Why Airplane Windows Don’t Roll Down

ScientificAmerican ^

[chessplayer]

In his latest gaffe, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney lamented the fact that airplane windows don't roll down.

[Calvin Locke]

How’d that pilot all but destroy the harmony of that indigenous tribe in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” if he couldn’t open a window?

[Impala64ssa]

Yeah I saw that, 5 Pubbies and one dem. A “token” of the apoliticalness.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Romney makes an obvious joke, and it's a "gaffe" because state-controlled media desperately needs for him to make a "gaffe."

Was there video of Romney making these statements? I haven't found any.

[newfreep]

Nice “AIRPLANE!” reference.

[Fresh Wind]

Consider Aloha Airlines flight 243. There was a minor mechanical failure at 20,000 feet, and no one died from the decompression. The only death was a stewardess who was sucked out through the hole. Fortunately, all the passengers still had their seat belts on, and the plane landed safely.

[Calvin Locke]

Most passengers do not die from a depressurization.

The one exception that I can think of is a small pressurized plane carry some sports-related passengers.

Here it is: 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash

In the article, there's a link to a list of "uncontrolled decompression" accidents.

I thought of the scene from 2001, considered to be fairly realistic, but completely forgot about the Cosmonauts that had a value open too soon shortly after reentry.

Early in the US Space program, when pressure suits were being tested, one stuck a guy in a suit in a vacuum chamber. Something went wrong, but whomever created the test also had a rescue guy in a connected chamber at some partial atmosphere that would allow access relatively quickly, if something went wrong at 0 psi.

[stable]

It sounded to me like he was trying to make a joke, but it fell really flat.

Maybe he should forget about trying to tell jokes and stay focused on the issues.

[dalereed]

“How else is a pilot to give the attendant his credit card?”

I always got out to hand it to them.

A fuel stop was usually also a piss stop.

[Sidebar Moderator]

To prevent duplication, please do not alter the published headline. Thanks.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

No video, just a pool report, and the pool reporter said he was obviously joking.

Mitt Romney Was Joking About Airplane Windows NYT's Ashley Parker

[Delta Dawn]

I’m just glad that he didn’t say this while on ‘Hard Wood’!

[bgill]

Some don’t have windows.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

There is video here. And I'm not convinced. It didn't look like sarcasm to me. Who knows? Aw crap, who cares? Anyone who speaks non-stop all day is bound to say something silly.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

And I'm not convinced. It didn't look like sarcasm to me. Who knows?

It boils down to one of two possibilities.

1. Romney is an idiot

2. You are an idiot

How many millions have you earned?

[xrmusn]

If obozo, joebama or algore make the same statement they would be put up for the Nobel Prize for innovation and a blue ribbon committee would be formed to check its feasibility.

Then 100 million (wasted) bucks later it would be forgotten.

[longtermmemmory]

Scientific American, the science publication that gives credibiltiy to natives who use bongos to eliminat soal eclipses.

[longtermmemmory]

ANYONE who has been trapped waiting in a hot and stuffy airplane on the runway has had the same thought.

[tet68]

Airplane windows don’t roll down because if they did
some idiot would throw his trash out, not to mention
his dog would ride with his head out and slobber all
over the windows behind.

Airplane windows don’t roll down because after a
while the mechanism would break and they would have
to Duct Tape over the opening and it would leak in
the rain.

Airplane windows don’t roll down because birds would
fly in and poop on the seats.

[longtermmemmory]

Airplane windows don’t roll down because some smoker will roll it down to blow the smoke. (Obama is a smoker)