruising
 

Aw, thanks hon. Most people would have given all the criedit to the car;)

But ... to get back on topic sort of: why are folks referring to this accident as a "tragedy"? So many things these days are deemed tragedies that "tragedy" has lost all meaning. Somehow, a cruise ship ran into Italy. A few folks died. Admitedly, and I'm not without sensitivity or compassion, this is terrible for their families, loved ones, and friends. But a tragedy?

Re: Cruising
 

for the families it is a tragedy(they went on holiday and died)...for the rest of us it is just an accident that we are far removed from.....it is all relative Eric.

Re: Cruising
 

I guess if you had lost someone you cared greatly about, you would see it differently.

Re: Cruising
 

The point I was trying to make was that, for the media, everything is becoming a tragedy, to the point where "tragedy" is now meaningless, a term thrown out whenever something bad happens.

Re: Cruising
 

I love it when at the safety demo they tell you to cross your arms, hold your nose and then jump thirteen floors or more (150 feet?) into a force 10 gale! Better than bungy jumping!
I can't work out how holding my nose helps, although crossing my arms must be better than crossing my fingers.
Then they tell you the little whistle is to summon help! You're in the middle of the Atlantic surrounded by 30 foot waves and icebergs but don't forget your whistle.
I still risk it, I like cruising and I look after my little whistle!

Re: Cruising
 

It is certainly a disaster - but I'm sick of this accident being compared to the Titanic, nothing else is on the news at the moment in Italy. It isn't remotely similar except that a ship hit something that it shouldn't have. Oh, and according to the British ambassador the English passengers behaved with typical British stoicism which is sinilar i suppose. I imagine the general pandemonium there seems to have been was mainly down to the Italians -no good at queueing up and behaving in an orderly fashion.

My parents have been on the Concordia and over the years have cruised their way round much of the globe. They gave up a couple of years ago as the air conditioning gave them both bronchitis and they ran out of new destinations. It seems to be a popular type of holiday and for older people is a good way of travelling and seeing different places. Doesn't appeal to me though I must admit.

They didn't actually bump into Italy, but into some rocks between the Isle of Giglio and the coast of Tuscany then tried to get into a port. Amazing when you think of the sophisticated technology they have onboard - the inquest will hopefully find out what really happened but much suspicion falls on the Captain and his first officer. The truth will come out in the end and I dread to think of the insurance costs of an accident like this one.

Re: Cruising
 

Yes, I got your point Eric.

Re: Cruising
 

It seems that some have already decided where the fault lies. The Captain and First Officer have been arrested.
I wonder if they will end up in prison.
For many years, here in aviation, we tried to have a no blame, positive safety culture. But now, like everything else, we blame...
If the ships officers made mistakes, will we learn anything by sticking them in jail?

Re: Cruising
 

Probably won't learn much at all ... but, in this media mad world, there seems to be a need for a fall guy. And the only place they seem to look is on the bridge, or on the flight deck.