It is said that human nature is unalterable. This is perhaps why some people repeatedly commit acts that defy common sense. Take the example of a China Southern airline passenger who decided to open the plane’s emergency door just before take-off to get some fresh air. The man said he mistook the door handle for a lever to roll down the window.
This is just one of 15 similar incidents in China alone in the past year, including the case of a woman who mistook the emergency exit for the rest room. This is despite the fact that plane doors carry clear warnings about their proper function. This past week has also seen the curious case of a British safety inspector who posed for a selfie with the hijacker of an EgyptAir plane who was wearing what was believed to be a suicide belt.
Experts suggest that the unnatural circumstances of flying – being contained with hundreds of others in a metal cylinder at 35,000 feet – contribute to strange behaviour. So what excuse do we have when we do something foolish on the ground?
