Originally Posted by
80ktsClamp
Everyone has seen the WN pax trying take their briefcases and such off the plane in that evac, as well as similar on the hudson. People are retarded and only think of themselves.
However:
I've gotta wonder about that in regards to no PA. Perhaps he didn't hear it? You of all people should know that the PA's can be nearly inaudible sometimes- especially since you said he was in the back.
Ever sat in the back of a maddog when the engines are running? WOOMP WOOMP WOOMP WOOMP WOOMP is pretty much all you hear and feel...
Not to beat a dead horse, but human physiological responses when faced with the stressful unknown and life threatening situations are deeply embedded in our subconscious after millions of years of evolution.
Two well known and documented reactions are
1. "auditory exclusion" (you don't hear anything)
2. "gathering instinct" (you're headed from "safe" to "unknown" and grab something that's familiar to you, even if it's objectively worthless to the situation at hand)
Don't judge passengers too harshly; they're merely reverting to a more primitive brain state and lower-level state of reasoning. This is all part of the "fight or flight" response. There's a reason flight attendants are trained to YELL simple commands during an evacuation . . "EVACUATE!", "LEAVE YOUR BAGS".
An excellent book on this subject is "
The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why" by Amanda Ripley. It's a must read for those who are first responders or those who have the safety of others in their hands.