So Gentlemen, how would you have acted on board the Concordia?

I didn't read The Mirror's article,but I guess you're referring to the Captain abandoning ship before all the passengers and crew were off.

If that's the case then that's a shameful and cowardly act.

I used to work onboard the QE2,which also ran aground, off Rhode Island
in the early 90's.
Safety was of paramount importance,we had boat drill every week and
passenger safety drills after every embarkation,the drill on the Concordia had been cancelled.
When the ship was entering port or cruising close to land,the watertight doors were always closed,whether they were closed on the Concordia I'm not sure.

As it stands, the Captain of the Concordia is a reckless b*****d who put the lives of people at risk to massage his own ego.

Children should be saved first, no matter what (in my opinion). You need to do what you need to do to save yourself too, but not at the expense or the hurting of others. And people should help people along the way if they can.

Hi Sal,

If those reports are true then that is inexcusable,I have only been watching the BBC's coverage,I didn't read the Mirror article.

It would appear that situations such as this seem to bring out the best and
the worst in human nature.

Regardless,it's abhorrent to think that 'men' could push women and children aside to save their own sorry a***s.

Not such "nonsense and lies" perhaps:

Read more: Fleeing captain ordered back to sinking boat

UPDATE: Just heard translated audio from the event which confirms the Captain was on his way and was ordered back to the bridge to coordinate the evacuation. One excuse he used for not going back to the bridge was "It's dark up there".

It appears that the authorities are going to do what MMM suggests below (metaphorically at least).

Put Ricky Gervais on as presenter. Sure he'd have a thing or two to say on the matter.

the captain of Rena, container vessel, in Tauranga Harbour

"Tripped and fell into a lifeboat"


I understand that works well in paternity suits also...lol



Ship may have had unregistered passengers...

It does seem odd to me that conclusions are drawn before an investigation is done.

Did the captain abandon ship? I don't know. I've heard him say he was thrown into the water as the shipped rolled - and I can see that could happen. People were thrown into the water. The ship didn't sink but I don't know how you could reboard a ship that is laying on its side.

I wondered how the person ordering the captain to return could issue orders without knowing exactly what was happening at the site - my first thought was "they are worrying about liability".

When people are reacting from panic - the niceties of women first and "save others" can be forgotten. Truth is, until you are in a life or death crisis, you don't know how you would react.

I don't know if the captain was bad or good - but I do think he is the chosen scapegoat. Maybe with good reason - or maybe to protect the company. The ship was only slightly to the left of the marked lane when it was damaged - some might question the safety of taking a large passenger ship through that narrow a passage.

I've seen reference to the path taken on that same route by the ship a month ago - but that's the only comparison. Is this a regular route for that ship? Anyone know?

kay

That's a tough one Kurt.
But being how I turn into an idiot in emergency situations, my dumb ass would probably give up my seat and hang on the outside of the lifeboat so both could get on.

Good question to which I hope I will never have to find the answer myself.

Regarding the main question, I think it's very easy for us to judge. We are here sitting in the comfort of our homes, talking whether what they did was bad or wrong, but until we'll be in their shoes, it's incredibly difficult to appreciate their actions.

What we've seen is not them, it's their instinct to survive, which as any instinct, defeats every trace of logic or common sense.

US FAA law says it is ILLEGAL to be in the exit row if you are infirmed! You can NOT be under 15, unable to communicate in english, unable to move properly, require a seatbelt extender, unable to lift approximately 40 pounds, or unwilling to assist people exiting in an emergency. Below is how southwest puts this...

{quote]
Emergency Exit Seating Requirements
Federal regulations require that a Customer select a non-exit seat if he or she cannot or does not wish to perform the following functions:

Locate the emergency exit
Recognize the emergency exit opening mechanism
Comprehend the instructions for operating the emergency exit
Operate the emergency exit
Assess whether opening the emergency exit will increase the hazards to which passengers may be exposed
Follow oral directions and hand signals given by a crewmember
Stow and secure the emergency exit window so that it will not impede use of the exit
Pass expeditiously through the emergency exit
Assess, select, and follow a safe path away from the emergency exit

