Latest news with #seatbelt
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Hogging the armrest and other bad behaviours we should fine travellers for
It happens at the end of every flight. You're all sitting there, having just landed, desperate for the plane to reach the gate. Blankets and pillows litter the floor. You need a pee. Let's not even discuss the smell after several hours of 400 or so people trapped in an airtight space. You're drawing tantalisingly close to the jet-way, but the plane is still moving and the seatbelt sign is on. And yet there will be someone, maybe a few, who decide this is the moment to leap up early and start pulling their belongings from the overheard locker. Is there a fire? Is another 20 seconds in your seat going to kill you? Are we not all going to disembark at roughly the same time anyway, when one of the crew opens the doors? The rest of us remain in our seats, eyes boring into these tiresome rule-breakers. The arrogance irritates me in the same way that BMW drivers who cut in front of a line of traffic irritate me. Just wait like everyone else. Terrifically, the Turkish civil aviation authority has decided it's had enough with these hooligans and implemented a £52 fine for anyone who stands up before the seatbelt sign is turned off. Cor, that would be satisfying, wouldn't it? A self-important man a few seats in front of you gets up to retrieve his bag and claim a space in the aisle before everyone else, and is subsequently handed a piece of paper with his fine on the way out. Thank you so much for flying with us, sir, have a lovely trip. But if we're in the business of handing out fines for poor travel-related behaviour – and as it's approaching June and we're into summer holiday territory – I might suggest a few others while we're at it. A fine, for instance, for anyone who arrives at the X-ray machine and seems surprised at the idea that he (or she!) might have to empty his pockets. A few years ago at Heathrow, I stood for so long behind a man wearing a safari jacket that my holiday was practically over by the time I could reach for a tray myself. He patted one pocket and removed some coins, and then another pocket and removed a few more. In another zipped pocket there was an old packet of gum; keys in yet another; sunglasses somewhere else. People who take too long to remove their belts can also be quite trying, especially if you're on an early morning flight and desperate for a coffee. Few of us are at our absolute best at 5.32am, I appreciate, but if you have a particularly fiddly item of clothing that is going to take several minutes to liberate before you can put it in a tray, might you consider packing it instead? Further fines at this stage for tray aggression and those who try to shunt theirs into the line waiting to enter the scanner before yours. As travel has become a more expensive and yet dispiriting process in recent years, has our general airport behaviour deteriorated too? You are genteel and civilised Telegraph readers, and you may be in business class or above. Bravo. This may mean the boarding process isn't total agony. For the rest of us at the gate, it increasingly has an air of the Hunger Games. Speedy boarding, or the group system, has created yet another situation in which humans can feel superior to others and behave accordingly. 'Groups one and two only,' announces a weary member of airport staff, and yet someone in Group 16 will still try to smuggle themselves on. American Airlines has now decided this is such poor behaviour that it is trialling a new form of technology, where passengers who try to board before their group has been called will be embarrassed by an alarm sound when their boarding pass is scanned. I hadn't come across the term 'gate lice' before, but this is what staff apparently call passengers who cluster around a gate waiting for their turn, as if the plane may leave without them. (Sometimes, do you think it might be easier to simply stay at home? Forgo a holiday entirely?) Once on board, fines for anyone who's sitting in your aisle seat in the optimistic and woefully mistaken belief that you won't mind taking their window seat instead. Fines for anyone who hogs the armrest, and a hefty penalty, possibly prison, for those people in the row behind you who insist on getting up and down by gripping the back of your chair, catching your hair and causing near whiplash every time they do so. Fines for anyone who's late on the plane, holding everyone else up. Double it if they're drunk. If you have small children, do keep an eye on them and ensure they're not merrily swinging their little legs at the seat in front, because the adults should really earn a fine in such cases. On a flight back from Majorca as a child, I did this throughout, thoughtlessly. 'Was that you kicking my chair during the flight?' enquired an elderly lady at the end as we all stood in the aisle, waiting to disembark. 'No,' I squeaked back quickly, in panic, before pointing at my brother. 'It was him!' She immediately clipped my brother's ear, and I can't quite remember what my parents' response was to this act of brutality, but I've felt guilty about it almost every day since. It was the 1990s, I suppose. Finally, a word of caution about the luggage carousel at the other end, because this also causes people to forget themselves. There you stand patiently with a trolley, until someone else comes along and parks themselves right in front of you. Have you heard of personal space, my good friend? Alternatively, someone may barge into you because they're chasing their bag around the carousel in the same manner that my terrier chases a squirrel, instinctively, without any thought as to what might be in their way. I suspect these people are probably BMW drivers, too.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Have a Ford SUV or truck? These two recalls could affect you
