--- Another thought on the whole Oscar/Copy Guys Debacle.
Ahem.
What exactly does it tell you about the Academy that they released this
information in a cheery, what we're doing to make this Oscars the most
important ever! press release?
Are civil rights violations a cheery thing we should be celebrating?
--- You know, I'm with Michele on this one.
Perhaps what I thought happened is what I wanted to believe; that
the people on the planes that hit the buildings never knew what was
happening. I wanted to believe that one minute they were reading or
sleeping or watching a movie and then, they were dead. There was no
fear, no panic. Just sudden, painless death.
I, too, never wanted to hear anything about what happened on the
flights. I wanted it to remain a mystery. I didn't want to know not
because I didn't want the information, but because I, too, would have
liked to think the people on those flights didn't know a damn thing
about the fact their planes had been hijacked. As a regular coach
passenger, I thought it a good possibility, too.
The logic is there, even if it's not particularly kind to airline
attendants. It's a simple fact that you, the coach flying passenger,
are virtually ignored by flight attendants. Why would this situation be
any different? Not because they thought the fact you'd paid for a more
expensive plane ticket would get you better treatment in the event of a
hijacking, but because they wouldn't want to worry the people who,
thanks to conveniently drawn curtains on really big jetliners where you
can't see biz class and first class anyway, probably had no idea of
what was going on. Get on a 767 and you'll know what I'm talking about:
they generally have boarding through separate doors for first/biz class
and coach passengers. Sort of like they had separate entrances on the
old ocean crossing steamships for first class and steerage. On a jet
that big, it's easy to separate the sections. They build them that way
for a reason---because the airlines want some reason to justify
thousands of dollars for a first class ticket. Why would it be a big
leap of the imagination to think that a coach passenger on the two
flights that were flown into the towers would be aware of what was
going on way
up front---a place on the plane they were removed from. When I'd heard
that all of the hijackers had been sitting up in first class, this was
the thought I'd had. I was comforted by the knowledge that just because
of their lack of proximity to the cockpit, the average flyer on those
two planes probably had no idea of what was going on. I know it had to
have been different for the planes that went into the Pentagon and for
Flight 93. They knew. They had an inkling and made phone calls. They
talked with loved ones about what was going on on the ground. It had to
have been a horrible, sinking feeling that passed through their guts
when they knew they were probably going to die, through no fault of
their own. But I never wanted the flight recorders to be found for the
planes that went into the towers. I didn't want to hear screams of
absolute panic as they barrelled into the towers. I didn't want to ever hear Allhu Akbar!
as the hijackers completed their mission. I thought it would be best
for everyone if they were never recovered. And as far as I can recall,
they never were. Which is still good. But it's disturbing to listen to
Betty Ong's clear, calm voice as she informs the American Airlines
reservation center that her flight had been hijacked. I could sense her
frustration as the guy on the other end fumbled while trying to figure
out what the hell he could do about the situation. I even felt a little
pity for him. He works reservations. The worst thing he probably ever
has to deal with is someone complaining about how expensive a ticket
is. A hijacking is completely out of the realm of things he was trained
to deal with. But I can understand why Betty called reservations: it
would be the line she'd have programmed into her speed dial so she
could check to see if the flights were running on time. This guy got a
situation he had no idea how to deal with because it was the only
number she would have had programmed into her cell phone. Imagine the
situation for a second, and realize that in the worst situation of your
working career---a hijacking that, at that point, Betty didn't know
would result in her death---you call for help, and you get someone who
doesn't know how to deal with the situation at hand? Someone who is
probably thinking, because he probably gets it all the time, that
you're a crank. And you're desperate to get the word out; you want help. You want to live!
The frustration must have been overwhelming, but to her credit, she
never caved to it: she knew it must have been a confusing situation for
the guy, so she tried to be clear and concise. It's a testimony to her
professionalism that she never panicked, never caved into the fear, or
even allowed herself to show frustration at the idiocy of someone in
the reservations center. Somehow, between the two of them, they managed
to get the word out. If you believe in the theory that there were other
planes that would have been hijacked that day and that the grounding of
all the airliners saved some lives---that there are unknown people out
there whose plans were thwarted---you owe Betty some gratitude. She's
the one who got the word out. She's the one who enabled law enforcement
to start looking for culprits, rather than assuming it was a mechanical
breakdown. Maybe it was a good thing that we finally were able to
listen to this recording. Not only to remind ourselves to be ever
vigilant in the war on terror, but as a touchstone on how we're
supposed to act in such a situation. We can't panic. We don't have the
luxury of that action. We're at war. It makes you wonder what,
precisely, is it going to take to make all of those people who don't
think we're at war realize this fact? Just look at the comments on
Michele's post. Serious troll action going on there. Betty, however,
knew what it was like to be on the front lines. She found herself at
the very forefront of a war she had no idea was being waged upon her
and she was a goddamn good leader in a time of crisis. Can we say that
of everyone right now? That we can count on everyone to know the stakes
and act accordingly? Can we count on everyone not to panic in such a
situation in the current climate of denial? I don't think so. I think
it's going to be exceedingly ugly if I'm proven correct. And I really
don't want to be proven correct.
--- Ok, pissed off the husband and am feeling really guilty about it. I
shushed him when I was writing this and he left the house after telling
me that I was "more than blunt," when I told him to be quiet. It's
currently seven below zero outside. I'm sorry, darling. Was just trying
to make this thing cohesive. I went over the line and I apologize. Come
back home soon...it's too damn cold outside for you to hold a grudge.