Wow...you'd make a fascinating obituary
I have this morbid fascination with airplane disasters.
Is there a more horrifying spectacle then a huge jet crashing?
I cannot imagine what it’s like to be trapped in a moment of impending death and I think that’s the horror of it.
This weeks tragedy in Kentucky made me realize something. Whenever something like this happens the papers are full of obituaries the next day of those that perished, and there are always such fascinating people among them.
Writers..
athletes..
executives..
people devoted to bettering other peoples lives..etc.
I find it hard to believe that fate places these people solely on doomed flights.
So, the next time I fly instead of snacking on peanuts and reading Deltas in flight magazine..I feel like getting up and getting to know my fellow passengers.
Have any of you ever met anyone of note on a plane?
posted by David_on_the_Lake at 1:47 AM
23 Comments:
Its funny, whenever I travel by plane I look around before take-off and wonder, 'what if we all die on this trip?'
I am a pretty chilled laidback person so dont freak out, just wonder...
Starting backwards..
about meeting great people - you can do that on trains, planes and automobiles - lol - seriously - I have come to realize that almost every person I meet fascinates me in some way... and I would certainly skip the peanuts and meet the people!
next thing I wanted to add was about people that perish in tragedies... (well of course, anyone that perishes, but we're talking tragedies now) -
for example, sometime after 9/11 (still can't say it without a lump in my throat) - i bought a beautiful book with the names, pictures and short history on each of the victims... and I can say that literally each one is young, beautiful, and very special in some way...
Heartbreaking is an understatement..
Also - this summer, I watched a movie called Flight 93. (not united 93, but the same story - TV version). Dave, I gotta tell you - I stopped the movie at least 10 times with like 15 minute intervals - I simply could not watch it, in one straight run, I was crying too hard and it was too emotional .... Such incredbily wonderful people.. and such a tragedy..
And yes - airplane tragedies are fascinating..
I suffer from needing to know about it.. probably due to my constant fear and the fact that i travel alot.. (comparitavely) -
I remember going onto a site that has a whole load of black box recordings from planes that crashed.. basically the last Mayday! Mayday!s -
very very frightening!
Amazing thing that happened a day before my wedding - the Lockerbie disaster.. you might have been too young to have been aware of what happened, but a Pan Am flight from london to Ny blew up - terrorist bomb.. and many of my guests had stories of Hashgacha Pratis - how and why they were not on that plane - missed flights, last minute changes, hospital emergency.. whatever.
There were reporters from a NY newspaper that requested to come to the wedding to write a story at the time (shame I didnt know about it - my 5 minutes of fame - ), but were turned away..
whew - well, that's about that -
oh and one more thing - i think i'm the only passenger that checks to feel for her life jacket and looks around for the nearest exit when flying.. and I also look to study the people near me and to see who would need my help in an emergency, G-d forbid..(this helps keep me calm on the flight - focusing on others rather than my own palpatating heart..)
btw - Mooks has a link to a blog site called nycsubwayblog (i think)-
just found it and love it -
look at the pics
talk about fascinating people!
lol
The only people I ever meet on flights are those annoying pakistanis eating their own food they brought on the plane. Of course I just HAVE to be sitting between them, and the wife needs the window and the husband needs the aisle and refuse to move. So havign hindi food passed in front of me, my whole flight is not exactly fun. I've met more fun people on trains going far.
everytime i fly i hope ill meet someone really exciting.. i walk down the isle to my seat, anticipating finding this really amazing person sitting in the seat next to me.. i imagine what kind of person it will be..a cute israeli, a priest, an aging hippy.. someone eccentric, interesting..good looking :)
and everytime i get to my seat..
i find...
a little kid who needs someoone to spread his cream cheese onhis bagel, or a snoring old man, or busybusy businessman..
but i keep hoping.. one of these its bound to happen!!
mabye i should plan it in advance.. david, when are you flying next? :)
I have never met anyone too exciting on a plane but time will tell...
When I was single I used to hope for hot guys to be sitting next to me. Now I sit next to my spouse well he is a hot guy, lol. Never met an interesting person on a plane.