A wheel on a 2019 Ford Expedition 4x4 is displayed at the 2019 Pittsburgh International Auto Show on Feb. 14, 2019. (Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo) Ford has updated two separate recalls over safety concerns about seatbelts and engines, affecting tens of thousands of vehicles nationwide. Transport Canada posted both recall updates on its website Tuesday. Here's what to know: Possible seatbelt problems Expanding on a recall from March 28, Ford says 3,261 SUVs could have a problem with the driver and front-passenger seatbelt pretensioners, a safety feature that tightens the seatbelt in the event of a crash. As a result of the issue, the recall reads, 'the airbag warning light could turn on, and the seatbelt pretensioners could deploy without a crash.' The following models are affected: Ford Expedition (2018, 2019 and 2020) Lincoln Navigator (2018, 2019 and 2020) Malfunctioning pretensioners could increase the risk of injury, and those that improperly deploy could startle the driver, risking a collision, read the notice. Affected owners will receive mail from the company advising them to take their vehicles to a dealership for inspection. Seatbelt retractors may be replaced, as necessary. Ford says certain vehicles repaired under the March 28 recall will also require this fix. Engine concerns Ford has issued an update to a second recall affecting 26,905 trucks and SUVs. This is an update from a recall from two years ago. Certain vehicles equipped with a 2.5 L HEV or PHEV engine may have a manufacturing problem that could lead to engine failure and fire, according to the notice posted on Transport Canada's website. For this issue, Ford will also notify affected owners by mail and advise them to bring their cars to a dealership to possibly update the powertrain control module software, or to replace the engine. 'To reduce the safety risk, Ford recommends that you should shut off the engine as soon as possible if you hear unusual engine noises, see smoke from the engine compartment, or notice reduced engine power,' according to the notice online. The following models are affected: Ford Escape (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) Ford Maverick (2022 and 2023) Lincoln Corsair (2021, 2022 and 2023) For more information on both recalls, contact Ford at 1-800-565-3673 or visit its website.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Have a Ford SUV or truck? These two recalls could affect you
A wheel on a 2019 Ford Expedition 4x4 is displayed at the 2019 Pittsburgh International Auto Show on Feb. 14, 2019. (Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo) Ford has updated two separate recalls over safety concerns about seatbelts and engines, affecting tens of thousands of vehicles nationwide. Transport Canada posted both recall updates on its website Tuesday. Here's what to know: Possible seatbelt problems Expanding on a recall from March 28, Ford says 3,261 SUVs could have a problem with the driver and front-passenger seatbelt pretensioners, a safety feature that tightens the seatbelt in the event of a crash. As a result of the issue, the recall reads, 'the airbag warning light could turn on, and the seatbelt pretensioners could deploy without a crash.' The following models are affected: Ford Expedition (2018, 2019 and 2020) Lincoln Navigator (2018, 2019 and 2020) Malfunctioning pretensioners could increase the risk of injury, and those that improperly deploy could startle the driver, risking a collision, read the notice. Affected owners will receive mail from the company advising them to take their vehicles to a dealership for inspection. Seatbelt retractors may be replaced, as necessary. Ford says certain vehicles repaired under the March 28 recall will also require this fix. Engine concerns Ford has issued an update to a second recall affecting 26,905 trucks and SUVs. This is an update from a recall from two years ago. Certain vehicles equipped with a 2.5 L HEV or PHEV engine may have a manufacturing problem that could lead to engine failure and fire, according to the notice posted on Transport Canada's website. For this issue, Ford will also notify affected owners by mail and advise them to bring their cars to a dealership to possibly update the powertrain control module software, or to replace the engine. 'To reduce the safety risk, Ford recommends that you should shut off the engine as soon as possible if you hear unusual engine noises, see smoke from the engine compartment, or notice reduced engine power,' according to the notice online. The following models are affected: Ford Escape (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) Ford Maverick (2022 and 2023) Lincoln Corsair (2021, 2022 and 2023) For more information on both recalls, contact Ford at 1-800-565-3673 or visit its website.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
