Over-egging the safety pudding

Every petrol station forecourt you pull into these days has signs telling you to turn off your mobile phone. Have you ever seen anyone turn off their mobile phone on a petrol station forecourt? Me neither. And exactly how many petrol stations have you heard of that blew up as a result of a still-turned-on mobile phone? Same here. So what's that all about, then?

And, come to think of it, how many people's lives have been saved, do you reckon, by paying attention to flight attendants when they demonstrate how to don a lifejacket? In fact, have you ever heard of anyone surviving a plane crash into the sea and actually getting to use their life jacket? I'm sure it must have happened at some point, but I've never heard of it.

It seems to me you'd be much better off with an airbag.

Or a parachute.

Richard Carter

A fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation.

6 comments

  1. I reckon the petrol station problem is more likely to be that it cocks up the part of the machines that indicate the price/volume on the pumps and at their console, and that they say it's 'safety' so that people don't mess around and find out how to get free petrol.

  2. My kids were told to turn their gameboys off last week by a once-pretty air stewardess because obviously using such high voltage equipment is going to hamper a commercial pilot's ability to fly !!!

  3. We were told not to use our mobile phones in the hospital as it interferes with the nurse call alarm system. I tried it just to see what happened.....there were these eight overweight, puffing heavies running past me to answer the alarm. I never did tell them it was me!

  4. Did you see the brainiac episode that proved that wearing a kagoule around petrol fumes was far more dangersous than using your mobile phone!

  5. Reminds me about parents 'over egging the safety pudding' by telling the kids not to go near swans 'cos they'll break your arm'. Ever met anyone who's had their arm broken by a swan? Nor me.

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