Someone I know well was traveling by plane not long after the ValuJet crash years ago. As they were flying there was a huge bang and the plane went into a steep dive. The pilot got on the PA and said that they blew out an engine but they'll be fine. The plane eventually straightened out and landed safely. He told me that I will never be able to comprehend the absolute terror of the passengers, him included.
student...
Congrats on being first..
*pins a ribbon*
Oy..i didnt mean to. If you mean for good reasons then u could
:-)
exsem...
lol.
what a morbid way to start a journey..
theonlyway...
true...but on a plane...ur truly with ur fellow passengers for an extended time...and nowhere to go.
Its very true...everyone has their own tale...and lifestory..from such drastically different angles then yours.
Yea...after 9/11 the NY TImes ran mini obituaries for a few months of everyone that dies..I'd read them religiously..
so sad..
I know a site with those too..as well as pics and vids of air disasters...chilling.
LOL..how young do u think I am?
of course I remember pan am flight 103
theonly...Part II
:-)
Oh..I love that site.
I sometimes am tempted to take pictures..but dont have the guts..to snap insomeones face..
sara...
thats what happend when u fly Pakistani Air...lol
anonym00ks...
oy..
as the one that usually at the tail end of the dirty looks..I dont feel so bad for u
:-P
But..I've had some nice and interesting conversations on planes..
as for the next time I'm flying...hmmm.I get the aisle seat
swfm...
u gotta look for themmm..theyre out there
fg...
lol
I dont know...somehow..hurtling 35,000 feet off terra firma in a metal tube always made me uneasy about tempting god...lol
eshet...
for the first 20 minutes...lol
shtender...
makes me shudder ..I think about it once in awhile...that sheer terror
I see what you mean about being 'with' the people and 'going nowhere' - true..
and I figure you were around 13/14 when it happened - lol, so not sure if you were that concerned with the news at the time - but glad to hear you do remember..
and to butt into your and mookie's comments...
No, IIII get the aisle seat!
lol
(I always do! lol)
I love talking to people I meet on planes. Have not kept in touch w/any of them, but it is a fun way to pass the time.
I can't think of anyone interesting that I actually met, but this guy once gave me his seat in first class when I was eight months pregnant. He sat at the back in economy "comfort" and starved while I reclined in leather seats and ate on real china.
I didn't know him. I hadn't even spoken with him. I was just behind him in line and he asked the flight attendant if he could trade seats with me because I looked like I needed a break.
I will never forget him. What a guy.
Writers..
athletes..
executives
These people usually sit in business class, the chance that someone in economy gets to start a talk with people in business is unlikely.
Besides in obituaries people's merits are always exaggerated.
Bonnie!
I think that is the nicest most fabulous story I've heard in a long time! How special. I love this world and the people in it.
Thanks for sharing that!
i know what you mean, eshet, lol
but from now on, if that happens, i'll remember your comment and be laughing right through the flight!!
:)
eschet-- oh those were probably my kids-- I thought you were their in-flight entertainment-- you're not?
No, I always beat my kids soundly when they do that-- and when they kick the back of seats and shout instead of talk-- the list goes on
By the end of the flight, they are model patrons of the skies-- now if we could just do this to the adults
Bonnie- you are too funny!
(actually, I tranqulize my kids or send them cargo)
I have traveled with Liz Hurley, Iggy Pop, Jessica Lange. Whoopee.
David, I hope you had a great summer!
towik....
I need the aisle seat...otherwise I'll get cluastrophobic..and u dont want that..lol
Stacey...
I know..I've had some very interesting conversations on planes..
Bonnie...
wow..thats amazing..
prag...
the really famous ones..yes...
limey...
true
eshet...
lol..Hey watch how u talk about my kids
bonnie...
lol
kasamba...
summer?..what summer..?
I hope yours was swell...Good having you back
im like exsem girl
(good thing cuz i can rarely read past the third comment lol)
but i think thats a cool thought, david. i read somewhere once something to the effect of living your obituary life-dont wait till ur dead for people to start noticin ur goodness..
am i the only one who deliriously enjoys those kids? im makin faces right back and startin little rebellions with the various kids around the plane against their parents or the flight attedants, depending on my mood..sabra mafia...tis my specialy..
sabra..
lol..
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