Tripping

Catching a Few ZZZZs on the Flight

Nothing better than catching up on some sleep on a long flight,huh?  Isn’t that what most travelers hope for?   BUT…maybe you aren’t hoping for the pilot to be the one taking the snooze.

A captain and his co-pilot on the packed 325-seat Airbus A330 had decided to take turns in having 20-minute naps during the journey on August 13.

But less than two hours after take-off, both were reportedly asleep, leaving the plane cruising on autopilot with no-one to take control in the event of an emergency.

They admitted what had happened to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), blaming longer shifts over the peak holiday season, which left them unable to get more than five hours’ sleep in the preceding 36.

The watchdog has declined to name the airline concerned for fear of deterring other pilots from reporting problems.

It confirmed the carrier was UK-based but would not say where the plane had departed from or where it was heading.

Last month a survey of more than 2,000 adults commissioned by the association suggested that nine out of 10  people would be worried about being in an aircraft flown by a pilot who has been awake for 22 hours.

The airline’s name has since been released but I decided not to throw the plane under the bus. British pilots are allowed to sleep in the cockpit under certain conditions so neither the pilot or the co-pilot are being disciplined.    I find this pretty amazing, British pilots not only can fly planes but they can do it in their sleep.

Duck Discrimination

A duck used by insurance company Aflac was let loose inside a subway station in Manhattan, angering PETA and the MTA. (seems the TA TAs are aren’t happy.) Aflac employees followed the little guy/duck around taking pictures and tweeting to a Twitter account for the sake of some publicity.

The website Gothamist reported that commuters on an undisclosed N and R train subway posted images of
 the duck, but it found out that it was Aflac’s doing.

“Ducks don’t belong on the subway, especially waddling through stations, and especially not when they’re used as part of a publicity stunt that makes it harder for our customers to get around,”  spokesman for the MTA, Adam Lisberg,  said in a recent statement,

He added: “We did not know about this stunt, we did not approve it, and we’ve made clear to Aflac that it was improper. New Yorkers know that animals are only allowed in the subway when they’re enclosed in containers that will prevent them from annoying any other passengers.”

The duck is calling fowl on the blatant discrimination on NYC subways. BTW…Here at TAOBC we aren’t promoting ducks taking public transportation.  It is true that it might not be the safest option for them.   Note to Ducks: Next time ask Aflac to call a limo service for you. 

Bike Love

A 55-year-old nurse in England named Eileen Remedios was visiting a patient’s house recently. And when she went to leave, she couldn’t because someone had stolen her bike while she was inside

Eileen obviously wasn’t happy about it, but she kept her sense of humor and taped a note to the lamppost she’d leaned the bike against. The note said, “Please return my bike. It is old but loved, and will be frightened without its owner.”

Now, obviously Eileen never REALLY expected to see the bike again. But when she returned to the patient’s home the next day, the bike was chained to the same lamppost.

And the keys to the lock were under the doormat, taped to a note that said, quote, “A great big fat SORRY from the reformed bike thief.” Then at the bottom, the person assured her that they hadn’t mistreated the bike in any way.

Eileen ended up writing ANOTHER note thanking them, and letting them know the bike was “happy” to be home. No word yet on whether or not they’ve responded again.

Am I being harsh in thinking if you are going to be a thief…even a considerate thief…you should know the “i before e except after c rule”.  If you can’t spell it don’t be it. 

I am a veteran of corporate moves. Having moved 21 times while my husband climbed the corporate ladder while dragging me up… rung by rung over the course of our 40+ year marriage. I used to delude myself into thinking
that I was middle-age but now realize that I would have to live to be 116 to justify that term. If wisdom comes with age, I am wiser than some, older than many, and more cynical than most. My blog is to jot down the nonsense I
see, hear and think about while I still have all my faculties working.