British tourists who stand up while seatbelt sign is on face fines in Turkey
British holidaymakers in Turkey could face fines if they stand up before their plane seatbelt sign has been turned off. The Turkish civil aviation authority says new rules came into force earlier this month following a rise in complaints about passengers standing up while the sign was still on Offenders will face fines of about £50, Turkish media report, although the aviation authority has not confirmed the exact financial penalty. The fines are expected to be imposed on the spot and enforced through the submission of formal reports by airline staff. The aviation authority said there had been a 'serious increase' in complaints about passengers standing up before the seatbelt had been turned off – often while the plane is still taxiing. Under the new rules, cabin crew are required to deliver a revised version of the in-flight landing announcement. It will instruct passengers to remain seated with their seatbelt fastened until the aircraft has stopped moving and the seatbelt sign has been turned off, advising them that violations will be reported. Passengers must also refrain from opening overhead lockers or attempting to collect their belongings while the plane is in motion. The updated rules apply to all commercial flights operating in Turkey, which remains one of the most popular destinations for British holidaymakers, and attracts tens of millions of international visitors each year. Turkish Airlines, the country's leading carrier, has already updated its landing announcement, reports Euronews. 'Passengers who do not comply with the rules will be reported to the directorate general of civil aviation through a disruptive passenger report, and an administrative fine will be imposed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations,' the airline announcement is reported to say. The Telegraph has contacted the airline for comment. Turkish authorities have reportedly instructed airlines to begin implementing the new announcement guidelines. The move places Turkey among a small number of countries seeking to formalise penalties for conduct that aviation authorities typically leave to the discretion of airlines and cabin crews. The Turkish directorate of civil aviation said: 'Despite announcements informing passengers of the rules, many are standing up before the aircraft reaches its parking positions and before the seat belt sign is turned off. 'This behaviour compromises the safety of passengers and baggage, disregards the satisfaction and exit priority of other travellers.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Ford updates recalls on thousands of SUVs and trucks over seatbelt, engine concerns
A wheel on a 2019 Ford Expedition 4x4 is displayed at the 2019 Pittsburgh International Auto Show on Feb. 14, 2019. (Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo) Ford has updated two separate recalls over safety concerns about seatbelts and engines, affecting tens of thousands of vehicles nationwide. Transport Canada posted both recall updates on its website Tuesday. Here's what to know: Possible seatbelt problems Expanding on a recall from March 28, Ford says 3,261 SUVs could have a problem with the driver and front-passenger seatbelt pretensioners, a safety feature that tightens the seatbelt in the event of a crash. As a result of the issue, the recall reads, 'the airbag warning light could turn on, and the seatbelt pretensioners could deploy without a crash.' The following models are affected: Ford Expedition (2018, 2019 and 2020) Lincoln Navigator (2018, 2019 and 2020) Malfunctioning pretensioners could increase the risk of injury, and those that improperly deploy could startle the driver, risking a collision, read the notice. Affected owners will receive mail from the company advising them to take their vehicles to a dealership for inspection. Seatbelt retractors may be replaced, as necessary. Ford says certain vehicles repaired under the March 28 recall will also require this fix. Engine concerns Ford has issued an update to a second recall affecting 26,905 trucks and SUVs. This is an update from a recall from two years ago. Certain vehicles equipped with a 2.5 L HEV or PHEV engine may have a manufacturing problem that could lead to engine failure and fire, according to the notice posted on Transport Canada's website. For this issue, Ford will also notify affected owners by mail and advise them to bring their cars to a dealership to possibly update the powertrain control module software, or to replace the engine. 'To reduce the safety risk, Ford recommends that you should shut off the engine as soon as possible if you hear unusual engine noises, see smoke from the engine compartment, or notice reduced engine power,' according to the notice online. The following models are affected: Ford Escape (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) Ford Maverick (2022 and 2023) Lincoln Corsair (2021, 2022 and 2023) For more information on both recalls, contact Ford at 1-800-565-3673 or visit its website.
