PLANE STORIES
AUDIO
PLANE STORIES When was the last time you went on a plane? Did you have a good journey? Or did you have a bad one? Here is a collection of stories about people’s experiences on aeroplanes. This is the first part of a mini-series.
That Sinking Feeling John Wilkins found out that internal flights in some east European countries can be more expensive than intercontinental ones. I once had to take an internal flight in a country in east Europe. I won’t name names, partly because I have to return there every now and then, and partly because I don’t think they deserve a really bad name. Anyway, I checked in all right and I went to the departure gate. But before boarding, there was another check point. The captain of the plane was there and he was talking to the passengers. At first I thought he was just greeting the passengers. Then, it was my turn and I realised how wrong I had been. “You need to pay a 40% surcharge,” the captain told me in a thick east European accent. “What!” I exclaimed. “But I’ve already paid for my ticket.” “Yes, you have paid for the ticket, but this does not give you the right to a seat. You pay the 40% surcharge or you stand.” I was so furious that I just said, “OK, I stand.” And with that I boarded the plane, and I stood the whole way. Luckily it wasn’t a long flight.
White Knuckle Ride Sandra had a really scary flight from St. Louis to Indianapolis last August. The night I took the flight to Indianapolis was just three days after a major plane crash. As a result, everyone was a bit nervous. Just to make matters worse, there was a big storm, with rain pouring down and lightning flashing in the sky.
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When it was time to board, they hustled us onto the plane, closed the doors, and then told us that they had “just been informed” that we couldn’t take off because of the weather. We sat there for 45 long minutes until clearance was given for take-off. No sooner were we in the air, than the passenger area filled with smoke. Everyone started coughing and choking. Luckily the oxygen masks dropped and we were able to breathe normally. Seconds later, the plane made a number of sickening turns and steadily lost altitude. Next thing, I remember looking out of the window and seeing all these fire engines on the runway. When we landed, we had to slide down the emergency chute. The thing that made everyone really angry was that at no point did the crew say anything to us. And our attempts to speak to the captain were all in vain as he was nowhere to be seen.
Not Enough Bags Emile Saunders had one of the most disgusting flights of his life on his way to Melbourne. A few months ago, I was on a business trip to Melbourne. The flight was quite full, and included a party of unaccompanied minors. The flight attendants had gathered all the children together and sat them on three rows next to each other… just across from where I was sitting. I guess the flight attendants thought this would make their job easier as they could keep an eye on the eight children without much trouble. But they were wrong. Shortly after take-off, one of the youngsters rang the buzzer. “I feel sick,” the little girl told the flight attendant. The attendant quickly handed the child an airsick bag, then went to get some water. But just as she got back, the girl threw up.
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