In addition, to comply with federal regulations a passenger seated in an exit seat must have sufficient mobility, strength or dexterity in both arms, hands, and both legs to:

Reach upward, sideways, and downward to the location of the emergency exit
Grasp and push, pull, turn, or otherwise manipulate mechanisms
Push, shove, pull, or otherwise open the emergency exit
Lift out, hold, deposit on nearby seats, or maneuver over the seatbacks to the next row or out the opening objects the size and weight of over-wing window exit doors
Remove obstructions similar in size and weight to overwing exit windows
Reach the emergency exit expeditiously
Maintain balance while removing obstructions
Exit expeditiously

A passenger seated in an exit seat must:

Be 15 years of age or older
Have the capacity to perform the applicable functions without the assistance of an adult companion, parent, or other relative
Have the ability to read and understand instructions related to emergency evacuation provided by Southwest in printed or graphic form
Have the ability to understand oral crew commands
Have sufficient visual capacity to perform applicable functions without the assistance of visual aids beyond contact lenses or eyeglasses
Have sufficient aural capacity to hear and understand instructions shouted by Flight Attendants without assistance beyond a hearing aid
Have the ability to adequately impart information orally in English to other passengers

A passenger seated in an exit seat must not:

Have preboarded
Use a portable oxygen concentrator
Require a seat belt extension to fasten his or her seat belt
Have a condition or responsibilities, such as caring for small children or pets, that might prevent them from performing the applicable functions
Have a condition that might cause the person harm if he or she performs one or more of the applicable functions

[/quote]

Steve

OH, you CAN get past it, but it is ILLEGAL. Delta, Northwest, United, etc... tell you when you first try to get the seat. ALSO, at least delta and northwest(delta bought out northwest, but BEFORE they did...), ask AGAIN, when you board the plane. I HAVE been on planes though where a young kid, a dog(OH YEAH, NO carryon pets allowed in the exit row!), a VERY obese woman, and at least one person that couldn't speak english, actually sat in the exit row. They were kicked out on the final boarding check though.

The only punishment really is that the AIRLINE could be fined, etc.... This isn't one where the passenger would be charged. The FAA and other government agencies sometimes secretly fly to check such things.

Steve

MOST discounts from priceline are on special situation, or undesirable things.

They claim discounts on:
flights. (TRIED IT! The real special rates can be on BAD routes/times!)
hotels. (TRIED IT! You have to not be too particular.)
CARS. (TRIED IT! Unreliable, and sometimes forces you to bid a PREMIUM, so WATCH IT! Also, the car place can be any of many. Luckily the two I boycott, Dollar and Thrifty, are NOT on the list)

I don't see cruises or ships on that list!!!!

Steve

Not sure I agree Sal. Unless you have been trained for disaster, or have experienced it, you really DON'T know how you'll react. We would like to think we would. But if this were all true, there would not be panic, period. My guess is NO ONE believes they would panic. Also most times when panic begins, it escalates big time. Survival instinct is VERY strong.

I am a father of 4 and I believe 100% that I would do everything in my power to get my kids (and wife) out of a situation alive even if I might not make it. But frankly, I have never been in that kind of situation. The human mind can't always be predicted.

I know it makes us all feel better to say how disgusted we are by the actions of the ones who panicked... but I don't believe that if you have never been faced with disaster (or been trained to deal with it), if you spent your entire life "safe", you do NOT know with 100% certainty how you would react.

I simply pray I never have to find out

True - I do agree that being somewhat prepared will help quite a bit. But frankly, who on a luxury cruise really prepares? They should, yes. But didn't I read that this ship canceled drills or something too?


Edit: Interesting short read on reaction to disaster and being prepared for one:

http://www.sbarc.org/publicservice/a..._Instincts.pdf

Quote:
Italian Cruise ship Captain Francesco Schettino began his new job as a bus driver yesterday.....

I won't forget...but sometimes events happen that are so tragically insane we tend to look at them in an ironically humorous way as a defense mechanism to soften the blow of the reality of the situation.
Thanks for the reminder -

I agree 100%. My comments were in reference to the average, everyday person (passenger) and not the captain or any crew trained to deal with this.

The captain should spend the rest of his life in jail. With Bubba as his newest pal...