Do you watch the safety demonstration?

I never watch the full safety breifing, but always make eye
contact will the person doing the demo from time to time to be polite [y]

After listening to both the announcements on my flights this week, I ended up more confused over which exit should be used.

On the first flight, upstairs on a 747, both exits were pointed out, with two more behind us. Afterwards, the FA came round to tell us individually that she made a mistake, and their is one primary door and one secondary, leaving me wondering if that means we shouldn't use the other door in an emergency.

On the second flight, after pointing out the four exits again, the FA spoke about two particular exits, while the music was playing on the demonstration, so we couldn't hear her. I told her later we couldn't hear it and her colleague commented about how everyone had blank looks at that point, because no one can hear or understand it. She said it all depends on whether we land on water or not, but I don't feel the information we were told was of any value as no one would remember the differences, if they understood it in the first place.

[:?]

on smaller aircraft when you use an overwing exit on land you slide down the flaps which would be fully lowered, on water the flaps would case you all to slide, its much better to jump into the water from the front of the wing.

on virgin we have a slide at the overwing exits, in the water this exit can be used but would not normally be used as the other doors have slide that are also rafts so far better to use them and sail of into the sunset LOL!

the seatbelt now in upper are better yes, but there is no class thing going on here nor are virgin trying to even the odds. there are plans as far as i know to get these types of seatbelt into W and Y but for the time being the existing ones are fine providing people watch the demo. if you choose not to its kind of up to you, we show it infront of you, ask you to pay attention, the rest is up to you. Its kind of like when we have turbulence and the seatbelt sign goes on, people still get up to use the loo's. When i have asked people sometimes they have been very insistant on using the loo at any cost and in some cases have been rude. Whilst i sympothise i do have a 2 inch scar on my head from sudden turbulance where i was in the galley and banged my head on the roof! just cause the plane isn't shaking violently doesn't mean we wont! i think its al down to wheathere you are precautious or wheather you are one of those who think 'it'll never happen to me'

Push-button? I think I'd have the opposite problem to most and be more confused with new seatbelts having become so accustomed to the current type[:I]

45.

Locutus, I have to agree, it isn't ideal the way the crew have to explain after the demo about the exits. They shouldn't point out secondary exits. They are supposed to point out the primary exit for an evacuation on land (upper deck) and the primary exit for landing on water (downstairs).

Originally posted by boynose
I always have a good look at any safety information but i don't know how much of the information i'd remember if an incident did occur.

The article I read that I mentioned in an earlier post (wish I could find it to post a link, but haven't been able to) that convinced me to always pay attention indicated that studies have shown you retain the information you had reviewed earlier, and your body just sort of acts on autopilot. One example was given where a woman had to evacuate a plane after an emergency landing where the aircraft was on fire. I read this a few years ago, so I may not have it 100% correct, but there was mention of someone seated near her who was just in shock, staring straight ahead, and would not leave their seat. The person perished. The woman interviewed said her brain sort of took over and she just acted somewhat on autopilot, if I remember correctly. I believe there was some level of knowledge that the person who had perished had not reviewed any safety info. The facts are kind of sketchy, as I said it has been years since I read it. I hope I can find the article in an archive.

J

thats a wicked example of positive and negative panic. in life threatening situations some people will just sit there and not panic or do anything to save themselves. it's kind of lick just giving up and accepting that this is it! another example is one we are shown in our fire traing where we are shown a video of a football stadium on fire in the early 80's. there is a man on fire and he is just strolling along like he was going out to get a paper, he died. people react in different ways.

I found the article! I don't know if my previous descriptions are completely accurate, now that I have read it again, but I stand by what I said in that I always read the safety cards and note the exits, b/c of what I read in the article. This is also why I read the fire exit diagrams on the back of hotel doors. I want my brain to have the data it needs to work on automatic just in case.

Here is the article. This is the key paragraph that I was remembering - it references an earlier part of the article that discusses a crash. This man grabbed his wife and got out, while their friend perished:

'In the hours just before the Tenerife crash, Paul Heck did something highly unusual. While waiting for takeoff, he studied the 747's safety diagram. He looked for the closest exit, and he pointed it out to his wife. He had been in a theater fire as a boy, and ever since, he always checked for the exits in an unfamiliar environment. When the planes collided, Heck's brain had the data it needed. He could work on automatic, whereas other people's brains plodded through the storm of new information. 'Humans behave much more appropriately when they know what to expect--as do rats,' says Cynthia Corbett, a human-factors specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).'

J