For many young professionals (YPs), there are few things more anxiety-inducing than the thought of losing a laptop. Or a designer tote bag you saved up to buy. Or the wallet inside of it. Or – perhaps worst of all – a cell phone.
Not to mention, the thought of losing luggage on a flight is practically as worrisome as the plane crashing. But how far would you go to save your laptop, designer sunglasses, or brand new cell phone?
Would you put your life at risk? Would you put the lives of others at risk?
Well, apparently some passengers on a recent flight did just that.
When the engine of a London-bound British Airways jet caught fire yesterday in Las Vegas, all passengers made it out alive – but some not before grabbing their carry-on luggage and snapping a selfie or two.
Of course, we’re all familiar with the standard message of flight crews to leave luggage behind in the event of an emergency evacuation. But these days, pilots say passengers are increasingly inclined to grab everything they brought on board.
Though the incident was met with a swift evacuation, officials said that 27 of the 170 passengers or crew on board were treated in the hospital for minor injuries, most of which were caused from the evacuation slides.
The whole evacuation slide is made all the more difficult when luggage is involved. Not to mention, bags could also tear the slides, cause tripping hazards, and block exits in the event of an already chaotic situation.
Photo: AP/John Locher
The chief of the Association of Flight Attendants union (which doesn’t represent the British Airways crew) said that federal investigators will most likely find that baggage slowed down the evacuation and caused some of the injuries.
Though guidance posted online by the Federal Aviation Administration advises passengers to leave bags on board during an evacuation, it doesn’t mandate it.
Whether or not you’d grab your belongings is probably a tough call. When things like laptops and phones are essentially an extension of our bodies, wouldn’t your immediate natural reaction be to grab your things and run?
The British Airways example got me thinking about the value we place on our things in general. Let’s face it: losing a brand new iPhone is an expensive mistake, and one we can’t all afford to fix on a whim. And if you lacked the foresight to back it up, there goes all your fun summer shots.
But would you jump on the subway tracks and back to retrieve a cell phone that’s fallen? I’ve seen a guy do just that. Would you all but knock people over on a busy sidewalk in a frantic panic to get back to the park bench where you left your laptop before someone steals it? Because I probably would. And to be perfectly honest, in that moment, I’m not sure I would even check to make sure they’re OK.
That’s my laptop (i.e. my livelihood), after all.
So, what I am saying is that – in the moment – I would probably take my carry-on as well, as selfish as that may sound. Would you?
As for the selfie, that’s where I draw the line.