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Women and children first?

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  • 16-01-2012 3:03pm
    #1
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭


    I was reading various news website articles today about the cruise ship that hit the rocks and that had to be evacuated at the weekend. One aspect of the story was the fact that a lot of the crew abandoned ship before passengers were evacuated. There were also various stories about the how the golden rule ‘women and children first’ was totally disregarded by crew and passengers alike and that it was ‘everyman for himself’.

    The comments on a lot of the websites were surprising to me to say the least, many posters said that in this day and age that 500 year old rule was ‘out-dated’ and one posted ‘too right I’d push anybody out of my way, woman or child’ and ‘why is my life worth less than others’

    I’m curious to see peoples honest views on this, would you save your own hide first by pushing a women and child out of the way to hop on a life raft? Is it something you post, saying you would do the honourable thing but when it came down to it you wouldn’t?


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    #2
    My name is URL
    Registered Users Posts: 25,060 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    Well it is a bit of an antiquated notion imo. Unless the woman and kids were my own family then there's no reason why I'd feel that their lives are any more important than my own.


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    #3
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users Posts: 29,294 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    Not sure about women and children first. But I think I'd be making it my damndest that anyone struggling is not left behind, be they woman, child, or infirm, and getting them on the life raft with me.

    After that, its everyone for them selves.


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    #4
    John Doe1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭John Doe1


    I think women and children first should definitely be respected. Adult males are in general **** anyway


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    #5
    Captain_Generic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,409 ✭✭✭Captain_Generic


    Only the strong survive, if I have to punt a child out of the way to get off the boat then so be it


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    #6
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,638 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Situation dependent, in the situation you are pointing to i would have put them in the boat and swam myself over, they were right beside the shore.


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    #7
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    My name is URL wrote: »
    Well it is a bit of an antiquated notion imo. Unless the woman and kids were my own family then there's no reason why I'd feel that their lives are any more important than my own.

    Im fairly sure thats where it comes from too, not just save the children for saving a childs sake, its basically "look, us husbands will stay back and all our women and children will take up the space in the boat, they are the next generation. we will rightfully die for to save them"


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    #8
    silly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,722 ✭✭✭silly


    Women maybe not...but children definitely... But then again, how will the poor child cope without their parents man or woman? At least one should go with the child, but who decides?


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    #9
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,215 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    Children, elderly, ill/disabled, heavily pregnant women first.


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    #10
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Captain_Generic wrote: »
    Only the strong survive, if I have to punt a child out of the way to get off the boat then so be it


    at least you are honest i guess...

    do you have children?


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    #11
    Standard Toaster
    Registered Users Posts: 10,250 ✭✭✭✭Standard Toaster


    I'd like to think I would, but until put into that situation I can only guess really.
    Something like the Costa-Concordia disaster would very much be a case of 'every man for himself' I feel.

    I'd have likely maintained a chivalrous stance and gone down with the karaoke machine playing.


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    #12
    Julie London
    Closed Accounts Posts: 79 ✭✭Julie London


    The elderly and children, non swimmers and women with infants, should be evacuated first i believe. How did this happen I havent seen much on it yet, if the boat was so close to land could anyone who was a strong swimmer not have swam to shore. And would there not have been time for lifeboats to do repeat trips?


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    #13
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users Posts: 29,294 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    davet82 wrote: »
    at least you are honest i guess...

    do you have children?

    Your still new here.

    :D


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    #14
    Zulu
    Registered Users Posts: 10,965 ✭✭✭✭Zulu


    The reason the crew shouldn't go is fairly obvious: they are trained in evacuating people safely & know where the equipment etc. is located.

    I'd be inclined to think children, pregnant women and infirm should go first (helped by able bodied adults), but don't see any reason other than an antiquated chivilerous code that adult women should go before adult men.

    ...that said, I don't see myself pushing anyone out of the way.


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    #15
    guitarzero
    Registered Users Posts: 1,425 ✭✭✭guitarzero


    Pretty sure when you are contending with death, all altruistic notions of yourself are a lot easier to set aside for that time being.


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    #16
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 23,974 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    The crew's getting a lot of stick, with many of them allegedly getting off as soon as they could, including the captain.


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    #17
    ballsymchugh
    Registered Users Posts: 7,936 ✭✭✭ballsymchugh


    davet82 wrote: »
    at least you are honest i guess...

    do you have children?

    woah, wrap it up there. that line has been used. thread over.


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    #18
    Captain_Generic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,409 ✭✭✭Captain_Generic


    davet82 wrote: »
    at least you are honest i guess...

    do you have children?

    6, minus 3 due to puntings


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    #19
    J. Marston
    Registered Users Posts: 23,104 ✭✭✭✭J. Marston


    I agree kids should be safe first but after that, I'm saving myself.


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    #20
    Standard Toaster
    Registered Users Posts: 10,250 ✭✭✭✭Standard Toaster


    J. Marston wrote: »
    I agree kids should be safe first but after that, I'm saving myself.

    Even the ginger ones?


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    #21
    bodhrandude
    Registered Users Posts: 12,390 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    One of Van Halens best albums it has to be said.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



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    #22
    saa
    Registered Users Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭saa


    If there are children they only need one parent to mind them and help them onto the boat so its a little sexist I know but its easier in an emergency situation to identify and order children, the elderly and women out first. I just see it as some kind of basic order nothing to do with chivalry, women without children can go on after imo.

    Its easier to order 50ish % one gender and children within a crowd to move first, less people moving less people trying to get on, so all women with the likely hood of having children with them need help getting on and prioritised because of the children

    If there were no children theres no issue except for crowd control.


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    #23
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    So the boat is full of women and children... what will they do? Can they row? Are you going to assume that they can navigate and/or able to row the boat? Of if they're strong enough to row the boat?


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    #24
    Zulu
    Registered Users Posts: 10,965 ✭✭✭✭Zulu


    silly wrote: »
    how will the poor child cope without their parents man or woman?
    The Batman.


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    #25
    Jake Rugby Walrus666
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 528 ✭✭✭Jake Rugby Walrus666


    If I was on the ship there would be NO Deserters.

    I'm firing one warning shot in the air and brandishing the gun for all to see.
    Man, Woman or Child. Attempt to leave and you get shot.


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    #26
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    All for getting the kids off first, but if women want to vote, then they have to fight me for a spot on the lifeboat.


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    #27
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users Posts: 16,500 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    Jake Rugby Walrus666 wrote: »
    If I was on the ship there would be NO Deserters.

    I'm firing one warning shot in the air and brandishing the gun for all to see.
    Man, Woman or Child. Attempt to leave and you get shot.

    Would we be allowed to launch lifeboats? You don't expect us all to perish with the ship do you?


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    #28
    flanders1979
    Closed Accounts Posts: 638 ✭✭✭flanders1979


    I'd look after my own family, I would also empty the bar to compensate me for the inconvenience.


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    #29
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭Logical Fallacy


    davet82 wrote: »
    at least you are honest i guess...

    do you have children?

    He seems pretty confident in his ability to punt a child, so i reckon he does.


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    #30
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users Posts: 29,294 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    The crew's getting a lot of stick, with many of them allegedly getting off as soon as they could, including the captain.

    Well they wanted to wave to their mates on the shore....





    Apparently.


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    #31
    Jake Rugby Walrus666
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 528 ✭✭✭Jake Rugby Walrus666


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    Would we be allowed to launch lifeboats?
    No you will not. Cowards such as yourself spreading defeatism around the ship, with your talk of lifeboats, will be taken out and shot.
    You don't expect us all to perish with the ship do you?

    No. I expect you die Mr Deftlefthand.


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