clackety clack - Belts undone before coming to a full stop

[SQflyergirl]

Was on an a flight this morning to some international destination (I shall not mention which airline or to where)

We hadn't even vacated the runway when I hear this cacaphony of seatbelts being undone... pretty typical I thought... one fine day it's going to catch someone out.

True enough - Pilot has to make a rather abrupt stop cause a lone boar (or so he says) wandered into the path of our plane. The number of people I saw bashing their faces against the seat in front of them... If it wasn't so serious, I'd say serve them right.

Luckily no serious injuries, but I guess this lot won't be doing it again until the plane comes to a full stop.

Does that happen a lot where you come from?

[KeithMEL]

I usually hear people undoing their seatbelts immediately after landing, when the plane is still taxiing and sometimes before we'd exited the active runway. And this is despite the very clear PAs instructing people to keep their seatbelts fastened until the seatbelt signs have been eliminated and the aircraft has stopped at its designated spot.

You'd keep your seatbelts on in a car when it's cruising at 40kmh - but for some reason people apply a different logic the minute they step onboard an aircraft.

[kapitan]

you are allowed to walk around the cabin with the aircraft going at 800-1000 km/h, but seatbelts must be on when taxi-ing at speed of 50km/h ?????

[sqdazz]

you are allowed to walk around the cabin with the aircraft going at 800-1000 km/h, but seatbelts must be on when taxi-ing at speed of 50km/h ?????

Well, when you are flying 10 kilometres above the earth you usually don't have a sudden need to stop to ZERO km/h. Unless of course you hit a mountain, in which case your seatbelt is as good as useless.

On the ground anything could happen, even a boar could walk in front of the plane, or another aircraft, or a person, or a ground vehicle, or anything....

I take it your question was serious?

[KeithMEL]

Ideally you'd have be seated with seatbelts fastened at cruising altitude even if the seatbelt signs are off. Whilst the crew will turn on the fasten seatbelt signs when deemed necessary to do so, there are things they might not be able to anticipate like clear air turbulence. A lot of onboard PAs do recommend that you keep your seatbelt fastened at all times when seated.

On the ground, the aircraft would be sharing the tarmac with numerous potential obstacles on the ground such as ramp crew, tow trucks, other aircraft, wild boars etc. Should it become necessary, the pilots will need to brake extremely hard to avoid a collision, and you can just imagine how dangerous it is to undo seatbelts or stand up when the plane is still taxiing, or worse - open overhead compartments.

[kapitan]

Well, when you are flying 10 kilometres above the earth you usually don't have a sudden need to stop to ZERO km/h. Unless of course you hit a mountain, in which case your seatbelt is as good as useless.

On the ground anything could happen, even a boar could walk in front of the plane, or another aircraft, or a person, or a ground vehicle, or anything....

I take it your question was serious?

Its a joke I read in Reader Digest some years back, while on a SQ flight....

[Kyo]

Haven't had any problems so far - since no boars appear just as we pull up to the gate on all my flights so far.

[jhm]

Maybe I'd too pedantic but I keep my seat belt on until the light goes off rather than when the engines spin down.

[KC*]

You'd keep your seatbelts on in a car when it's cruising at 40kmh - but for some reason people apply a different logic the minute they step onboard an aircraft.

I am usually irritated when passengers in my car unbuckles before I come to a stop... and that happens often. Sigh...

[BigTop]

Well on many of my flights, once the seatbelt sign is off midflight, most would unfasten their seatbelts, despite the crews' advice to keep it on. And there was this once on MH BOM-KUL, after the aircraft turned off the runway after landing, many got up and started getting their bags from the overhead compartment. Anyone else had this experience before?

[scooby5]

And there was this once on MH BOM-KUL, after the aircraft turned off the runway after landing, many got up and started getting their bags from the overhead compartment. Anyone else had this experience before?

More time than i care to remember

Personally I usually undo my seat belt, like the majority, when I hear the engines spool down. We know it's only a few more seconds anyway until the seatbelt sign is switched off.

[sumitsan]

Haven't encountered any problems, but I have to admit not wearing the seatbelt during taxiing to runway a few times, but only when I am in 11A or 11K in the 744 (SQ), and I'm taking pictures from the window in front. Crew walked by a few times, and did not say anything, as they probably knew I'd wear it when I was finished with the snapshots.

But after reading about what happened to passengers on SQFG's flight, I guess I have to be extra careful with that.